Writers Chat, hosted by Johnnie Alexander, Brandy Brow, and Melissa Stroh, is the show where we talk about all things writing, by writers and for writers!
“Because talking about writing is more fun than actually doing it.”
Come Write with Us: Music Session
Back by popular demand, here’s our second Come Write with Us: Music Session. In this show, Brandy Brow sets up several timed creative writing sessions set to themed instrumental music. Put on your creative writing hat, grab a notepad or your favorite writing device, and prepare for the inspiration to let your imagination soar! All music contained in this writing session is used with permission from https://www.FesliyanStudios.com Background Music
Watch the October 24th Replay.
Writers Chat is hosted live each Tuesday for an hour starting at 10 AM CT / 11 AM ET on Zoom. The permanent Zoom room link is: http://zoom.us/j/4074198133
“I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.”
Maya Angelou
The summer after finishing university, I left the United States. My plan was to spend a year in London studying for a masters in economics, then return home to North Carolina. Instead, I moved on to Switzerland, then Africa, then back to Switzerland, Italy, and finally at age twenty-eight I became a consultant in Germany. By that point, I knew I could make a living in business. Even so, I feared it was never going to give me the fulfillment or sense of belonging that I so craved.
Six months later, after a remarkable series of events (another story for another time), I started writing.
I wrote for nine years and completed seven books before my first was published. Pause here for a great deal of heartache, sweat, and struggle. NINE YEARS. SEVEN BOOKS. Working a full-time day job throughout.
Six years into this struggle, I wrote two Swiss friends saying that I was on the verge of giving up. These two guys, who did not know each other, both responded with the same message: I needed to come smell the ice.
I had of course heard the expression before. What they meant was, I should travel back to Switzerland and hike a glacier face. During my five years in Switzerland, I had skied over glaciers any number of times. But this being August, what they meant was something else entirely.
My Swiss friends insisted it was time, as they put it, for me to meet the ice on the ice’s terms. Alone. When the power was total, and the ice was my entire world. The rock and the ice and the power and the solitude.
So for my summer vacation I took the train down, and then another train, and finally arrived in Zermatt, the closest village to the Matterhorn. Early the next morning I took the Gorner Bahn to the top station, and arrived at the trail soon after the sun crested the surrounding peaks. Most glaciers are constantly on the move, which creates deep fissures and highly unstable surface ice. Chasms hidden beneath what appears to be a stable ice-face can be a quarter of a mile deep. But the Monte Rosa walk was unique. Zermatt is home to the only Swiss glacier stable enough that I could cross alone, without being roped up or in the company of a guide.
As I stepped onto the ice, a pair of Swiss army four-tracks slowly made their way along the perimeter trail. They halted where a narrow tongue of earth jutted like a peninsula into the ice. Soon as the engines died, three generations started piling out. Mom, Dad, more kids than I could count, another older couple, and piles and piles of gear. Only this was not mountaineering equipment. Instead, I watched them pull out frosted wine buckets, a case of champagne, picnic hampers, bottles of lemonade for the kids, a basket that wafted the scent of fresh-baked bread, a bag from the Caviar House, a wooden bucket of butter, and an entire wheel of cheese. Then the four adult men took hold of a padded stretcher and slowly, gently, drew out a very old lady.
As the men started across the ice, I saw that one was limping and clearly in pain. So I went over and asked if I could help. They explained that their grandmother was dying with cancer, and her last wish had been to ‘smell the ice’ once last time.
The old lady was there and not there. She smiled whenever someone spoke to her, and had a gentle hand for every child that came within reach. But her attention was really on the ice.
We hiked for about an hour, out to where the entire world was white. I left them when they stopped and began preparing their picnic feast. As I started away, the grandmother waved me over. She asked my name, then said in parting, ‘May you be blessed with a life of second chances.’
I left the family to their happy-sad outing and hiked across the glacier and up to the Monte Rosa hut. There is a healing quality to the ice in summer. The silence is much more intense this time of year. The mountains are very individual. Uncovered from their uniform winter blankets, they reveal very unique characters. The light is as glorious as the quiet.
This hike split me away from the hurried rush of business pressures and modern life. I was gifted a visceral bond to a very different world. Here on the ice, time measures seasons like we do seconds. The ice was here long before we arrived, and will remain long after we are gone. This walk offered me a partial, momentary, imperfect glimpse into what it means to live for eternity. At that crucial juncture in my life, this small fragment was enough.
When I returned at sunset, the family was gone. But the grandmother’s words held me still. As they do now, thirty-five years later.
American psychologist Abraham Maslow defined a ‘peak experience’ as a unique moment when time loosens its hold, the self evaporates, and the individual becomes captivated by a different and ecstatic view of their world.
In the coming posts, my aim is to examine the creative life from two perspectives. One will focus upon the commercial. How can the artist reach the point where they can live from their work. What does this mean in terms of commitment, focus, and aims.
Balanced with this will be my second direction; how to create an environment where such peak experiences are welcome. It is nigh on impossible to generate such moments at will. But they can be encouraged. The creative environment can actually foster their arrival. With time. And discipline.
Let us begin.
DO THIS NOW:
Close your eyes. Think back to an experience so beautifully intense that ‘time’ and ‘self’ were concepts that simply did not belong.
While in this moment, tell yourself that you invite such experiences again. You welcome them into your life. You are open to them, in whatever new form they care to take.
Davis Bunn’s novels have sold in excess of eight million copies in twenty-four languages. He has appeared on numerous national bestseller lists, and his titles have been Main or Featured Selections with every major US book club. In 2011 his novel Lion of Babylon was named Best Book of the Year by Library Journal. The sequel, entitled Rare Earth, won Davis his fourth Christy Award for Excellence in Fiction in 2013. In 2014 Davis was granted the Lifetime Achievement award by the Christy board of judges. His recent title Trial Run has been named Best Book of The Year by Suspense Magazine. Lately he has appeared on the cover of Southern Writers Magazine and Publishers Weekly, and in the past three years his titles have earned him Best Book and Top Pick awards from Library Journal, Romantic Times, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and Kirkus. His most recent series, Miramar Bay, have been acquired for world-wide condensation-books by Readers Digest. Currently Davis serves as Writer-In-Residence at Regent’s Park College, Oxford University. Until Covid struck, he was speaking around the world on aspects of creative writing.
Poetry is such a beautiful form of literature. It allows you to say so much without having to write pages and pages. Through symbolism, rhymes, rhythmic, and aesthetic language, poetry can truly express the author’s deepest emotions and wildest thoughts. And, the best thing about poetry is that it brings certain benefits to the author.
The benefits of writing poetry might be a mystery to you, but we’re here to tell you more. We’ve put together a list that will help you learn just how good poetry can be for you, mentally and physically. Let’s take a closer look.
1. Expressing Emotions
The number one benefit of writing poetry lies in expressing emotions. This is crucial for those people who have trouble dealing with how they feel.
And, one thing’s for sure- you should never swipe your emotions under the rug.
Through writing poetry, you’re able to:
process the emotions you’re feeling
use creativity to express them
deal with them in your poetry and let them go
That means that poetry helps you let go of certain feelings instead of constantly holding on to the past. And, this is extremely beneficial for your mental health and inner peace.
2. Escaping Reality
We all need a break from our reality every now and then. And, poetry allows us to create our own little world and escape in it whenever we like.
People who write poetry regularly report that they feel shifted away whenever they’re in this process. Here’s what that means:
writing poetry takes you to your happy place
you feel relaxed, stress-free, and inspired
you can rest from the daily noise and tension
Escaping your busy reality is a good idea, and poetry is one of the best ways to do it.
3. Building Self-Awareness
Learning about ourselves and getting in touch with our inner-selves is never a bad idea. This is something we should try doing for as long as we’re alive.
Why?
Because it helps us build self-awareness and grow stronger on a personal level. Here’s how poetry helps you build self-awareness:
you express your ideas and emotions in your poems
you do it intuitively, which makes it honest
you re-read those lines and gain new insight about yourself
Poetry allows you to learn about yourself, grow, and improve.
4. Memorizing Important Moments
When certain things happen in our lives, we like to hold on to them. Whether it’s a beautiful memory or a life-changing event, it’s good to be reminded of your past experiences.
But, holding it all inside can be potentially harmful to our mental health. This is why it’s a good idea to write it down through poetry. This way, you’ll be:
getting it out of your system
making sure it’s never forgotten
allowing yourself to re-live it whenever you read the poems
Angela Baker, a literary critic, and editor at Trust My Paper, says:
“Poetry is one of the best ways to preserve some of the most important moments of your life. When you turn them into poetry, they’ll forever remain alive and available for you to re-live them. That’s the beauty of poetry.”
Angela Baker
5. Remove Emotional Pain
Some of the most beautiful poems were written as a result of great emotional pain. When we suffer, we feel most inspired to write poetry because we feel the need to ease the pain we’re feeling.
Poetry helps us remove this emotional pain, and here’s how:
we bring it out of ourselves
we deal with all the emotions we’re feeling
we find relief and peace
Writing poetry benefits those who are struggling to heal from a recent emotional episode and need a hand to do it successfully.
6. Improving Cognition
Poetry isn’t just beneficial for our emotional side. It also has a positive impact on our brand and cognition, so we can almost say that it’s making us smarter.
Here’s why this is the case:
writing poetry is a complex process
it requires us to combine the words, hidden meaning, symbols, rhymes, and rhythmic
this process makes our brain active and stronger
Poetry helps us train our brain into being sharper and working smoothly. As a result, our overall cognition, memory, and focus are improved.
Final Thoughts
Writing poetry is an immensely enjoyable and beneficial process we should all try. People who write poetry experience significant benefits and improvements in their well-being.
Hopefully, the benefits listed above helped you understand just how valuable the process of writing poetry is. Use it as inspiration to start enjoying writing poetry more.
Donald Fomby is an experienced freelance writer and amateur poet. He currently works as an editor at Supreme Dissertations. Donald mainly focuses on literature-related topics and aims to provide practical advice his readers can apply easily
Writers Chat, hosted by Jean Wise, Johnnie Alexander, and Bethany Jett, is the show where we talk about all things writing, by writers and for writers!
“Because talking about writing is more fun than actually doing it.”
Book Chat: Writing Life Stories by Bill Roorbach
Host Jean Wise is joined by behind the scenes members Jann W. Martin, Norma Poore, and Melissa Stroh to share their take on a few of the writing exercises from Bill’s book. For example, write out a favorite childhood memory. Could this become a scene in your story? Is there a bit of inspiration usable in your nonfiction work? This book is full of practical tips and ideas for memoir writing, but also gets the creative juices flowing for whatever genre you write. If you need a pick me up writing wise, this would be the episode for you. Check it out.
Watch the September 1st replay
JOIN US!
Writers Chat is hosted live each Tuesday for an hour starting at 10 AM CT / 11 AM ET on Zoom. Here’s the permanent Zoom room link.
Participants mute their audio and video during the filming then we open up the room for anyone who wishes to participate with our guests. The “After Party” is fifteen-minutes of off-the-record sharing and conversation.
Additionally, you can grow your network and add to the conversation by joining our Writers Chat Facebook Group.
Long before the pandemic began, I used to drop into the occasional adult beginner ballet class. There, I’d stretch out vertebrae accustomed to being crunched together over a laptop, and curl fingers stiff from typing around a wooden barre. I stopped going after a while, but the monotony of sheltering in place made me want to dance again. With the studios shuttered by COVID, I turned to YouTube. Now, I tendu and plié at home in my yoga pants, clumsily mirroring the dancers I call up on my TV screen.
One Youtube dance teacher, the Miami City Ballet soloist Kathryn Morgan, posts follow-along stretching routines alongside her virtual barre classes. In one such video, Morgan stretches her legs long-wise on a Tiffany blue yoga mat. She rounds her back, hunching over with her spine forming a C-shape.
She says, “We’re doing this first” — with the curved spine — “so that when we do the normal head-to-knee stretch, the back doesn’t take over.” Then she straightens and hinges over, reaching for her feet. At home, stretching on a hardwood floor, I copy the curves and flats of her spine.
Morgan teaches us to sit in the “wrong” position first, releasing the distracting muscles in our back so we won’t be held taut by their tension. Doing the stretch badly, sinking into your comfort, allows you to do it well the next time.
I’ve written in the past about the virtues of bad prose, how reading ungainly sentences or ill-plotted stories can teach us to spot the flaws in our own writing. But, stretching with Morgan, I can’t help but think about how writing badly can sometimes be helpful too.
We all have questionable habits as writers. For me, it’s a shapelessness to my plotting, an overuse of metaphor, and a tendency to let my stories sort of… peter out instead of ending them with intention. For the most part, it makes sense to guard against these impulses toward sloppiness. But sometimes, thinking too hard about how not to write makes it hard to write at all.
I think, again, of ballet. Sometimes, the impossibility of turning out at the hip and pointing the toes and straightening the knee and tucking the pelvis, all at the same time, can freeze me in place before I even begin to move. To start dancing at all, I have to give myself permission to do it badly. Sometimes, I’ll even move in a deliberately off-kilter fashion, allowing my knees to knock together and my feet to flex. I’m letting my body have its way, before I subject it to balletic discipline.
When I find myself blocked by writerly perfectionism, I’ve found it helpful to give my “bad” impulses free rein too. But instead of doing this in the text of whatever I’m working on, I use a “fake” story as a scratchpad, deliberately staying away from the setting, characters, and even themes of my “real” project.
In this new document, which resembles an actual story only in the loosest sense of the term, I force myself to write thoughtlessly and without shame. I let my metaphors starburst into absurdity, my sentences tangle up in one another, my characters run off and disappear without reason. Instead of worrying about endings at all, I keep plowing ahead, rarely even reading over what I’ve typed.
Like releasing all the tension in my stiffened spine, writing with abandon like this lets me get my bad habits out of my system. Only then can I approach my “real” project unselfconsciously. It’s the writerly equivalent of dancing alone with your eyes closed, not even looking at your own clumsy, joyful shape in the mirror. In my opinion, there’s no better way to get over writer’s block.
Lucia Tang is a writer for Reedsy, a marketplace that connects self-publishing authors with the book industry’s best editors, designers, and marketers. To work on the site’s free historical character name generators, she draws on her knowledge of Chinese, Latin, and Old Irish — learned as a PhD candidate in history at UC Berkeley. You can read more of her work on the Reedsy Discovery blog, or follow her on Twitter at @lqtang.
So far in this series, I’ve shared with you techniques I’ve learned as an actress that has strengthened my writing. These techniques have helped me deepen characterization, tap into emotion, and break down scenes and plot. But did you know there’s even more we can learn from actors, apart from the craft?
Let’s take a look at what actors can teach us about our approach to the writing process.
On Approaching the Writing Process…
1. If actors want to experiment with a range of possibilities for delivering a certain line or scene, they might experiment with different moment-before scenarios. They will brainstorm a range of ideas as to where their character just came from and what happened to them previously. Doing this will result in unique and fresh responses, reactions, and ways of delivering the scene and their lines. As writers, we can try the same trick. Can you brainstorm new ideas of where your character comes from the moment before a scene takes place? Then allow the scene to unfold in response to each unique moment-before scenario, and take a look at how these moment-before scenarios affect the character and the dialogue, resulting in multiple possibilities of approaching the scene.
2. When an actor is assigned a role in a project, he must understand the overall tone and style of the film (or show). This may require speaking with the director, inquiring about his vision. Understanding the tone will then help the actor adhere to this in each of his scenes, resulting in an overall stylistically cohesive film. Let’s remember to do the same in our projects as well. Let’s ask ourselves, What is the tone of this book, and how will the scene I’m writing now emphasize that tone?
3. Method actors are constantly reminded that good acting is not equivalent to a good “performance” of their lines. In other words, actors should not memorize the inflection of the voice in delivering lines, the mechanics of performing; doing this actually results in unauthentic acting. This bad acting is often a result of an actor relying too heavily on the left side of their brain while they are delivering their lines. Unfortunately, I’ve noticed the same fault amongst writers as well. When we write—especially those firsts drafts—let’s not focus so much on the appearance of our art. The way that we string words together to result in a beautiful, flowery language. Oftentimes, this comes across as though the writer is trying too hard to “perform” and show off their writing abilities. Instead, if we hope to deliver an authentic story that touches our readers, we must remember that, when it comes to writing a good story, beautiful writing comes second. That can be embellished after we deliver the heart of the story. Because it’s this heart of the story that will connect with readers and stick with them.
4. Actors must avoid being “in their head” as they act. Thinking is an enemy to method acting. We often do the same when it comes to writing. The more writing techniques we learn, the more tempted we are to become paralyzed by these “writing rules.” But if we try so hard to avoid making a mistake as we write, we risk “being in our head” throughout the entire writing process. The acting coach, Warner Loughlin, suggests that actors “go for the emotional journey of the character, not the result.” I recommend we do the same. Let’s remain in the right side of our brain as we write, allowing our imagination to lead us through the story.
5. Even though a script may already assign lines for an actor to deliver, often a director will allow the actor to bring their own interpretation, reaction, and emotion—as long as it feels natural to who their character is in that moment. In writing, let’s give ourselves the freedom to improvise in our scenes as well, allowing our characters to come to life. Instead of being strictly tied to our plot/scene outlines, let’s grant these characters the freedom to act on their natural impulses and follow their instincts. Then we can see where these choices lead the scene and story.
Which of these tips do you struggle with the most? Let me know in the comments!
Tessa Emily Hall is an award-winning author who writes inspirational yet authentic books for teens to remind them they’re not alone. She writes both fiction and devotionals for teens, including her upcoming release, LOVE YOUR SELFIE (October 2020, Ellie Claire). Her latest devotional, COFFEE SHOP DEVOS, encourages teens to pursue a personal relationship with Christ. Tessa’s passion for shedding light on clean entertainment and media for teens led her to a career as a Literary Agent at Cyle Young Literary Elite, YA Acquisitions Editor for Illuminate YA (LPC Imprint), and Founder/Editor of PursueMagazine.net. She’s guilty of making way too many lattes and never finishing her to-read list. When her fingers aren’t flying 128 WPM across the keyboard, she can be found speaking to teens, decorating art journals, and acting in Christian films. Her favorite way to procrastinate is through connecting with readers on her blog, mailing list, social media (@tessaemilyhall), and website: tessaemilyhall.com.
Writers Chat, hosted by Jean Wise, Johnnie Alexander, and Bethany Jett, is the show where we talk about all things writing, by writers and for writers!
“Because talking about writing is more fun than actually doing it.”
Book Chat: Called to Create by Jordan Raynor
Hosts Jean Wise, Bethany Jett, and Johnnie Alexander share insights from Called to Create: A Biblical Invitation to Create, Innovate. From the back cover: THE WORK YOU DO TODAY MATTERS FOR ETERNITY. We were created by an infinitely creative God to reflect his love and character to the world. One way we do that is by continuing his creative work. In this energizing book, serial entrepreneur and bestselling author Jordan Raynor helps artists, entrepreneurs, writers, and other creatives reimagine our work as service to God and others.
Watch the June 2nd replay
Creating Effective Media Images with Rhonda Dragomir and Kathleen Sweeney
Rhonda Dragomir, writer and graphics/web designer, provides a detailed tutorial on creating stunning social media images. The best images, Rhonda advises, tell a story and evoke emotion. She talks about lighting, saturation, cropping, the rule of three, and other elements that go into creating a compelling image.
Kathleen Sweeney, Manager of Marketing and Customer Service at Book Brush, is also our guest. As Rhonda demonstrates how she uses Book Brush to create her own social media images, Kathleen provides additional tips and info.
Book Brush is an amazing app designed to help authors promote their books via social media by using the backgrounds, community templates, and mockups provided on the site. https://youtu.be/zw9Radc8Jcc
Watch the June 9th replay.
Rhonda Dragomir and her husband live in Kentucky. She is an award winning writer with published works in Chicken Soup for the Soul anthologies and Spark magazine. Rhonda is a pastor’s wife, Bible teacher, and speaker. She and her husband formed The Dragomir Group which offers services for writers. You can find Rhonda on social media or visit her website at www.rhondadragomir.com
Kathleen Sweeney loves creating images. She brings over 17 years of client service experience, business assurance, strategy and problem solving to Book Brush.
JOIN US!
Writers Chat is hosted live each Tuesday for an hour starting at 10 AM CT / 11 AM ET on Zoom. Here’s the permanent Zoom room link.
Participants mute their audio and video during the filming then we open up the room for anyone who wishes to participate with our guests. The “After Party” is fifteen-minutes of off-the-record sharing and conversation.
Additionally, you can grow your network and add to the conversation by joining our Writers Chat Facebook Group.
In January, I had the privilege of speaking about being a writer at a large private school near Chicago. But before my talk, as an added bonus, I had lunch with a group of award-winning student authors ranging in age from 5 to 13. (These students had been chosen to represent their individual classroom as “the best of the best” and read their work in front of the entire school.) So, while I chatted with these gifted wordsmiths in between bites of cheese pizza, I asked them: “Which was harder for you—writing or editing your story?” As I expected, all but one said the editing process had been way harder. Then, the one who didn’t jump on the editing bandwagon said something I’ll never forget.
She very honestly admitted, “I had trouble with the writing process because I kept editing myself…”
That comment sparked a very interesting conversation about hats and one of my favorite books about writing, Dancing on the Head of a Pen: The Practice of a Writing Life by Robert Benson. In case you haven’t read it, Benson shares about the different hats he wears when crafting his amazing books. He sports a stylish beret when creating story. As he writes his “sloppy copy,” beret man is the guy in the chair. But once this first draft is safely recorded, he switches to his well-loved Yankees cap which he has lovingly named “Gamer”. He wears “Gamer” when editing. But Benson explains that bringing out “Gamer” too soon in the process can totally halt the creativity of “Beret man”—the artist.
That’s what had happened to the student who confessed she’d really struggled with the writing process.
“You switched hats too soon,” I told her, explaining Benson’s theory.
What about you? Are you self-editing (and sometimes self-loathing) as you write and create children’s stories? Are you constantly fixing grammar and spelling or rewriting sentences three and four times before continuing on? If so, I feel your pain. I occasionally stifle my own creativity because I can’t get my baseball “Gamer” cap off my head. It just won’t budge! And, no matter how hard I try, I can’t create with “Gamer” calling the shots!
If you struggle with this premature switching of hats, here are three strategies you can implement to keep your beret safely in place as you create.
Write fast, really fast. Don’t give yourself the chance to edit. Just get that story down on paper or in that computer, whatever your process.
Switch gears, not hats. The moment you feel yourself slipping into the editing mode, switch gears completely. For example, if you’re writing a picture book in narrative and you start to slip into editor mode, stop writing narrative and try writing your picture book in rhyme. That will get your creative juices flowing again and put your editor’s cap back on the hat rack.
Set the Mood with Music. This works well for me. If I’m creating, I have on “mood music” that awakens the creative part of me. So, when I was writing my book, “Get Your Spirit On! Devotions for Cheerleaders” I listened to all of the cheer music compilations that my daughters competed to when they cheered. That music was motivating and put me in the right mindset to write about “all things cheerleading.” But, when I am editing, I almost always listen to instrumental music. When the instrumental melodies fill my writing room, it instantly becomes my editing room. Maybe this tactic will work for you, too!
If you’re like the little girl who struggled with knowing which hat to wear—the beret or the Gamer—I hope you’ll try these three strategies. And, I recommend you purchase your own copy of Dancing on the Head of a Penand glean from Benson’s genius.
Michelle
Medlock Adams is an award-winning journalist and best-selling
author of over 90 books with close to 4 million sold. Her many journalism and
book awards include top honors from the
Associated Press, AWSA’s Golden Scroll for Best Children’s Book, and the
Selah Award for Best Children’s Book. Michelle currently serves as President of
Platinum Literary Services, a premier full-service literary firm; Chairman of
the Board of Advisors for Serious Writer, Inc.; and a much sought-after speaker
at writers conferences and women’s retreats all over the United States.
When not writing or teaching writing, Michelle enjoys
bass fishing and cheering on the Indiana University Basketball team, the
Chicago Cubbies, and the LA Kings.
Michelle is celebrating the recent release of
her books, Get Your Spirit On!, Fabulous
& Focused, Dinosaur Devotions, and
C Is for Christmas, and she’s anticipating the upcoming release of What Is America? (Worthy Kids) and They Call Me Mom (Kregel), a devotional
book she co-authored with Bethany Jett.
Writers
already understand the importance of creativity: after all, writing is an art
form, and art forms rely heavily on imagination and the ability to craft
something unique. Technology is sometimes
painted as the enemy of creativity, but that is simply not true. From provoking
inspiration to facilitating the means of finding it, technology has simply
enhanced the ability of writers in their pursuit of creativity, not hindered
it. Here is how:
Tuning in to the right distractions
Technology
is sometimes cited as the enemy of concentration – mobile phones constantly
pinging and entertainment facilities such as TV and video games marking hugely
distracting and mind-numbing activities which take away from our more
productive activities and thinking time.
However,
cannot these advances actually perpetuate imagination and creative thinking? If
through video games we are able to enter incredible online worlds, and in movie
theatres we are able to step into lives that are far-removed from ours as we
could possibly imagine, are we not in fact feeding creative thought? Of course,
there is a time and place for such distractions, such as when we have a task at
hand that demands our full attention.
Using technology
within helpful restrictions
Technology
offers unlimited choices. Unfortunately, choices can be counterproductive, as
there is also evidence to suggest that the greater number of choices we are
faced with, and the greater the number of options we can select from, the more
we resort to out tried-and-tested, and thus, less-creative, options. Consider a
restaurant where there are 500 choices on the menu. In such a case, are you
more likely to choose something new, or become so overwhelmed by the number of
possibilities that you order a burger through sheer panic?
Using technology to ask questions
What technology
can do, to an incredible extent, is facilitate your ability to ask questions
and get answers. “It still amazes me how the internet in particular has
facilitated our ability to find about things that we always wanted to know. In
fact, some people have almost become dead to the idea of this, but I say use it
for absolutely everything it is worth to feed your knowledge and creativity,” says
Stanley Strachan, a writing consultant at Australian help and Academized.
Play educational games
Research
from Michigan University has pointed to children who play video games actually
showing a higher degree of creativity than their peers. Now, this doesn’t mean
that writers need to immediately jump into the world of Fortnite, but it can
mean that, with the selection of the right sort of game, your creative juices
can start pumping. Games which inspire problem-solving capabilities are
particularly useful.
Getting creative with help of photographs and videos
Technology
has facilitated the ability to record images and videos, and subsequently share
them, in a manner that could not possibly have been envisaged a short time ago.
Use these images to inspire creative thoughts and to help paint the visuals you
need in your mind’s eye to produce the story you want to tell. “As an example,
now you can write a novel set in Africa if you have never been there simply
because images and videos can facilitate your understanding of that place” says
Lucy Hutton, a blogger at State of writing and Big Assignments.
Balance privacy and sharing
One
final word of warning here. Creativity can also be greatly bolstered through
what is known in the business as ‘incubation’, that is time spent alone with
one’s thoughts and ideas in order to foster the greatest possible outcome. This
rings as true now as it ever has, so be wary of sharing your ideas to freely
before they have solidified in your mind.
I have
often been warned against ‘oversharing’, and I think this is pertinent advice.
Let the idea come to fruition first, because once you have released it, it is
not yours anymore.
Nora Mork is a journalist at UK Writings and Essay Roo. She shares her ideas by speaking at public events, and writing posts for Boom Essays.
I slogged through composing an article, retyping the same sentence six or seven times. The sentence was too short, too wordy, too awkward, too something. I deleted the string of witless words.
Nothing.
It was time to escalate so I shot an email to a writing buddy and attached the offending sentence along with a plea for help. In minutes, she replied with the suggestions of moving one word and adding punctuation after another.
The problem that I had stared down for way too long, she had solved in seconds.
In this unique realm where we subsist as writers, critique partners are our lifelines. The benefits of sharing our work with like-minded souls are boundless, including improving our basic skills, developing a sense of community, and dealing with doubts and insecurities.
Do you ever feel bogged down in a writing project? These are my three favorite reasons to reach out to other writers:
1. Accountability
Writers tend to live a life of isolation. We can stay secluded for days and even weeks at a time. The downside of this is the tendency to drift toward laziness and procrastination in our work. Knowing that someone will be asking about our progress can give us just the push we need to keep going.
2. Fresh Insight/Perspective
We can read our work a dozen times and not see the problems that a critique partner will see on a first perusal. Feedback is crucial to our growth and development as a writer. We learn exponentially under honest review and evaluation. My favorite phrase to hear is, “Is this what you meant to say…?”
3. Inspiration
Brainstorming with fellow writers can be a little touch of heaven on earth. Article and book ideas have been conceived from a group of writers laughing, sharing and challenging each other to dig deeper and reach higher. In a recent conference workshop, I deliberately began an article with over-the-top silliness. My critique group proceeded to surprise me by saying, “Keep it in!” They gave me the courage to jump in and experience something fresh and new in my writing.
[bctt tweet=”Brainstorming with fellow writers can be a little touch of heaven on earth. #amwriting @lthomaswrites”]
Who keeps you accountable and fans the flames of creativity in your writing-life? If no one comes to mind, make it a point to seek out like-minded friends and colleagues. Do a google-search of writer’s groups in your area or contact a respected conference website for recommendations (brmcwc.org and word-weavers.com are good examples).
You may be the inspiration that someone else is seeking.
[bctt tweet=”Who keeps you accountable and fans the flames of creativity in your writing-life? #amwriting #writer @lthomaswrites”]
