To Think or Not to Think
Friday, March 19, 2010 at 03:04PM 
Most people don't equate creative writing with thinking. In many minds - or at least this is the way it seems to me - people think of creativity as happening in a flash of light, or as a flow of brilliance. Yes, there are flashes of light and moments of brilliant flow, but creative writing is actually hard thinking. I believe that good thinking equals good writing. Whenever I get frustrated with a writer, inevitably I can trace it back to faulty thinking.
No matter what kind of a writer you are, your story must be internally consistent for the reader to believe in it. You can't create zombies with sensitive stomachs on one page and then have them chowing down on Big Macs and french fries on another. Or, if you're a more realistic writer, your bullies can't suddenly become kind and thoughtful. Would your main character really dance on his best friend's grave? Maybe, but you have to think of reasons why. Think about your setting: a landscape of snow, ice, and frightening predators will create different dilemmas for your characters than a sunny beach-side village. Or your dialogue: a wealthy shoemaker from the middle ages will speak differently than a rich venture capitalist from the twentieth century. They might both have wives who run away, but their responses will be very different. You won't describe them with the same words, either...
There are millions of invisible choices that every writer continually makes as he or she is writing. It's as if we're holding our imaginary worlds up to the light, examining them from every possible angle, thinking out the consequences of each choice, trying to see our creation in as many different ways as possible, so that we can make it as real and believable as we can. Thinking isn't the opposite of creativity - it's essential to it. Once you start thinking deeply, your focus becomes more powerful. That's when moments of flow and flashes of brilliance happen.
Anne | 7 Comments | tagged creative process, creativity, thinking, writing | Share Article | Email Article
Reader Comments (7)
gr8 blog, again 1st comment!
Thanks, Aishah! Oops, Ocean Breeze! I'm glad you liked it. -Anne
:) I Love This Post! Anne, You Make Me Think Of Things Differently More Complex But Not Hard I Don't Know How To Explain But Thanks For The Great Post :)
Good thoughts. I'm an intensive outliner, mostly for the reasons you mention here: I like to make sure my logic is sound before launching into the sometimes choppy waters of creation. The "does that work?" question is my favorite weapon.
K.M. - Very interesting because I don't like outlining. But I have to go through my manuscript carefully after I've finished writing to make sure I don't have any logical lapses. They are frighteningly easy to make. "Does it work" is a great question and I like to use it both for myself and for others when giving feedback.
AbbyFan - I love your comment! What you're saying makes perfect sense to me. :-) Thanks.
Amazing post Anne! Deep thinking can make you think of things you never even thought of!
I Totally Agree Nathalie. And Thank You Anne:)