4 Tools To Use To Spark Creative Writing

There are tools out there that you can use to spark creative writing or to overcome writers block. these are few of mine.

RonnieNeiman

wellness · 3 min

Writing by hand or by digital means — Choose your writing medium and try your hand at some of these tools to fuel your creativity.

Picture this; you sit down to write out a great story you have running inside your head but when you go to actually write it, nothing comes out. You know you have a great idea, but it does not seem to translate well from thought into physical words. Then comes the feeling of frustration because you have all these ideas. You just are not able to translate them. It can be quite annoying. Writing is something I greatly enjoy and I the notion of being unable to write down my thoughts. However, there are some tools that can be used to help put those ideas onto paper, or a computer. The following list is a few that I use on a regular basis and find useful. I hope that you might find a use for them as well.

Here are 4 tools and techniques to spark your creative writing skills:

1. Make a list of 20 nouns and verbs

Sometimes a simple solution is the best solution. Find a dictionary, whether online or a physical book. Pick random pages and make a list of twenty nouns and twenty verbs. In my case, I will make a list in the form of a school assignment I had in the first grade. Match a noun with a verb. In this situation, I add the step of creating a phrase out of the noun and verb. These sentences can be realistic, and sometimes they can be odd. Either way, it can help form a part of the story you want to tell and it can spread out from there.

2. Use a random sentence generator

In a similar way to the first possible tool, using a random sentence generator online can help. It creates different sentences, sometimes even paragraphs. You can use a general sentence generator with no discernable genre, or you can be incredibly specific, for example, a sci-fi sentence generator. I had used it on, and the first few sentences seemed normal and didn’t spark anything. Yet when I received the sentence ‘the day started out well enough before she had died’, it had caused an idea to form and I found I could write a short story about a ghost. It was quite fun for me.

3. People watching; writing dialogue as spoken

When writing dialogue, I struggle because I speak using an extensive vocabulary and that comes out in my writing. Though watching people at the mall, or overhearing conversations can allow you to learn how people speak. Sometimes there can be no context or the conversation can be a good debate. Everyone speaks differently, in their word choice, accents, and what they learned from schoolmates and family. Just listen to people and write down in the style of their speech.

4. Take song lyrics and make a short story out of it

This one is quite fun to do. A lot of artists who write their own songs are telling a story are sending a message, though that isn’t always the case. Songs are products of someone’s creativity. I like to make videos for fandoms I love, such as Stargate or Doctor Who, and I try my best to use the lyrics of a song to outline a story using video clips. I find it similar when writing things down or typing them. Each line of the song can be expanded into a full sentence or a paragraph. Some songs can create a short story or a story that can almost be classified as a novel. It can’t be done with every single song, but it can be fun to try. Some can create interesting stories.

There are a lot of ways to spark creativity and to also overcome writer’s block. Not everyone shares the same style or tools. These are the ones that I use most commonly and find the most creativity with. Gives these ones a try and see what you can create from them. You may even find some creative writing tools that aren’t included and work better for you.

Have fun with writing!

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Savannah 3 years ago

The random generator helps break through writer's block every time.

AlyssaF 3 years ago

Using these tools has helped me develop my own unique writing voice.

LilithM 3 years ago

The noun-verb technique has improved my descriptive writing significantly.

Norah_Bloom 3 years ago

I appreciate how these methods can be adapted for different skill levels.

FutureProphet 3 years ago

These tools have made writing feel more like play and less like work.

Gianna99 3 years ago

Combining song lyrics with random sentences creates interesting plot twists.

Peaceful-Mindset_17 3 years ago

I use these methods to create writing exercises for my creative writing workshop.

Kimberly-Shepherd 3 years ago

The people watching technique works great for creating authentic background characters.

AvaM 3 years ago

These tools have helped me overcome perfectionism in my writing process.

Emmeline_Magic 3 years ago

I've started collecting interesting random sentences in a inspiration journal.

PixelKnight 3 years ago

Sometimes the most nonsensical noun-verb combinations lead to the best stories.

Talia-Oliver 3 years ago

The song lyrics method helped me understand story structure in a whole new way.

Kinsley_Ray 3 years ago

I mix and match these techniques depending on what I'm stuck on in my writing.

VirtualMystic 3 years ago

Listening to different accents while people watching has improved my dialogue writing immensely.

Strength_And_Grace_88 3 years ago

The random generator worked better once I stopped trying to force it to make sense.

AnthonyHoward 3 years ago

Using song lyrics from different decades gives interesting perspective shifts in stories.

Sarah_87 3 years ago

I've turned the noun-verb matching into a daily warm-up exercise. Really gets the creativity flowing.

Zelda_Light 3 years ago

People watching at airports gives the best material for character development.

SelfLovePractice 3 years ago

The random generator seems to work better late at night when my internal editor is tired.

CyberEnigma 3 years ago

These methods have helped me develop distinct voices for different characters in my novel.

Remnick_Review 3 years ago

I've started doing the noun-verb exercise during my morning coffee. Really sets the tone for creative writing.

HudsonBell 3 years ago

The song lyrics method works particularly well for emotional scenes. Musicians are great at capturing feelings.

Elsie_Gold 3 years ago

I keep a collection of my favorite random sentences. They're like writing prompts waiting to happen.

HyperLoopX 3 years ago

Weather really affects how useful the people watching technique is. Rainy days bring out interesting conversations.

EleanorM 4 years ago

The random generator can be frustrating, but that frustration sometimes leads to better ideas.

Melanie_Light 4 years ago

I use song lyrics from different languages and translate them for extra creative inspiration.

Scarlett_Wilson 4 years ago

The noun-verb matching helped me create unique character traits I wouldn't have thought of otherwise.

EmilyDavis 4 years ago

These tools work great for short stories, but has anyone used them for longer projects?

PeacefulWarrior 4 years ago

People watching has taught me more about body language than any writing guide ever could.

KevinCollins 4 years ago

I've found the random sentence generator works better if you limit it to specific genres.

Margot_Spring 4 years ago

The article makes writing seem less intimidating. Sometimes we just need permission to play with words.

ManifestMagic 4 years ago

Never thought about using song lyrics before. Currently turning Paradise by the Dashboard Light into a rom-com story.

Success_Flow_77 4 years ago

I've started using the noun-verb technique with my kids. They come up with the most creative combinations.

Dahlia_Rain 4 years ago

The random generator gave me some truly awful sentences, but working out why they were bad improved my writing.

LeilaniXO 4 years ago

I appreciate how low-tech these solutions are. Not everything needs a fancy app or subscription service.

Nature_Lover_Vibes_777 4 years ago

The people watching technique is great, but I've found YouTube vlogs can work just as well for studying natural dialogue.

RebeccaF 4 years ago

These tools have helped me break out of my comfort zone and experiment with different genres.

Greenwald_Gazette 4 years ago

The song lyrics method works especially well with narrative songs. I used American Pie and got a whole novel outline.

Manjoo_Musings 4 years ago

I've adapted the noun-verb technique for my poetry writing. Creates some fascinating metaphors.

Sienna_Rose 4 years ago

Does anyone else record conversations on their phone instead of writing them down? Makes it easier to catch natural speech patterns.

Wellness_Warrior 4 years ago

The random sentence generator seems hit or miss. When it hits though, it really opens up new creative possibilities.

Laurel_Sheen 4 years ago

These tools are great for getting unstuck, but I find they work best when combined with regular writing practice.

Aubrey 4 years ago

I converted a Radiohead song into a sci-fi story using the lyrics method. It worked surprisingly well for world-building.

Stewart_Satire 4 years ago

The noun-verb matching reminds me of magnetic poetry. Sometimes constraints can boost creativity rather than limit it.

Mayer_Media 4 years ago

Would love to see more examples of how others have used these tools successfully in their writing.

NeonFutureX 4 years ago

I've started combining the random sentence generator with historical events. Creates some really interesting alternate history scenarios.

SeraphinaJ 4 years ago

The people watching technique has improved my character development significantly. Real people are so much more complex than we imagine.

HealthyBody_HappySoul 4 years ago

I appreciate how these methods can work for both beginning writers and more experienced ones. There's no skill floor or ceiling.

MindfulLiving 4 years ago

The article could have mentioned digital tools like writing software that incorporate some of these features automatically.

AnnaGrace 4 years ago

My writing group tried the song lyrics method with the same song and it was fascinating to see how differently each person interpreted it.

LucyT 4 years ago

I've found that the noun-verb exercise works best when you deliberately choose words that don't typically go together.

MasonTurner 4 years ago

The random sentence generator saved me from writer's block last week. Sometimes you just need that strange prompt to get going.

MidnightChronicles 4 years ago

These tools work well for fiction, but what about non-fiction writers? Any suggestions for adapting these techniques?

PenelopeRivera 4 years ago

I agree with the previous comment about ethical concerns with people watching, but you can always observe public interactions without being creepy about it.

Frum_Focus 4 years ago

The song lyrics approach seemed gimmicky at first, but it's actually a great way to study story structure and pacing.

HealthyInsideOut 4 years ago

Combining these methods can be really powerful. I use the noun-verb list with random sentences to create unique writing prompts.

Pelley_Press 4 years ago

The beauty of these tools is their simplicity. We often overthink the creative process when sometimes all we need is a simple push in the right direction.

SienaJ 4 years ago

Not sure about eavesdropping on people for dialogue practice. Feels a bit invasive to me.

Caroline 4 years ago

I tried all four methods and found the random sentence generator most helpful. It forces you to think outside your usual patterns.

Tyler 4 years ago

The people watching technique helped me realize how stilted my dialogue was. Real conversations are so much messier than what we usually write.

Noah-Steven 4 years ago

I wish the article had mentioned something about writing prompts from images. That's always been my go-to method for sparking creativity.

GeorgeM 4 years ago

My creative writing students love the noun-verb matching game. We turn it into a group activity and everyone shares their wildest combinations.

LoveYourLife 4 years ago

The song lyrics method really resonates with me. I turned Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah into a short story last month and it was surprisingly emotional to write.

Winter_Bloom 4 years ago

These tools are great for getting started, but I find myself struggling to maintain momentum after the initial spark. Any suggestions for keeping the creativity flowing?

FrozenSpecter 4 years ago

I actually found the random sentence generator incredibly helpful. It gave me a bizarre line about a talking cactus that turned into a really fun children's story.

ElodieLynn 4 years ago

Has anyone actually had success with random sentence generators? They always give me such weird outputs that don't really lead anywhere useful.

LaurenCarter 4 years ago

People watching for dialogue practice is such an underrated tip. I've started keeping a small notebook with me at coffee shops to jot down interesting phrases I overhear.

SelfWorth_Matters_111 4 years ago

The noun and verb matching exercise seems a bit basic at first, but I tried it yesterday and ended up with some really unique combinations that sparked a whole new story idea.

EverleighJ 4 years ago

I love the idea of using song lyrics as writing prompts! I've tried this with some of my favorite indie songs and it's amazing how much story potential you can find in just a few verses.