Quick Tip: Ask This Question When You Have No Idea What to Write Next
The simple act of writing can sometimes reinvigorate your creativity. With this quick writing tip from Jane K. Cleland, you can unlock a world of new opportunities within your story.
If you have no idea what to write next, ask yourself:
“What is the most unexpected thing that could happen in my story?”
Write that. You may not keep it, but the simple act of writing can sometimes reinvigorate your creativity. In fact, some authors find typing a favorite passage from someone else’s work reignites their own creative flames.
The bottom line is that you must persevere and get something down on paper.
Ruth Chessman, who was published in multiple genres for more than 50 years, once said, “Writers write.”
Author and literary agent Paula Munier has a similar take: “Don’t get it right. Get it written.”
Their point is that you can fix subpar output, but if you haven’t written anything, you have nothing to revise.
As you discover your internal editor’s capability and commitment to help you whip even the roughest first draft into publishable shape, you’ll build confidence in your abilities. This confidence begets more writing which begets yet more confidence, creating a snowball of success, which in turn serves to draw out your inner muse and quiet your internal critic.
Read more in the September 2018 issue of Writer's Digest, or subscribe to get WD all year long.
About Jane Cleland
Jane K. Cleland writes both fiction and nonfiction, including the multiple award-winning and long-running Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries [St. Martin’s & Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine (AHMM)] and the Agatha Award-winning bestsellers Mastering Suspense, Structure & Plotand Mastering Plot Twists [Writer’s Digest Books]. She is a member of the full-time faculty at Lehman College, part of the City University of New York (CUNY), a contributing Editor for Writer’s Digest Magazine, and the chair of the Wolfe Pack’s Black Orchid Novella Award (BONA), in partnership with AHMM. She is a frequent workshop leader and guest author at writing conferences and MFA Residencies, and she produces weekly free podcasts, The Honors Class, a series of one-minute lessons designed to help writers tell captivating stories. Website: janecleland.com. Twitter: @janekcleland
