by Emily Hanlon

1. Don’t think. Creating a story or book has little to do with
the intellect or language when we first begin. Our best ideas
will emerge as a spark or image. Like dreams, they will make
little sense. Followed, they will hold the key to the creative
unconscious.

2. Creativity is cyclical. You cannot and will not be creative
all the time. What is full must empty and what is empty will
fill. Creativity has its own internal rhythms. Learn to listen
to yours.

3. Nothing kills creativity faster than criticism. Don’t share
your work-in-progress with people who are critical or those
whose opinions leave you vulnerable, no matter how much you love
them. Good critiquing should leave you inspired, not deflated.

4. Spend time listening to your inner critic. He or she is not
comfortable with the risks demanded by a creative endeavor. By
becoming aware of the foul jabber of your inner critic, you can
see how your own mind puts up roadblocks to your creativity.

5. Being a creator is risky business. Don’t underestimate the
tremendous emotional and psychic risks the journey demands.
Learn to push ahead even when you are afraid. Learn to love the
risk.

6. Don’t be afraid to fail. Every successful creator has failed
hundreds of times. Failure is an integral part of creativity. It
doesn’t mean you’re wrong or stupid. It only means you’ve
uncovered a path or technique that does not work.

7. Don’t be afraid to write garbage. Every successful writer
writes mounds of garbage. Give your work time to percolate. Play
the What If game. For example, if you’re writing fiction and a
characters is sweet and loving and you’re stuck, have the
character mean and hateful. In the world of the imagination,
anything can happen.

8. Nurture your creativity. It is as fragile as a budding
flower. Open to the dance. Listen to music that makes you feel
like flying. Go for a walk. Laugh with a friend, child or lover.
Creativity is about feeling.

9. Be passionate. Creativity is passionate. Passion is always
creative.

10. Learn your craft. And write, write, write! The more you
write, the better you will get. Discipline yourself. Successful
writers are disciplined writers