Archive for the 'creative writing' Category

Creative writing often springs unbidden when writing about story writing or other writings

Published
by
hopcott
on November 4, 2008
in Writing, creative writing, story writing, writer's block and writings
. 3 Comments
Creative writing blocked? Writing about writings may offer release :-)

Creative writing blocked? Writing about writings may offer release :-)

Writers often complain that they have persistent creative writing block but for me writing about the process of writing or even writing about other writings I’ve done previously is often the best recipe for stimulating my creative story writing processes.

A good example is the postcard fiction writing help article I wrote on this site recently. At the time, because the ideas hadn’t been flowing, I’d not written a postcard fiction for some time .

However, while I was putting my thoughts in order to write my postcard fiction article, an idea for an intergalactic wife swap reality TV story popped into my mind. (Particularly appealing was the idea that the science fiction (sci-fi) postcard fiction actually consisted of two long distance post card messages.)

Sometimes, when I’m feeling tired and new story writing is the last thing on my mind, turning my hand to something more mundane such as a mini writing guide or online writing help is all it takes to set my creative writing juices flowing again. It seems that writing about writing or about previous writings actually stimulates the process of creative storytelling.

Hey ho! Since I’ve got a number of articles scheduled to be written on the subject of creative story writing, with a bit of luck an exciting new story might be stimulated too. I can’t wait :-)

Do you suffer from writers block? What solutions do you find?

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott - online writer

Creative writing and other cathartic story writings unclutter my mind says Rob Hopcott

Published
by
hopcott
on November 3, 2008
in Writing, creative writing, story writing and writings
. 0 Comments
Creative story writing unclutters my mind - so I can get on with new ideas for more writings!

Creative writing unclutters my mind - so I can get on with even more story writings!

Sometimes I think that creative writing and other writings are the cathartic release that keeps me sane (just about)  because, as I go through the day I have all these creative thoughts - some may call them mad - that niggle and niggle at me until I’ve written them down.

My problem is that my characters live with me all the time and I often find myself wondering how such and such fictional person would react in a given situation.

When there is an item on climate change, it reminds me of my fictional character The President of Earth.

A programme about good housekeeping makes me think about my fictional housewife character called Alice, her tidy habits and forensic approach to mysteries.

A feature on rural pubs brings Tom to mind seated in his storytelling chair amongst the dark beams swigging country ale.

Once my characters impinge on my day, they start to offer me their opinions and tell me stories.

At this point I usually find it better to give in and let them have their say because it is the only way to get them off my mind. Only the act of creative writing brings me cathartic release, unclutters my brain and lets me get on with life again.

So for me, story writing is a very compulsive activity. Story writing is the means of letting my many (daft) ideas have their say. My writings bring me a real release.

When stuff comes on the television that I think is ridiculous, instead of yelling at the TV or sending a letter to my local MP (which will be ignored), I write a story and put it online so at least I feel to have done something.

So thank you Creative Writing for the opportunity, through my online writings, to achieve a catharsis for my many thoughts.

How about you? Do you find creative writing compulsive? I’d love to hear about your story writing or other writings in the comments section below :-)

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott - online creative writer

Why write something new each day? Because it feels so fantastic!

Published
by
hopcott
on November 16, 2007
in What's so great about writing?, Writing, creative writing and writing online
. 0 Comments

I just read an article by Emma Darwin entitled the contemplative wolf which forced me to break away from my latest project of love which is my new online flash fiction site.

The target I set myself, three weeks ago, was to write a new flash fiction or short story each day for five days a week.

Each night, I read my pocket diary of story ideas so that, when I wake up in the early hours of the morning worrying whether I’ll make it up the creative writing tree for another day, I will have something to mull over.

Every morning, when I wake, after tossing and turning for much of the night, I keep my eyes closed going through my story options for the day, no matter whatever else is going on around me.

Sometimes the short story, flash fiction, or whatever comes refined after days of mulling over. Sometimes, it comes like a shaft of light shining into my soul.

Then, over breakfast, I’m pounding my laptop keyboard in the kitchen hoping I can get the words down before they disappear like the mists that drift across Exmoor each morning.

Finally, I can write ‘The End’.

I read it over aloud. I rewrite words and phrases. I put it away for several hours. Sometimes, I even get dressed before midday. Then I start putting it up on-line which gives me the chance to read it over again and still make some changes.

It’s the next moment that Emma Darwin describes so well.

The story somehow is suddenly born. It exists. It’s as good as I can get it - for now anyway - and to my best ability, it’s good enough.

I smile, leap of my chair and punch the air! Wow! (I really do).

In that moment it is crystal clear to me why I write, why I can’t stop and why I have set myself the task of writing a new story a day for as long as I can.

Yes, it’s scary. Yes, it’s hard work. Yes, it takes enormous effort. Yes I don’t know whether I will be able to do it again tomorrow.

But it feels so fantastic and I reckon Emma Darwin has described this feeling perfectly.

If you want to know why writing fictions is worth the effort and how it feels, check her article out.

Bye for now

Rob Hopcott

(online author - fiction - news)

Painting Pictures in the Mind is a stream of consciousness art short story by Rob Hopcott

Published
by
hopcott
on November 15, 2006
in Writing and creative writing
. 0 Comments

Painting pictures of the mind is a stream of consciousness creative short story by Rob Hopcott which examines living paintings and the stories they contain which bring art to life for artists and viewers.The reader is drawn into a tangled web of creativity hosted by a series of interconnected characters presenting different realities from different vantage points.

The perceived world undergoes rapid changes throughout this short story and readers may find this unsettling until the story is over, tensions are resolved and the final picture is painted.

Painting pictures of the mind is copyright Rob Hopcott 1999 - 2008, all rights reserved. All characters are fictitious in the story and no reference is intended to any person living or otherwise.