Some people are naturally curious, especially in childhood. Do you ask a lot of questions? If someone walks into a room that you’ve never met, do you immediately introduce yourself and try to find out more about them? Do you often wonder things, such as what life is like in another country or how big the largest watermelon It in the world is? These ideas describe someone who is curious. Curiosity is an asset for Christian fiction authors because curiosity and creative writing go hand-in-hand.
If you want to become a prolific author, learning to be more curious is helpful. Step outside of your comfort zone. Go exploring. Talk to people. Become an avid reader. As you increase curiosity in your own life, you might notice that you also begin to improve creative thinking skills.
Ways to foster curiosity to improve creative writing skills
When adults try to foster curiosity in children, it has both immediate and far-reaching benefits. Unstructured play time and hands-on learning are key issues that help encourage and develop a curious nature in a child. If everything is already worked out ahead of time (I.e., video game) a child doesn’t have to be creative. He or she merely interacts or responds to someone else’s creativity.
Allowing unstructured play time and hands-on learning stirs curiosity, which, in turn, fosters creativity. It’s critical to allow children to ask questions. Rather than considering an inquisitive child as a “pest,” try to remember that asking questions is a means to learn, provided someone is taking time to answer those questions.
Creativity is not a reflection of IQ
The notion that only the most intelligent people have creative ability is misguided. In fact, creativity and IQ are not relative to each other in any way. While it’s possible to be highly intelligent and creative, the former is not a requirement for the latter. Curiosity, however, is closely connected to creative thinking skills.
This is not to say that we shouldn’t strive to become intelligent, only that being a genius is not necessary to be a creative writer. Try viewing the world through a curious lens and watch your creative writing improve. Try new things, meet new people, visit places you’ve never been. Don’t avoid the unknown out of fear of mistakes or failure (both of which are okay and a natural part of the writing process). Being curious will help improve your creative writing skills.
