TIPS AND TRICKS

Secrets of Creative Writing

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20/05/2019


There isn’t a correct way to write creatively or a rigid formula guaranteed to get the ideas flowing. Writing isn’t like assembling flatpack furniture; there are no diagrams, instructions or ‘how to’ booklet. However, collecting the wisdom of a variety of great writers reflecting on the creative writing process, a few popular pieces of advice come up time and again. From purely practical to absurdly idiosyncratic, writers each have their own methods of writing. Maya Angelou said that "some people put Jazz on, loudly, to write. I think each writer has her or his secret path to the muse."

 5 min read

Read

Reading is the best way to discover what makes a good book. Try to read a wide variety of genres, authors and styles. Constantly ask yourself: what works? What did you enjoy? What doesn’t work? Don’t become despondent if you find yourself imitating another author’s voice. Writers are like magpies and constantly take ideas from other writers- you will soon find your own distinctive style! William Faulkner wrote: “read, read, read everything – trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You’ll absorb it. Then write. If it is good, you’ll find out. If it’s not, throw it out the window.”

"If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time — or the tools — to write. Simple as that." – Stephen King

Go back to Nature

We are all constantly inundated with news, notifications, advertisements, emails and messages. With so many distractions, it seems impossible to focus and get into your writing rhythm. Just as Henry Thoreau explained that proximity with nature reveals a deeper aspect to our true selves, Michael Crichton saw nature as the site of creativity. He wrote that "the natural world — our traditional source of direct insights and inspiration— is rapidly disappearing".

Grab a pen and paper, wander out into the sticks and find your creative flow. 

Write

Write, write, write then write some more. Keep a diary, bring a notepad with you everywhere, jot down ideas as you’re sitting on the bus. 

Freewriting is a technique used in lots of creative writing classes. Set a timer, grab a pen and paper and just write down whatever comes to you. Don’t edit, think too much or plan. Liberating yourself from the scrutiny of your internal critic is a fantastic way to open your creative mind and get the ideas flowing. 

Ernest Hemingway said that “there is nothing to writing. All you do it sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” Finding your creative flow state (and staying there) is very hard. Hemingway’s approach simplifies the art of writing as being free, unbounded and uncomplicated. The Freewriting technique puts Hemingway’s perspective into action. 

“Quantity produces quality. If you only write a few things, you’re doomed.” - Ray Bradbury

Perseverance

When that rare moment of inspiration comes to you, bask in it. Unfortunately, they are far and few between and writing often feels more like a chore than a joyful activity. Discipline and determination will give you the momentum to get through those writer’s blocks. Prepare yourself for hard graft. Isabel Allende advised writers to ‘show up, show up, show up, and after a while the muse shows up, too.’ 

Accept that, at times, you will write badly. Don’t be too hard on yourself, writing is like any activity; the more you do it, the better you will get. Jennifer Egan said that “you can only write regularly if you’re willing to write badly… Accept bad writing as a way of priming the pump, a warm-up exercise that allows you to write well.”

Writing a blog can be useful to discipline yourself to write every day. Not only are you writing for an audience who will be expecting consistent content, but you can track the evolution of your writing by looking back on past articles. Seeing how far you've come can give you a lift on the days when writing seems like a real struggle. 

Creating Characters

To convey all the complexities of a person through words is not an easy task. Anton Chekhov cited ‘Compassion’ as one of the main tenets for compelling characterization. An empathetic account of the person from an understanding perspective often helps to add authentic, believable detail to a character. If you refuse to see the psychological depth of a person, they emerge as a flat caricature, an image or an object as opposed to a living, breathing human.  

Just as method acting is used to give nuance and credibility to characters in film, television and theatre, this level of intense engagement can also begin in the writing stage. Hilary Mantel wrote: “where do you pull your characters from? You have to create them out of your own self; where else could they possibly come from? To create the protagonist of a book you really have to be prepared to live through them, and for me the process is physical as well as mental.”

When writing a script, for example, this tip is particularly important. You have to visualize the characters, their appearance, movements and mannerisms. Using Mantel's insight about embodying the characters and delving deep into their thoughts, beings and histories, you will come out with credible, compelling characters. 

“If you’re using dialogue, say it aloud as you write it. Only then will it have the sound of speech.” - John Steinbeck

Creating Sentences

It is easy to get lost in lofty thoughts of literary greatness, nuanced narrative and complex plot lines. Don’t forget the humble sentence- the building blocks for your creative writing piece. Throughout history, it is fair to say that authors have had differing views on the sentence. In his 2001 novel The Rotter’s Club, Jonathan Coe wrote a 13, 955-word long sentence. George Orwell, on the other hand, favored simplicity when creating sentences. He advised writers to “never use a long word where a short one will do.”

While authors evidently differ on their approach to the construction of sentences, a few have provided insights that have been repeated again and again. Anton Chekov implored authors: “don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.” More than a hundred years later, the most common piece of advice given in creative writing classes is “show, don’t tell.”

Get a cat

We have a cat at the Dedico headquarters, and it is unanimously agreed that her presence provides an unparalleled source of creative inspiration. Postmodernist author William Burroughs is of the same mind. He credited his pet cats with saving him “from a deadly, pervasive ignorance.” Likewise, Ernest Hemingway, Charles Dickens and T.S Eliot are all renowned for their love of feline creatures.

Immerse yourself in another culture, gaining inspiration, guidance, and creative support from published authors on our writing retreats in Tuscany, Sicily, Mexico or Vietnam


Molly is a content creator at Dedico. She studied English Literature at university and has taken many creative writing courses.

How can I get better at creative writing?

  • Keep a diary
  • Write a blog
  • Attend creative writing courses and workshops
  • Read widely
  • Go into nature
  • Go on a writing retreat
  • Get a cat

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