Writing Idea’s |Tips | Activities | Creative Writing

Welcome to the creative writing ‘ideas’ section. We are going to inform you of ways in which you could generate ideas for creative writing, but we aren’t going to give you
specific ideas…do you know why? The list of ideas will run out; whereas a method of generating creative writing ideas will last indefinitely. Below are a few activities to help entice the creative writer out of you…

One day I was walking down the street and the idea came to me…

Quite possibly you have heard this before and yes- it happens. However, the rest of
the sentence that has been edited out goes as follows, ‘…it’s about time…I’ve been thinking about it every day for the past year.’ When you hear an author stating the sentence above don’t think that they have had an epiphany whilst thinking about what to eat for dinner. Ideas generate from thinking and although all of us would love ideas to flow like a 
stream, it simply does not happen. So what we have to do is ponder. At this moment in time I am looking over a golf course, could an entire novel take place over a golf course? I would think not, but perhaps a scene could take place on a golf course as it is very private for conversation (one to one) and the scenery is good. You could even use the golf course jargon metaphorically. I.e. ‘My life has just been chipped into the rough, I drove straight onto the green with this idea at work’ or ‘at the minute my wife is a water hazard and I need to stay clear.’ That’s has not been an idea thoroughly thought through but you get the idea, when you have time to think, apply it to your writing.

Pick an object…any object

This is a creative writing activity whereby you can work on your narrative or first person narrator. You will discuss the life of an object such as a television in first person and then write a creative writing piece based on personification (when you give inanimate objects human characteristics, feelings. thoughts etc). For example:

‘I am sick of you! You stare at me for hours, changing my face to whatever suits your taste. From dusk ‘til dawn I am on standby for you, even whilst you’re in bed – smothering the house with that fog-horn of a snore, I am on standby for you. A parcel, oh
 perhaps this is a treat just for me, after all I am nothing like the new generation kids (LCD TV’s) these days. Oh great, you brought me a friend, she’s smooth, slender, her features are unquestionably better than mine… oh wait she’s not a friend – she’s my replacement. I am on standby, I am always on standby for you…and now after all these years – you abandon me.’

Now do you see how even a simple object can result in a passionate and seemingly human creative writing piece? Let’s hope so!

I told the story of a dream…and it was a success

‘Twilight’ saga author Stephenie Meyer had a dream which turned into masterpiece. Creative writing ideas can be based on conscious (awake) or subconscious (asleep) dreams. We will look at conscious dreams as subconscious dreams are alot harder to control. Now if you had the chance for one day and one day only to be: a millionaire, a professional footballer, actor, musician, artist etc. create a creative writing piece based on a day’s events of what would you do, now don’t stay in the conventional routine i.e. the footballer gets up and trains – because that would make boring reading. How about a charity event or children’s hospice they attend for the day, the thoughts and feelings of the polar opposite lifestyles would make an interesting read.

My store on Rodeo Drive

This is a very interesting creative writing idea generator. Imagine you have a store and run a business on one of the busiest streets in the world. You can discuss your products, relationship with staff, customers, competitors and daily routine. You can discuss your work/home-life balance and your aspirations. You can talk about the lifestyle you lead because of the business and the ‘tea-parties’ you are consequently invited to. No doubt
everyone who is reading this will have worked in a store at some stage, and have witnessed all the trials and tribulations; now use that experience and start writing.

A final note

Now, these are just ways to stimulate your flow of creative writing ideas. I would encourage you to adapt them to different scenarios applicable to you and your experiences in your life. To an untrained eye, these ideas may seem irrelevant and discrete. I do encourage you to have an open mind as practicing and developing your own writing voice and style is always useful for a budding author – regardless of the topics. The topics are quite simply ways in which to capture your interest.