It is not a secret for anyone that there are a lot of different genres of literature, each of which has a bright personality and uneasy temperament. And every literary creation begins with a definite idea that determines the success or failure of the entire book or story. Let’s find out how to write “catchy work” with the help of creative writing prompts.
It seems that all worthwhile ideas have already been played by someone. The next book tells us that everything has been said and cleverly worked out a long time ago. Such ideas as an unhappy love, crime from boredom, abandonment of a child, murder for profit is extremely banal and typical for a short history. What can you do with a beaten plot? Of course, bring something extra fresh. We must come up with something that the reader clearly does not expect, so it is necessary to express those thoughts that have never been expressed by anyone. Make the sun shine where people are waiting for winter and cold and let it rain where the reader anticipates the absolutely dry weather.
An exciting beginning is needed to get the reader involved in the story from the initial lines to intrigue him, to hook him, to make him burn out of curiosity. We need to figure out how to attract attention. Try to start with a dialogue, with the appearance of unexpected information that changes the life of the hero; the story should begin instantly, without lengthy introductions and vague reflections. Compare these two creative writing prompts:
He came out of the last door of a brick house. He was wearing a beige jacket, light trousers, and black shoes. His short-cropped hair was traversed by the wind. The sun was shining so brightly that he had to close his eyes and his thoughts were far from this vain world. Then someone slapped him on the shoulder and said: “And now I’ll rob you, brother.” He turned around in surprise, and so on.
“Now I will rob you, brother,” a voice said from behind, and a strong hand was already squeezing the fragile shoulder of a young dandy. Thoughts of a pleasant meeting instantly evaporated.
Of course, in both cases, you can write a wonderful story, but the fact is, the reader always has little time and big requests. Therefore, the beginning of the narrative should resemble a whirlpool of events, from which it will no longer be possible to escape.
Here is one of the most famous techniques for building a good idea. Write half of the story and throw a couple of scenes. By the middle of the text the rhythm has already been found, the phrases become smoother, and the plot is clearer. Chopping off the beginning, we begin from the middle of the narrative. And this is intrigue!
Being honest, it’s worth saying that it’s hard to come up with a worthwhile creative writing prompt from the initial attempt. However, it is always worth to try again and again.
Each step of the hero must match the idea of the story; the whole story should be clearly spelled out. It is necessary to know what the hero is doing, where, why he is moving, to what result he comes. This requires a plan. For example, if the idea of your prompt is that arrogance is the best way to earn a million, you need to clearly understand how, with the help of his impudence, the hero will receive money. Excessive plot twists that lead to the goal, you need to remove from the text.
You can be a master of fiction and intrigue, a great genius of thought and erudite man, but until you sharpen your pen and start writing beautifully, nothing will come out. Write a story is to find a middle ground: pay attention to important details, but do not delay the plot; surprise, but do not disappoint. Imagine that your narrative is waves. If they are too strong, then there is a possibility of choking, and if this is an absolute calm, then something starts to be missed.
Do not be afraid to re-read the paragraph you just wrote since the best thing you can do is put yourself in the reader’s place. We all love decent literature, but at the same time, we are blind to our creative experiences. We are blinded by writer’s selfishness. We consider ourselves great writers and do not find flaws in ourselves, and our goal is to please the reader. Make it so that he is imbued with our story, that he wants to read more and more, so there are universal steps that every narrator has to do.
Do not forget that intrigue should be an intrigue, not a frightened hare that pretends that he is a wolf. Look for new ways to solve old problems. Look for something out of the ordinary, shocking, surprising and let the readers open their mouths and ask: “How?”. Feel free to step in step with your imagination and do not be afraid of innovation. If at the beginning of the work a man gets acquainted with a woman, it becomes immediately clear how it will end. However, it is in your power to make the main character fall in love not with this lady herself, but, for example, with her mother or daughter. Is it corny? You are welcome to come up with something more interesting. If at the beginning of the story the hero expects to move up the career ladder, let him in the end to suddenly change his place of work, or even master another profession. Become Carlson for readers. He arrives at a time when it becomes unbearably boring, and there is absolutely nothing to do. And fly away too suddenly, leaving pleasant memories and hope for a new meeting.
The purpose of the story can be to entertain the reader, to tell something new, to pamper, to simply pour out the soul, shock, talk about the spiritual matters. If the goal is entertaining, check the plot, whether it is well built, whether it is interesting to follow it; pay attention to the style and vocabulary – whether there are jokes, it’s funny, whether it’s fun to read it. In general, everything depends on the goal. If the purpose of the story differs from his storyline, you need either rewrite or change the goal. Remember that there is nothing worse than an aimless story so honestly answer yourself to the question why did you write this? Does the text match the idea? Have you revealed it?
An interesting story is always remembered for its ending; the goal is to shock the reader, surprise him. One of the tricks of such a finale is to turn everything upside down: the poor get rich, the good is bad, the innocent old woman is the killer, and supposedly adequate neighbor who brought you a pie is an alien. But this is not necessary. You can successfully use strong emotions, the heat of passion and relaxation, the achievement of a difficult goal, victory over circumstances and much more. Fantasize and you’ll come up with something interesting and keep in mind that the end of the story should not disappoint the reader.
Of course, there are no ideal texts. Critics and detractors will always find faults, but this is not an excuse to give up work. If you want to become a brilliant storyteller, do not forget to learn from the masters, read novelists: look more often at their creative cuisine, learn recipes and do not forget to taste them.
Usually, every person likes to have a good laugh at some ridiculous situations and troubles. Even if you write a serious story, do not be afraid to put the hero in a comical position, of course, if it does not contradict the general plan. Let the reader laugh lightly and sympathize with him. He just washed the car; send an unreasonable dove from heaven! Did she just wear new pantyhose? And the neighbor’s dog was so happy to see her in the yard! The more such everyday situations will be in your story, the closer it will become to the reader because these things happen to each of us constantly. While we are waiting for the queue in the store, our favorite ice cream has already been bought, and then we are late for the moment to the right bus and have to wait for the next one. And then it starts to rain! Let people smile while reading your stories; perhaps this will help them survive their own failures, past or future. All actions should appear familiar and believable. Then the one on the other side of the story will clearly remain your good friend and will wait for new texts.
Banal stories from a new perspective are one thing, but the banal names are completely different. Names should sound and shimmer like thousands of the most sonorous bells. Names should be cut into memory and stay there until the next story. Of course, do not be too zealous and give everyone exotic initials, however, the main character can be singled out. Let it be a relatively common name, but rarely found. It will be even better if you look at the description of names and choose what is most suitable for your hero. Remember that the name determines destiny. And if, for example, a girl in her childhood was named Assol, then this clearly means something. The girl is romantic and vulnerable, or, on the contrary, she is cynical and selfish; by the way, the discrepancy is also an advantageous method for attracting attention.
Summing up, let’s single out seven keys to a successful story:
Now we know how to write a story. Everything else, as they say, is a matter of technique and inspiration. Take a pen and write. It is better, of course, to sketch a short outline of the story, indicating the main actions. However, if you still do not know where to start, take the initial idea you have thought about, make a short prompt and start to twist the storyline around this.
If you dream of becoming a writer, write and publish your book, but you can not decide what to write about, these simple tips will help you to draft your initial prompts.
In fact, there are much more ideas to write a book about, just show a little imagination. Almost everyone can find an area in which he can leave a vivid trail both for his loved ones and for the whole of mankind. You just have to believe in yourself and not stop halfway. The process of writing a good book is not fast, it can take months and even years, but as soon as the book is finished, you rise even in your own eyes.
And do not forget about those for whom you write your book. Think about what knowledge, emotions, feelings or experiences you want to convey to your reader because a writer becomes a writer only when his works begin to be read.
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