Thirteen steps for creativity

I recently wrote a short story for Writers craft class.
My teacher asked me to write about things relating to that, so I think I'll write about my creative process.

First step:
Stare at the computer screen untill an idea comes. If idea comes, write about it. Else, procede to step 2.

Second step:
Attempt to remember all sci fi and fantasy novels ever readand crib just enough of each so that it looks original without setting off any radar.

Step three:
Play online games untill a decent opening comes to mind.
If opening is actually good, write it down.

Step four:
Play with cats.

Step five:
Get something to eat and refuel creative juices with a nap.

Step six:
Get an outline of the progression of the plot in your mind. Don't write it down, that will make you see how silly it looks.

Step seven:
Try on various hats around the house while impersonating Humphrey Bogart.

Step eight:
Talk to friends on IRC.

Step nine:
Attempt to write middle of story while listening to music that makes you want to dance.

Step ten:
Dance.

Step eleven:
Realise how late it is and stay up far too late writing your story out.
Go to sleep when you decide it would be easier to have aliens kill off all your characters (whether they are live or not) than come up with a decent ending.

Step twelve:
Wake up early and have a last minute epiphany on an incredably awesome/ironic ending.

Step thirteen:
Pat yourself on the back for a job well done.

Btw, this method can be used for almost any creative material, not just short stories.

My short story (using google docs)Which I'd really rather not

Connections

My teacher asked me to talk about how I'm connected. I'm mostly connected by what I hear from other people. I get most of the things that have stirred the public conciousness. I heard about Twilight, Haiti, the Olympics. If I'm interested in something I'll look it up on google and search for stuff until I'm satisfied. For the three I mentioned it took no time whatsoever. I don't use Facebook, Twitter doesn't pique my interests, I'm pretty 'unconnected' as a teenager. Heck, My parents use them. One of the main reasons I don't use Social networking sites is the fact that they own your stuff. If you put on Facebook "I'm going to a friend's house tonight" they own it. Not your friend's house, that'd take some sizeable gambling debts, but the post on facebook.

That means if Facebook decides to not publish it, they don't have to.

(I have just found out that this site won't let me press tab)

This might not seem like a big deal, but if the government of Australia decides to kill off all the kangaroos and someone starts a facebook group against it, Australia can pay Facebook to take the group down.



Another reason is privacy. I started a mock Facebook account to play a game on it with some online friends. Now it keeps trying to make me friends with his brother, who I have had no communications with ever. By friending people from two different groups that you're in, you're letting Facebook know that you like hockey, but also basketball, chess and everything else you put on it.

People have been fired from their real jobs for stuff that they've put on Facebook.

Gay people have been forced out of the closet because they have gay friends on facebook.

Besides from the computer, I guess I am pretty unconnected. I have a T.V. but no cable. I don't read the newspaper much. My news is all secondhand.

Then again, I don't really care that much about headlines. A hundered thousand or so people died in the earthquake at Haiti. Millions die evey year from AIDS but thats not headline news.

Creativity

What is Creativity? How do you define it? I don't think you do. Being creative often involves creating something. But people who don't create things can be just as creative as those who do. Where does the person who creates the things get their Ideas? They have to come from somewhere before the process started. Looking at it from an etymological standpoint, it is made up of Create and -ivity. First off: Create. Creation is to make something, thus the verb Create is used in this word to have it describe making something. The suffix -ivity is slightly more interesting. Words such as ACTivity and PRODUCTivity use it to 'noun' verbs. You measure productivity as how much someone produces. Activity is how much one acts. Thus, measuring creativity would be how much someone creates, right? Wrong. I'm sure when the word was new, it meant this. But over time, The english language has had this word evolve into something completely different. Instead of what comes out of your hands, creativity is what goes on in your head. To be creative you have to do something new, think of something wild, go somewhere no man has gone before. In order to measure creativity, you would have to go into a person's head aand look at all of their ideas, one after another. Naturally, with current technology (as of February 2010) this is impossible. (at least to my knowledge as one of the uncultured masses, I'm watching for you big brother) Unlike productivity or activity, creativity is unmeasurable. There are no thought-charts to show the quality of your thoughts, no thoughtometers to measure how many thoughts you have. Each person has to measure their own creativity. While there is nothing wrong with being boring, society has it ingrained in us that we need to dare to be different. Just like everyone else.