Creating anything is naturally a challenge, and writers face many challenges in forming writing that is enjoyable for the audience to read. Writers do not only face the technical challenge of choosing the right words to send the message, and making the writing readable, but also the challenges of persistently finding inspiration and using inventiveness. Innovative writers, who excel at the art, will continue to stretch the boundaries and to accept the challenges of creative writing.
Here are some of the ways I find I can stretch myself to accept new challenges as a creative writer:
1. Set Big Hairy Audacious Goals (BHAGs)
These are the dreams that keep you working at your writing, even when it is difficult. You may dream of writing the novel, publishing your work in a particular magazine, or writing an epic poem. Whatever your ultimate goal is, keep it in the back of your mind and let it out for an airing every so often, just to keep your focus on why you are doing this in the first place.
2. Practice Creativity Often
Within this series of Creative Habits, I’ve given heaps of suggestions, ideas, and tips on how you can practice your creativity. Set aside about 20 minutes each working day to play one of the creative games, or to write creatively in a way that gets the creative juices flowing. Practice the art of writing and combine it with the art of innovation to develop a unique style that is yours alone.
3. Set Daily or Mini Goals
BHAGs are all good, but sometimes to remain motivated you need to break up the BHAG into smaller, more manageable chunks. This is where the habit of setting daily or mini goals comes into play. Set a daily goal to write so many articles, and stretch yourself to meet your daily challenge.
4. Say “YES” to Ideas
Sometimes a client will suggest a writing assignment that literally has me squirming in my seat with fear that I won’t be able to achieve it. However, usually I find that I can achieve it, if I am willing to stretch to accept the challenge. Being willing to say YES and give new ideas a try can certainly help you to stretch and develop your skills as a creative writer.
5. Keep an Open Mind
It is actually amazing how elastic your mind can be. Be open to accepting new ideas, new thoughts, and learning from other people. The more you can stretch your mind into accepting new ideas, the easier creative writing becomes. Be endlessly fascinated by the world and people around you to encourage an outpouring of inspired script as your mind stretches to accommodate the new information.
Accepting challenges is all about stretching the limits of my creative writing. Don’t put your abilities in a box and say “I only write in this way,” or “I’ll only write science fiction,” but give yourself the opportunity to expand your creative horizons. You may find that writing short stories is fun, but you can use the same creative genius to write articles for clients for websites.
In fact, the more dull or technical a topic is, the more fun I have in focusing on the art or the craft of writing to make it interesting. On subjects I personally find dreary, I usually find that I am more likely to use a thesaurus to ensure the writing is not dull to my reader. I am willing to accept the challenges of writing, even on difficult, tedious, or technical subjects, just to practice my craft.
What do you do to stretch your boundaries?
Do you think stretching yourself creatively is necessary? If so, what is so necessary about stretching and if not, what other things do you do?
