HIVE NAIJA PROMPT : Steps That Help Me Stay On Top Of My Game As A Content Creator
hive-105727·@amiableamara·
0.000 HBDHIVE NAIJA PROMPT : Steps That Help Me Stay On Top Of My Game As A Content Creator
To be relevant and stay relevant as a content creator only means one thing and that is ... **Keep Creating Contents** One thing I do perfectly with minimum amount of effort is writing and when i am not writing, I am making lots of videos and taking pictures of random things around me starting from the food that I am about to eat to the continuous tantrums of my four years old daughter. *Why are you always taking pictures?* *Must you make a video of everything?* If you have never been accused of any of these then you are making minimum effort towards upgrading your skill as a content creator. Sometimes you might not necessary use the image or the video for your content but most times the story behind them help in creating compelling contents especially on occasions you are lacking on topics to write about. **Without further ado let me jump into other creative processes of mine that are of immense help towards my journey as a content creator** First is **BRAINSTORMING**: It is the first step in all creative writings especially in fiction writing. This involves generating ideas and exploring them to come up with a good structure. playing with my imagination is a luxury that I can afford as a work from home mother. I achieve this only when I am engaged in house chores like doing the dishes ,the laundry or mopping the floor. I agree that not all of us are wired this way,some do this so well when relaxing or chilling, the trick is find out what works for you and start *brainstorming*  https://unsplash.com/photos The trick in brainstorming is to have your pen and journal handy this is to jot down ideas as they come rushing through. Yesterday I collected my pen from my child to jot down some ideas and she almost brought down the roof down with her cries. This is also why I am opting for a Samsung note to have my own smart pen with me everytime and everywhere. **STEPPING OUT FOR INSPIRATION**: I do this mostly when I ran out of ideas of what to write about. Seeing the day to day activities of people have a way of sharpening up my creative mind. I once wrote about Teen Pregnancy after visiting a general hospital with a friend of mine. The most successfull sales copy I ever wrote was an encounter I had with a woman in the market which i tailored to suit my copy.  https://unsplash.com/photo **RESEARCH**: The important of research in both *fiction* and *non fiction* works cannot be over emphasised. Research makes you confident and equip you to be able to defend your work. I employ research in most of all my works but I put greater time in researching on topics that I have little or no idea about. There are two types of research that I employ and they are online and offline research. **Online Research**: in this process I make use of all the available resources that the internet can offer ranging from Google, encyclopedia,documentaries, microsoft academic et cetera.  https://unsplash.com/photos **Offline Research**: This I achieve by talking to experts in the field of my topic with the goal of getting first hand and authentic information for my topic. Example is talking to an ex-convict and a police man when writing about crimes in the city. Getting a victim of breast cancer and also a specialist doctor on breast cancer while writing on any topic relating to breast cancer and so on.  https://pixabay.com/photos I once wrote about the Biafran war eventhough I was yet to be conceived then. This was made possible by the first hand information that I got from two eye witnesses my father and my grandmother. Infact my father was still a young boy of about seventeen years old during the war and he was captured together with his best friend and taken to the war front where they were given the duty of taking amunitions to the soldiers. He made it alive but his friend was not so lucky. The information i got from them made my article so real and articulate that one might actually thought that I witnessed the civil war. I also consulted other online resources to make sure that the dates and names correspond when they got little confusing. The last but never the least among my creative processes is the **DICTIONARY** It is one thing to present an article but it is another thing to present a quality article. Apart from helping you to look up the meaning of words that you don't understand, it helps you to improve on your communication and writing skills.  https://unsplash.com/photos The day you stop learning no matter how little is the day you start dying. The ultimate goal of everyone who want to succeed is to become an autonomous, self sufficient learner who can continue learning and improving for their whole life. Oftentimes when writing I forgot the most easiest spellings like is, was, there. Sounds outrageous right? but it's the truth.  https://unsplash.com/photos The most important aspect of using the dictionary to write that I find very intriguing is the opportunity it offers me to choose better words to replace common words. Example why write *caught* when you can use *apprehend?*. **WRITER'S BLOCK** Writer's block is a condition in which the author is unable to produce new work or experience a creative slow down. I think that without talking about writer's block this article is incomplete. This is one common obstacle that every writer cum content creator experiences in the course of their creative work. It is a major deterrent to your creative process which when not managed well or curtailed leave you feeling agitated,defeated and unproductive.  https://www.pexels.com/photo **MAJOR CAUSES OF WRITER'S BLOCK** If I am no longer feeling the flow then something must be wrong. The first thing I do is to identify the problem. These are some of the reason why I experience writer's block. - When I am tensed - When I am desperate to meet deadline or come up with an article - When I am worried - When I am not at peace - Lack of proper research on topic I have little or Zero knowledge of. **The Next Course of Action is To Proffer a Solution** - Go for a ride or walk to clear my head - Visit a friend - Sort out whatever that is toiling with my peace of mind. - Watch a movie - Engage in other things that i enjoy apart from Writing. The next time you return back to your work, you would not only be feeling better but have switched on your creative mode. *Now start writing* I hope these few steps of mine would go a long way in making you become better in your journey towards creating extraordinary contents.