The Creative You - A Guide to Writing Better Posts

[Heidi]

The Creative You
A short guide to writing better RP posts, and just helping you get in touch with your creative side overall.

Foreward

From Google:
Creativity (or "creativeness") is a mental process involving the generation of new ideas or concepts, or new associations of the creative mind between existing ideas or concepts.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creativity

Creativity. It's a word we all know, used generously in the worlds of art, writing and design. It's when we come up with an idea, one that may be influenced or overused, but it's an idea nonetheless. Sometimes we have it, and sometimes we don't. Sometimes we can use it well, wield our pens (and keyboards) like they were a knight's sword, and then...there are those times where we bang our head against the desk, unable to generate a single new thought.

It is frustrating. It can drive you insane. But creative blocks are all part of life, and writing in general - this includes RPing.

Below, I will attempt to help you salvage your creativity in the midst of a block. I, myself, write more then just RP posts - I write, therefore, I am. All of these techniques come from my experience amongst my fellow writers, from various writing communities on the Internet.


The Muse

When a writer describes their "muse" - named after the creative figures in ancient mythology - he or she is describing the little "voice" in his or her head that represents his or her creativity. This voice pieces together thoughts, inspirations and influences, and is the basis for any character, setting, and/or plot. The muse is as human as the writer is; sometimes, it has its bad days, and sometimes, it has its good days. Unfortunately, the former can mean those horrible, teeth-grinding times when you can't get a thought down on your piece or paper or your Word document.

So how does connecting with the muse help a writer?

Well, in my opinion, connecting with your muse helps bring ideas into light more often. It may sound dorky, but it can be a TREMENDOUS help. Does your muse have a name? A gender? Is it a human like you, or is something you connect with, such as an animal or a thing? Does it have a colour? A shape? Does it dislike or like things?

At first, thinking about your muse may seem redundant. Heck, the thought may have never even crossed your mind. However, giving your muse some personality of its own can even be enough to break down the walls that hold your creativity in.

And yes, your muse will make you stay up into the wee hours of the morning, typing your heart out. You must control it sometimes, since it is ignorant of a human's basic needs. Make sure to keep an eye on the time, and remember - you are in control. The muse is only just an annoyance that inspires.


Reading

You may be a writer, but possibly not a reader. If so, you may want to consider becoming one. Writers gain inspiration from all walks of life, from the greatest battles in history to even the tiniest bird that sings outside their window. Literature can help provide some new ideas and perspectives on the world around us, and historical books - including historical fiction - can be an asset, especially on a game like this.

Look in your local library for a few books. Google on the Internet some English websites if you want to spice up your writing. When you finish a post, take a moment to read it, and see if you like how it sounds. Do not let yourself be ignorant; expand your horizons, and your creativity will follow en suite.


Writer's Block

Your choice of refreshment is nearby. Your pencils are all perfectly sharpened. Your keyboard has been polished down to the last key. You are ready, you are focused, and you're ready to take on the mother of all RP posts.

"Why then", you may ask yourself, "can't I even put a single flipping word down?!!"

What you may be experiencing is writer's block.

Writer's block, as defined by a Google search:

Writer's block is a phenomenon involving temporary loss of ability to begin or continue writing, usually due to lack of inspiration or creativity.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Writer's_block

Writer's block can happen in many ways. It may be caused by something as simple tiredness or hunger/thirst, or it could be something on a grander scale, such as the loss of a loved one. This is something all writers will go through; you are not alone, don't think nobody understands.

Writer's block can last an hour, or it can last a year. It can be bothersome, or you can easily shrug it off and do something else until your muse begins blurting out idea after idea again. You can write through it, even though your pieces may seem like horse hockey when you read them, and you may choose to wait it out. It is up to you. A writer copes with their block in different ways.


Use the Senses

The five senses build the world around us. You see the sun in the sky, you smell the flowers after the rain. You hear the children playing in the park, you taste the tart sourness of a well-made glass of lemonade. You feel the pain of a papercut when a piece of paper rubs against you the wrong way. Sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch - the five senses.

When somebody writes a post, I often find they give hearing and sight the most consideration. It is no surprise, seeing as how these two senses probably define the world around us the most. After all, when we watch a movie or a TV show, are those not the two senses that we utilize the most?

If your post lacks detail, remember your senses. What is the feeling of your enemy's fist against your skin? What is the smell of fresh laundry to your character? What does milk spilling onto an oak wood table look like? What does a grenade sound like as it hits the ground? Be descriptive - but not too descriptive. When your writing is laden with adjectives and adverbs so fancy it was like you were copying them out a dictionary as you read it, it is called "purple prose".

springhole.net/wiki/index.php/Purple_prose

Always make sure to avoid this.


Human Feelings

Emotion is a powerful thing. When you use it well in writing, it can move people. When you throw handful after handful of it at the reader, it can come across as overdramatic and cheesy. It is not hard to find people giving characters grief-laden backgrounds, disabilities and the like to get the audience to like them.

Whenever you write, take a moment to really think about your character's emotions. As an example, I'll use Vivienne Rousseau, my French character. She is gruff and ruthless, cold as ice towards her captors, but if you read her journal, you would see that she has her more human moments. Then, let's take a look at what she's dealing with - she's basically a slave, and she's been kept against her will by her homeland's invaders. She has suffered abuse and neglect, and her basic needs are often not filled. To cope, she had become hard-hearted.

Now, look at your own character. If he/she is sensitive to loud noise, how would they react if mortars began to rain down on them? If they were proud, how would they feel if they boasted about taking a trained soldier on, with no previous training themselves, and got beaten to a pulp?

Think about people in real life. Think about what you see on the news, and how it affects the world around us. Think about your own experiences, and think about the experiences of your friends and family; they are a great asset to keeping things realistic. Your characters are not invincible, as much as you'd like them to be. They have flaws and weaknesses, such as you do. Sometimes, you'll need to do a little research - I've done my own - in order to keep things realistic, but in the long run, it helps.


Conclusion

Hopefully, this guide has been helpful to you, and not just a waste of few minutes or so. I also hope it has opened your eyes to a few options you may have not known of or considered before. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me, and I'll gladly help as best as I can.


~Addie