How to Boost Your Writing Creativity

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Are you into creative writing?

Waiting to be inspired before you do any creative writing? 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...

Stimulating Good Creative Writing Ideas

Learn Creative Writing

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Why is being creative important for writing anyway?

Getting Creative Writing Skills

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

Creative Writing Short Story Ideas

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 Writing Creativity

Good Creative Writing Exercises

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

My Favorite Creative 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:
  1. Find an inspiring place to sit while doing this exercise. It could be a busy cafe, a nature setting, your own kitchen, etc.
  2. Set your timer for ten minutes.
  3. 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."
  4. 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 Creative Writing Journal

Do Writing Exercises in This!

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

How to Get More Creative

Boost Your Writing Skills

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Write Something for Fun

Writing Isn't All Business!

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.

What kind of project inspires you? Doing something else will stimulate your writing creativity. Trust 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

Pretty Writing Journals

Writing Journals for Creative Writing

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What are your favorite creative writing exercises?

Writing Creatively

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  • Reply
    Annamadagan Jan 5, 2012 @ 2:43 pm | delete
    Nice lens and tips! I love writing :)
  • Reply
    blackspanielgallery Jul 25, 2011 @ 1:37 pm | delete
    good lens
  • Reply
    ajgodinho Dec 15, 2010 @ 1:08 pm | delete
    I don't have a specific and conscious creating writing exercise, I guess because I've got so many ideas running in my head. However, what I do is jot 'em down whenever an idea pops up. The thing with me is that I've always got too many things in my mind, so not to stress myself, I jot things down so I can forget about it and not tax my mind/brain so much. I liked your "in the present" exercise as well and it only takes 10 minutes! **Blessed by a Squid-Angel**
  • Reply
    Wednesday_Elf Nov 27, 2010 @ 8:34 am | delete
    A sentence I read in a book, a line spoken on TV or by a friend often 'sparks' an idea and I write it in my journal and see where it leads me. Good ideas here.
  • Reply
    Kitsune64 Sep 16, 2010 @ 11:07 pm | delete
    Some great suggestions here! The Words in a Jar is similar to my all-time favorite exercise. In that version, you grab a book, any book, and open it to a random page. Write down the first noun or non-passive verb you see, then flip to another page and repeat. I like to do it three times. After that, write something using all three words.
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by

kohuether

I love creative writing, especially flash fiction and poetry. My work has appeared in Brady Magazine, Pedestal Magazine, Wild City Times, and The Pebble... more »

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