Our title today is taken from a quote by Stephen King: “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.”
One question that I have been asked over the years is, “how do you come up with creative ideas every day?” I have to admit that sometimes it isn’t easy, but I have discovered a few different ways.
One way I have found is to stay busy, and to take a break while being busy…
Today, I’ve been coding a WordPress theme and writing content, mapping out a search optimization plan for a website, playing with a 3D printer and meeting a friend for coffee. I also spent time with my wife, and caught up with my daughter.
All ordinary stuff – working, 3D printing plus family and social time. But the fact is that all of those activities present an opportunity for an article down the track.
And note too that all those different activities were a break from each other.
For example I could write about how I was able to troubleshoot and fix a problem with the printer, which in turn made my wife happy because it meant that we weren’t going to stretch the budget by buying a new one.
By far the easiest way to get writing though is to be a good reader, and to write a variety of content. Sometimes, as I’ve posted before, just writing in “freeform” way is a great way to get started. The link is here.
I read a variety of material every day. I deliberately stay away from watching television, because that’s not really going to inspire me.
One habit that I have fallen into is to read and transcribe content. At the moment I am working my way through the Book of Psalms in the Bible, and I transcribe by hand, not on a keyboard. I take my time doing it, as it’s not a sprint.
I heard a talk on neuroplasticity a while back, and was really intrigued.
Neuroplasticity is the ability of the brain to adapt and heal itself. It allows neural pathways to form, strengthen, or weaken in response to new experiences, learning, or injury recovery. Through this process, frequently used connections are reinforced while unused ones are pruned. From Wikipedia.
My take on it is that by using my brain’s natural ability to heal itself, I’m strengthening my creative ability, and reinforcing good habits.
It’s a case of use it or lose it.
Transcribing then is a matter of reading, remembering and writing at the same time. I have written much more content since I have increased my reading, and have become more confident in my writing as well.
On Coffee With Allan today, I wrote about working full time at a day job, and wanting to be a professional writer. Well, sometimes that’s not all it’s cracked up to be. Head on over and get the full story here…
