Creative Writing Checklist

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Some days, I create a new universe in my head, other times crickets chirp between my ears. So many stories have been told. So how can you know if yours is unique? Here’s my checklist for being creative.

Relax

Nine times out of ten, an idea will strike when I’m least expecting it. Usually, this means I’m about 30 seconds from falling asleep. And I wonder why I’m an insomniac…

But seriously, if you focus too hard on being creative, your brain will likely do the opposite. If you’re feeling really stuck, check out my creative tips for beating writer’s block.

Character Check

So you’re pages deep in character creation, and you still don’t know your character. Think, is your character making predictable choices? As much as I enjoy guessing a character’s next move, what I LOVE are plot twists. If you think your character has made a safe choice, reevaluate it. Safe choices will surely make your character human, but enough bold choices will make your character unique and worth writing about.

Dialogue

Are you using enough dialogue? I’ve read many great books that solely rely on descriptions to carry the reader through to the end. However, this makes your characters very flat. You can’t have a well rounded character without conversations.

Maybe your character is deceptive; they may have conversations that lead other characters to trust in them, while the reader also has access to the character’s thoughts that show deceit.

Or maybe your character has an accent and the reader can “hear” it by the way the dialogue is written.

I know dialogue can be very hard to master, but the key is to make the story as realistic as possible.

Setting

Describing your setting, be it a dystopian world or your backyard, is extremely important to get right. Readers need to be able to picture the story unfolding. That certainly cannot happen if they have no idea what the setting looks like.

Backstory

This goes back to making characters interesting. It can be annoying as a reader to have a linear story, but have no answers for characters' behavior. Actions have reasons behind them, and readers HATE being left in the dark! Work in a flashback or a prologue if necessary, to properly catch your reader’s up.

POV

How you tell the story can also be creative. Do you have multiple sides to the story? Is the book written through diary entries or text messages? Is the narrator omnipotent? This is seemingly a minor detail, but it can make a huge difference in how the reader digests your story.

Ending

Think of the most predictable ending to your story. Then, write the complete opposite. Trust me, twists will give your book LIFE.

Did you find this post helpful? Let me know in the comments!

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