There are times to plan writing. There are times to stop and think about what you’re writing. There are times to write.
When you stop to think about it too long then you get in your own way. Trust in the process.
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The creative process is so fascinating. Over the last twenty years or so, I’ve collected a lot of different strategies and techniques to tap into the creative process. These come from reading books and interviews, talking with other writers and artists, watching documentaries, and searching out strategies that worked for my favourite writers and artist.
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The power of a story is in the structure. The way a story is built, how the pressure is released, the rhythm from hook to climax… it is all in the structure. Kurt Vonnegut had an interesting approach to this that I hadn’t seen before.
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Writing technology doesn’t have to do everything. But it does have to work for you. Finding what works for you – the process and limitations you’re comfortable with – and sticking to it can inspire creativity and a work flow.
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There are always things that will go wrong. There are things that will make that particular creative moment – the draft, the acted scene, the musical take – unique. The chaos in seeing how an artist reacts is what makes a performance interesting. There are some strategies you can use to welcome chaos into your own creative process.
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When we work within limitations that we set ourselves, we rely on our inspiration and creativity to find solutions. This makes the story work. There are problems we could get around by breaking our own rules. But these rules keep us honest as writers. It forces us to find an answer that draws from the world we’ve written.
Read MoreThe legend goes that while recording When Doves Cry, Prince was unhappy with the mixing process. He said to the another singer that he wished he could remove the bass line. The singer asked why he couldn’t?
Read MoreThis clip with Steven Wright from Conan O’Brien’s podcast is a wonderful moment of two comedians talking about creativity.
It’s more than about writing jokes. It covers a core point about the creative process.
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I have this picture of the Wright Brothers’ first powered flight on the wall of my studio.
The brothers struggled for years to get an aircraft to take off, to be controlled, to be powered. They changed designs, drew inspiration from other discoveries, and they crashed often. Orville broke his leg and four ribs. They failed multiple times. After another crash, Wilbur said that flight wouldn’t be able to be achieved for a thousand years.
Read MoreWhen Brian Eno was working with U2 and Luciano Pavarotti for the song Miss Sarajevo, he observed that opera singers are cheats. Or professionals, depending on your perspective. No matter how the work is done, the professional or the artist understands that the right way is the way that works for them.
Read MoreAt the heart of it, the concept of “Show, Don’t Tell” is a solid part of writing advice. It’s a guide that can tighten up a piece of writing to make it far more engaging. It is too often misunderstood. The problem is that “Show, Don’t Tell” is just too vague and too ambiguous.
Read MoreIt doesn’t work like that. Biopics are depictions of how we’d like to think it worked for the artist. Using it as a blueprint or to compare your own expectations will only prevent the actual work.
Read MoreTrusting your story to provide answers can be a solid creative strategy, but it takes courage to let go of the wheel.
Read MoreThere’s an oft repeated saying or meme along the lines of: if you think your idea for a book isn’t original enough, consider how many recipe books are published each year. Or how many biographies of Abraham Lincoln have been written.
Read More“When you can’t create, you can work.” – Henry Miller,
Read MoreWhen talking about adapting a book, the term usually concerns whether a book can be adapted to the screen. The concept is broader. Essentially, all writing is adapting.
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