A Peak Behind My Writing Desk: What Fuels My Creativity

Since publishing multiple books over the last three years, I've honed in on my writing tools and the best ways for me to achieve results with as little stress as possible. Every story starts out as a simple idea, either from a moment in life or a simple thought. Turning that idea into a novel is something else entirely. So let's dive into what fuels my creativity...

Creativity is something that needs nurturing. If you don't explore ideas, they will never grow, and you may start to notice that the number of ideas begins to dwindle. Especially as we get older, we are so wrapped up in day-to-day tasks that we forget to let our imagination run wild. We consume ready-made entertainment that you don't have to think too much about.

For me, I've always enjoyed writing little stories and exploring ideas. I would spend part of my exams just daydreaming, thinking up different scenarios. I would imagine myself in situations or a different version of events. I also had very vivid dreams, which would always serve up interesting ideas for stories.

It all starts with my little idea notebook. Anytime I have an idea, a weird dream or an experience that left some kind of mark on me, I'd write it down. I wouldn't add anything to it. It would always stay in that book as the original concept or moment that left me feeling some type of way.

When it comes to writing, I'll pick one of the ideas and try to flesh it out. See where the idea goes. Sometimes, an idea is nothing more than a short story. Other times, the story flourishes without me having to think too hard. The ones that come easiest are the ones I follow as that means there is more to inspire me. There are also instances where I realise that different ideas can be merged into one story. They have a similar concept or feeling and can be merged into the characters. That's something that happened when writing The Meet Cute Curse.

I had this dream that was a fleeting romance from being in a club. Feeling anxious meant I had to run out, but this dream guy (literally) chased me out into the streets, and it became a magical night - but there was someone lurking in the background. It was something that stayed with me long after I awoke, and I realised it would work perfectly in the book I was writing, so in it went.

If we talk about the actual writing process, I usually end up writing on my iPad with an external keyboard. My laptop can get too hot, and I prefer to be comfortable when immersing myself in a different world. A tablet offers the most flexibility. I use an external keyboard as I enjoy the feedback from the physical keyboard.

As I prepare to read through the first draft, I top up by reading similar-style books so that when I come back to reading mine, I can be as objective as possible. I want the story to flow and to feel pulled in by the story. It's easy to think you might be bored by your own book as you were the one who wrote it, but with enough time in between, you should be able to experience it as if you were reading it for the first time. If you're not connecting with the story, then other people probably won't either.

A part of my toolkit when it comes to my creative process is a lot of physical mediums. I have different coloured pens, different coloured highlighters and then plenty of sticky notes. Annotating is the best part, and the more detailed things are, the easier the editing process becomes.

Everybody will view creativity differently, but for me, it means allowing your brain to explore whatever it wants to. Allow yourself to feel deeply and see what resonates. Spend time with matters to you, not focusing on what you think other people will think about.

If you're interested in any of the books I've written, you can get your copies from here. Each book is a little glimpse inside my brain. Enjoy!