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Creative Writing Exercises
Writing for Life: Creating a Story of Your Own
The therapeutic power of journaling, proven and embraced over the last century by doctors and
psychologist, is an effective tool to improve health and achieve healing of the body, mind and
spirit. The journaling and scrapbooking techniques taught in this course provide a creative way
to connect with the inner self and heal emotional wounds while documenting your story, your
life, in a fun and unique way.
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[ Course Reviews ]
Write A Way: Journey to Creativity
By Sandra Lee Schubert
"The trouble with facts is that there are so many of them."
~ Samuel McChord Crothers, The Gentle Reader
Fact Finding in Writing
We truly live in the information age. It comes at us from every angle. Ads are on buses, cabs and the bodies of those willing to be walking advertisement. The Internet will give you every version of every story. TV network and cable have numerous shows from news, sports, reality shows to self help features. We have 24/7 access to information. But do we have the facts? If you are a poet or creative writer, you may feel facts are subjective and certainly to some extent they are. Memories of similar family events can be strikingly different then those of our siblings and relatives. Our interpretation of these events is personal and subject to change as we mature and learn more about what happened. Fiction and fantasy writing can take the writer and reader into extraordinary landscapes. But the stories must be realistic enough to be believed by the reader.
"Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence."
~ John Adams (1735 - 1826), 'Argument in Defense of the Soldiers in the Boston Massacre Trials' December 1770
If you are going to twist the universe into a weird shape, it helps to have some of the facts on how the universe is now shaped. An understanding of physics gives some credibility to your story and allows you to take leaps of imagination. Having said that, let's give you an example on the other side. Gene Rodenberry, the creator of the popular Star Trek series, gave us images of space travel that seemed fantastical at the time. Gene's imagination had some basis in reality. It is said that Government officials visited him wanting to know where he got his information. I like the idea that Gene's imagination was so creative, on target and ahead of the times that he required some investigation.
This is an anecdotal story, one that makes the rounds and may or may not have some basis in fact but makes a point. There was enough fact in his stories for it to be close to authentic. There is a book called
The Physics of Star Trek,
by Lawrence M. Krauss. The book takes apart the physics of the Star Trek series. It explained in scientific and readable terms what is possible and what was not. I found the book great fun and it in no way took away from my enjoyment of the shows. It provided enough information that if you wanted to write your own sci-fi adventures you would be in the right ballpark for what is possible.
"If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?"
~ Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955)
Just the facts, ma'am.
If you are writing a fiction piece based in the 60's, the details of the decade would frame the story. Your character can't pick up a cell phone to make a call but they can visit the World's Fair to view the newfangled videophone. Disco dancing would have to wait. You could also discuss the confluence of the 50's and the 60's. If you don't know anything about a particular decade or point in history, then it is up to you to do the research. A story full of inconsistencies only puts off the reader. If you mention a historic site but you have it uptown instead of downtown, then you are deceiving the reader for the sake of your point of view and the story will lose its impact. The reader in most cases is willing to let a little creative license invade a story if it makes sense. You can't have your character do something that is out of character for the time and place, unless you have a credible reason. Accuracy in dates, times, speech patterns, clothing is essential to a good story.
"An author is a fool who, not content with boring those he lives with, insists on boring future generations."
~ Charles de Montesquieu (1689 - 1755)
Research Is Boring
When it comes to research evil little demons can invade your head and cause you to stare idly out into space. Or you can pick a theme that makes you want to jump up and down and run to the library, the computer or a country to do your research.
Think of it this way...
This isn't your 6th grade class where Mrs. Alittlemean has made you look up the life span of a marshmallow. Research can be your playground. You get to look up all sorts of interesting things and maybe talk to fun people who want to tell you all about how they do what they do. A basic guideline for journalists is: who, what, where and why. Who are the people involved in your story, what are the details, and where did this story/event happen? And lastly why did it happen? Using this guideline you can be confident that your story will cover the facts.
Remember to look for more then one source and keep track of them. Good research and solid facts will make your story sparkle. Having done your research builds the framework on which your imagination can create all sorts of wonderful things
"Only the curious will learn and only the resolute overcome the obstacles to learning. The quest quotient has always excited me more than the intelligence quotient."
~ Eugene S. Wilson
Stay Young
If you need further encouragement, think of research in another way - it will keep you young. A sharp mind needs stimulation. Your brain builds new pathways when you learn something new. So don't think of this as chore but as a path to wellness. Both your brain and your reader will be happy to have been expanded and enlightened in this way.
Creative Writing Exercises
Put on your journalist or researchers hat and go out to investigate a story. Think of a topic that interests you. An example could be French cooking - what do you want to know? You can investigate when it started, who made it famous or the best restaurants in your town.
Once you have chosen your topic, do your research, try to talk to experts on your topic, do interviews, etc. Then you can choose to do a fiction piece or an article on what you learned. If you need more tips on what a journalist needs to do while creating a great story, you might
visit Cyberjournalist
for some additional help.
Sandra Schubert is the creator and instructor for the Self-Healing Expressions e-course
Writing for Life: Creating a Story of Your Own.
To learn more about Sandra and her course, click here:
Copyright © 2005 Sandra Lee Schubert. All rights reserved. If you are interested
in publishing this article, please email
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