When I started writing, I constantly worried about the form, style, and even words I was choosing for my thoughts. Putting your thoughts into words is a daunting task especially if you are a beginner. Do not assume that I have written novels, dramas, and articles and got them published and, I got enough knowledge to distribute it to everyone. That’s a “No”. However, I do know where to start as a beginner.
Creative writing is creative writing. It is all about your creativity. The best thing about creative writing is that you do not have to worry about the assignment rules that your professor has laid out on the blackboard. Creative writing is the only place, I guess, where we can say “be yourself”.
It sounds cliche that everyone asks you to be yourself but I do not think that this world offers many opportunities to be yourself except in writing. Having said that, I am also aware that specific genres have specific features that you have to employ in your writing to get your writing into that category. You can always play with those rules and get to a new place in the writing process.
If you are a creative, find a starting place. Write your thoughts down in rhymes or prose. Don’t wait for someone who will come and inspire you to shine like a diamond in the writing world. Motivate yourself and start writing.
When you are looking for the theme or plot of your writing, there is a possibility that you will get puzzled over what to choose. Here, to start with, my suggestion will be to look back and see if there is anything that still bothers you or makes you happy. Try to remember anything good or bad that puts a smile on your face or snatches your beautiful smile away. Identify that incident and start typing or writing that story in whatever form you like.
Do not compare your writing with anyone else. You are not into writing to start a war against your idols. Last semester, when I was taking Dr. Alison Graham-Bertolini’s course, associate professor of English and Women’s Studies, I learned from her how not to compare myself with others. She told me that if we do that, then there are always some people who are better than us in every way. It is better not to do that and focus on our journey. Such nice advice, isn’t it? Similarly, I am asking you not to compare your writing with others. It is not wise to forget that you are unique. Therefore, your voice is unique. Use that voice to give your thoughts a life.
If you can, then join any writing club. It helps to be around others who are like-minded and trying to do something you very much believe in. At NDSU, we have a writing club named Word Herd: Creative Writing Group run by Jamee Larson. Jamee Larson is a professor at the English department at NDSU. She gives prompts, talks about the writing process, invites guest speakers renowned in their writing sectors, and provides pizza once a month. If you want, you can show her your projects to get feedback from her. Pretty tempting!
Work on your drafts. Ask as many people as you can get to read your first draft. Then see what they have to say about your first poem, flash fiction, or story. Take their criticism into account and polish the drafts. If they are being overly critical, then please, ignore them. J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter was rejected by twelve publishers but I don’t think that I have to tell you what happened later. So, have faith and work on your drafts.
The last part is publishing. Here, options are plenty but you have to choose your platform. You can take help from Google and look for newspapers, and magazines that pay the writers even when they are new. I think it is better if you look up platforms on the internet according to the medium you are writing on. Write and get paid.
If you ask me what I am into right now, then my answer is flash fiction. This medium gives me the advantage to write a story but does not consume that much time where you or the reader would get tired of writing or reading it. I am also writing six-word stories. The six-word story gives me an adrenaline rush to complete a story within six words, conveying a strong message.
Now comes the question of inspiration. If it is a flash fiction story, then I write about incidents that happened in my life and gave me good lessons. When it is a six-word story, I summarize the whole incident in six words. I write kind of my personal stories, sometimes, in first-person or third-person narrative. The process is simple! Just play with words.
At the beginning of creative writing, the journey is pretty bumpy. If you hold your breath and start giving words your voice, then something amazing is going to happen. You do not have to be the next Shakespeare or J. K. Rowling, but there is no offense in giving creative writing a shot. Have faith in the process and let your inner voice be heard.