My OperaHow to Write More Creatively
Friday, October 23, 2009 4:47:54 PM
1. Keep a journal designed for your eyes only. Think of journal writing as a free association exercise, but instead of reveal what's on your mind to your therapist, you're doing it with your journal. If you can't find anything to write about, take your journal to a public place and observe your surroundings. Describe the scene.
2. Give things specific names. A cherry red vintage Mustang is much more descriptive than "car" or even "sports car." The cherry red vintage Mustang communicates something to the reader about the owner of the car. Make your nouns specific.
3. Show action with strong verbs. Life is not static, and your writing shouldn't be either. Bypass boring forms of the verb "to be" in favor of more lively action words.
4. Choose modifiers like adjectives and adverbs sparingly. When you use adjectives, opt for one specific adjective over several mediocre ones. When tempted to modify a verb with an adverb, see if you can instead make your verb more specific. "She whispered" is more detailed than "she said softly."
5. Explore figurative language. Similes and metaphors provide creative ways to describe something or someone. Use personification to describe your rebellious computer. You might exaggerate with a hyperbole by writing that a cat was so ugly it could scare a dog. Beware of clichés, overused figures of speech that don't contribute anything to your writing.
6. Depict information with all your senses. Much of writing depends on what you visually see and occasionally hear. More powerful creative writing comes from the use of the other senses. The stench of garbage tells a reader more than seeing a room in disarray. The tangy taste of lemonade pursing your lips carries more power than someone taking a drink.
7. Show, don't tell. Writing includes both showing and telling. But too much telling leads to lifeless prose. Don't tell a reader that a character is impatient. Instead, show that character figeting while waiting for something to occur.
Source: http://www.ehow.com/
2. Give things specific names. A cherry red vintage Mustang is much more descriptive than "car" or even "sports car." The cherry red vintage Mustang communicates something to the reader about the owner of the car. Make your nouns specific.
3. Show action with strong verbs. Life is not static, and your writing shouldn't be either. Bypass boring forms of the verb "to be" in favor of more lively action words.
4. Choose modifiers like adjectives and adverbs sparingly. When you use adjectives, opt for one specific adjective over several mediocre ones. When tempted to modify a verb with an adverb, see if you can instead make your verb more specific. "She whispered" is more detailed than "she said softly."
5. Explore figurative language. Similes and metaphors provide creative ways to describe something or someone. Use personification to describe your rebellious computer. You might exaggerate with a hyperbole by writing that a cat was so ugly it could scare a dog. Beware of clichés, overused figures of speech that don't contribute anything to your writing.
6. Depict information with all your senses. Much of writing depends on what you visually see and occasionally hear. More powerful creative writing comes from the use of the other senses. The stench of garbage tells a reader more than seeing a room in disarray. The tangy taste of lemonade pursing your lips carries more power than someone taking a drink.
7. Show, don't tell. Writing includes both showing and telling. But too much telling leads to lifeless prose. Don't tell a reader that a character is impatient. Instead, show that character figeting while waiting for something to occur.
Source: http://www.ehow.com/
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