Creative writing exercises can save the day when writers are experiencing a creativity block. The purpose of these types of activities is to inspire an idea or story and develop writing skills. Creative writing exercises can be fun if you are considering writing a book or piece for enjoyment or if you find yourself in a frustrating writer’s block in the midst of a project. Whatever your reason, try these five exercises to kickstart your creativity.
1. Switch Perspectives
Writers tend to fall into a habit of writing from their perspective, which results in a lot of similar ideas and characters. This might leave a writer feeling like they just do not have any original ideas left to use. In this case, try writing from a different perspective. Imagine that you are another character, either based on a real-life person or someone from a movie or TV show that stood out to you. Choose a character with a personality that you do not naturally relate to, like the villain, and try to write from their unique perspective.
2. Turn Your Own Story into a Fairytale
Think of an event in your past. It does not have to be glamorous, just something that you remember. Write it down,and, then, transform the existing story into a colorful story. You can alter characters and events either slightly or drastically, using your imagination to recreate history. This exercise provides writers with a starting point that has endless opportunities.
3. Revisit Writing Prompts
Writing prompts can be used for a number of writing solutions. Daily journal prompts can be therapeutic and help to organize thoughts and emotions, which can enhance your writing later in the day. Blog prompts can generate ideas for new content. Creative prompts can help to deepen a plot or develop a character in detail. A lot of writers feel like they have already looked through dozens of prompts in the past, but take another look today if you feel like you need inspiration. Different prompts will jump off of the page, depending on the current situation that you find yourself.
4. Start at the End
Work your way backward by starting at the end of a story, instead of the beginning. Starting at the beginning can be intimidating; there is a lot to consider, and it can leave a writer feeling overwhelmed and hopeless. Instead, think ofan ending, and, then, imagine all the situations that could have led to that particular scenario – like a reverse timeline. One step will lead to a new event, character, setting, and more. Brainstorm multiple outcomes to maximize your creativity
5. Write What You Know
Think of something that you are well-educated about or feel a strong opinion towards. Write as though you were trying to explain this topic to someone. This will help you to put your opinions on paper, and since you already know the information, your writing should flow naturally. It may not apply to your current project, but it should spark inspiration and will at least put you in the act of writing.
Finding ways to inspire creativity can be easy once you start writing. Whether you are writing a short story, novel, script, blog post, journal page, or just for fun, these creative writing exercises will fire up your brain and fill it with new ideas
