Crow's Creative Method: The Three Steps Of Creation


Have you ever got stuck in the middle of creating something? Or felt like you don't know what to do next? It often helps to be more conscious about your creative process. You may already be following these steps, or using some of these techniques. But even if you're experienced, you might find something new here that you want to try out. Let's begin.

 

Contents

  • Step 1: Collect
    • Choose Your Goal
    • Turn Your Thoughts Into Notes
    • Read Up
  • Step 2: Ask
    • Use Your Notes
    • Get Help
    • Draw Inspiration
    • Ask About Specifics
    • Define Similarities And Differences
    • Answer Multiple Times
    • Talk To Yourself
  • Step 3: Connect
    • Eliminate Inconsistencies
    • Deduce
  • Rinse And Repeat


Step 1: Collect

First you need to gather what you actually want, as well as anything you already have. Start a list of bullet points, or a mind map. Trust me, it'll help a lot in organising your ideas.


Choose Your Goal

Title your mind map or note page with whatever you're making. You won't have to stay within the boundaries you set, but it can help to know what you're working on.

I'll show you everything using a worked example. Let's say I want to work on a nation in my world, ruled by green orcs. So I title my list Orcish Nation.


Turn Your Thoughts Into Notes

Here's where the actual product of this step is made. You need to collect everything you already know about what you're making. What you want it to be like. Concepts. Sources of inspiration.

You'll be adding to this list in later steps, as your new creation expands.

Aside from most stereotypical aspects of fantasy orcs, I've already outlined totemic magic, which orcs will know - it has to do with different animals or beasts and their abilities. The region they'll rule is also determined; it's a mountainous area, sharing on a large mountain range with groups of giants and dangerous wildlife. Neighbouring nations are large and not very friendly, although not explicitly hostile. Using these major points and some quick ideas related to them, I can compose a short list:

    Orcish Nation

         - Classic fantasy orc physiology

        - Totemic beast magic

        - Mountain range habitat

        - Unfriendly political environment


Read Up

You might have already created some lore related to whatever you're creating. Make sure you remember it by skimming over it in your world's bible so that you're aware of the context you're placing new lore into.

I read over my notes about another orc nation (grey orcs) and their totemic magic. Grey orcs live in small tribes. Although there are some minor differences between the two types, both are tall and powerfully built. I also remind myself of how orcish magic works: using either tattoo-like drawings on the skin (only reserved for individuals with a special rank, so-called Bestoweds), or utilising objects: Tokens, Relics or Totems.


Step 2: Ask

This is the most creative part of the process, and also the most extensive one. You need to ask questions about your new piece of lore, in order to deepen it.

I'll first tell you what kinds of questions to ask, then how to best answer them. Of course, you can use the same technique over and over, or not use some at all, but I will demonstrate each with an example.


Use Your Notes

What you've already written down is going to prove helpful. Read through your bullet points, and if a question comes to your mind, ask it.

Glancing at his notes, I immediately think I need to establish some key differences between green and grey orcs - there aren't any at the moment, and it's difficult to differentiate between the two ideas. Since they are surrounded by hostile territories and live in harsh conditions, green orcs could be unified and lead by a strong leader - instead of living in independent tribes like grey orcs do. Sounds good.


Get Help

If you have people you can talk with, do it. Explain what you have, ask for their perspective and if they have any questions, answer those.

Remember: it can be beneficial to listen to other people's opinions, but at the end of the day, it's your world. Don't get discouraged because someone thinks your lore is irrealistic.

Someone I know gave their opinion on the concepts so far - their immediate question was about how the orcs sustain themselves. After all, the hard environment of the mountains doesn't provide a lot of food for a large population. This is a very good question indeed.

Perhaps they trade... but there's no one to trade with, not close by at least. Then... how about agriculture? Well, the environment may support crops, and hunting could also be a means of acquiring food. But how about totemic magic to enhance it all? Perhaps there are ways to increase the fertility of both plants and animals. This is great because it connects with the aspect of magic as well.


Draw Inspiration

When answering questions, don't be afraid to include ideas you've seen elsewhere. The source of ideas doesn't matter, only how they're placed in the context of your setting. Besides, it's unlikely that you'll ever create something completely original, considering that there are thousands of creators all around the world.

I remember how the Na'vi in Avatar have a unique ritual for killing - perhaps there's something similar for the orcs. But this direct ritual would be too animalistic for the more organised society I'm aiming to create. Still, a respect for prey could be present in their culture, in various forms such as habits, art and folklore. They may use every part of a killed animal instead of just the meat, for example.


Ask About Specifics

The best way to create the illusion that there are more features than you've actually made - which is one of your goals when creating a universe - is to jump to highly specific details. So don't refrain from asking about very particular things in your world, potentially even without having their foundations established.

I look at the bullet points and chooses something at random. What do the orcs do with... the bones of animals, specifically the skulls, for instance? I don't want these people to be complete brutes like grey orcs are, but I do want their culture to be built around ideals of strength. They could collect skulls as trophies of course, but he wants a more original idea as well. Maybe they dance or have theatres where they use skull - wonderful, a new direction for art! And even better, animal skulls could be used as symbols of qualities in theatres and beyond, like bravery or endurance being attributed to bears or wolves, for example.

After some additions to the new lore, here's how the bullet point list looks:

    Orcish Nation

         - Classic fantasy orc physiology

        - Totemic beast magic - growth

        - Mountain range habitat

        - Unfriendly political environment

        - Powerful leader, unified

        - Respect for prey - use everything

        - Skulls as symbols of personalities

        - Theatre


Define Similarities And Differences

Sometimes it's difficult to define your new creation relative to established lore. This is where this method shines; by looking at things you've made earlier, you can determine how different or similar you want this new idea to be from other aspects of your setting. This allows you to better choose a direction for what you're creating.

You might have noticed that I've already established some differences between the green and grey orcs: this new nation is less barbaric and more organised. How about similarities, then? Although they are more civilised, the green orcs could have similar laws - specifically, no written laws. Building a unified society that doesn't have actual laws should be interesting, but the combination of spoken rules, habits and a strict hierarchy might make it possible. Perhaps under the overlord, there are some smaller groups commanded by local leaders, just like grey orcs have their own tribes' chieftains.


Answer Multiple Times

I see this technique surprisingly rarely, especially considering how effective it is. Unless you're absolutely certain about your first answer (or maybe even in that case), ask yourself the question again and again. This can help you come up with diverse ideas, as well as make sure you're satisfied with your worldbuilding.

Carefully choose which idea you'll follow through; it's easy to think that the most detailed one is the best when trying to decide. A positive of this technique, however, is that you'll come up with multiple detailed ideas even before you need them. You'll occasionally find that a concept you've discarded for something else works perfectly for whatever you're making much later.

In my case, I'll think about religion next. Since different cultures have vastly different pantheons or religions, there are many different things that green orcs could believe. Perhaps they worship one god who created the world and everything within. When people die, they are judged by this god by their strength in life - if they are deemed worthy, they are allowed enter some version of heaven; however, if not, their souls are instantly smitten and destroyed. Another idea is that the deity of the orcs is not actually a god; it's a creature, born every few decades as the more dangerous version of some predator - sometimes it might be a wolf, sometimes a bear, sometimes an eagle. Whoever slays this creature earns divinity and the right to be supreme leader. Of course, this concept could be backed up by some magical or divine effect, one that indeed creates unique and mighty creatures and makes their killers more powerful. A third possibility is the belief in spirits, less powerful entities than all-powerful gods. These spirits have the physique of animals and, just like the skulls of different creatures, they embody certain qualities. This idea would fit nicely with the concept of totemic magic, which also provides abilities based on different animals.

I finally decide that the second idea would be too chaotic for such a strict hierarchy. It's more difficult to choose between the first and third ideas, but ultimately the last one fits too well with the already established culture of the orcs. Animal spirits it is.


Talk To Yourself

This technique sounds silly, but it's very effective at keeping you on track. Just start asking questions or answering them aloud to simulate a conversation.

I use the time I've got alone while doing my chores and talk to myself about how the green orcs organise themselves. Through about 15 minutes of conversing with myself, I conclude that orcs live in clans; each clan has one spirit they use the magic of and worship, although different clans can have the same creature and orcs can change their clan or respect spirits other than their clan's. These clans either live in one of the larger cities, or have a nomadic lifestyle. Smaller villages don't really exist in these lands, because the way clans and hierarchy work would cause difficulties.

It's time to review the list again:

    Orcish Nation

         - Classic fantasy orc physiology

        - Mountain range habitat

        - Unfriendly political environment

        - Strict hierarchy - clans

        - No written laws but strong habits

        - Respect for prey - use everything

        - Theatre

        - Animal spirit deities: personal qualities, totemic magic (e.g. growth) , skulls as symbols


Step 3: Connect

This last part people sometimes forget about. Once you've made something new, it can help a great deal to place it in the context of your world by connecting and comparing it with established details.


Eliminate Inconsistencies

Hopefully you've kept this in mind when working on your idea, but even then, it is inevitable that mistakes find their way into any creative work. Just like you've done in Step 1, skim over related lore in your world bible to make sure there aren't any illogical, inconsistent pieces of lore.

As I browse his document, I find my notes that describe how some species, including the green orcs, were born. Through a line of deduction, I realise that green orcs have to have lost their heightened social talent thousands of years ago in a world-shaping event that is already established within the lore. This means that they should be less emotionally mature and less likely to engage with society. And... well, this conflicts with my concept of theatre, doesn't it? So that point has to get removed from the list, unfortunately.


Deduce

While you're following my previous advice, you can also develop your setting a little. By simply connecting different parts of your universe, you can realise that some aspects are likely, if not certain, to be a specific way.

Since I've just removed what was perhaps the most important way of artistic expression for my new orcs, I'm now thinking about what else they could do. I combined this void in artistic mediums with the concept of shapes and symbols... it seems there's only one real solution: sculpting. It works perfectly with the symbolism orcs use, as well as allows incorporation with totemic magic. It should also produce excellent results when combined with their belief system of zoomorphic spirits and their signature qualities. Sculpting definitely gets added to the list.

Since it's the end of the last step, let's see what I came up with:

    Orcish Nation

         - Classic fantasy orc physiology

        - Mountain range habitat

        - Unfriendly political environment

        - Strict hierarchy - clans

        - No written laws but strong habits

        - Respect for prey - use everything

        - Sculpting

        - Animal spirit deities: personal qualities, totemic magic (e.g. growth) , skulls as symbols


Rinse And Repeat

If you had a block, hopefully these tips and tricks helped you get over it. Now it's your turn: continue working, but while keeping these in mind! You won't necessarily always need these techniques. But when you feel like you want to take a different approach or get stuck and need a crutch to move on, just pick a one and try it.

Do experiment with your own creative process though, drawing inspiration from sources like this or your own experiences. Otherwise, feel free to ask questions or request topics in the comments. I hope you found this lesson helpful.

See you next time!

 

Images from Pixabay