Creative Writing - 5 top tips to get started

Summary

In this video, author Nikki Valentine shares five tips for aspiring writers to kickstart their writing journey. She emphasizes the importance of writing regularly, reading widely, keeping a notebook for ideas, setting daily writing targets, and maintaining faith in one's writing abilities despite challenges. Valentine's personal anecdotes and experiences provide an inspiring backdrop, encouraging viewers to persevere in their pursuit of writing.

Takeaways

• 📝 Start Writing: The first step to becoming a writer is to actually write.
• 🧠 Ideas Emerge: Writing prompts and exercises can help ideas flow and develop.
• 👀 Read Extensively: Reading widely helps to learn the craft and understand different genres.
• 📔 Keep a Notebook: Always have a notebook or index cards handy to jot down fleeting ideas.
• 🎯 Set Writing Targets: Establishing daily or regular writing goals can help maintain momentum.
• ⏰ Regular Writing Routine: Creating a routine can help integrate writing into daily life.
• 📈 Progress Over Perfection: It's better to write and refine later than to get stuck in endless editing.
• 🏆 Participate in Challenges: Joining writing challenges can provide motivation and a sense of community.
• 💪 Keep the Faith: Maintain belief in your writing journey even when facing self-doubt and rejection.
• 🏆 Persistence Pays Off: Continuing to write and improve increases the chances of eventual success.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the video script?

The main theme of the video script is providing tips and encouragement for aspiring writers to start and continue their writing journey.

What is the first tip given by Nikki Valentine for starting to write?

The first tip is to simply start writing, as ideas often emerge from the act of writing itself.

Why does Nikki suggest that writers should read widely?

Nikki suggests reading widely to learn the craft, understand the genre, and avoid being derivative by knowing what others are writing.

What is the purpose of keeping a notebook according to the script?

The purpose of keeping a notebook is to capture fleeting ideas before they are lost, ensuring that they can be developed later.

What does Nikki mean by setting targets for writing?

Setting targets refers to establishing a regular routine or daily word count goals to maintain writing momentum and avoid getting stuck in endless editing.

How does Nikki define the importance of 'keeping the faith' in writing?

Nikki defines 'keeping the faith' as maintaining confidence and belief in oneself, even in the face of self-doubt and the possibility of failure, to persevere with writing.

What personal anecdote does Nikki share about her writing journey?

Nikki shares an anecdote about having a crisis of confidence while writing a manuscript in a cafe, and how she decided to continue writing despite the uncertainty of success.

What role did the location of the cafe play in Nikki's writing career?

The cafe where Nikki had her crisis of confidence was near the offices of Random House, the publisher that would eventually publish her first novel.

What writing challenges does Nikki mention in the script?

Nikki mentions the challenge of starting to write, the fear of ideas disappearing, the struggle with editing, and the difficulty of maintaining belief in one's work.

What writing exercises does Nikki suggest for new writers?

Nikki suggests attending writing classes, using writing prompts found online, and doing exercises from creative writing textbooks.

What writing challenges or initiatives does Nikki mention in the script?

Nikki mentions National Novel Writing Month and the 100K in 100 Days challenge as initiatives to help writers meet their writing goals.