Be a Better Writer--CREATIVITY

These lessons, by one of our most consistent FaithWriters' Challenge Champions, should not be missed. So we're making a permanent home for them here.

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tomoral
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Re: Be a Better Writer--CREATIVITY

Post by tomoral »

Lillian if you can get to "uninstall a program" from your start menu, check all the programs that show they were installed on the date you first started noticing them. Left click on that program and then right click and click on "uninstall". That's what I did and the blue lines went away. It probably got on there the same time you download Open Office. Sometimes, somehow that happens. Just make sure it's a program you don't use.
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Of the beasts in life

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oursilverstrands
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Re: Be a Better Writer--CREATIVITY

Post by oursilverstrands »

Lynn,

I'll send you a PM. Don't want to sabotage Jan's Lessons. :D

Thanks,

Lillian
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I have a love affair with words. I write, even when I think I can't. I'm hooked on words!

"Let words bewitch you. Scrutinze them, mull them, savor them, and in combination, until you see their subtle differences and the ways they tint each other." Francis Flaherty
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RachelM
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Re: Be a Better Writer--CREATIVITY

Post by RachelM »

Great lesson! I'm feeling more prepared for the Writing Challenge every week! :)

I've never spent time just brainstorming on the topic and writing down everything that came to mind. This makes so much sense!

I was surprised how many angles I was able to come up with for "home" in under 10 minutes.

I think that stories with the idea that "the grass is greener on the other side" would be very common and then ending with the realization of how wonderful home is.

Here is an idea that I think is creative: A man kills someone as a teen and has spent most of 2 decades in prison. He is set free and can't relate to the outside world so he kills again so he can go "home." That's a little too dark for me, but it seemed creative. :|
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glorybee
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Re: Be a Better Writer--CREATIVITY

Post by glorybee »

RachelM wrote: I think that stories with the idea that "the grass is greener on the other side" would be very common and then ending with the realization of how wonderful home is.

Here is an idea that I think is creative: A man kills someone as a teen and has spent most of 2 decades in prison. He is set free and can't relate to the outside world so he kills again so he can go "home." That's a little too dark for me, but it seemed creative. :|
You're definitely on target with your common theme for "home."

Your more creative idea is very good. You've done something that often worked for me: take the common idea and turn it on its head.

it's interesting that you said that it may be too dark for you. A lot of Christian writers shy away from dark themes, but I think it's definitely possible to write a dark piece that still has an element of redemption in it. Personally, I'd rather read "dark" than "sweet," but that's probably a temperament thing. To me, "dark" is a better description of what reality is in a fallen world, and I'd rather read (and write) a piece that shows light shining through darkness than a piece that is all light.

Two links to dark stories with a glimmer of light:

Under the Skin
Ilapa Dances Behind my Eyes
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RachelM
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Re: Be a Better Writer--CREATIVITY

Post by RachelM »

I loved reading these stories! Thank you for the challenge to not immediately discard a dark theme. I know that your words will stay with me. The light in "Under the Skin" is brighter because of the darkness in the story. Beautiful...

Just a few minutes of contemplating how I could introduce light into my prisoner idea, and I realized that I could write the story from another person's POV: a mother, child, another prisoner, a chaplain etc. Or I could write it from the prisoners POV: a dark, hardened criminal catching a glimpse of God's love and trying to make sense of it from the perspective of a life devoid of it. So many possibilities!
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Re: Be a Better Writer--CREATIVITY

Post by cgpeoples »

When I followed your suggestions and brainstormed "home" the first things that came to mind were: Family; being homeless; home sweet home; heaven will be our home; rooms in houses; and shelter.

After connecting these with "unusual I came up with weird homes like: transparent; shot gun houses; light houses; and haunted houses. Then I thought of our bodies being "houses" for God's spirit. So for a unique approach, I'd probably end up writing about a MC filled with evil spirits "housed" within their body struggling to overpower the Holy Spirit.
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Re: Be a Better Writer--CREATIVITY

Post by glorybee »

cgpeoples wrote:When I followed your suggestions and brainstormed "home" the first things that came to mind were: Family; being homeless; home sweet home; heaven will be our home; rooms in houses; and shelter.

After connecting these with "unusual I came up with weird homes like: transparent; shot gun houses; light houses; and haunted houses. Then I thought of our bodies being "houses" for God's spirit. So for a unique approach, I'd probably end up writing about a MC filled with evil spirits "housed" within their body struggling to overpower the Holy Spirit.
Thanks for sharing this, Cynthia!

Another thing you need to consider, I think, is the audience. On a site like FaithWriters, and for the Weekly Challenge, the audience is overwhelmingly Christian. Thus, the idea of using 'home' in the way you've described (the body as 'home' to evil spirits) might not be quite so original and creative here as it would be in a different sort of writing contest (one with a broader audience).

On the other hand, since the connotation of 'home' is usually a place of warmth and love, using it as you mentioned here would certainly take the concept of 'home' in a different direction, and I really like that.
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Re: Be a Better Writer--CREATIVITY

Post by CatLin »

What would many people write about for "home"?
- Finally home after a long trip - there's no place like home
- A home away from home
- A childhood home that will always be "home" (but then, maybe it isn't - another common approach)
- A dream home realized... or not but yay! I was happy all along and didn't know it.
- My heavenly home

Creative, fresh, unique, and memorable? Ah, that's why I'm doing this homework. :)
- A burrowing rodent or insect, carving a home under the earth, only to find it caved in, then starting over again, and again.
- Animals burned out of their forest homes and sent scattering, started by a campfire left smoldering...from the POV of the person who was supposed to put out the fire.
-

An in-the-box idea (a homeless person) that might go somewhere unexpected....

They say "home is where the heart is". I guess my home is in my throat, because that's where my heart is right now. Or maybe my stomach. Usually, wherever I find to lay my head at night, I call "home" but this morning, reality caught up with me.

I have no home.


Out-of-the-box "twist"...
... um, I should have let the muse keep writing. She was on a roll. :)

Thanks for this lesson, Jan!
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"God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes." Psalm 18:24 (The Message)
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Re: Be a Better Writer--CREATIVITY

Post by MiracleMummy »

I had to laugh. I tried out the online Brainstormer. My 3 things were...

Remorse - Underwater - Space Station

Somewhere deep under the ocean, there are many many remorseful astronauts wondering why they got the raw deal. LOL


Thank you for sharing it with us. I am going to love using it. Just maybe not this particular selection. :lol:
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