Many people believe that only a select few are able to write creatively and confidently. We get caught in the mind trap believing that creativity is an aptitude: some people have it, others don't.

Creativity isn't a way of acting, it‘s a way of thinking. To improve your creative writing, you need to train yourself to think about things differently. You can cultivate creative thinking by participating in a creative activity everyday, whether it's writing, drawing, painting, photography, scrap booking, or some other activity.

Try something new everyday, a different route home, a new food, a game or activity. Learning new things will keep your mind flexible and receptive to creative thought. New stimulus gets your brain cells humming. Actively seek stimuli from unexpected places.

Use random input - Choose a word from the dictionary or combination of random words as prompts.

Mind map ideas - Put a key word or phrase in the middle of the page. Write whatever else comes in your mind on the same page. While you're trying new things, expand your writing horizon. If you typically write fiction, try poetry; if you are a poet, write a personal narrative.

To become a creative writer, you must be an avid reader first. Read every day, various genres and authors, study style and voice. Seek authors who inspire and model their positive traits. Read everything that interests you; open your mind to new adventures, possibilities, ideas, and viewpoints. The more you know the more interesting and creative your writing will be

Collect ideas, inspirational emails, sayings, or words to songs in a journal or file on your hard drive. When you seek inspiration, you'll find it. Before I go to sleep at night I'll ask for a solution to a problem. I may need help with a scene, a subplot or a sticky situation and by the time I wake up the solution is clear. I keep a journal at my bedside to capture my moment of clarity or new ideas that come in a dream. No matter when an idea comes to you, don't let it get away. It may not be relevant to what you're working on today, but in the future it might be the basis of a short story or novel.

Standard idea-generation techniques combine or adapt existing ideas. Imagine characters from various stories mingling at a social event. What would bring them together? How do the different characters interact? What story would you write with the following characters:

Alice + Cinderella + Scout Finch

Captain Hook + Captain Ahab + Jack Sparrow

Tom Sawyer + Holden Caulfield

Sherlock Holmes + Dr. Frankenstein

Don't underestimate the value of your unique perspective. I reflect on my emotions, my physical response to feelings and write about my experiences. Personal events give me sufficient material to write for a lifetime: a wedding, a divorce, the birth of a child, a vacation or a holiday.

You can improve your creative writing by consciously practicing techniques that force your mind to forge new connections, break old thought patterns and consider new perspectives.

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