Don't get me wrong, this is actually not my idea. I know I come up with some of the most amazing concepts like using rabbit poop to blast mine a tunnel for speed jump-teleportation in Monarch of Solitude. However, this blog really wasn't my idea. It was actually requested because people wanted to get inside my head and understand how Aitsuji's brand of insanity came about.
In this blog, I will share with you how I found my inner psycho and how you can find/develop yours too!
Buckle up! It's going to take a while.
Patreons to credit: -This could be you. Join now.-
#1: Suffer from Mental Disorder/Illness
For anyone who has any sort of mental illness or suffers from any form of mental disorder, congratulations! You should celebrate the experiences you've survived. What doesn't kill you often makes you weirder and for a writer, it's probably what we need the most.
No, I'm not being sarcastic here. As a victim of so many traumatic events, I find that there's more meaning to life that I can relate to within my fictional world. Everything that happened to me could be used as a stepping stone to build far more realistic and captivating worlds in my books. This is the secret formula to my strong world-building foundation. I spin these experiences into something that others could also relate to because as humans, we have all the same vulnerabilities.
Growing from our sufferings often makes us stronger. There's nothing to be ashamed of about writing what you've learned and believe. This makes you who you are. It should be celebrated.
#2: Experience Life
There are many ways to go about this but the fastest way is to jump headfirst into the unknown.
Yes, much like what Elsa did. She YOLO'ed the fuck out of the unknown and became even more badass than she was previously. I strongly believe in doing everything at least once to understand what it feels like. Opportunities present themselves to us every day but it is us who choose to shut the door because we're very comfortable with our norms.
Here's an Aitsuji challenge, try something new every single day. It doesn't have to be big. It can be small ridiculous things like trying to stir a coffee with your non-dominant hand or even learning one new word. Continuous new experiences will add up and experiencing life will bring a greater depth to your writing.
Be comfortable with the uncomfortable. That's what it means to get out of your comfort zone.
#3: Talk to Random People / Spy on Them
This might be a little hard because of covid restrictions. However, it's still possible to widen your social network online. My discord server is rather dead but if you speak, there will be those who would reply.
On the other hand, you don't have to know a person to chat with them. I believe that everyone has a story to tell if you're willing to listen. Talking to them like the lost child on the street, your seemingly grumpy neighbour or even an aunt you never knew you had could be interesting.
If you're people shy and dislike starting conversations, that's alright. You can simply study human specimens at a local grocery store or on a bus. People watching has got to be one of my favourite past times because I like adding new quirks or trends I discover in humans that could be used in my writing when I create new characters. It's like a mix and match of traits and constantly growing those number of traits would make your characters feel less similar to each other.
P.S. Always wear sunglasses when you're on a people-watching trip. You don't want to stare rudely at another person accidentally and bring yourself trouble.
#4: Make Random Connections Anywhere, Anytime
Do you still remember a rather popular but nonsensical song that went viral a few years ago? It's called PPAP.
That kind of connection usually doesn't exist. However, that's not to say it shouldn't exist. Look at how freaking random that was but people loved it! Practice making connections between things that do not on a regular basis. This web helps you to think quickly when the creative engines are cranked on. It's how I come up with some of the most ridiculous but brilliant content in works that I've done.
Creativity is like a web. No two webs are spun the same way. Practice weaving yours and you'll find yourself firing off more content than your fingers can handle in a lifetime!
#5: Challenge the Writing Prompts
This is probably the most practical way to hone your creative skills as a writer. Reddit has some of the most interesting writing prompts even though you can filter the 90% that makes you yawn. Not everyone there has creativity but those who do can really push your limits.
I attempted several myself as you can see on this blog. If you're up for prompt writing challenges, let me know! We can do them together. Better still, attempt those that I've written on the blog and post them here!
I may or may not host future live streams about me attempting writing prompts. It's just something that has been at the back of my mind for a while but I had no time to get to it.
Conclusion...
I know not all of them are possible for most of you plebs. Hence, I'll make concessions. Anyone who could succeed in doing any one of the above mentioned tasks will be given an imaginary certificate of award for graduating from Aitsuji sensei's class about Finding Your Inner Psycho Writer.