I really like to write, but every time I decide to write something I am unable to come up with anything. How can I pursue my hobby of writing?
1. Read daily.
Suppose you want to attain the essential vocabulary knowledge and extend your writing skillset. In that case, try getting into the habit of reading every day, but pick what you want to read thoughtfully. There’s no denying that reading shows you unexplored, new points of view; however, you’ll receive the most value out of your time if you select the right content. Researchers from the University of Florida claim that reading literary novels and educational magazines increases writing skills more effectively than reading pop-culture articles on the internet. So next time you’re packing your lunch, bring a magazine or a novel with it.
2. Sign up for free online writing sessions.
People usually underestimate the value of what free online writing classes offer. Try to find a massively open online course (MOOC). You can check the available programs offered by edX, Coursera, and Udemy. Also, sign up for writing classes in colleges like Stanford, MIT, Harvard, etc.
3. Write every day.
Repetition builds perfection. Try to get into the healthy habit of freewriting for just 10 or 15 minutes a day. It addresses your ideas down on paper without the need to outline or correct them. Treat it as a journal about your personal growth or a subject you want to be good at. After you’re done writing for the day, you can use software like Grammarly to correct your mistakes. Be sure to keep them in mind for the next day.
Now, let’s see how you can develop a great story idea.
Begin with the six components of a story.
We all know how overwhelming a blank page can be. Exploring all the possibilities of the expression when writing the details might distort your story’s main idea. If this has happened to you before, try dividing the process into different steps. Instead of focusing on everything at once, clarify each segment of the fiction separately:
• Characters: Who are the people in your story?
• Plot: What’s happening in your story?
• Point of View: What is the narrator’s position in your story?
• Style: How did you choose the words in your story?
• Setting: What is the world like in your story?
• Theme: What profound meaning do you want to portray in your story?
Modify an already existing concept.
Of course, you can’t write another account of a successful novel with the exact details and figures set in a different world. However, you can use them as the starting point of your own story, which in modern terms, is called fanfiction. Many famous literary works started as fanfictions. When writing Othello, Shakespeare used the duplicate titles and themes (revenge and love) from the poem “The Moorish Captain.” The memoir to a French musketeer, called “Mémoires de Monsieur d’Artagnan,” also inspired Alexandre Dumas to write The Three Musketeers fanfiction. Lastly, the inspiration behind William Golding’s Lord of the Flies was a children’s book titled “The Coral Island,” about three abandoned lads from England.
Write something you want to read.
As Toni Morrison says, “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” You don’t have to write something entirely unique or revolutionary. Just think about what you always wanted to read in a story. You may like novels that bend genres or stories that fuse romance and science with mystery and history. If there isn’t anything like it, why don’t you write it yourself? Sit for a moment and think about a story you needed to hear when you were more juvenile: something that people need to read or a tale you’ve always aspired to tell. You might find the subject you’re looking for.
It’s funny. I, too, experienced a similar issue. I’d want to write down my ideas, but they’d be a jumbled mess. There was a moment when I felt delighted after experiencing a great deal of grief. That was also because I fell in love. I just started writing poetry right away till that lovely moment passed, and I had my creativity blocked again. Now that I’m at a similar time, I can jot down my ideas. Some of us may need an emotional state to write. You’ll undoubtedly write to your heart’s delight someday. I only shared my experience. I’m not sure if this was helpful.
I think it’s because you want to create something that you haven’t experienced. In my opinion, writing a diary is the best start. Maybe, there’s no special event in a day, but little by little, when you write about those mundane days, you begin to notice small feelings and thoughts and even evolve them. A tip that I can give you is not to be afraid of your negative or private memories and experiences. Those are the things that changed you and touched your souls. They are the treasure that you’re looking for.