Second Step to Writing Creatively: Write something that matters to you. 英文創作第二招：寫出對您很重要的事

We hope you have relaxed yourself and warmed up by writing freely for a few minutes. Now is the time to think about the topic of your writing. Remember the two things we mentioned in the “First Step to Writing Creatively:” (1) You can be a writer as long as you feel and think. (2) Your ideas are interesting because they reflect your unique way of looking at the world.

We still have to come up with a specific topic for your writing, because you cannot write about everything in one single story or poem. Our advice is: Write something that matters to you. Write something that you have feelings about. Write something that you have the urge of telling your best friend about. Treat your readers as your best friends, with whom you share the most important things in your life and the most special feelings you have experienced.

Take the example of the theme of the English Creative Writing Contest: “NCCU & me.” You may ask yourself some questions to explore for a topic—What is the most vivid image that occurs to you when you think of your life at NCCU? Who is the first person that comes to your mind? Do you hear any sounds in your head? Do you smell any aroma from your memory? When is the time of the day when you think our campus is magical? Do you think of any special day or event that left unerasable marks on your heart?

When you think through these questions, take notes on a piece of paper. Your notes can consist of words and drawings. You can also place some special photos or pictures on your desk to inspire you. Once you feel inspired and you feel the urge to write, let yourself go. Start writing a story or a poem. Do not worry about spelling, grammar or logic. You will edit your writing afterwards.

希望您已經放鬆，也自由寫作了幾分鐘暖身。現在可以想想您的寫作主題。記得我們在「英文創作第一招」所提到的兩件事：一、只要您能感受、思考，就能成為作家。二、您的想法是有趣的，因為它反應您對於這個世界獨特的看法。

我們還是要為您的作品想出一個題目，因為一個故事或是一首詩裡沒辦法寫所有的事情。我們的建議是：寫出對您很重要的事。寫您有感覺的事。寫您很想和好朋友說的事。將您的讀者當作好朋友，與他們分享您生命中最重要的事、最獨特的心情。

舉例來說，這次英文創作比賽的主題是「政大與我」。您可以問自己一些問題來尋找題目—當您想到在政大的生活時，腦中出現最鮮明的圖像是什麼？您第一位想到的人是誰？您從記憶裡聽到任何聲音嗎？您從記憶裡聞到任何香味嗎？一天中，哪個時間校園是最奇幻的？哪一天或是哪項活動在您心中留下不可磨滅的痕跡？

當您思考這些問題時，在一張紙上做筆記。您的筆記可以是字也可以是圖。您還可以在書桌上放置能引起您靈感的特別的照片或圖片。當您覺得靈感來了，心中充滿了寫作的情緒，就讓自己盡情發揮。開始寫一個故事或一首詩。不必擔心拼字、文法或邏輯。之後，您會再修改初稿的。