Writers: A Practical guide to fuel your creativity
Writers thrive on creativity.
It is our perception of the world that interests our readers.
Our unique storytelling ability differentiates our writing from the clickbait content that exists on the internet.
I have been writing for a decade now and over the course of this journey I have written multiple clickbait articles. There was no learning writing them and I never enjoyed the whole process. It was a horrible experience.
Today, I write articles that interests my readers. Instead of running after ads and clicks, I learned the craft of creative storytelling. Stories that are genuinely applauded by the readers.
But we all know how difficult it is to come up with new creative ideas to write. Staring at a blank screen for hours never works.
To create a creative story, you need to feed your mind with plenty of content. You need to build on top of all the existing knowledge.
Let me explain in detail.
Building on the existing knowledge
In the documentary The Creative Brain released on Netflix, David Eagleman a neuroscientist shares a simple and profound technique about generating creative ideas.
According to David, human mind develops new ideas from already existing thoughts. Basically, creativity is nothing but building ideas on top of the knowledge you already possess.
Creativity never happens on a blank slate.
How does this apply to writers, you may ask ?
As a writer myself I read a lot, it fuels my writing. Everyday my content consumption is almost 10x times the content I write. The more I read more content I produce. While reading I often find topics that resonates with my thinking. I feel a urge to continue the topic in my own voice or rewrite the entire thing with a different perspective.
This is how I create content everyday.
For example, I am writing this story after watching David Eagleman’s documentary and reading couple of articles and research. I didn’t created it from scratch but from the knowledge I gained by reading and watching content.
Maintain a Log
I hate to admit this but creative ideas strike you when you least expect it. Be prepared to write it down whenever you get that thought.
Personally, I use Apple notes to collect all my thoughts and ideas. It has multi device sync feature which helps when I am not with my laptop, I use my phone to write.
Ideally, every writer should maintain a log and keep it with themselves. Write every idea you encounter, even if seems futile now. You never know how it can help you in creating a unique content in the future.
Step away for sometime
Writing is not easy and whenever you think you are stuck, consider stepping away from your desk and walk around.
I follow this personally and many renowned personalities do this as well.
Late Apple cofounder Steve Jobs was known for his brainstorming sessions while walking. In his book “Steve Jobs” Walter Isaacson writes:
I didn’t yet know that taking a long walk was his preferred way to have a serious conversation
This is not just a theory, stepping away from your problem and walking is effective. According to a research from Stanford, walking has a positive effect on creative thinking.
I made a habit of walking to think aloud in college. I guess, subconsciously I created a habit which helps me in writing good content.
The more you educate yourself as a writer, more creative ideas you will generate. Being a creative writer is all about connecting ideas around and sculpture it according to your views.
Another important point to creative thinking is being confident with your abilities. You should be willing to accept ideas that may appear risky but can reward you in the long term. This confidence will help you think outside the box. If you are going with what others are doing and not risking, you are not being creative at all.
You just read another exciting post from the Book Mechanic: the writer’s source for creating books that work and selling those books once they’re written.
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