Creativity is non-acceptance, wonder, rebellion
When I can settle down into a book, I feel like someone who has been running frantically for days and is finally home. Reading is one of the most fulfilling things I do, and it is easy – no transport or planning necessary. Yet after a long, exhausting day of work, I often find that... Continue Reading →
"The shape of power ... is a tree. Root to tip, central trunk branch and re-branching ... the shape of power is the outline of a living thing straining outward, sending its fine tendrils a little further and a little further," wrote Naomi Alderman in The Power. Have a think about Alderman's description of what... Continue Reading →
How many mind-blowing, thought-provoking and beautiful books or films can you think of that were created while trying to please others? Doesn't the most impactful, memorable writing boldly challenge the status quo, play with aesthetics, and startle us instead? Here are some reasons why writers should steer clear of pleasing others: 1) When a writer... Continue Reading →
Clotty seas, fungal walls, insipid kindness, reckless jokes, a grotty smile - it can be fun to play with contrasts, the unexpected, and in this case - make nice things ugly. It's easy to find all the right adjectives and stack them up in front of the horrid stuff of life. And it's easy to... Continue Reading →
A common writing exercise is to go somewhere - say a park - and write what you see, based on the five key senses - sight, smell, sound, taste, and texture. Sometimes I like to modify this exercise and instead write what I imagine - the stories of the lives of people sitting in the... Continue Reading →
The battle against depression (short or long term) has many fronts, including, in my opinion, the battle for a humanity and environment-first world where we are less alienated at work and among each other. But what makes writing such a powerful tool for both personal and political problems (which are invariably linked) is that we... Continue Reading →
Some writers I know will sit down one day and write for 5 minutes or 24 hours (yes, I know that person) because they feel like it. I rarely do this. Now and then I'll write some thoughts down in a diary, or I get ideas for articles or novels at odd moments, but I... Continue Reading →
We paint with words. We take colours and ideas and forms and we stroke and blend them together to create new things. For this exercise, take inspiration from these surreal art works, and brainstorm at least 10 objects, at least 10 verbs, and at least 10 descriptive adjectives (colours, shape etc), and use them to... Continue Reading →
I love going to a nearby plaza or sitting in a cafe or on the train and writing about the people I can see. I observe their posture, facial expressions, and actions, and imagine how they are feeling and what they could be thinking. It's a great exercise for practising the connections between physical description... Continue Reading →
Writers' and journalists' pay and sense of achievement is often framed around a word count – and if that's working for you, fine. But writers shouldn't feel that daily-output counts or ideal chapter word counts are important to being a serious and decent writer. Though writing is work and requires commitment and regular practice, it... Continue Reading →
resistance words 