Start with What You Know

Sometimes I have a difficult time starting a blog or a story. When that happens, I have a default mode – I start writing about an idea I’ve stored in my “Idea Folder” in my computer, or something I already know about. An event in my life, something I remember or saw recently, a news flash – many things can ignite the writing flame. That heats up the imagination and the story begins to flow.

If I’m writing history, I write what happened. If I’m writing fiction, I feel free to change things around. Sometimes I start with history but the flow changes direction and I revert to fiction. That’s okay.

Let your creativity out of its box and create characters that fit what’s happening in your imagination. The story can be historical, morph into historical fiction, or turn to total fiction – that’s okay. As you “see and hear” the characters floating in your imagination, your emotion will generate energy for the story. Write what you see and hear. You can – and should – always edit later.

So, if you’re having a difficult time thinking of a theme or story line, start with what you know, and …

Write Creatively