Archive for 'preparation'
Giving creativity a helping hand, with a kiss
Posted on November 16, 2007, by dazzer67, under creativity basics, inspiration, preparation.
Stuck for that creatve idea to push the project forward? Has the muse flown the nest and taken your imagination with it? Are you struggling to find the idea to hang your assignment on? Well have a kiss.
KISS, or Keep It Simple Stupid is a maxim creative people need to keep close by. Creative people often exist in one of two spaces. The scenario I outlined above or letting our ideas run away to end up with something so complicated you need a study guide to explain it. In both examples it can be helpful to rely on a KISS.
Simplicity may be the solution your client is looking for, or perhaps the idea you need to convey needs to be blatantly obvious. Clever campaigns are fine, but are useless if only those in the know understand them.
One KISS approach I have found useful in the past is to look for something else that does what I am trying to achieve and then adapt it for the media I am useing or current project. Take for example web design. You need to design a news page for a client. One way that news has been delivered in the past, that everyone knows about is a newspaper. Therefore why not use the newspaper as your starting point? What about designing your links page? Again one way that people recognise the concept of linking is on train maps, so why not use this as your creative starting point?
The point is to start simply and at square one. The muse may be gone but you can kick start your imagination by doing a little thinking and making some very basic connections. Fancy a KISS?
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NaNoWriMo 2007
Posted on October 31, 2007, by dazzer67, under inspiration, links, perspiration, preparation, writing.
Just a quick note to wish everyone who has entered NaNoWriMo 2007 the best of luck. I too will be attempting to write at least 1,600+ words each day to complete a 50,000 word novel by the end of November.
And for those who don’t know what it is, you can find out by following the link.
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Brainstorm, thought shower, keep creativity flowing
Posted on September 28, 2007, by dazzer67, under preparation, quick tips, quotes.
“The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas.”
Linus Pauling
But remember you need to capture those ideas. Always make sure you have pen and paper, or another capture device handy. With reference to the above quote, pen and paper is proabably the best. The concept is to get as many ideas out as quickly as possible, then review them later. Amongst all you have captured there may well be the gem.
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Online file conversion at you convert it
Posted on September 23, 2007, by dazzer67, under links, preparation.
A wonderful online application that could be very useful for us creative types, and will save a lot of time, can be found if you follow the link below. If you do follow it you’ll find an online tool for converter files from one type to another. So if you need to change a piece of music to another format, or an image to something more accessible then this could be for you… oh and did I mention that there is no cost at the moment!
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Capture the idea the moment you think of it
Posted on September 7, 2007, by dazzer67, under creativity basics, inspiration, preparation, quotes.
I once had a dream. I remember the dream felt like a movie blockbuster. There was action, suspence and a fantastic story. I remember thinking in the dream that this would make a great film (don’t worry dreams are like that). The dream ended and so did my sleep. I slowly woke up, still thinking about the awesome dream. Gradually the plans and practicalities of the day ahead loomed into thought. The dream drifted to the periphery of my thought, but I still wanted to record what had happened.
I got washed, dressed and went downstairs to the desk that had my pens and paper ready to write the basic outline of my fantastic dream story. As I approached the desk I searched my mind for the story, reached out into my subconscious, grasping futilely. The idea was gone.
“Every composer knows the anguish and despair occasioned by forgetting ideas which one had no time to write down.”
Hector Berlioz
I now keep a notebook and pen next to my bed. I have never had that dream again, however, perhaps writing this post will enable my subconscious to leak it into my dreams again.
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How to source digital images for your creativity
Posted on July 23, 2007, by dazzer67, under creativity basics, links, preparation.
There is a great find over at graphicdesignblog to help with sourcing digital images for your creative work. You can find all about Yotophoto by following the link.
Graphic Design Blog » Find Free Photos on Yotophoto, the Free Images Search Engine
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Five simple tips on how to get published
Posted on July 17, 2007, by dazzer67, under perspiration, preparation, writing.
So you have lots of ideas, your creativity has gone into overdrive and you believe you can be a successful writer, and why not. The next stage, unless you are going to publish yourself (and that is not a bad idea, check out www.lulu.com), is to get your ‘book’ into the wide world. With this in mind I thought I’d share a few tips with you.
- Research your publisher. It is no good sending your ideas off to any and every publisher on the list. Find a publisher who has published similar books and also, if possible, ask them what their publishing policy is. What books do they publish, just in case you’ve got the wrong end of the stick.
- Grab the publisher’s attention. A plain brown envelope, with a neat resume and outline is very fucntional, but believe me, you need to do a little more in order to get noticed. But remember subtlety works very well too.
- Send in a synopsis and two chapters. A publisher needs to know how you write, what you write and a little about you (only because they are nosey). Send in a couple of chapters but they don’t need to be the first two, perhaps the best chapters are hidden away within your tome.
- If you haven’t finished the book, estimate the time it will take and double it. It is highly likely that you’ll miss your estimated deadline and so build in some time. Then when you send it in ahead you’ll be loved and the you’ll know how long it really takes you to write without any added pressure.
- Write about what you know. It is no good writing about the history of voles if you know nothing about them. So research what you write. There is nothing more annoying to an editor than someone writing about something and getting it all wrong.
And remember, all these tips come from me, a publisher, so get going.
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Five more top ingredients for compelling writing
Posted on July 3, 2007, by dazzer67, under inspiration, preparation, quick tips, writing.
Seeing as the previous post of ‘Compelling writing ingredients’ was enjoyed by so many, I thought it only fair to return to the creative cookbook and find a few more ingredients you could add to your literary larder.
Remember, a good recipe doesn’t use all the ingredients you have all of the time, and sometimes the subtle flavour is more effective than the one that hits on the first mouthful. But enough of this extended metaphor, let’s get on with the post.
- Conflict - two or more characters, in disagreement, in any shape or form will draw the reader in! ‘No, it won’t.’ ‘yes, it will, your reader wants some kind of resolution… or the sequel.’
- Emotion - love, hate, joy and fear, if you can get the reader to engage with these emotions you’ll have them hanging on every word you write. Why do you think love and horror stories are so well read!
- Progress - a story, should move from A to B, it shouldn’t be static. Even waiting, as in for Godot, is progress; implied progress counts in writing if not in business.
- Variety of language - the use of passive vocabulary, which consists of words people know the meaning of, or understand in context, but don’t use everyday, is something to keep well stocked. Try eating the dictionary.
- Use your voice - all great cooks have a signature dish, or a specialty, as a writer you need to find an ingredient that is your own, unique to you. Sounds daunting but it is an ingredient you already have stocked, you simply need to use it.
So out with the utensils and start cooking. You have a story to write.
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Clear but present creation
Posted on May 3, 2007, by dazzer67, under creativity basics, inspiration, preparation.
The definition of ‘create’ is to bring into existence. We use our imagination to bring something into existence, this is the creative act. Imagination is often sparked by making new connections. By connecting two seemingly unconnectable things we can create something new and original.
This may lead us to think that the more ‘cluttered’ our minds are the more creative connections we can make. I used to think this way and was heard to say, ‘it’s not a mess, it’s a creative workstation,’ or words to that effect. However, I also knew that I wasn’t being as creative as I could be. I would often have a ’spark’ of imagination and then it would quickly be snuffed out with all the clutter.
This led me to notice a potential paradox between filling my mind with potential connections, to allow and enhance creativity, and clearing my head in order to develop the creative ideas. It became obvious to me that I needed to foster both, however, what I was calling my ‘creative chaos’ was actually nothing of the sort. It was simply unordered and unfinished mess and clutter. This mess would distract me and so when the inspiration came it quickly left and turned into more unfulfilled clutter.
So what have I done? Well I do try to use David Allen’s Getting Things Done to keep on top of all the things I have to do and that has helped enormously. I keep my mind clear of distractions and therefore focus on new connections. I’ll come back to Getting Things Done another time, but until then here are a couple of things that have become guiding creative principles to me:
- Keep my head clear - make lists of what I need to do
- Keep my desk clear - space allows creativity to grow
- Keep adding potential connections - read widely and interact with broadcast media (don’t just sit and watch TV but talk back to it, make connections as you watch)
Put simply it means clearing space to allow the flow of new ideas. It isn’t rocket science but then neither is breathing, but it is so much easier to do without a blocked nose.
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How to improve your vocabulary
Posted on March 11, 2007, by dazzer67, under preparation, writing.
I went to school with a very clever chap. He was always revising, and always getting good grades. When it came to his English exam he did all the usual study or grammar and reading of the set texts. He also spent several minutes each day reading the dictionary. At the time I thought this extreme, but he got a much better grade at English than I did.
Creative writing involves words. The more words we know, the more creative we can be. I am not advocating using words that no one knows, or are so obscure the reader hasn’t any idea what you are saying. Having a large vocabulary and one that is also growing is an essential tool for a writer.
One way of improving your vocabulary is to sign up for the wonderful Dictionary.com’s ‘word of the day’. You can subscribe to the RSS feed and you’ll get a new word each day. I have been using this for a while now. Each day I get a word and if I don’t know it, or I am unsure of its meaning, I take a moment or two to learn it. It may be too late to improve my English grade but I live in hope that my writing will become more colourful.
