Creativity takes courage, once said Henri Matisse. Matisse, a painter (and also part-time
sculptor, printmaker, and much more), is considered by many to be one of the cornerstones to the
opening of the arts to the masses in the early decades of the twentieth century, along with
Creativity takes a lot of courage. The blank page is
a monster, an abyss that scares and intimidates you with its sheer power. Any aspiring writer
has been plagued by self-doubt. Is it good enough?
Would I care? Would anyone care about what I write? The answers to these questions aren't
easy. They are as complex and subjective as the human mind itself. And whatever you choose
the answer to be, it will have profound implications on your life.
If you write creatively, or paint, or like sculpting, knitting, or whichever your aptitude
is, a million ideas will likely be swirling around your mind at any time of day or night.
At some point, you will want to put those ideas out there, for others to see, read,
or wear, and enjoy. And to do that, to take that crucial step of transferring those ideas
from the self to the great unknown beyond the relative safety of your own head does
take a whole lot of determination and sheer willpower.
Did you ever say to yourself I wish someone had helped me at the beginning of my journey.
I wish someone had been there, guiding my hand with practical help to improve my writing.
Well, Essaypro wants to do exactly that.
Hi guys, this is Mark from Essaypro, and today we're going to embark on a journey of creativity
and the desire to inspire others through our words. We'll explore what it means to be a
creative writer, and finally give you ten actionable tips that will help you overcome
those insidious doubts and become a better writer. And of course, we will give practical
examples to put things into perspective for you.
But before we begin, remember that we publish content every week, so don't forget to subscribe
to our channel, AND click that bell button too, so you never miss any of the content
we create for you.
Creative writing: A journey into yourself
In his book On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, American author Stephen King says 'The scariest
moment is always just before you start.'
On Writing is a fine and helpful work, one that aspiring writers intent on transferring
their creativity into words would do well to read.
King’s quote is both relevant and poignant. Writing creatively is a lonely, introspective,
and intimidating journey.
The fear of the blank page is very real. Harry Potter's creator J.K. Rowling perfectly illustrated
this concept when she said:
Writing is an endeavor that takes the author on a wandering, meandering quest into the
very fabric that makes them be who, and what they are. The written word is the key that
opens doors and alcoves that were hitherto firmly shut within the writer's mind. You
might have felt alone in your quest, like a warrior on a journey home. Yet, you, the
writer, are not alone right now. Essaypro is right here, talking to you. We're having
a meeting of the minds, you see. We're offering the key you need to unlock your potential.
Listen carefully, and your mind might just hear and understand the right cues that Essaypro gives you.
Actionable tips for better creative writing
Think, write, create.
That's a good motto to live by.
Now, everyone's journey through the creative space is different, and personal. You probably
have certain traits and idiosyncrasies, even rituals that you might want to do before,
or during writing, and that's fine. Whatever helps you be inspired and put ideas to paper
is good by us.
But there are several common rules, or guidelines, that all writers should follow while working
on their craft. Essaypro wants to communicate these tips to you. They're listed here in
no particular order or ranking. Take them as the tools you need to use to repair those
small fractures in your brain's creative circuitry.
Ready? Here we go.
Find your own voice
Oscar Wilde said that "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to
greatness." When a writer first embarks on their journey through the world of words,
the likelihood is that these words will sound similar to a story, novel, or other written
work done by someone else. This is perfectly normal at the beginning of your career, but
little by little, word by word, the writer (that's you), will find their own voice. You
need to write like you. That's called your writing voice.
Read, read, and read some more
To put it simply, you will not be able to write if you don't read widely and extensively.
To paraphrase The Oracle from The Matrix, Sorry kid, I really am, but this is an inescapable
fact. Writing creatively requires the author to know the words to write. It's quite obvious,
really. And this knowledge won't fall from the sky, you know. These words come not from
Snapchat, nor do they come from Facebook, or Instagram. They come from books, magazine
articles, even comic books. And you, as a writer, need to feast on words. You need to
swallow like there's no tomorrow.
Develop a writing routine
Get up in the morning. Make yourself a coffee, brush your teeth, and sit down to write. Or
have an afternoon nap and then write. Maybe even start writing when the Moon rises in
the night sky. Whatever works for you. A writing routine will help you structure your work
around your life, and you'll always find time to do what you want to do.
Focus your writing on a genre that interests you and excites you
Poets don't write horror stories, do they? And horror writers tend to stay away from
romance, cause it normally doesn't end well anyway. You could perhaps argue that Dracula
is a romantic novel, and you'll get no argument from me, but you get the point. Choose a genre
that interests you, inspires you, and excites. If you are bored by the theme of your story,
you might as well stop writing it now.
Excitement, illusion, and passion for what happens in the story
will shine through just as much as indifference does. Kill all adverbs
Stephen King believes that the road to hell is paved with adverbs, and he'll certainly
get no argument from me there. If you have one on your
lawn, it looks nice. But fail to root it out, and your lawn will soon be covered with the
things.
Consider these:
'I'm really hungry,' Bill said despairingly. 'Why don't you go and eat something then,'
Roberta answered timidly. She knew that the fridge was almost empty.
'We don't have the money to buy food!', Bill retorted furiously.
Three sentences, three adverbs. Look at them. Look at their insidiousness. They creep up
on you, don't they. Think about it. Do you really need them?
A good editor will destroy as many adverbs as he can find.
I'm also not happy about 'answered', but I can live with it.
Consider the edited version:
'I'm really hungry,' Bill said after his belly rumbled for the third time.
'Why don't you go and eat something then,' Roberta said as she took a furtive glance
towards the almost empty fridge. 'We don't have the money to buy food!'
There. Isn't that better? By using descriptive actions ('rumbling belly', 'furtive glance')
we can infer the characters' mood without having to add those annoying -ly words. Get
rid of adverbs. Now.
Simple language
Some writers use what some refer to as 'flowery language'. They pepper their sentences with
long, complicated, and often archaic words that no one would use in normal language.
American writer H.P. Lovecraft is a perfect example of this. Lovecraftian literature is
full to the brim with words used only by scholars and those with a taste for the arcane. Then
again, his stories usually depict this sort of stuff, but nonetheless, Lovecraftian dialogue
(the very little actual dialogue that he wrote) sounds like this. This gem can be found in
This type of 'dialogue' is little more than a rambling made up with obsolete words and
rural America slang that confuses, bores, and amuses at the same time. Lovecraft was
a shy man who lived a largely secluded life, so one could argue that he just didn't know
how people really talked, and that's a fair point.
The main takeaway for you here is that simpler language works better. Say 'Open the door,'
not 'Move the threshold into an enterable position.' You get the point.
Good grammar
"The greater part of the
world's troubles are due to questions of grammar."
Whether you write creatively, essays, an email to your colleagues, or a postcard for your
family, always use good and correct grammar. You will avoid a lot of trouble. Or just visit
EssayPro.com and use our promo code to order the best essay that you can find on the web.
Sounds easy, right?
Embrace criticism, don't fear it
People will criticize other people's work, sometimes deservedly, sometimes arbitrarily,
that's just human nature. In the internet era, your work is likely to be seen by a large
audience, some of which will like it, and many of which will not.
Learn to sift through who means
well, and who's issuing gratuitous and baseless criticism.
Write every day
This is perhaps one of the most important tips we can give you. Write every single day.
Even if it's just a well-crafted text on your phone, or an email for your family. You can
always find time to write, if you really want to.
You will learn new words, and new ways to use them.
Write with conviction
Your early writings are likely to sound tentative, doubtful. Unsure, even. But sentence by sentence,
you will assert yourself as a writer. This ties with the very first tip we gave. Writing
a lot will enable you to find your own voice, and write convincingly. Or better, with conviction.
Kill adverbs. Always.
Conclusion
The creative process takes time to blossom. Don't expect to score a top bestseller on
your first attempt, nor wait for publishers to knock at your door from Day 1. Writing
is a lifelong career, a craft that must cherish and hone every day. Essaypro is always with
you, helping you to become a better writer, and we want you to remember one thing: 'Dumbo
didn't need the feather; the magic was always in him.'
We hope you enjoyed this video, and remember to subscribe to our channel. Drop us a like,
hit the notification bell, and leave a comment below. Want better writing? Use Essaypro.