Written words have a lot of power. So if you are interested in improving your creative writing skills, it is important to learn how it affects the brain.
There are some facts about writing that can be helpful. Both reading and writing have a strong effect on the brain.
In fact, our linguistic capabilities are so strong that we add a new word or two to our dictionary every hour. The English language has a name for everything around us and many times more than one word. We can take a look at the English language and writing and see how it has developed over the years.
A good book always finds its way to people who will appreciate it, even if it is in a different language. Translated works of historical importance can bring so much knowledge and information to people of different cultures and languages.
If you want to improve writing skills, it is important to understand how writing affects the brain of the reader. Even more important is to understand the brain of the writer.
It is thought that the left hemisphere controls analytical and reasoning skills, and the right hemisphere controls creative thought. However, creative writers do not have a dominant brain hemisphere.
Martin Lotze studied the brains of professional writers and professional athletes and found their brain activity very similar during competition and writing.
Therefore, each one of us can benefit from improving our writing skills, and we can all do it even if we just jot down our thoughts in a journal. Creative writing is about using your imagination and creativity to express ideas uniquely.
The brain does have an important role to play. For example, did you know that Agatha Christie, the world-famous writer of mystery novels, had dysgraphia? This meant that she could not write legibly and dictated all her novels to someone who would write and type it.
If these facts piqued your curiosity then read on to find out some more amazing facts about writing!
Writing History Facts
In Sumerian Cuneiform, the earliest writing samples have been traced back to 3000 BC, a logo-syllabic script.
This script combined pictures to form a sentence. For example, the picture of an animal and a weapon would mean that the animal was killed using that weapon.
It is believed that the first writing was a recipe for beer. However, the first true piece of literature was 'The Epic of Gilgamesh'. Now, you can get a version of it on the internet too.
If you are interested, you can go through our blog post on the History of Books and learn many interesting facts.
Creative writing is not limited to a story, but it's only one part of narrative writing.
It can include fiction, non-fiction, dramatized versions of actual events, and much more.
Any type of writing can yield emotional, intellectual, and psychological benefits, improve memory functions, and bring greater happiness. This is why many people like to keep a personal diary or journal and jot down anything that comes to their minds.
The first published novel written on a word processor was Len Deighton's novel 'Bomber' in recent history.
The process of writing a novel or story may seem complex at first, and each writer has a different way.
Regardless of her dysgraphia, Agatha Christie went on to publish several books with investigative stories. She may have needed someone like the English lady, Barbara Blackburn, who could type 150 words per minute for up to 50 minutes.
You might ask if is there a difference between the brain of a professional and that of an amateur writer. With the help of MRI scanners, scientists have looked inside the heads of professional and amateur writers.
The key difference they found was that professional writers used the speech-processing center of the brain while amateur writers used the vision-processing regions more.
Any new word can boost your ability to write better.
Writing Important Elements
For most people, spending a rainy day is ideal if they get to snuggle up with a good book. To book lovers, this could be a perfect day.
Of all the facts about writing, one that is basic yet important is that the process of writing aids in memory development and slows the decline of memory.
Even authoring articles can cause your mind to broaden. This is important as you grow old and struggle with memory.
If you are planning to write stories or a novel, it is important to understand how to use each and every word.
We all tend to use crutch words, which are words we often repeat, for example, basically, actually, etc. Writers need to avoid such repetitive words.
Having a good command of a language helps you to express yourself better. If you are facing writer's block or are not confident of your writing skills, the trick is to start writing right away instead of waiting.
You will find that it is a great way to express yourself and get into a good flow.
There are some fascinating facts about books which you can share and get inspired from. Any skill requires inspiration and regular practice.
Creative writing is no different. Just jotting down your ideas and feelings can be useful. One of the most interesting facts is that this effort can help you get rid of your 'colygraphia' or the 'writer's block.'
Creative writing requires practice, just like professional athletics. You can find the top tips for creative writing from an experienced writer that you may know.
When a person writes a novel or a book, they are able to use all four lobes of their brain.
Some people believe that creative writers have a dominant right-brain or a dominant hemisphere, but studies show that they use both sides of the brain.
The more facts about writing a person know, the better the writing is. It is also said that introverts are better creative writers, but how far is it true?
Some people feel that introverts can work on their ideas in a better way. A writer can get an idea from anywhere in the world, but how a person writes depends on their method. A writer can write about what is happening around them or opt for fictional stories.
Books give us a chance to go into an imaginary world, and it is no wonder that the average person will read four to five books in a year.
There is a big difference between reading schoolbooks and reading a novel. Novels are interesting and take a reader to a different world.
Purpose Of Efficient And Better Writing
Did you know that the 'Holy Bible', 'Harry Potter' books, and quotations from 'Mao Tse-Tung' are the three most-read books in the world?
Is it the way these are written or the message in them which makes them so popular? It could be both or none.
The sad fact is that most aspiring authors will face many rejections before they see success.
Moreover, even after getting published, there is not much money in writing for most people. Not all professional writers are super successful, but many make decent money.
Even if you do not make any money, writing can enhance your creativity and ability to express your ideas to others.
An efficient writer will translate into better books and more readers if you are an efficient writer.
As far as academic writing and literature are concerned, there are plenty of services that offer the services of professional writers to help you achieve high-quality results.
A professional can help you face writer's block and improve your skills.
Creativity cannot be turned on and off, and writer's block is quite normal. You can also find an expert writer in a specific area such as politics, literature, and sports.
If you want to improve writing skills, it is helpful to understand how both reading and writing affect the ideas in the human brain so that the aptest content can be created.
For example, using common phrases repeatedly may not produce the same reaction every time. Our brains require something new and yet familiar phrases to connect.
Similarly, using contraction, a shortened form of a word, must be carefully done. You cannot make people wonder about the meaning. Some contractions sound better than reading on paper. It would be best if you use them appropriately and in the right context.
For example, everyone understands common ones like 'cannot', which is the same as 'can't', but words like 'somethin' without the 'g' are context-specific and can cause confusion.
There is no harm in preparing yourself before you start writing.
When you put pen to paper, you should know what and how you want to write.
All creative authors love two books which are 'Bird By Bird', by Anne Lamott and 'Writing Down The Bones' by Natalie Goldberg.
They talk about everything from the bad first drafts to tips about plot, character, setting, and dialogue.
It is better to sit down and have bad first drafts and then improve on them rather than not doing anything. By reading such books, you can get into the frame of mind of an author and spark creativity.
Stages Of Writing
There are different stages, and the first step in the process is to understand what you want to write about.
Read books that inspire you; even a blog post can spark your imagination.
Many writers prefer to be alone while writing, while some like to be around people.
Find what style works well for you, and what makes you creative, take inspiration from other writers, and be flexible in your approach.
There is a major difference between reading a badly written book and reading a well-written novel.
You need to find phrases and sentences that you may typically find in books and then rewrite them your way.
Most of us have learned how to write sentences in school, but it may not work here. Creative writing requires creativity and skills.
Getting published for the first time depends on many things, including the novel length, and the topic.
A writer may have an idea and be creative as well, but it requires creativity and a consistent writing routine to get success.
Discipline is necessary for the writing process and creativity to tell the story with full integrity.
Any type of writing can help your brain and mind sharper as you learn many new words and ways of expression.
Experienced writers usually have a better developed speech-processing region while new writers imagine the story first.
One of the strangest facts about writing is that the person reading the book will decide if it is a good book or not.
Writing a meaningful line, sentence, or paragraph can also be considered good writing as long as you pick up the pen and start jotting down your creative ideas on paper. It is no wonder that readers look up to authors.
Writing is good for the soul too. When you want to vent out or speak your mind, this creative activity can help you clear your mind without blowing out. Writing also helps recover old, forgotten memories and is good for mental health.
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Joan AgieBachelor of Science specializing in Human Anatomy
With 3+ years of research and content writing experience across several niches, especially on education, technology, and business topics. Joan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Human Anatomy from the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria, and has worked as a researcher and writer for organizations across Nigeria, the US, the UK, and Germany. Joan enjoys meditation, watching movies, and learning new languages in her free time.
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