music production:full course on creative writing process

music production:full course on creative writting process

Planning 

Starting
Continuing
Completing
 The Title

INTRODUCTION In the last unit, we discussed how and where we can get the germinal idea for a creative work. Once you have decided on what to write, the next step is to start the story. This appears to be the most difficult aspect of creative writing especially for the playwright and the novelist. The poet could be inspired and instantly, he/she produces a poem. The novelist and the playwright are usually uncertain as to how to start their works. In some cases, the works are started but are not completed. In this unit, we will discuss how to start a creative piece and complete it. 29 2.0 OBJECTIVES By the end of this unit, you should be able to • Identify an idea • Plan your writing • Develop a story based on that idea • Identify how you could stick through it. • Try to write the first paragraph of your story 3.0 MAIN CONTENT Some writers are born. Some may come from a family of writers and others have the innate talents. Some however are forced into writing by circumstances while others have their creative talents ignited through an encounter with people or influenced by a course in creative writing. 3.1 Planning Creative writing depends on two different kinds of planning. First, you prepare to write by making an assessment of what is involved in expressing your idea and conveying it to your audience in a captivating manner. The nest step is to plan the time and structure of how to get the job done. Creative writing timetable is practical, not theoretical. Although you will want to establish the timetable for your whole project before you set out to write, the technique for planning writing time depends to a large extent on your profession, the time you could spare for the project and on your inspiration. The concept of writing with confidence or pleasure is somehow mysterious and it is believed to be reserved for “born writers”. This myth or illusion is reinforced by our cultural belief that “creative writing can’t be taught”. Yet, most of us have learnt to write creatively; and we strive to improve by the day with less frustration 30 and more control. Fortunately, common sense tells us anyone can learn to write well, with both energy and satisfaction. Most writers share some unpleasant experience in the course of writing. Sometimes, what you want to write does not seem to flow in the way you want it. At other extreme cases, the mind is blank and the inspiration is not there, consequently, some works have remained uncompleted even by some renowned writers. Most often, we write to explore an idea; to understand a concept; and to demonstrate certain experience or make your reader understand certain issues or adopted a particular way of looking at an issue. We should try to write with a sense of self-discovery and try to engage and entertain our audience. In planning, you must remember that literature is words set apart in some ways from ordinary everyday use. Unlike, oral literature, written literature is a private art that serves as a vehicle for the exploration and expression of emotion and the human situation. It is described as a lovely art, so make your writing lovely. In your planning, you may start by giving a brief presentation of what the work is about or the social influences that inspired you. You could give the synopsis of what you want to write about through the presentation of an outline, character sketches and the setting. Try to relate your idea, or imagery to human experience or use it to define human personality or relationship. Let us try to use the water imagery to define the character of a woman. “Water ebbs and flows, sparkles, reflect and evaporate. It can carry a vessel, or take the shape of any vessel that holds it. Water can form deep pools, impenetrable, may be mysterious, or puddle into shallowness. It wears many facessnow, sleet, and ice and can fall from the eyes as tears, it can mirror the self, it can quench thirst” (Oakley 146). 31 Charlote Bronte uses many of these characteristics of water to capture the elusive Lucy Snowe in the 1853 novel Villete”. Try to see if you can use some of the above characteristics of water to describe someone you know. Then in your imagination, create a character that you could relate to some of the characteristics. Note everything that “seems to connect with character and theme, allowing the imagination to flow freely” (Oakley, 147). The method below could help you in drawing your outline. Choose an idea/object and list at least ten things that come to your mind concerning the idea. Let us look at the example below generated at a creative writing workshop at the National Theatre, Lagos. There are protective things that prevent danger. Doors can be open to anybody, To enter a secret place. Doors can be coverage from evil. There are various types of doors Gold, Silver, Bronze, Wood. Doors could lead to anywhere. A room containing anything. Doors also mean privacy. Doors could lead anywhere, To prison, heaven, land of beauty, Or even to a disastrous place Doors could be of wisdom And sorrow, success and failure Doors could also lead to a room filled with idealism And imaginations of the impossible. Doors could mean eternity. 32 Doors could bring an end to your problems Doors could bring a sad moment or happiness. Doors can make you see and feel the wonderful things of the world. And worst of all, they could bring death Which is an end to life. Doors could lead to slavery and destruction. Doors could love you and keep you safe, And doors could despise you and keep you locked. They could lead to the path of your heart.