Kids Corner: Do you struggle with imagination? No problem!

Not everyone is a walking imagination machine. Some people are blessed with a lot of logic and technical ability. Unfortunately, you still need to practice creative writing at school because life is unfair. Don’t worry when you are an adult no one will ask you to do that. Adulthood will suit you.

Here are some tips to help you with creative tasks if you have trouble with your imagination.

1. Tell the truth – Start by thinking of things that have actually happened. If you need to talk about a disaster in a story for example, think about Fukushima. That is a real disaster that has happened. You can research it and find out information you can use in your own story. Change the names and add some people in.

2. Bend the truth – Think of things you have experienced yourself. You can change the people involved. You can change the beginning, the middle or the ending. This is all still BASED in fact, so you do not need to try too hard to use your imagination.

3. Use your logic – logic is your skill so use this to help you with creative tasks. Maybe you know how you have to start your story but not how to end it. Don’t think about it as using your imagination, use your logic to think of a bunch of different places your characters could end up based on where they started. Then simply pick the ending that sounds the most fun for you to write about. You can do the same for the middle of the story. Make a plan of logical next steps and see where it takes you. You can also think of stupid choices (illogical choices) people could make and what the outcomes of those would be. Think possibility! Possible futures are easier to think of than imaginary things.

4. Flip popular stories – Take a story that everyone knows that fits into the topic you have been asked to write about. Use your logic and intelligence to flip the story upside down. What is the opposite of Father Christmas? Some absolute jerk that breaks into your house at Christmas and steals all the presents from under your tree, leaves mince pies on your table for some reason, and just walks off. That’s a new story, and you made it. No imagination necessary, just think about opposites.

Try these techniques next time you need to use that imagination. There are always ways through difficult times. Try things until you find something that works.