"The thinking my father tried to discourage in me is the thinking that stops all of us at one time or another. It is the small critical voice inside that says we don't have what it takes, we don't measure up. It's the voice that keeps us from trying new things. It's the voice that -- if we listen -- keeps us from living our dreams."from The Playful Way to Serious Writing by Roberta Allen
Based on the suggestion of a well-known blogger turned author, I recently purchased the book quoted above. It is full of interesting creative writing exercises. I have often dismissed myself as not being creative enough to write about anything other than my life but I thought I would give this book a try.
The first lesson involved a picture of paint splotches connected together with lines. The instructions were to write down the first 6 words that come to mind then write a story about the third word. The time limit, a tool designed to force you to write without criticizing, was 10 minutes.
I felt a twinge of anxiety as I started this exercise, fearful that my failure would prove once and for all what I had allowed myself to believe all these years -- that I lacked creativity. I forged ahead anyway. I set the timer and stared momentarily at the blank tablet. I wrote down a sentence. And almost immediately, I wrote down another sentence. Ten minutes later, I had 2 pages of sentences.
I sat back and marveled at my creation like a 3 year-old taking pride in a messy painting. Granted, my first attempt at fiction won't garner any literary awards but the exercise had a huge affect on me. Writing creatively no longer seemed out of the realm of possibility. I could do this. I was ecstatic that my critical inner voice had not only been silenced but discredited as well.
11 comments:
This book sounds great. At the moment, I am reading Writing Creative Nonfiction. It's got some exercises that have helped me work things out too. When I finish, I'll have to check out the one you're using.
Now I am going to have to try your book when I am done with this one.
i am going to get this book. thank you for posting about it.
Congratulations! Keep us up to date on your progress.
You need to stop listening to that critical inner voice always. I bet it stops you in life from more than just your writing.
Broken, you have no idea how much of an influence that critical voice has had in my life. I'm starting to learn not to listen so much.
I'm very proud of you, and I just know that you will use this newfound confidence to springboard to bigger and better things.
broken's right - release your fears of inadequacy. honestly, your writing's already way beyond that. um, you're already a good writer, and better than the famous blogger you referenced. seriously.
not that you shouldn't still dig into the book. i agree with kilroy only in the sense that you can't model your craft after someone else, because you must find your own voice. but there is a lot you can synthesize from other writers, and plenty you will reject. so read literature, watch movies, pay attention to your dreams, absorb nature, meditate, dance, sing, write, love, and live your life - all these comprise good writing.
here's one last tip: listen. listen to the way people express themselves. listen to the silences. there is so much there for you to take and use in your work.
Good for you, that's really cool. Free writing can be a lot of fun, though for me it's better at getting at issues I didn't realize I was stuck on. More like therapy.
Thanks everybody for the encouraging words! I have found them to be very helpful.
Good luck with beating down your inner voice so you can be at peace.
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