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Clichés are usually defined as hackneyed ideas or overused elements that fail to surprise anyone. At the time of writing, there are three places where we can find clichés – metaphors, characters, and plots.

Metaphors

Writers often resort to metaphors when they need to set their stories or introduce a description. There is nothing like a good comparison to give the reader an accurate mental picture of what you want to express. This is not a simple task since the image you create should be original and natural at the same time. This way, it will easily form in your readers’ minds without them having to stop reading to reflect on it. After all, the function of metaphors is to facilitate the understanding of the story.

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Have you ever experienced fear of a blank page when you can’t come up with ideas, or the ideas you have seem useless? That’s when you can fall into the vicious cycle of not writing because you lack ideas and lacking ideas because you don’t write. In other words, you fall into the dreaded writer’s block.

Years ago when I myself went through a period of creative drought, I discovered my problem lay in a mixture of fatigue, stress, fear, and insecurity. I found the best way to solve it was to change some of my lifestyle habits and face my fears.

Even though every writer is different and the same solution doesn’t apply to every problem, there are some general tips to help you identify and overcome writer’s block. In the case that you need them, I hope they help you as much as they helped me.

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A character arc is the transformation a character goes through from the beginning to the end of the story, the stages he (or she) goes through, and the psychological or emotional growth this process entails.

For you to understand it better, I’ll show you how you can create your own character arcs.

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While surfing the net some time ago, I came across a list of tips titled “33 Ways to Stay Creative.” I found it very inspiring and decided to adapt the original to the world of writing. In addition, I added a brief explanation to each of the points on the list. As a result, I have the following 23 tips to becoming a more creative writer. I hope you enjoy them.

1. Make Lists

Sometimes we feel overwhelmed in thinking there are hundreds of things that must be done. However, if we write them down in a list (differentiating between tasks and micro-tasks), we realize it’s not such a big deal. In fact, they can be finished one at a time and crossed off our to-do list. This leaves the brain better organized, we feel more relaxed, and we can make space for creativity.

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I’d like to share a tool with you that has helped me end procrastination forever. It is a writing log where you take notes about each writing session, and in this way, you can discover which time of day and circumstances are best for your productivity as a writer.

You may already have an idea (or think you have one like I did) of your best time to write, but I recommend you try this tool anyway. The results might just surprise you.

Before I started keeping a record of my writing sessions, I was convinced that I was most productive between 11 am and 12 pm. I also believed my pace slowed down after two hours of straight writing. Well, I’ve discovered that’s not so! Thanks to the writing log, I realized that I’m just as productive in the morning as I am in the evening. Not only that, but my pace seems to improve after two hours of non-stop writing! If you want to keep track of your writing, you’ll find a useful template in pdf format later in this guide. However, let me first offer you some advice on how to make the most of this exercise.

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Of all the tips authors offer to new writers, the one that is most often repeated is, “If you want to learn to write, you must write. But more importantly, you must read.” I agree, but let me point out there are many ways of reading.

As writers, we shouldn’t simply do the surface reading most readers do – at least not all the time. We should go a little further and try to unravel the literary techniques behind the story. But how are we supposed to do this?

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Time is one of our major shortcomings. We always seem to be running from one place to the other as if we were the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland, “I’m late! I’m late!” This constant hurry also affects us when it comes to writing. Typically, our daily chores, work, family, social relationships, studies, etc. leave us with very little spare time to write; in addition, we have a tendency to postpone our writing sessions and leave them for the end of the day.

The problem is we’re usually very tired by the end of the day. As a result, we don’t offer any resistance to the excuses our brains come up with for not writing. Writers are very good at rescheduling our writing sessions. There’s often something very important that needs to be done at the very moment of writing, or perhaps we feel very tired and think we’ll produce nothing of value ... nonsense! All we achieve is another day without writing anything.

Don’t fool yourself. If you want to be a writer, you have to write every day – no excuses. Here are some tips for how can do it, no matter how many obligations you have.

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At first sight, it seems the difference between a novel and a tale lies in the length of the story. While a novel tells a story that goes on for pages and pages, a tale presents the facts in a much more condensed way.

It’s said that in order to define a story as a tale, it should be less than 20,000 words long. But there is no bottom line; there are stories of less than 1,000 words in length.

Is it really possible to tell a story in less than 1,000 words? Of course it is! Just take into account that the mechanics of a tale are different from those of a novel, so let’s analyze them.

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As I have often acknowledged, I’m crazy about notebooks. Small, large, ring-bound, hardcover, with graph paper, or with blank paper ... it doesn’t matter! It’s a real pleasure to write in them, and no matter how many notebooks I have, I always find a good reason to use them all.

In this entry, I’d like to explain how notebooks can carry out many functions other than story writing. They can be used to boost your creativity whenever you are hungry for ideas and inspiration.

Even though notebooks can be in digital format these days, sometimes it is more advisable to let your pen glide over actual paper so tangibility can play a helpful role when you are seeking the muse. Anyway, let’s set aside the format issue and take a look at the different types of notebooks you can create.

1. Idea Notebook

It’s obvious that any writer should have a place to jot down ideas. If possible, choose a small pad you can carry around easily. I usually keep it in my bag and put it on my bedside table at night. You never know where or when you’ll be hit by a great idea, but you already know what happens if you don’t write it down!

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For many of you, it’s possible that one of the most difficult parts of the writing process is coming up with a title for your story. This is also a challenge for me.

Consequently, I often research the subject of titles and pay attention to the titles I like best in an attempt to figure out why they are so catchy. I know I’m still far from mastering the subject, but I have already identified a number of keys to writing a good title, and you may also find them useful!

Coming Up with a Title

The Uruguayan writer and poet Mario Benedetti said, “The title is an important part of the story; it lights it up.” A good title must light up the text it precedes without revealing its mysteries; it has to be suggestive, intriguing, and attractive. As if this isn’t enough, it must also match the style of the story. But how are we supposed to do all this?