So you want to be a better creative writer? Every one of us has the ability to improve our creative writing output, both in quantity and quality.
Here are 7 great ways you can use right away to be a better creative writer: 1.
Become a sponge.
Absorb all that's around you, the tiny intricate details of the world that most people miss.
A cobweb on a leaf, the rhythms of the city, the rise and fall of your partner's chest as they sleep.
Creative writing that's rewarding to write - and enjoyable to read - begins with noticing and appreciating the close up snapshots of everyday life.
2.
Visit a variety of places and environments.
Every time we visit somewhere we've never been before, there's an abundance of new stimulation for our senses.
Become aware of how you feel in different places and environments and which make you feel more creative, and fill you with ideas.
3.
Watch classic foreign movies.
Without subtitles! By removing one powerful element of communication - speech and language - we can see more clearly how people communicate in other ways.
See how emotions are demonstrated in the subtleties of facial expressions and small gestures.
Don't mute the sound though.
Listen to the changes in rhythms in the voices and see how much you can understand even without knowing the words they're using.
4.
Practice little and often.
Have a daily ritual of writing creatively, even if it's just 3 lines of poetry or a couple of paragraphs.
Go to a place you can write without distraction and where you feel encouraged to write.
With these routines in place, you begin to "give yourself permission" to store up your creativity in between and let it flow freely in these special time periods.
5.
Adjust your personal remote control.
Imagine you have your own personal remote control handset, like a TV.
Experiment with turning up the volume, increasing the brightness, or changing the colour saturation of the world around you.
Notice how when you focus on each element and increase or decrease the intensity of that element, you can have a more vivid experience of life around you.
6.
Practice writing with different length sentences.
Start with a medium length sentence, say 12 words, describing a scene.
Then add a word at a time to make it more richly descriptive, until it's double the original length.
Then go the other way, remove a word at a time while keeping the creative and descriptive essence of the sentence.
See how few words you can use to still vividly describe the same scene.
7.
Observe people's conversations.
Notice how people talk, their voices, the way their tone and volume changes, how they emphasise different words and syllables.
Notice too how people use their faces and hands to add impact to what they're saying.
By being more aware of these details, you can make your own creative writing more rich and realistic.
These are just 7 useful ideas you can put into action today to help you develop your creative writing.
Which are YOU going to put into action next?