The Urge (Creative Writing)

Member Name: marandina

Product:	Creative Writing
Date:	19/10/06 (192 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Get published, get read, make money?

Disadvantages: Critics

Having had the opportunity to write about the generic subject of "writing", a natural continuance seems to be to talk about the more personal subject of "creative writing". As alluded to when I touched upon the vast expanses of writing in general, most people that ply their trade on sites like this do so because it's an opportunity to write in one format or another. Of course, there's the consumer aspect humming away in the background but most people, when pressed, would admit they like the thrill of writing, posting and being read by others. Having comments made is nicer still and positive comments almost orgasmic! For me personally, I've always loved to write and whilst I find it a hugely time consuming exercise, by the time I've made my final proof read (which is often several times before posting and another several times afterwards still finding errors), I'm usually reasonably satiated at least until the urge comes again.

Most writers feel an urge. This can be quite worrying and some may even visit the doctors but that's another subject for another day. For the rest of us, there's a well that builds to a crescendo as the need to express thoughts on paper/PC comes to a head and those fingers start to crash on the keyboard. Often, it starts at school. I can recall many an occasion when I've been hunched over a desk, scribbling at pace as a story came out in torrents and I simply had to get it all down. My stories would vary in quality from the good to the very bad and I'd often wish I hadn’t written anything as the usual feelings of self consciousness kicked in at the thought of people reading my stuff. Nowadays, I've taken things to a higher level through sites like this one which, whilst not necessarily fiction based, have helped with format, grammar and so on.

For anyone looking for tips on creative writing (and that's why I'm writing this, after all) then I must own up to being a bit of a fraud. Perhaps it's even appropriate that this category appears under "toys" which appears to be unfathomable but apt. Nope, I'm not an author, playwright or writer of any serious note. All I am is someone that gets a reasonable press for the occasional bit of fiction who wants to share his thoughts with you. In my defence, I am trying (yes, I know, very trying). I have finally signed up to the Writer's Bureau and am intending to write more fiction. I've pondered long and hard over whether to pursue the idea and eventually coughed up £200. I've even done the first assignment. Whilst I can't vouch for whether the course is any good, I can promise to keep you in touch with developments assuming you are interested. Just for the record, the Writer's Bureau is a home study course in writing that provides tutors on a remote basis to assess your work as you progress. In the meantime, I can try and give you some pointers if you are looking to write more creative stuff. Sooooo…some general tips:

Try keeping a notebook handy for ideas that come to you. Creativity is a strange thing that doesn't do conventional hours so you may suddenly get an idea but it could be in the middle of the night or maybe even when you are in the shower! Many writers use a "dream diary" finding that the unfettered subconscious provides lucid inspiration whilst they are dreaming. You could try this although I'd recommend not continually having a eureka moment at 3am every day with your partner snoozing away contentedly next to you. You may become a great writer but very lonely with it as they pack their bags and head for somewhere quieter.

Try writing a daily diary. Personally, I simply can't do this and read a recent article by David Baddiel who was saying the same thing. Apparently, Michael Palin is a about to release a collection of diary entries that span the last few decades and such dedication in writing every day staggers me but there is a school of thought that says writers should write every day even if it's just a few words. I remember reading at the weekend that Sue Townsend (of Adrian Mole writing fame) still writes a thousand words a day even with failing eyesight and Stephen King insists on writing for at least 8 hours day in, day out. With the advent of the Internet, sites like Blogger.com and Livejournal.com take daily diaries onto another level. I am set up on Blogger but still find myself struggling for daily inspiration so you will find my last entry some time ago.

If you want to write and post short stories then there are sites available such as www.short-story.net and www.abctales.com. You'll get the satisfaction of knowing that anyone on the world can access your writing but this may be just as daunting too. I can vouch for abctales as I've been a member for years although my output is hardly prolific. The feedback I've had has been helpful as there are a lot of good writers who contribute to the site. Thoughts are shared on the forum and fellow writers may even e-mail you their thoughts directly.

They say to be a good writer; one should read around a lot. There are so many different styles of writing that it's hard to know where to begin but you will come to relate to certain authors in time. Personally, I like reading Jeremy Clarkson's articles although just as many people find him annoying. The more you read, the better your own writing should become as you pick up on the best bits of the writers you encounter. There is also the added advantage that your vocabulary should be extended by trying different things. The English language is a rich, diverse language with words having lots of different alternatives. The purchase of a good dictionary and Thesaurus will help.

Just to finish, there is a big world of opportunity for writers out there. The market is huge include writing for magazines, e-zines, scripts for TV and radio and short stories. There is also the world of books themselves although I think we often underestimate the time and effort required to write a book. Then again, if Jeffrey Archer can do it then maybe anyone can! I suspect most people reading this will be happy to continue contributing to sites like this and comparable sites like Ciao which has the added advantage of it's café section that enables folks to post creative stuff. If that's you then that's fine and enjoy all the bells and whistles of community that go with it. For anyone else, then there's no time like the present to try something different. That's my plan anyway but where it leads, I've no idea just now and possibly nowhere given the time constraints imposed by working and stuff. Then again, I could turn out to be a future Man Booker winner. Now where's that Lotto ticket gone?

Thanks for the read

Mara

Summary: My thoughts on creative writing