Isabel’s HSC Creative Writing Hacks: Brainstorm A Band 6 Idea (Imaginative or Discursive)

You pull out that dreaded English assessment notification from the depths of your school bag (though “I lost my notification” was never going to pass as an excuse – you had hope). You look down at the heading: CREATIVE WRITING TASK 1. Noting that it’s a week before the deadline, you put on some music, open a Word Document, highlight the key terms of the question, and…ram headfirst into writer’s block. How do you overcome the overwhelming blank page? Well, let’s go through my top HSC creative writing study tips for acing that pesky imaginative or discursive task.

Step 1: Find Your Inspiration

Perhaps you could start with an old idea? Something you’ve already written…

The Fantastical Adventures of Elizabeth Sapphire. How does that do for a title? Apparently, nine-year-old me thought it was a work of pure genius – so much so that she voluntarily orated this literary masterpiece to her entire class. I was drawn back into this memory when I stumbled across my old homework book from 2016, in search of some much needed inspiration. As much as I internally recoiled at the linguistic ability of my past self, I admired the freedom of my idea – and how it had come to me with such ease.

Come high school, idea generation started getting difficult. Perhaps the dream of seeing the red scrawl of 20/20 had gotten to my head. Is this idea A-level? What does my teacher want? Is this deep enough? Too simple? Stereotypical? Strange? Cliché? When so many tracks played over one another, how could I possibly focus? Writer’s block became my greatest enemy, one that loomed over me every time I sat down and looked at my assessment notification, only to walk away an hour later with nothing but a blank Word Document and a single thought:

“I have no idea what to write.”

Step 2: Fail Step 1

Composing a discursive or imaginative writing piece that explores the concept of belonging shouldn’t be such an issue, right? I mean, I’m constantly dealing with my dual Chinese Australian identity. But I felt like there were too many stories out there based on that experience, and I so desperately wanted to craft something original. But the more I racked my brain for ideas, the more I felt that I was fighting a losing battle. I found myself panicking, idealess, the night before the deadline.

So, how did I end up getting full marks?

Step 3: Walk Away

My next piece of advice for tackling a HSC creative writing is, well, to walk away. That’s right. Go find something else to do. Even as I propel further into my senior studies, the frustration of the creative writing process continues to nag at me. That said, facing off against a long-time foe does teach one some skills that make the fight slightly easier.

Perhaps the greatest lesson I’ve learnt is that you cannot pour from an empty cup. Coming up with creative and original ideas is incredibly difficult when your brain is empty and overworked. Accordingly, at some point, the discouragement you face wasting precious hours forcing those last two brain cells to fire just isn’t worth it anymore. Had I cultivated this wisdom earlier, I may have been able to rid myself of my greatest Year 10 English woe: not knowing when to give up.

Sometimes, letting yourself recharge and your brain rest is the best course of action. The irony is that, if your brain is anything like mine, your best creative ideas come to you when you aren’t working at all. And often, those ideas came spontaneously…in the shower.

Step 4: Find Your Shower Thoughts

What maniac thinks of their English assessment whilst in the shower? Apparently, me. Except I wasn’t really thinking about it all. My brain had nothing to focus on, no thoughts, head empty, except for a string of random recollections from my day. For me, these mindless ‘shower thoughts’ often turn into light-bulb moments; the memory of my overpriced canteen lunch manifested itself into a dystopic tale about a poverty-stricken child, then into a heart-warming narrative about an elderly lunch lady’s dedication to her job.

Given my notoriously Dory-like memory however, I had to note down these ideas ASAP (and I recommend you do too, if you want to preserve that post-shower clarity). After drying my hands, I’d note every one of these fleeting inspirations in the Notes app on my iPhone.

For others, a “Creative Ideas” notebook or a Word Document might work better. There is, however, a catch to the shower-thoughts process: it needs to be started early.

Step 5: Go Back In Time Start Early

You know that feeling when you’re panicking, and people keep telling you to “just calm down”, as if that’s even a remote possibility? That’s exactly what it feels like to try and forcibly come up with a good idea the night before  your HSC creative writing assessment.

The trick is to start thinking of ideas the day you receive the notification. Switch on the creative side of your brain, let the assessment question simmer in the back of your mind and try and check in with any ideas that come up throughout the week. And don’t worry, if you’re a bit of an environmentalist, or perhaps a hydrophobic. “Shower thoughts” are not limited to the shower; these random ideas find their inspiration in all kinds of environments, wherever you find the time and space to let them bloom. Immersing yourself in a long nature walk, reading, or even doing laps in a pool can be equally great places to fill your creative cup back up.

Step 6: Watch The World

While Step 5 has saved me many times, I’ve come to learn that there is no foolproof way to generate imaginative or discursive writing ideas, even when your mind is relaxed. Of course, if the clock is ticking down, you can’t just wait for ideas to hit you. When my shower thoughts have trouble manifesting, I look for inspiration through observation of the world around me. I imagine the life story of the Salvation Army lady I see at the train station every Thursday morning. I ask myself what are the main plot-lines and characters in her life? What are her greatest fears? Where does she feel the safest? I like to think of it as making a story out of the mundane.

Observing the world around you can be as simple as finding a spot in your local park, library. You can even do it on your commute to school. As you sit on the train or wait by the bus stop, take note of the people around you. Ask questions about their lives, loves, passions and fears. And then, make up the answers! Who knows, a passerby on the street may turn out to be the narrator of your next HSC creative writing piece! Just don’t stalk anyone (or miss the bus).

The Take-Away

I wouldn’t be fooling anyone if I claimed that at this point in my life, I’d won the war against writer’s block. Writer’s block and I are sworn, lifelong enemies, and I doubt our story will end with a typical enemy to lovers’ trope. Nope, writer’s block is inescapable. It is something that is going to cause frustration no matter how long you’ve been writing, how hard you work, or how prolific your writing becomes. But that isn’t a signal to give up on creative writing. Both imaginative and discursive forms are incredibly versatile, and the ability to tell stories and manifest your ideas on paper will serve you for the rest of your life.

Just remember, as with all good things, the process of ideation takes time. Just remember, no idea is ever too crazy to explore, and the best ideas manifest when your brain is not panicked and overworked, but when it is relaxed and curious. Start early, take the time to refill your cup, and always observe the world around you. Finally, I encourage you and immerse yourself in memoirs, books, films and other places where cool ideas thrive. Otherwise, if you’re looking for some more ways to brainstorm that perfect Band 6 idea, check out Matrix’s article on How To Find Inspiration for HSC Creative Writing!