Creative Techniques for Writers

Hi I’m Hannah and I’m a doodler… and I love it.

To get things going for a new project there is nothing more refreshing than a few blank pages of paper and a gel pen. I’ve been working out my plans for a new book and filling pages of mind maps, bubble charts, timelines and troll doodles (yes my story has trolls but which kind? the choices!).

Here is a breakdown of a few ways to get your mind flowing prior to jumping into the new story, or to get things going again if you’ve hit a rough patch.

• Pinterest is a great way to build a secret idea board using pictures. I make a board and change it as things develope. Before writing I scroll through the photos to jump into my world mentally.
• Wikapedia lets things spiderweb using links into other areas you may not have thought of already.
• Ask “what if…” All the time! What if so and so didn’t die? What if the gender was different? What if trees grew upside down? What if moss could talk?
• Keep critsism at bay. No idea is bad, let things leapfrog around and see where you end up.
• Get a buddy, like your cirque partner, to talk ideas with. This can be done using Google Docs, start with the premis, pick a font color, and go at it simultaneously.
• Use pen and paper if it suits you. I always start with bubble charts, timelines, doodles, maps, it’s how my mind works, give it a try.

A quick shout out out to my recent brain storm buddy Britney and her blog The Bookaneer. Keep the creativity flowing.

Happy Questing!