(The sound of a pen scratching.) LOGO.
Helloo everybody! I've got big news! Big! HUGE! On Wednesday NEXT week, I will be
revealing the cover of The Savior’s Sister! Mark your calendars, ‘cause shit's gonna get
real! Not ONLY will I be revealing the cover, I will be hosting a cover reveal
giveaway! One lucky winner will walk away with a signed hardback of the first book
in the Savior’s series, The Savior's Champion, as well as some TSS swag AND a
motherfuckin’ Kindle! BAM! Ebooks all day, every day! So whether you
like physical books with pretty pages or ebooks on-the-go, doesn't matter! You're
gonna get both! There are only three steps to entering the giveaway. It's
super easy! Step number one (1): Subscribe to my channel! While you're at it, you might
as well ring that bell! I mean, why wouldn't you? It's super easy and it's
going to open you up to a WEALTH of knowledge! Step number two (2): Share the
cover of The Savior’s Sister! I will be providing a link to the cover in the
description of next week's video. Download that sucker and share it! You
can post it in your blog, you can make a reaction video on your YouTube channel,
you can share it on social media! Instagram, Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter,
whatever! Just share it! Post that cover somewhere on the internet, and share it
like you don't know how to wash your hands! And lastly, step number three (3):
Submit your entry! I will have a link to the submission form in the description
of next week's video! It's SUPER easy to fill out, but you HAVE to do it in order
to be entered into the running. One awesome person is walking away with a
signed hardback of TSC, some awesome TSS swag, as well as their very own Kindle!
But you've got to subscribe to my channel, you have to share the cover, and
of course, you have to enter the giveaway! Do it! You'll be glad you did it! You'll
get tons of prizes! It's amazing! On to today's topic! I'm talking about
imagination! Specifically, how to improve your creativity in order
to generate better ideas throughout the creative writing process. Typically, when
people ask how to get book ideas, you hear the same answers, like, “Read more,” or
“Watch TV.” However, the number one tool for being a creator is to have a
TRULY creative mind. A lot of aspiring writers tell me they want to write a
book, but they do NOT consider themselves creative. Even when they read more or
look for inspiration, they just end up regurgitating stuff that's already out
there. Or, their brain feels like it's constipated and unwilling to cook up
anything new or unique. Fortunately, there are ways to boost your creativity and
strengthen it over time, and I am breaking down those steps right now! Most
of these points are generalizations based on research I've done regarding
the science behind creativity. Other points are based on my own personal
experience. Either way, we're cooking up a more creative mind for you in three, two,
one, go! Number One (1): Make it FUN! This is probably the most important facet to
creativity. It's supposed to be fun! This is why children are wildly creative.
Imagination is all about play! Somewhere down the line, you forgot that, either
because of your parents, or school, or society as a whole sucked the joy out of
you. It's time to get that shit back! When you take the time to exercise your
creativity - for example, coming up with ideas for a book - remember that this is a
choice you made because you ENJOY it, and treat it APPROPRIATELY. You're inventing
characters using NOTHING but your imagination! That is the definition of
playtime! EMBRACE IT! If being creative isn't fun for you, that is the number one
sign you’re doing it wrong. Number Two (2): Relax. I'm not saying you need
to meditate, but for God's sake, stop putting so much pressure on yourself!
You're writing a book, not diffusing a bomb. The worst thing that can happen is
that you're writing sucks, in which case you can delete it
and try again. Basically, the downside is minimal and you're stressing yourself
over nothing. Not only is this intense stress completely unnecessary, it's also
going to prevent the writing process from being fun, which as we already
covered, is kind of important! On top of that, it's going to stifle your
creativity. A lot of us get our best ideas when we're relaxed, say for example,
when we're about to fall asleep or when we're in the shower. Easing that pressure
valve will do your imagination a world of good! Number Three (3): Be honest. One of
the main sources of pressure that writers feel is to write what sells,
write what's appropriate, or write what looks good. The thing is ‘what sells’
changes DRASTICALLY from year to year. Appropriateness is SUBJECTIVE, and if we
were choosing a career based on what ‘looks good,’ we already fucked up by
choosing the author route. So since we're being honest, it's time for you to be
REAL with yourself about the kind of story you TRULY want to write. What
stories are you passionate about? What kind of books do you reach for? A lot of
people are embarrassed to embrace the content they love, but when they do, it
COMPLETELY untethers their creativity! This is largely because of point one (1).
It's a LOT more fun to write the kind of stories you're deeply passionate about.
And again, the more fun you're having, the more room your creativity has to grow.
Number Four (4): No judgments. Another reason children are so much more creative than
adults is because they don't embarrass easily. They haven't yet experienced the
shame that comes with being adult, which means they feel free to make mistakes.
That's a mindset you'll need to relearn if you want to be a much more creative
writer. Give yourself the freedom to come up with any and all ideas, no matter how
ridiculous or self-indulgent. Remember, just because you come up with an idea,
doesn't mean you have to write it or publish it. But giving yourself the
freedom to produce really stupid shit means abandoning all limitations on your
imagination and creativity. In return, you'll produce WAY more ideas at a rapid
pace, which means WAY more content to work
with. And sure, a lot of it will be crap, but some of it will be SPECTACULAR and FUN!
What would you rather have? 100 ideas that are a mix of terrible and amazing,
or 5 ideas that are completely generic? Let yourself be an idiot, and I promise
you'll find some genius in it. Number Five (5): Prune your circle. Some people
prefer generating ideas by themselves. It's a deeply personal process for them.
Others like generating ideas within a social circle. If you're the former, fuck
everyone else and generate ideas by yourself! I support you! But if you're the
latter, and someone is CONSISTENTLY negative toward all of your ideas in
their infancy, this is NOT the person to share your creativity with. DO NOT get
this confused with beta readers or critique partners who give criticism.
Once we reach this stage, we are LOOKING for feedback and that criticism is VITAL
to our growth. However, the idea phase is where we want our creativity to flourish,
and it's going to be a lot easier for that to happen if the people we surround
ourselves with are positive and encouraging.
Please remember ideas exist to be molded or discarded. They don't need to be
perfect the moment they pop out of your brain! Number Six (6): Move. If you're
struggling to think up ideas, get off your ass and go for a walk!
Movement is a GREAT creativity tool because it helps to promote play and
decrease depression. And, contrary to popular belief, depression is a total
creativity killer. Again, let's reference getting ideas in the shower. Maybe this
happens not only because you're relaxed, but also because you're moving. Get your
muscles going and your brain might start chugging along with them.
Number Seven (7): Empathize. Empathy is not only a valuable character trait, it’s also an
IMPERATIVE creative writing tool. Your ability to put yourself in other
people's shoes expands your mind and broadens your perspective, thus improving
your writing. It's a LOT easier to create a wide variety of characters with
VASTLY diverse backgrounds when you have the ability to empathize with other
people. Work on being less of an asshole, and I promise not only will you have
more friends, but your writing will also improve! Number Eight (8): Thought dump. I've
talked about thought dumping in the past. It's a vital part of my creative process,
and it should be a part of your process as well! Thought dumping is when you take
your thoughts about a particular idea or story and you dump ‘em onto a page. Some
people thought dump on notebooks or Google Docs. I personally thought dump
using Word Docs OR the Notes app on my phone. The reason I emphasize thought
dumping is because a lot of people trip themselves up during the writing process
by trying to organize all of their thoughts from the start. That's what the
outline is for, and you're not quite there yet!
Instead of outlining all of your half-assed concepts right from the
get-go, just focus on getting all of those ideas out of your brain and onto
the page! Dump ‘em out for now, and leave the organization for later.
Number Nine (9): Problem solve. Highly creative people are often VERY good at
problem solving. They see an issue in their thought dump and rather than whine
and mope, they fiddle with it until it's fixed.
Think of these issues as puzzles. Puzzles CAN be frustrating if you take them too
seriously, but they're NOT supposed to be serious - they're supposed to be fun. We're
having fun, bitches! Don't forget that. If you want to improve your problem-solving
skills, do more puzzles! You can get jigsaw puzzles, you can get puzzle apps
on your phone, you can do brain teasers, the options are endless! And Number Ten (10):
Make the time. One of the reasons that adults are so lacking in creativity is
that they don't have the time for it. Think of your creativity as a muscle. If
you don't work it, it's gonna get weak and piddly as hell. Allow yourself the
freedom to do something creative or exercise your creativity at LEAST once a
week. I like to cook up story ideas before I go to bed at
night. That's when I'm relaxed. I can thought dump on my phone. Plus, it helps
me fall asleep. At the end of the day, you're NOT going to improve your
creativity unless you actively WORK toward improving your creativity. Make
time for unleashing your creative juices, and above all else, have fun! So that's all
I got for you today! Friendly reminder, I am revealing the
cover of The Savior’s Sister next week, alongside a cover reveal giveaway! One
lucky winner is going to receive a brand new Kindle, alongside a signed hardback of
The Savior's Champion and some TSS swag! All you gotta do is subscribe to my
channel, share the cover, and enter the giveaway! The form will be listed down
below the cover reveal posted next week! Get on it! It's gonna be fun! I'm super
excited! I'm crazy excited! You should be excited! Yeah, yeah, yeah! Woo! Don't forget
to subscribe to my channel! I post new videos on Wednesdays! And if you want to
be alerted as SOON as I upload, ring that bell! The Savior’s Champion is available in
ebook, paperback, hardback, signed hardback, as well as audiobook! If you are new to
audiobooks, you can listen to TSC on Audible for free! I have all the links
listed below! And be sure to follow me on social media! I'm on Instagram, Tumblr,
Facebook - and of course, you can Tweet me @JennaMoreci! Bye!
(Older Male Voice) This is Wembleton. If you haven't subscribed to Jenna's channel, then by
all means, go for it! The people will LOVE you for it! Go on,
press the button! Ding that bell! See you soon!