I call myself a Creative. Writing is my first love, but not my only love. I create something every day. If it’s not with words, it’s with metal, fiber, paint or random found objects. Writing a novel, though, requires a deeper focus than my other arts. To keep moving with it, I have a few tricks.
Making Time
First, I make the time for it. I promise my WIP the crazy small minimum amount of time each and every day of 15 minutes. It’s not hard to sneak 15 minutes from even the busiest day. But if somehow I don’t do it, that’s okay (period).
(I strongly recommend Master Your Writing Habits on the Book Fox website if you struggle to write as much as you’d like.)
Adding Contrast
No matter what I’m creating, I can’t help but see the parallels from one medium to the next. Lessons from one can be translated to the other. Contrast, for example, translates easily. The light looks brighter if it’s next to the deepest dark. The prickly texture next to the smooth makes both more intense. In writing, it’s the darkest despair that gets followed by the brightest joy.
What-Ifs
I’ve found excellent writing on current TV shows is fueling my need for story. I’m usually crocheting or mending-embroidering while watching. I love to think of what-ifs with the characters and wonder if I can do something similar with my WIP.
Oddness
Lately, I’ve been thinking of the lesson of threes, a fundamental concept in visual design. How does that translate to writing? Three acts are obvious, but what about three main characters? Oddness, in numbers or in personalities, is always more interesting.
As long as I stay open to story, whatever I’m making fuels my creativity and teaches me the lessons I need for the next writing session.
Let me know what is fueling your creativity this week. Have you applied it to a different medium?
This Is Not About is written by Ada Austen, the author of Better Late Than Never, a multicultural second-chance romance set on the beaches and boardwalks of the New Jersey Shore. It is the New Jersey Romance Writers 2021 Golden Leaf Winner - Best Book by NJ Author.
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