How Restrictions Make You A Better Writer
When it comes to writing, adversity equals creativity.
Until recently, I always thought Writer’s Block was when creativity skips out on a conjugal visit with a writer’s brain.
However, I don’t think the creative process is about waiting for inspiration to come to you — I think it’s about hunting it down.
I’ve written before about how self-imposed deadlines make me a better writer (Stress Yourself Into Writing — Why I Write With A Stopwatch Staring At Me), which I think ties well into this topic:
Putting restrictions on your writing.
Coming up with new ideas to write about can seem like a Herculean effort. Sitting at your desk, staring at a blank screen or sheet of paper, waiting for your Muse to strike you with a bolt of artistic lightning.
It’s a wonder we produce anything at all.
However, I’ve discovered that whenever I’m in a literary funk, it’s that I’m just not challenging myself enough. The way I see it, our creativity is a muscle — it needs something to push against to grow stronger.
Whenever I set out to work on a new project or I’m feeling stuck on a current endeavor, I give myself an obstacle to overcome, a problem to solve, a limitation to work with.
You see, restrictions force my brain to work in ways it often doesn’t in daily writing sessions. By taking a luxury away from myself, it puts me in a position to solve a problem that requires creative resourcefulness and daring, resulting in something new and interesting.
Try it yourself.
For example, when writing a story, force yourself to write a portion of it from a different character’s POV, put it in a different setting, switch genres, or tell it in reverse order.
Or if you’re a blogger, challenge yourself to write about a topic you aren’t as familiar with, write it in a completely different format, or impose a cramped word limit on an article about a complex subject.
Whatever you’re working on, just make sure that you don’t deviate from sticking to the rule that you imposed on yourself. The important thing is for you to struggle with your task, as this means that you’re really giving your imagination a workout.
Even if the end result isn’t a masterpiece, at least you’re expanding your capacity to come up with bold and novel ideas.
And that’s what creativity is all about, right?
In short, if your mental muscles can use some conditioning, stick to that New Year’s resolution and take them to the gym.
If you enjoyed this, check out my other stories on creativity and writing:
