How to Be Creative
Perhaps you have convinced yourself that you "don't have a creative bone in your body". I totally reject the notion. I believe that anyone can be "creative" if they want to be. I don't think creativity comes from magic or your DNA. Sure, a certain amount of ideas spawn from a willing spirit, and you can't be afraid to bring attention to your ideas. But I challenge anyone to consider the following:
Using objective criteria you can come up with something that others will see as creative.
Let's use writing a story, for example.
First, you need to come up with a premise. You don't need a wild imagination. Think of all the types of stories, or genres you like. Make a list of them. Then pick two or three of them and try combining them. Keep working at it until you come up with something you find interesting.
Then throw in characters who have traits that you think are interesting. Make a list of them. Choose one or more who seem out of place with your premise, and especially with each other. The more conflict, the better.
Consider the goals of your characters in the setting. Make the goals conflicting. Make their personalities rub each other the wrong way.
If you get the premise developed well enough, your characters will write the story for you. It is like magic when the characters seem to come up with their own ideas. You can't believe you thought of a particular action or event. It may take you a few showers or waking hours in bed, but the actual plot will become evident. Perhaps a theme will develop.
Give tension to every page of your story and then add some more twists that make accomplishing the goals of your characters even more critical, even if some of them have to die. (See separate post.)
When it is all said and done, I think "creativity" in fiction can be summed up by choosing to write about unexpected alternatives.
My primary reader is great at guessing the ends of movies. I know I am doing well if she is worried about what is going to happen to my characters. If she is happy with the way things are going, I know it is time to shake things up.
Conclude the story by having something happen that gives one or more of the characters a change of heart about something.
Anyway, this is how I break it all down in the simplest common denominator.
Den Warren
Author of K-Tron (Superhero Humor)
Kings and Clans Trilogy (Dystopian)
and other stories.
Using objective criteria you can come up with something that others will see as creative.
Let's use writing a story, for example.
First, you need to come up with a premise. You don't need a wild imagination. Think of all the types of stories, or genres you like. Make a list of them. Then pick two or three of them and try combining them. Keep working at it until you come up with something you find interesting.
Then throw in characters who have traits that you think are interesting. Make a list of them. Choose one or more who seem out of place with your premise, and especially with each other. The more conflict, the better.
Consider the goals of your characters in the setting. Make the goals conflicting. Make their personalities rub each other the wrong way.
If you get the premise developed well enough, your characters will write the story for you. It is like magic when the characters seem to come up with their own ideas. You can't believe you thought of a particular action or event. It may take you a few showers or waking hours in bed, but the actual plot will become evident. Perhaps a theme will develop.
Give tension to every page of your story and then add some more twists that make accomplishing the goals of your characters even more critical, even if some of them have to die. (See separate post.)
When it is all said and done, I think "creativity" in fiction can be summed up by choosing to write about unexpected alternatives.
My primary reader is great at guessing the ends of movies. I know I am doing well if she is worried about what is going to happen to my characters. If she is happy with the way things are going, I know it is time to shake things up.
Conclude the story by having something happen that gives one or more of the characters a change of heart about something.
Anyway, this is how I break it all down in the simplest common denominator.
Den Warren
Author of K-Tron (Superhero Humor)
Kings and Clans Trilogy (Dystopian)
and other stories.
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