Boost Your Writing Creativity with these Creative Writing Ideas

Not feeling inspired? Try these ideas to get you going...

Do you think inspiration is magical? Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't. But one thing I've learned is sitting and waiting doesn't do a thing. There's no such thing as waiting when you're training to be a writer. Sure, some days I'll write something great ... and sometimes I won't. Just show up every day. Need help figuring out what to do when you do set out to write? Try these creativity exercises to get you going...

Why is being creative important for writing anyway?

I know, this question may seem to have an obvious answer to some, but bear with me. A lot of people associate creative writing ONLY with writing things like poems, short stories, and novels. Well, I've learned through my years of being a writer that this isn't necessarily the case.

Being creative matters no matter WHAT kind of writing you're doing. It helps you come up with article ideas. Creativity allows you to string sentences together in a logical way. Without it, you'll live in a state of being constantly blocked - even if the kind of writing you do doesn't always seem exciting.

Keep a Creative Writing Idea File

Anybody who works on their creative writing will benefit from having an idea file on the computer or a notebook for that purpose.

Carry a small pocket-sized notebook around with you. Then when an idea strikes you will have a place to write it down. Transfer it to your larger notebook.

That way when you sit down to write, you just pick the idea you want to work with.

You can keep track of all your ideas this way.

Act Like a Kid to Stimulate Creativity

When I feel stopped up creatively, I think about what I liked to do as a kid. I carried around this canvas bag filled with paper, crayons, and other art supplies.

My bag was well stocked with idea books and coloring pages. I would sit for hours looking through the contents of that bag and doing some of the activities contained within it.

I still do that. I like to visit CrayolaStore.com
not only to shop for supplies and art kits, but to also use their free resources. You can print out coloring pages and get craft ideas for free.

Receive a 10% Off discount code when you sign up for email updates at CrayolaStore.com!

Of course, I could go to other craft stores and buy craft kits that are a little more complicated. But I like the simplicities of the products that are designed for kids.

I am looking to stimulate creativity and get ideas for my creative writing, not paint a masterpiece.

Keep a notebook nearby - the ideas will flow naturally once you do this!

In the Present - A Writing Exercise

Sometimes, a good writing exercise is all I need to get going and stimulate creativity.

My favorite one lasts ten minutes. I call it the "in the present" exercise.

Here's what you do:

Find an inspiring place to sit while doing this exercise. It could be a busy cafe, a nature setting, your own kitchen, etc.
Set your timer for ten minutes.
For the duration of those ten minutes, write about what is going on in the present moment.

Ex. "I hear my fingers tapping on the keys. A baby cries. There's a bee in the room that keeps flying into the window, buzzing as it hits, Perhaps damaging its wings."
When the time is up, read what you wrote aloud. This is a great exercise to do that will help you write descriptions. And, the images that come up in the exercise may inspire some more ideas.

Keep a Journal

I love keeping a journal. Here are some nice journals from Amazon.

Blank Journal: Sunrise

Amazon Price: (as of 07/06/2009)

Monet in Normandy Blank Journal

by: Universe Publishing

Amazon Price: $11.01 (as of 07/06/2009)

Japanese Screen Journal (Notebook, Diary) (New Journals)

by: Peter Pauper Press

Amazon Price: $13.99 (as of 07/06/2009)

J2 - Wild Thing Blank Journal

by: Maurice Sendak

Amazon Price: (as of 07/06/2009)

Persian Splendor Journal (Notebook, Diary) (Guided Journals Series)

by: Peter Pauper press

Amazon Price: $10.19 (as of 07/06/2009)

Try Writing a Novel Instead

If the main thing that is holding you back from creative writing is the fact that you have a hard time coming up with ideas, maybe you should just choose one idea and turn that into a novel?

Writing a novel is more time consuming, but you only need to come up with one idea. And if you work on it every day for 30-60 minutes, you could have your novel written in about a year.

This saves you from having to come up with idea after idea. Plus, some people are better at writing novels than short stories. Perhaps you are one of them.

Books about Creativity

Ignore Everybody: and 39 Other Keys to Creativity (Portfolio)

by: Hugh MacLeod

Amazon Price: $16.29 (as of 07/06/2009)

Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention

by: Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Amazon Price: $11.70 (as of 07/06/2009)

Cracking Creativity: The Secrets of Creative Genius

by: Michael Michalko

Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 07/06/2009)

Pick a Selfish Project

If I spend all of my time writing for money, I get burned out.

To solve that problem, I have at least one selfish project going at any one time.

Currently, my selfish project is a blog I started at tumblr called Be Creative. I write about my creative journey and include quotes, photographs, websites, and other musings that inspire me.

Words in a Jar

I like to write random words on slips of paper and fold them up. When I'm not feeling inspired, I pick a word or two, set my timer for ten minutes, and do a free-form exercise based on those words.

If I were to put together my "words in a jar" now, these are the words I'd put. You can use these if you want.

Purple
Business
Skyscraper
Dandelion
Daffodil
Sky
Blue
Pasta
Mama
Bambino
Italian
Violin
Car
Yellow
Hamburgers
Grill
Hands
Neighbors
Red
Wine

Learn Creative Writing

Writing Creative Nonfiction

Amazon Price: $12.91 (as of 07/06/2009)

Watch a Movie for a Creativity Jump Start

I love watching movies - and I find that they inspire me, especially for coming up with screenplay ideas. The best teacher for writing a screenplay is to watch movies and take notes.

001- Crash: A 36-hour period in the diverse metropolis of post-Sept. 11 Los Angeles is the theme of this unflinc...
002- The Departed: To take down South Boston's Irish Mafia, the police send in one of their own to infiltrate the under...
003- The Bucket List: When corporate mogul Edward Cole (Jack Nicholson) and mechanic Carter Chambers (Morgan Freeman) wind...
004- The Pursuit of Happyness: Will Smith (in an Oscar-nominated role) and his real-life son Jaden star in this tearjerker about a...
005- No Country for Old Men: A hunter (Josh Brolin) stumbles upon a dead body, $2 million and a stash of heroin in a Texas desert...
Try Netflix free for 14 days