It’s a problem that plagues writers: whether you’re a freelancer new to the writing market, or a student looking for writing topics. Sometimes, there just isn’t good enough writing material to go around, or you’re in a dry spell, or you may have felt a little bit burnt out. Either way, you need a writing topic, and you need it fast.
Good story ideas are diamonds in a very rough area: find one and it’s quite possible to literally make a living off of it. Being a creative writer demands a skill set that can not only identify these diamonds but polish them to become something greater than what you found. Anyone can learn how to write a story, but only a select few can learn how to do it creatively.
Creative writing tips
There are several tips that you can follow if you are looking at how to write short stories. You may come across other methods that can work better for you or some good story ideas from friends and family, but keeping these in mind is a good start.
Know your rhythm. There are several types of writers, and each writer has a unique style of writing that is more conducive to getting the work done. Some writers write in quick, staccato bursts, jotting down notes furiously on whatever medium is available. Others take a more calm and collected approach, settling in their favorite nook or chair, and writing for hours on end. Understanding your rhythm – your “writing schedule” can help a lot with the kind of work you want to do. A lot of famous writers did this.
Do not self-edit until the work is done. You may get tempted to go over your writing at the end of a session, and see some small typos, things that could have been said better, syntax and semantic issues – don’t touch them. At least until not the entire work is done. Getting bogged down in self-editing during the middle of the writing process will not allow you to make your own story, even less a good one.
Learn when to stop writing. Even if it’s your job, your passion, very few people can constantly keep their focus on a singular task for long periods of time – the human body is really not designed that way. Learning when to set aside the writing for the day gives your brain a chance to refresh, unwind, and come back at it again with a new eye the next time. An exhausted brain does not a good story make.
The show, don’t tell. Good story ideas die with dry writing. When you write, always keep in mind that you are trying to show someone a scene, an event, a person with your words. Audiences never like being told what to feel or what to think of what they are seeing. A good writer can push them in the right direction without being too overbearing.
How to get inspired to write
Writing topics never come easy. If that were indeed the case, everyone would be writing novels and writer’s block wouldn’t exist. Everyone gets stuck sometimes or runs out of ideas, or simply just needs a break from writing. If you ever find yourself in that scenario, perhaps you may need some new inspirations to write about.
One thing to keep in mind when writing is to write what you know. Experiences that you’ve personally gone through are some of the easiest things to write, as you’re not so much describing an experience, but sharing it. This point of view that you alone possess can be molded into a compelling narrative – a good story idea.
Here are things you can do to get some inspiration:
- Take a walk. New environments joggle the mind, refresh the senses and help you focus.
- Meet new people. The people you know can help mold some of the people in your stories.
- Do things a little differently. A fresh perspective is basically a “story ideas generator” – a new focus to write things from
- Read other people’s work. Especially from a writer that you look up to
- Just keep writing. Even quick doodles and scribbles on a page or a bunch of words can offer you a flash of insight.
- Do something random. Sometimes, the most interesting stories come from the most unexpected of events.
To make your own story is a summation of all the experiences you’ve had thus far, the aspiration to put those together in a narrative that people will enjoy, and the determination to see the story finished. Good writing ideas are the building blocks that make this summation come to life. And the best way to get a good idea is to get a lot of ideas.
Creative writing websites
Don’t think that these methodologies are limited to scholarly or book writing! Freelance writing opportunities are becoming more and more common for creative writers. There are some that even make their living on a freelance writer’s salary, becoming creatives for hire in an industry that’s beginning to understand that it is stories, not sales, that drive the growth of brands.
All of this presents this current generation’s crop of writers with endless writing topics, in every possible niche that you can think of. Good story ideas are one of the few renewable resources on the planet that will always hold a value to anyone who hears a story made out of it. And if you’re just beginning, there’s an entire community that you can rally around for support.
A writing service is a good place to start: either by applying or acquiring their services, you may be able to polish up your writing to the degree that you’ll be satisfied with it. Freelance platforms are also rife with writing assignments that cater to the creative writer.
As long as you have a story, you have the capability to bring it to life. So get out there and start writing! You’ll never know what you’ll come up with.