Creative Writing

 Creative Writing

So, what is creative writing? Chambers Dictionary defines creative as 'Having the power to create, that creates, showing, pertaining to, imagination, originality' and writing as 'The act of one who writes, that which is written, literary production or composition'. Therefore, the term 'creative writing' may be defined as:Having the power to create an imaginative, original literary production or composition and can be applied to a very broad spectrum of writing genres.

Giving Yourself Permission to Write
Due to a common misconception that unless you are a published novelist, you cannot be considered a 'real' writer, novice authors often find it difficult to convince either their nearest and dearest or, indeed, themselves that their desire to write should be taken seriously.
However, even the most famous authors had to start somewhere, so don't be put off by outside pressures. Be assured that your writing is more important than:

• mowing the lawn
• washing the dishes
• cleaning, dusting, gardening or any other similar activity that will keep you from your pen and paper.

One of the first rules a would-be writer learns is to 'write about what you know'. If, however, this rule is taken too literally, few writers would ever gain the requisite knowledge to write an historical romance, murder mystery or science fiction novel.
Far more practical is the advice from bestselling author Martina Cole to 'Write about what you know and if you don't know - find out'.
You don't need to have lived in a previous century, be a murderer or travel in space to write genre fiction. Thorough research into the background against which your story is set should provide you with the factual information you require.
Expert knowledge is invaluable, of course. Years spent in industry or in the legal, nursing or teaching profession; seeing active service in the armed forces; bringing up a family on a low fixed income; working long shifts on a factory assembly line; running and perhaps losing your own business - any one of these and similar experiences offers a wealth of information on which you can draw, but factual accuracy is only one aspect of writing. You also have to find a way to breathe life into the characters featured in your articles and stories and this comes from your experience of personal relationships, both good and bad.
From our earliest memories of childhood through our schooldays to adult friendships, romantic attachments, experiences at work and in our domestic lives, everything that went into forming our character has a part to play in our writing.
Having made the decision to write, the next step is finding something to write about.

Watching the World go by
Watch how people behave in everyday situations, jotting down ideas in your notebook as they occur to you.
The next time you go to the supermarket, for example, observe the behaviour of the other customers. Take a few seconds to chat to the checkout girl or the assistant who packs your shopping. Listen not only to the words they say but to how they say them.
If you commute to work, use your journey time to study your fellow travellers. Try to imagine what sort of homes they come from and how they might lead their lives. Whatever situation you find yourself in during your daily life, observe the people around you.
Not only should you watch but you must also listen. Writers are terrible eavesdroppers and will shamelessly listen in on the most private conversations. You can pick up some wonderful snippets that will effortlessly turn themselves into ideas for all sorts of things, from brief letters to your favourite magazine, factual articles explaining the apparently inexplicable, to lengthy works of fiction.

Keeping an Eye on the Media
Perhaps the richest sources of ideas are newspapers, television and radio. Keep your eyes and ears open for the unusual stories and quirky programmes tucked away between the major items. All kinds of things can capture your imagination.

Sources of Ideas
Ideas are all around you, if only you can train yourself to find them. Listed below are just a few possible sources:

• airports
• beaches
• buses, coaches, planes and trains
• cafes and restaurants
• clubs
• doctors'/dentists' surgeries
• hairdressers
• school playgrounds
• shops
• stations.

The list is endless but as a general rule, ideas are to be found anywhere a number of people gather in one place.