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What Is Creative Writing? (Ultimate Guide + 20 Examples)

Creative writing begins with a blank page and the courage to fill it with the stories only you can tell.

I face this intimidating blank page daily–and I have for the better part of 20+ years.

In this guide, you’ll learn all the ins and outs of creative writing with tons of examples.

What Is Creative Writing (Long Description)?

Creative Writing is the art of using words to express ideas and emotions in imaginative ways. It encompasses various forms including novels, poetry, and plays, focusing on narrative craft, character development, and the use of literary tropes.

Bright, colorful creative writer's desk with notebook and typewriter -- What Is Creative Writing

Table of Contents

Let’s expand on that definition a bit.

Creative writing is an art form that transcends traditional literature boundaries.

It includes professional, journalistic, academic, and technical writing. This type of writing emphasizes narrative craft, character development, and literary tropes. It also explores poetry and poetics traditions.

In essence, creative writing lets you express ideas and emotions uniquely and imaginatively.

It’s about the freedom to invent worlds, characters, and stories. These creations evoke a spectrum of emotions in readers.

Creative writing covers fiction, poetry, and everything in between.

It allows writers to express inner thoughts and feelings. Often, it reflects human experiences through a fabricated lens.

Types of Creative Writing

There are many types of creative writing that we need to explain.

Some of the most common types:

Short stories
Screenplays
Flash fiction
Creative Nonfiction

Short Stories (The Brief Escape)

Short stories are like narrative treasures.

They are compact but impactful, telling a full story within a limited word count. These tales often focus on a single character or a crucial moment.

Short stories are known for their brevity.

They deliver emotion and insight in a concise yet powerful package. This format is ideal for exploring diverse genres, themes, and characters. It leaves a lasting impression on readers.

Example: Emma discovers an old photo of her smiling grandmother. It’s a rarity. Through flashbacks, Emma learns about her grandmother’s wartime love story. She comes to understand her grandmother’s resilience and the value of joy.

Novels (The Long Journey)

Novels are extensive explorations of character, plot, and setting.

They span thousands of words, giving writers the space to create entire worlds. Novels can weave complex stories across various themes and timelines.

The length of a novel allows for deep narrative and character development.

Readers get an immersive experience.

Example: Across the Divide tells of two siblings separated in childhood. They grow up in different cultures. Their reunion highlights the strength of family bonds, despite distance and differences.

Poetry (The Soul’s Language)

Poetry expresses ideas and emotions through rhythm, sound, and word beauty.

It distills emotions and thoughts into verses. Poetry often uses metaphors, similes, and figurative language to reach the reader’s heart and mind.

Poetry ranges from structured forms, like sonnets, to free verse.

The latter breaks away from traditional formats for more expressive thought.

Example: Whispers of Dawn is a poem collection capturing morning’s quiet moments. “First Light” personifies dawn as a painter. It brings colors of hope and renewal to the world.

Plays (The Dramatic Dialogue)

Plays are meant for performance. They bring characters and conflicts to life through dialogue and action.

This format uniquely explores human relationships and societal issues.

Playwrights face the challenge of conveying setting, emotion, and plot through dialogue and directions.

Example: Echoes of Tomorrow is set in a dystopian future. Memories can be bought and sold. It follows siblings on a quest to retrieve their stolen memories. They learn the cost of living in a world where the past has a price.

Screenplays (Cinema’s Blueprint)

Screenplays outline narratives for films and TV shows.

They require an understanding of visual storytelling, pacing, and dialogue. Screenplays must fit film production constraints.

Example: The Last Light is a screenplay for a sci-fi film. Humanity’s survivors on a dying Earth seek a new planet. The story focuses on spacecraft Argo’s crew as they face mission challenges and internal dynamics.

Memoirs (The Personal Journey)

Memoirs provide insight into an author’s life, focusing on personal experiences and emotional journeys.

They differ from autobiographies by concentrating on specific themes or events.

Memoirs invite readers into the author’s world.

They share lessons learned and hardships overcome.

Example: Under the Mango Tree is a memoir by Maria Gomez. It shares her childhood memories in rural Colombia. The mango tree in their yard symbolizes home, growth, and nostalgia. Maria reflects on her journey to a new life in America.

Flash Fiction (The Quick Twist)

Flash fiction tells stories in under 1,000 words.

It’s about crafting compelling narratives concisely. Each word in flash fiction must count, often leading to a twist.

This format captures life’s vivid moments, delivering quick, impactful insights.

Example: The Last Message features an astronaut’s final Earth message as her spacecraft drifts away. In 500 words, it explores isolation, hope, and the desire to connect against all odds.

Creative Nonfiction (The Factual Tale)

Creative nonfiction combines factual accuracy with creative storytelling.

This genre covers real events, people, and places with a twist. It uses descriptive language and narrative arcs to make true stories engaging.

Creative nonfiction includes biographies, essays, and travelogues.

Example: Echoes of Everest follows the author’s Mount Everest climb. It mixes factual details with personal reflections and the history of past climbers. The narrative captures the climb’s beauty and challenges, offering an immersive experience.

Fantasy (The World Beyond)

Fantasy transports readers to magical and mythical worlds.

It explores themes like good vs. evil and heroism in unreal settings. Fantasy requires careful world-building to create believable yet fantastic realms.

Example: The Crystal of Azmar tells of a young girl destined to save her world from darkness. She learns she’s the last sorceress in a forgotten lineage. Her journey involves mastering powers, forming alliances, and uncovering ancient kingdom myths.

Science Fiction (The Future Imagined)

Science fiction delves into futuristic and scientific themes.

It questions the impact of advancements on society and individuals.

Science fiction ranges from speculative to hard sci-fi, focusing on plausible futures.

Example: When the Stars Whisper is set in a future where humanity communicates with distant galaxies. It centers on a scientist who finds an alien message. This discovery prompts a deep look at humanity’s universe role and interstellar communication.

Watch this great video that explores the question, “What is creative writing?” and “How to get started?”:

What Are the 5 Cs of Creative Writing?

The 5 Cs of creative writing are fundamental pillars.

They guide writers to produce compelling and impactful work. These principles—Clarity, Coherence, Conciseness, Creativity, and Consistency—help craft stories that engage and entertain.

They also resonate deeply with readers. Let’s explore each of these critical components.

Clarity makes your writing understandable and accessible.

It involves choosing the right words and constructing clear sentences. Your narrative should be easy to follow.

In creative writing, clarity means conveying complex ideas in a digestible and enjoyable way.

Coherence ensures your writing flows logically.

It’s crucial for maintaining the reader’s interest. Characters should develop believably, and plots should progress logically. This makes the narrative feel cohesive.

Conciseness

Conciseness is about expressing ideas succinctly.

It’s being economical with words and avoiding redundancy. This principle helps maintain pace and tension, engaging readers throughout the story.

Creativity is the heart of creative writing.

It allows writers to invent new worlds and create memorable characters. Creativity involves originality and imagination. It’s seeing the world in unique ways and sharing that vision.

Consistency

Consistency maintains a uniform tone, style, and voice.

It means being faithful to the world you’ve created. Characters should act true to their development. This builds trust with readers, making your story immersive and believable.

Is Creative Writing Easy?

Creative writing is both rewarding and challenging.

Crafting stories from your imagination involves more than just words on a page. It requires discipline and a deep understanding of language and narrative structure.

Exploring complex characters and themes is also key.

Refining and revising your work is crucial for developing your voice.

The ease of creative writing varies. Some find the freedom of expression liberating.

Others struggle with writer’s block or plot development challenges. However, practice and feedback make creative writing more fulfilling.

What Does a Creative Writer Do?

A creative writer weaves narratives that entertain, enlighten, and inspire.

Writers explore both the world they create and the emotions they wish to evoke. Their tasks are diverse, involving more than just writing.

Creative writers develop ideas, research, and plan their stories.

They create characters and outline plots with attention to detail. Drafting and revising their work is a significant part of their process. They strive for the 5 Cs of compelling writing.

Writers engage with the literary community, seeking feedback and participating in workshops.

They may navigate the publishing world with agents and editors.

Creative writers are storytellers, craftsmen, and artists. They bring narratives to life, enriching our lives and expanding our imaginations.

How to Get Started With Creative Writing?

Embarking on a creative writing journey can feel like standing at the edge of a vast and mysterious forest.

The path is not always clear, but the adventure is calling.

Here’s how to take your first steps into the world of creative writing:

Find a time of day when your mind is most alert and creative.
Create a comfortable writing space free from distractions.
Use prompts to spark your imagination. They can be as simple as a word, a phrase, or an image.
Try writing for 15-20 minutes on a prompt without editing yourself. Let the ideas flow freely.
Reading is fuel for your writing. Explore various genres and styles.
Pay attention to how your favorite authors construct their sentences, develop characters, and build their worlds.
Don’t pressure yourself to write a novel right away. Begin with short stories or poems.
Small projects can help you hone your skills and boost your confidence.
Look for writing groups in your area or online. These communities offer support, feedback, and motivation.
Participating in workshops or classes can also provide valuable insights into your writing.
Understand that your first draft is just the beginning. Revising your work is where the real magic happens.
Be open to feedback and willing to rework your pieces.
Carry a notebook or digital recorder to jot down ideas, observations, and snippets of conversations.
These notes can be gold mines for future writing projects.

Final Thoughts: What Is Creative Writing?

Creative writing is an invitation to explore the unknown, to give voice to the silenced, and to celebrate the human spirit in all its forms.

Check out these creative writing tools (that I highly recommend):

What is Creative Writing? A Key Piece of the Writer’s Toolbox

Not all writing is the same and there’s a type of writing that has the ability to transport, teach, and inspire others like no other.

Creative writing stands out due to its unique approach and focus on imagination. Here’s how to get started and grow as you explore the broad and beautiful world of creative writing!

What is Creative Writing?

Creative writing is a form of writing that extends beyond the bounds of regular professional, journalistic, academic, or technical forms of literature. It is characterized by its emphasis on narrative craft, character development, and the use of literary tropes or poetic techniques to express ideas in an original and imaginative way.

Creative writing can take on various forms such as:

short stories
screenplays

It’s a way for writers to express their thoughts, feelings, and ideas in a creative, often symbolic, way . It’s about using the power of words to transport readers into a world created by the writer.

5 Key Characteristics of Creative Writing

Creative writing is marked by several defining characteristics, each working to create a distinct form of expression:

1. Imagination and Creativity: Creative writing is all about harnessing your creativity and imagination to create an engaging and compelling piece of work. It allows writers to explore different scenarios, characters, and worlds that may not exist in reality.

2. Emotional Engagement: Creative writing often evokes strong emotions in the reader. It aims to make the reader feel something — whether it’s happiness, sorrow, excitement, or fear.

3. Originality: Creative writing values originality. It’s about presenting familiar things in new ways or exploring ideas that are less conventional.

4. Use of Literary Devices: Creative writing frequently employs literary devices such as metaphors, similes, personification, and others to enrich the text and convey meanings in a more subtle, layered manner.

5. Focus on Aesthetics: The beauty of language and the way words flow together is important in creative writing. The aim is to create a piece that’s not just interesting to read, but also beautiful to hear when read aloud.

Remember, creative writing is not just about producing a work of art. It’s also a means of self-expression and a way to share your perspective with the world. Whether you’re considering it as a hobby or contemplating a career in it, understanding the nature and characteristics of creative writing can help you hone your skills and create more engaging pieces .

For more insights into creative writing, check out our articles on creative writing jobs and what you can do with a creative writing degree and is a degree in creative writing worth it .

Styles of Creative Writing

To fully understand creative writing , you must be aware of the various styles involved. Creative writing explores a multitude of genres, each with its own unique characteristics and techniques.

Poetry is a form of creative writing that uses expressive language to evoke emotions and ideas. Poets often employ rhythm, rhyme, and other poetic devices to create pieces that are deeply personal and impactful. Poems can vary greatly in length, style, and subject matter, making this a versatile and dynamic form of creative writing.

Short Stories

Short stories are another common style of creative writing. These are brief narratives that typically revolve around a single event or idea. Despite their length, short stories can provide a powerful punch, using precise language and tight narrative structures to convey a complete story in a limited space.

Novels represent a longer form of narrative creative writing. They usually involve complex plots, multiple characters, and various themes. Writing a novel requires a significant investment of time and effort; however, the result can be a rich and immersive reading experience.

Screenplays

Screenplays are written works intended for the screen, be it television, film, or online platforms. They require a specific format, incorporating dialogue and visual descriptions to guide the production process. Screenwriters must also consider the practical aspects of filmmaking, making this an intricate and specialized form of creative writing.

If you’re interested in this style, understanding creative writing jobs and what you can do with a creative writing degree can provide useful insights.

Writing for the theater is another specialized form of creative writing. Plays, like screenplays, combine dialogue and action, but they also require an understanding of the unique dynamics of the theatrical stage. Playwrights must think about the live audience and the physical space of the theater when crafting their works.

Each of these styles offers unique opportunities for creativity and expression. Whether you’re drawn to the concise power of poetry, the detailed storytelling of novels, or the visual language of screenplays and plays, there’s a form of creative writing that will suit your artistic voice. The key is to explore, experiment, and find the style that resonates with you.

For those looking to spark their creativity, our article on creative writing prompts offers a wealth of ideas to get you started.

Importance of Creative Writing

Understanding what is creative writing involves recognizing its value and significance. Engaging in creative writing can provide numerous benefits – let’s take a closer look.

Developing Creativity and Imagination

Creative writing serves as a fertile ground for nurturing creativity and imagination. It encourages you to think outside the box, explore different perspectives, and create unique and original content. This leads to improved problem-solving skills and a broader worldview , both of which can be beneficial in various aspects of life.

Through creative writing, one can build entire worlds, create characters, and weave complex narratives, all of which are products of a creative mind and vivid imagination. This can be especially beneficial for those seeking creative writing jobs and what you can do with a creative writing degree .

Enhancing Communication Skills

Creative writing can also play a crucial role in honing communication skills. It demands clarity, precision, and a strong command of language. This helps to improve your vocabulary, grammar, and syntax, making it easier to express thoughts and ideas effectively .

Moreover, creative writing encourages empathy as you often need to portray a variety of characters from different backgrounds and perspectives. This leads to a better understanding of people and improved interpersonal communication skills.

Exploring Emotions and Ideas

One of the most profound aspects of creative writing is its ability to provide a safe space for exploring emotions and ideas. It serves as an outlet for thoughts and feelings , allowing you to express yourself in ways that might not be possible in everyday conversation.

Writing can be therapeutic, helping you process complex emotions, navigate difficult life events, and gain insight into your own experiences and perceptions. It can also be a means of self-discovery , helping you to understand yourself and the world around you better.

So, whether you’re a seasoned writer or just starting out, the benefits of creative writing are vast and varied. For those interested in developing their creative writing skills, check out our articles on creative writing prompts and how to teach creative writing . If you’re considering a career in this field, you might find our article on is a degree in creative writing worth it helpful.

4 Steps to Start Creative Writing

Creative writing can seem daunting to beginners, but with the right approach, anyone can start their journey into this creative field. Here are some steps to help you start creative writing .

1. Finding Inspiration

The first step in creative writing is finding inspiration . Inspiration can come from anywhere and anything. Observe the world around you, listen to conversations, explore different cultures, and delve into various topics of interest.

Reading widely can also be a significant source of inspiration. Read different types of books, articles, and blogs. Discover what resonates with you and sparks your imagination.

For structured creative prompts, visit our list of creative writing prompts to get your creative juices flowing.

Editor’s Note : When something excites or interests you, stop and take note – it could be the inspiration for your next creative writing piece.

2. Planning Your Piece

Once you have an idea, the next step is to plan your piece . Start by outlining:

the main points

Remember, this can serve as a roadmap to guide your writing process. A plan doesn’t have to be rigid. It’s a flexible guideline that can be adjusted as you delve deeper into your writing. The primary purpose is to provide direction and prevent writer’s block.

3. Writing Your First Draft

After planning your piece, you can start writing your first draft . This is where you give life to your ideas and breathe life into your characters.

Don’t worry about making it perfect in the first go. The first draft is about getting your ideas down on paper . You can always refine and polish your work later. And if you don’t have a great place to write that first draft, consider a journal for writing .

4. Editing and Revising Your Work

The final step in the creative writing process is editing and revising your work . This is where you fine-tune your piece, correct grammatical errors, and improve sentence structure and flow.

Editing is also an opportunity to enhance your storytelling . You can add more descriptive details, develop your characters further, and make sure your plot is engaging and coherent.

Remember, writing is a craft that improves with practice . Don’t be discouraged if your first few pieces don’t meet your expectations. Keep writing, keep learning, and most importantly, enjoy the creative process.

For more insights on creative writing, check out our articles on how to teach creative writing or creative writing activities for kids.

Tips to Improve Creative Writing Skills

Understanding what is creative writing is the first step. But how can one improve their creative writing skills? Here are some tips that can help.

Read Widely

Reading is a vital part of becoming a better writer. By immersing oneself in a variety of genres, styles, and authors, one can gain a richer understanding of language and storytelling techniques . Different authors have unique voices and methods of telling stories, which can serve as inspiration for your own work. So, read widely and frequently!

Practice Regularly

Like any skill, creative writing improves with practice. Consistently writing — whether it be daily, weekly, or monthly — helps develop your writing style and voice . Using creative writing prompts can be a fun way to stimulate your imagination and get the words flowing.

Attend Writing Workshops and Courses

Formal education such as workshops and courses can offer structured learning and expert guidance. These can provide invaluable insights into the world of creative writing, from understanding plot development to character creation. If you’re wondering is a degree in creative writing worth it, these classes can also give you a taste of what studying creative writing at a higher level might look like .

Joining Writing Groups and Communities

Being part of a writing community can provide motivation, constructive feedback, and a sense of camaraderie. These groups often hold regular meetings where members share their work and give each other feedback. Plus, it’s a great way to connect with others who share your passion for writing.

Seeking Feedback on Your Work

Feedback is a crucial part of improving as a writer. It offers a fresh perspective on your work, highlighting areas of strength and opportunities for improvement. Whether it’s from a writing group, a mentor, or even friends and family, constructive criticism can help refine your writing .

Start Creative Writing Today!

Remember, becoming a proficient writer takes time and patience. So, don’t be discouraged by initial challenges. Keep writing, keep learning, and most importantly, keep enjoying the process. Who knows, your passion for creative writing might even lead to creative writing jobs and what you can do with a creative writing degree .

Happy writing!

Brooks Manley

Creative Primer is a resource on all things journaling, creativity, and productivity. We’ll help you produce better ideas, get more done, and live a more effective life.

My name is Brooks. I do a ton of journaling, like to think I’m a creative (jury’s out), and spend a lot of time thinking about productivity. I hope these resources and product recommendations serve you well. Reach out if you ever want to chat or let me know about a journal I need to check out!

Here’s my favorite journal for 2024:

Gratitude Journal Prompts Mindfulness Journal Prompts Journal Prompts for Anxiety Reflective Journal Prompts Healing Journal Prompts Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Journal Prompts Mental Health Journal Prompts ASMR Journal Prompts Manifestation Journal Prompts Self-Care Journal Prompts Morning Journal Prompts Evening Journal Prompts Self-Improvement Journal Prompts Creative Writing Journal Prompts Dream Journal Prompts Relationship Journal Prompts "What If" Journal Prompts New Year Journal Prompts Shadow Work Journal Prompts Journal Prompts for Overcoming Fear Journal Prompts for Dealing with Loss Journal Prompts for Discerning and Decision Making Travel Journal Prompts Fun Journal Prompts

Inspiring Ink: Expert Tips on How to Teach Creative Writing

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Creative Writing Tips for Beginners: 10 Top Tips

Hannah Yang

Creative writing can be a very fulfilling hobby.

Writing can help you explore deep questions, use your imagination, and express your thoughts and feelings in a healthy way.

If you want to learn creative writing, you’ve come to the right place. Read on to learn our top ten creative writing tips to help you get started.

How to Write Creatively

10 creative writing tips for beginners, how to get better at creative writing, where to find creative writing help.

Anyone can learn creative writing—all you need is a pen and paper, or your writing software of choice.

Once you’ve got your tools ready, it’s time to think of a story idea. You can draw inspiration from your own life, newspaper headlines, songs you like, or anything else around you.

If you don’t have any story ideas in mind, you can also try starting with a prompt. Here are a few creative writing prompts you can choose from:

Write about someone with a dangerous secret
Write a scene set at your favorite restaurant
Write a story about someone who wakes up with no memories, except for a single name
Write a story from the perspective of someone who isn’t human
Complete the sentence: “It was a completely normal Saturday except for…”

Pick up your pen, choose your favorite prompt, and start writing!

If you’re new to creative writing, here are ten fiction writing tips that you can try.

Tip 1: Read Widely

It’s hard to become a great musician without having heard a lot of great music.

The same is true for writing. Reading a lot of books is a great way to get inspired and to learn more about the anatomy of a story.

It’s important to read in whatever genre you want so you can understand the conventions of that genre. If you’re writing a fantasy story, for example, you should familiarize yourself with popular fantasy novels and short stories so you know what readers expect.

On the other hand, it’s just as important to read a diverse variety of books. Exposing yourself to lots of genres and authors can help you learn about different writing styles and techniques.

Tip 2: Experiment With Different Formats and Points of View

Creative writing can involve countless different formats. You can write a story that looks like a diary entry, a song, or a Charles Dickens novel.

Maybe you want to write a story in the form of a series of instructions to the reader, like a cooking recipe or a how-to manual.

Or maybe you want to write a story in the form of a confession from one character to another, in a mix of first-person and second-person POV.

Try out different styles, even ones that don’t feel like your usual writing style. Doing this experimentation early on in your creative writing journey can help you find your own voice and figure out what works best for you.

Tip 3: Take Inspiration From Many Sources

No story is written in a vacuum. Every artist takes inspiration from other works of art, and you shouldn’t feel bad about writing a story that’s inspired by your favorite book or movie.

At the same time, though, it’s important not to write a story that actually plagiarizes an existing one. Directly copying the work of other creative writers is both unethical and illegal. Plus, it’s much less fun than writing your own stories.

A good rule of thumb if you’re looking for ideas is to take inspiration from many sources rather than a single one.

For example, maybe you like the sarcastic humor of one book, the sweet romance arc of another book, and the Gothic setting of your favorite TV show. When you merge those three things together, you’ll most likely create a story that feels unique and original, even though you took inspiration from existing stories.

Tip 4: Show, Don’t Tell

The phrase “Show, don’t tell” is a popular piece of writing advice that almost every writer has heard before.

Essentially, “show, don’t tell” means that you should immerse the reader in your story through sensory details and descriptive language instead of simply summarizing the story to them.

For example, you could tell someone, “My sister’s room is messy.” That sentence conveys the facts, but the person you’re talking to probably wouldn’t be able to picture your sister’s room in their head.

On the other hand, you could say, “My sister basically uses the floor of her room as a giant laundry hamper—it’s covered with so many sweaters and scarves that I don’t even remember what color her carpet is.” This sentence gives your listener a much more specific idea of what your sister’s room looks like.

Tip 5: Write With Intention

Many newer writers put down words on the page based on what comes to mind first.

For example, let’s say you’re trying to describe a character. A new writer might note down whatever details they visualize right away, like the color of the character’s hair or the type of clothes they’re wearing.

This is a great way to write when you’re just starting out, but if you want to improve your skills, it’s important to learn how to write with intention.

Try to get in the habit of asking yourself: What details does the reader need to know and why? For example, what aspects of this character’s hair color and outfit could tell the reader something deeper about the character’s personality and motivations?

It’s also important to figure out what you want to convey emotionally. What do you want your reader to feel? Excited? Creeped out? Hopeful?

For example, you might describe a sunset as “blood-red” if you want the reader to feel creeped out, or as “glowing and bright” if you want the reader to feel hopeful.

Tip 6: Learn How to Edit

No first draft is perfect, even if you’re a seasoned writer.

Learning how to edit your work is just as important as learning how to write on a blank page. That’s how you can create a creative work you feel proud of.

One helpful tip is to try reading your work out loud. That can often help you spot places where your prose doesn’t flow.

AI-powered grammar checkers like ProWritingAid can also help you identify weaknesses in your prose and learn how to strengthen them. You can catch your grammatical mistakes, avoid unnecessary repetition, choose more evocative words, and more with our powerful tool.

Tip 7: Practice Overcoming Writer’s Block

At some point in their writing journey, every writer has reached a point where writing doesn’t feel fun anymore.

There are lots of different causes for writer’s block. You might be unsure what to write, afraid of failing, or simply burned out from writing too much.

It’s important to find ways to overcome creative blocks, so you don’t end up putting down your pen for good.

One useful technique is to change your environment. If you normally write at home, try writing in a coffee shop or in your local library.

Another technique is to try a different activity for a while. Go for a walk, take a shower, do your dishes, or try another hobby. Before long, you’ll find yourself wanting to write again.

Perhaps the most underrated method is to simply take a break from writing. Give yourself permission to stop for a while—it’s always okay to take a step back.

Tip 8: Study Writing Craft

Many new writers falsely believe that writing can’t be taught; you’re either good at it or you’re not.

But the truth is that creative writing is a craft, just like woodworking, oil painting, or ballet. You wouldn’t expect anyone to be naturally good at ballet without years of training, so why is writing any different?

One way to learn new creative writing techniques is by reading craft books . Some great books to start with include On Writing by Stephen King, Story Genius by Lisa Cron, and The Creative Writer’s Handbook by Philip K. Jason.

These books can help you learn the basics of how to write well. For example, you can learn how to construct high-quality sentences, how to avoid passive voice, and how to use poetic devices.

The more you learn, the more powerful your writing will become.

Tip 9: Invent Your Own Process

When you’re just starting out as a writer, it can be tempting to copy someone else’s writing process.

Maybe you heard an interview with a bestselling author who said you have to outline a story before you draft it. Or maybe you found out your favorite author writes 1,000 words every day, and now you think you have to write 1,000 words every day too.

But it’s important to remember that no two writers have the exact same writing process. What works best for someone else might not work for you.

There’s no right or wrong way to be a creative writer. Your job is to find a writing process that makes you feel fulfilled, productive, and inspired—and if your favorite writers don’t write the same way, that’s perfectly okay.

Tip 10: Don’t Aim for Perfection

There’s a good chance your writing is never going to be perfect. Mine definitely isn’t!

Remember that writing is about the process, not the product. Even if the final product is never perfect, the process has helped you grow as a writer—and hopefully, it’s also been a lot of fun.

You should decide what your main goal for writing is. Maybe it’s writing stories you might be able to publish someday. Maybe it’s telling stories about characters you rarely see in existing stories. Maybe it’s simply a fun new hobby.

Whatever your goal is, remember that you’re already on your way to achieving it. You don’t need to aim for perfection in order to succeed.

There’s no secret to getting better at creative writing. The process is very simple—it just takes a lot of hard work.

All you have to do is follow this two-step process:

Step 1: Write consistently
Step 2: Ask for feedback on your writing

The first step is fairly self-explanatory. Whenever you’re learning a new skill, it’s important to practice it. The more you write, the more you’ll learn about how to be a successful creative writer.

The second step is the one that receives more pushback from writers because it requires a lot of courage and vulnerability, but it’s just as important as the first step.

If you don’t get feedback, you could write every day and still never improve. That’s because most people can’t spot the weaknesses in their own stories.

You can ask for feedback from your friends, family, or writing groups. They can help you see your work from a different perspective and identify areas for improvement.

As long as you write consistently and listen to the feedback on the work you’re producing, you’ll be able to create a positive cycle where you create better and better stories over time.

If you want to improve your creative writing skills, there are numerous resources you can use to find help.

One great method is to join a writing community where you can share your work and get feedback from other writers.

You can look for free critique groups online, on websites such as Scribophile and Critique Circle. Or you can start your own group with your friends.

You can also consider joining a local writing class or retreat. Many schools and community centers offer classes and workshops you can join.

Another option is to use creative writing tools. ProWritingAid can give you AI-powered suggestions about how to improve your prose and make your writing shine.

Good luck, and happy writing!

Be confident about grammar

Check every email, essay, or story for grammar mistakes. Fix them before you press send.

Hannah Yang is a speculative fiction writer who writes about all things strange and surreal. Her work has appeared in Analog Science Fiction, Apex Magazine, The Dark, and elsewhere, and two of her stories have been finalists for the Locus Award. Her favorite hobbies include watercolor painting, playing guitar, and rock climbing. You can follow her work on hannahyang.com, or subscribe to her newsletter for publication updates.

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Writers' Treasure

Effective writing advice for aspiring writers

Creative Writing 101

Creative writing is any form of writing which is written with the creativity of mind: fiction writing, poetry writing, creative nonfiction writing and more. The purpose is to express something, whether it be feelings, thoughts, or emotions.

Rather than only giving information or inciting the reader to make an action beneficial to the writer, creative writing is written to entertain or educate someone, to spread awareness about something or someone, or to express one’s thoughts.

There are two kinds of creative writing: good and bad, effective and ineffective. Bad, ineffective creative writing cannot make any impression on the reader. It won’t achieve its purpose.

So whether you’re a novelist, a poet, a short-story writer, an essayist, a biographer or an aspiring beginner, you want to improve your craft. The question is: how?

When you write great fiction, poetry, or nonfiction, amazing things can happen. Readers can’t put it down. The work you wrote becomes a bestseller. It becomes famous. But you have to reach to that level… first .

The best way to increase your proficiency in creative writing is to write, write compulsively, but it doesn’t mean write whatever you want. There are certain things you should know first… it helps to start with the right foot.

To do exactly that, here we have a beginners’ guide from Writers’ Treasure on the subject:

An Introduction to Creative Writing
How to Get Started in Creative Writing in Just Three Steps
Creative Writing vs. Technical Writing
Fiction Writing 101: The Elements of Stories
Poetry Writing: Forms and Terms Galore
Creative Non-Fiction: What is it?
Tips and Tricks to Improve Your Creative Writing
Common Mistakes Made by Creative Writers

For novelists: do you want to write compelling opening chapters?

Are you an aspiring novelist? Will your novel see the light of day? For that, you will need to make the first chapter of your story as compelling as possible. Otherwise, readers won’t even pick up your novel. That chapter can be the make-or-break point that decides whether your novel is published or not. It’s because good editors know how you write from the first three pages… or sometimes even from the opening lines.

To solve this problem, I created a five-part tutorial on Writing Compelling Opening Chapters . It outlines why you need to write a compelling opening chapter, my personal favourite way of beginning it, what should be told and shown in it, general dos and don’ts, and what you need to do after having written it. Check it out for more.

Need more writing tips?

Sometimes you reach that stage when you outgrow the beginner stage of writing but feel that you’re not yet an expert. If I just described you, no worries– Writers’ Treasure’s writing tips are here. Whether you want to make your writing more readable, more irresistible, more professional, we’ve got you covered. So check out our writing tips , and be on your way to fast track your success.

I offer writing, editing and proofreading , as well as website creation services. I’ve been in this field for seven years, and I know the tools of the trade. I’ve seen the directions where the writing industry is going, the changes, the new platforms. Get your work done through me, and get fast and efficient service. Get a quote .

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Elements of Creative Writing

J.D. Schraffenberger, University of Northern Iowa

Rachel Morgan, University of Northern Iowa

Grant Tracey, University of Northern Iowa

ISBN 13: 9780915996179

Publisher: University of Northern Iowa

Language: English

Formats Available

Conditions of use.

Learn more about reviews.

Reviewed by Robert Moreira, Lecturer III, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley on 3/21/24

Unlike Starkey's CREATIVE WRITING: FOUR GENRES IN BRIEF, this textbook does not include a section on drama. read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

Unlike Starkey's CREATIVE WRITING: FOUR GENRES IN BRIEF, this textbook does not include a section on drama.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

As far as I can tell, content is accurate, error free and unbiased.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The book is relevant and up-to-date.

Clarity rating: 5

The text is clear and easy to understand.

Consistency rating: 5

I would agree that the text is consistent in terms of terminology and framework.

Modularity rating: 5

Text is modular, yes, but I would like to see the addition of a section on dramatic writing.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

Topics are presented in logical, clear fashion.

Interface rating: 5

Navigation is good.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

No grammatical issues that I could see.

Cultural Relevance rating: 3

I'd like to see more diverse creative writing examples.

As I stated above, textbook is good except that it does not include a section on dramatic writing.

Introduction
Chapter One: One Great Way to Write a Short Story
Chapter Two: Plotting
Chapter Three: Counterpointed Plotting
Chapter Four: Show and Tell
Chapter Five: Characterization and Method Writing
Chapter Six: Character and Dialouge
Chapter Seven: Setting, Stillness, and Voice
Chapter Eight: Point of View
Chapter Nine: Learning the Unwritten Rules
Chapter One: A Poetry State of Mind
Chapter Two: The Architecture of a Poem
Chapter Three: Sound
Chapter Four: Inspiration and Risk
Chapter Five: Endings and Beginnings
Chapter Six: Figurative Language
Chapter Seven: Forms, Forms, Forms
Chapter Eight: Go to the Image
Chapter Nine: The Difficult Simplicity of Short Poems and Killing Darlings

Creative Nonfiction

Chapter One: Creative Nonfiction and the Essay
Chapter Two: Truth and Memory, Truth in Memory
Chapter Three: Research and History
Chapter Four: Writing Environments
Chapter Five: Notes on Style
Chapter Seven: Imagery and the Senses
Chapter Eight: Writing the Body
Chapter Nine: Forms

Back Matter

Contributors
North American Review Staff

Ancillary Material

University of Northern Iowa

About the Book

This free and open access textbook introduces new writers to some basic elements of the craft of creative writing in the genres of fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. The authors—Rachel Morgan, Jeremy Schraffenberger, and Grant Tracey—are editors of the North American Review, the oldest and one of the most well-regarded literary magazines in the United States. They’ve selected nearly all of the readings and examples (more than 60) from writing that has appeared in NAR pages over the years. Because they had a hand in publishing these pieces originally, their perspective as editors permeates this book. As such, they hope that even seasoned writers might gain insight into the aesthetics of the magazine as they analyze and discuss some reasons this work is so remarkable—and therefore teachable. This project was supported by NAR staff and funded via the UNI Textbook Equity Mini-Grant Program.

About the Contributors

J.D. Schraffenberger is a professor of English at the University of Northern Iowa. He is the author of two books of poems, Saint Joe's Passion and The Waxen Poor , and co-author with Martín Espada and Lauren Schmidt of The Necessary Poetics of Atheism . His other work has appeared in Best of Brevity , Best Creative Nonfiction , Notre Dame Review , Poetry East , Prairie Schooner , and elsewhere.

Rachel Morgan is an instructor of English at the University of Northern Iowa. She is the author of the chapbook Honey & Blood , Blood & Honey . Her work is included in the anthology Fracture: Essays, Poems, and Stories on Fracking in American and has appeared in the Journal of American Medical Association , Boulevard , Prairie Schooner , and elsewhere.

Grant Tracey author of three novels in the Hayden Fuller Mysteries ; the chapbook Winsome featuring cab driver Eddie Sands; and the story collection Final Stanzas , is fiction editor of the North American Review and an English professor at the University of Northern Iowa, where he teaches film, modern drama, and creative writing. Nominated four times for a Pushcart Prize, he has published nearly fifty short stories and three previous collections. He has acted in over forty community theater productions and has published critical work on Samuel Fuller and James Cagney. He lives in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

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Creative Writing Techniques: 39 Tips for Crafting Compelling Stories (Fully Explained)

By: Author Paul Jenkins

Posted on Published: June 20, 2023 - Last updated: July 10, 2023

Categories Writing

Creative writing is a form of self-expression that allows you to communicate your thoughts, emotions, and ideas uniquely and engagingly. Whether you’re writing a novel, a short story, a poem, or a screenplay, there are many techniques you can use to make your writing more exciting and impactful. These techniques can help you create vivid imagery, develop compelling characters, and convey complex ideas clearly and concisely.

One of the most popular creative writing techniques is the use of metaphors, which compare a characteristic of something unknown to something known. This technique adds fun and personality to your writing and can help you create vivid and memorable descriptions. Another technique is using similes, which make comparisons using “like” or “as.” Similes can be used to create visual images that help readers understand complex ideas or emotions.

Creative writing is a powerful tool that can help you connect with others, explore your thoughts and feelings, and share your unique perspective. By mastering these techniques and experimenting with different styles and forms of writing, you can unlock your full creative potential and create works of art that inspire and entertain others.

Key Takeaways

Creative writing is a form of self-expression that allows you to communicate your thoughts, emotions, and ideas uniquely and engagingly.
Metaphors and similes are popular creative writing techniques that can help you create vivid imagery and convey complex ideas clearly and concisely.
By mastering different styles and forms of writing, you can unlock your full creative potential and create works of art that inspire and entertain others.

1. Metaphors: Compare a Characteristic of Something Unknown to Something Known

Metaphors are a powerful tool in creative writing that can add depth and meaning to your work. They are an analogy that compares a characteristic of something unknown to something known. They help readers understand complex ideas by relating them to something familiar.

Metaphors can describe abstract concepts, emotions, and sensory experiences. For example, you might use a metaphor to describe the feeling of falling in love as “a rollercoaster ride.” This comparison helps readers understand the ups and downs of love by relating it to something they are familiar with.

When using metaphors, it’s important to choose accurate and interesting comparisons. Avoid cliches and overused comparisons, as these can make your writing stale and unoriginal. Instead, try to create unique and unexpected comparisons to surprise and delight your readers.

To create effective metaphors, it’s also important to consider the context of your writing. Think about the tone and mood you want to convey and the themes and ideas you want to explore. You can create a more cohesive and impactful piece by choosing appropriate metaphors for your writing.

2. Similes: Make Comparisons Using ‘Like’ or ‘As’

Similes are figurative language that compare two things using the words ‘like’ or ‘as’. They are often used in creative writing to make descriptions more vivid and interesting. Here are some examples:

The clouds were like fluffy pillows in the sky.
Her hair was as black as coal.
The water shimmered like diamonds in the sunlight.

As you can see, similes help create a picture in the reader’s mind by comparing something familiar to something unfamiliar. This makes your writing more engaging and memorable.

It’s important to choose appropriate comparisons that make sense when using similes. Avoid using cliches or overused comparisons, as they make your writing seem unoriginal. Instead, develop unique and creative similes that capture the essence of what you’re describing.

Here are some tips for using similes effectively in your writing:

Use similes sparingly. While similes can be effective, overusing them can make your writing seem forced or contrived.
Make sure your similes are accurate. Don’t use a simile that doesn’t make sense or is factually incorrect.
Use similes to create a specific mood or tone. For example, you might use a dark or ominous simile to create foreboding in your writing.
Experiment with different types of similes. You can use similes to compare anything from emotions to objects to natural phenomena.

3. Analogies: Draw Parallels Between Two Seemingly Unrelated Things

One of the most effective creative writing techniques is the use of analogies. Analogies allow you to draw parallels between two seemingly unrelated things, which can help your readers understand complex ideas and emotions more easily.

Analogies can be used in many different ways in creative writing. For example, you can use analogies to describe a character’s personality, explain a difficult concept, or add depth and richness to your descriptions.

To create an analogy, start by identifying two things that seem unrelated but share some common qualities. For example, you might compare a person to a tree, noting that both grow and change over time. Or you might compare a difficult situation to a storm, noting that both can be unpredictable and overwhelming.

Once you have identified your two objects, think about the qualities they share and how you can use those qualities to create a comparison. For example, if you compare a person to a tree, you might write something like: “Like a tree, she stood tall and strong, weathering the storms of life with grace and resilience.”

Analogies can be a powerful tool in creative writing, but it’s important to use them sparingly and effectively. Too many analogies can make your writing feel forced or contrived, so choose your comparisons carefully and use them only when they add something meaningful to your work.

4. Imagery: Use Vivid and Descriptive Language to Create Mental Pictures for Readers

Imagery is a powerful tool writers use to create mental pictures in the minds of their readers. Using vivid and descriptive language can transport your readers to different places, times, and emotions. Here are some tips on how to use imagery effectively in your writing:

Use sensory details: Sensory details are descriptions that appeal to the five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. By using sensory details, you can help your readers experience the story in a more immersive way. For example, instead of saying, “The flower looked pretty,” you could say, “The bright red petals of the rose glistened in the sun, emitting a sweet fragrance that filled the air.”
Be specific: The more specific your descriptions, the more vivid the mental picture you create in your readers’ minds. Instead of saying, “The car drove down the street,” you could say, “The sleek, silver sports car zoomed down the winding road, its engine roaring like a lion.”
Use metaphors and similes: Metaphors and similes are comparisons that help readers understand complex ideas by relating them to something familiar. For example, instead of saying, “She was sad,” you could say, “Her heart felt heavy like a stone sinking to the bottom of a lake.”
Use personification: Personification is a literary device that gives human qualities to non-human things. By using personification, you can make your descriptions more engaging and memorable. For example, instead of saying, “The wind blew through the trees,” you could say, “The wind whispered secrets to the leaves, causing them to dance and rustle in the breeze.”

5. Personification: Assign Human Qualities to Non-Human Entities

Personification is a powerful literary device that can add depth and emotion to your writing. It involves assigning human qualities to non-human entities, such as animals, objects, or abstract concepts. Doing this can create a more relatable and engaging story that resonates with your readers.

When using personification, you should carefully choose the right characteristics to assign to your non-human entities. For example, you might describe a tree as “strong and steadfast” to emphasize its resilience or a river as “wild and untamed” to highlight its power and unpredictability. The key is to choose appropriate and meaningful qualities for the story you are trying to tell.

One of the benefits of using personification in your writing is that it can help you create a more vivid and memorable image in your reader’s mind. By giving non-human entities human qualities, you can help your readers understand and connect with them on a deeper level. This can make your story more engaging and enjoyable to read.

However, it’s important to use personification sparingly and appropriately. Overusing this technique can make your writing feel forced or contrived and can distract from the story you are trying to tell. Instead, strategically use personification to enhance your storytelling and create a more powerful emotional impact.

6. Show, Don’t Tell: Describe Actions, Thoughts, and Feelings Rather Than Simply Stating Them

Creative writing is all about immersing your readers in the story and making them feel like they are a part of it. One of the best ways to achieve this is by using the “Show, Don’t Tell” technique. This technique encourages you to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings rather than simply stating them. Doing so can create a more engaging and vivid story that draws readers in and keeps them hooked.

When you “show” rather than “tell,” you allow your readers to experience the story for themselves. Instead of telling them that a character is angry, for example, you can show them by describing how the character clenches their fists, grits their teeth, and scowls. This creates a more vivid image in the reader’s mind, allowing them to empathize with the character and deeply feel their emotions.

To effectively use the “Show, Don’t Tell” technique, it’s important to use descriptive language that appeals to the senses. Use vivid imagery to describe what characters see, hear, smell, taste, and touch. This will help readers feel like they are in the story and allow them to experience it more fully.

Another key aspect of this technique is to use actions to convey emotions. Instead of telling your readers that a character is sad, for example, you can show them by describing how the character slumps their shoulders, avoids eye contact, and speaks quietly. This creates a more powerful emotional impact and makes the story more engaging and interesting.

7. Repetition: Reinforce a Point or Create Emphasis by Repeating Words or Phrases

Repetition is a powerful tool in creative writing that can reinforce a point or create emphasis. Repeating words or phrases can help to drive home a message, create a sense of rhythm, and make your writing more memorable. Here are some ways to use repetition in your writing:

1. Repetition of Words

Repeating a word can be a simple yet effective way to create emphasis. It can be used to highlight a key point or to create a sense of urgency. For example, “You must study, study, study to succeed.” The repetition of “study” emphasizes the importance of studying.

2. Repetition of Phrases

Repeating a phrase can create a sense of rhythm in your writing. It can also reinforce a point or create a memorable image. For example, “The night was dark, dark as coal, dark as the inside of a coffin.” The repetition of “dark” creates a vivid image in the reader’s mind.

3. Repetition of Structure

Repeating a structure can be used to create a sense of order or to emphasize a point. For example, “First, you must study. Then, you must practice. Finally, you must perform.” The repetition of “you must” creates a sense of order and emphasizes the importance of each step.

4. Repetition of Sound

Repeating a sound can be used to create a sense of rhythm or to emphasize a point. For example, “The rain pattered on the roof, splattered on the windows, and chattered on the pavement.” The repetition of the “at” sound creates a sense of rhythm and emphasizes the sound of the rain.

8. Alliteration: Use the Repetition of Consonant Sounds at the Beginning of Words

One creative writing technique that can add a musical quality to your writing is alliteration. Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words close to each other. By using alliteration, you can create a rhythmic and memorable effect that can enhance the overall impact of your writing.

One common use of alliteration is in poetry, where it can help create a certain mood or tone. For example, consider the famous line from Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven”: “Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary.” The repetition of the “w” sound in “weak” and “weary” creates a sense of weariness and melancholy that fits the mood of the poem.

Alliteration can also be used in prose to create emphasis or to draw attention to certain words or phrases. For example, you might use alliteration to highlight the importance of a particular character or object. Consider this sentence: “The shimmering sword sliced through the darkness, sending sparks flying.” The repetition of the “s” sound in “shimmering,” “sword,” and “sparks” draws attention to the sword and its action, making it stand out in the sentence.

When using alliteration, it’s important to avoid overdoing it. Too much alliteration can become distracting or even annoying to the reader. Instead, use alliteration sparingly and strategically, focusing on the words and sounds most impacting your writing.

9. Assonance: Repeat Vowel Sounds Within Words

Assonance is a powerful tool to add rhythm and melody to your writing. It is a literary technique that involves repeating vowel sounds within words. The repetition of these sounds creates a musical effect that can add emphasis, mood, and tone to your writing.

Assonance is not the same as rhyme, which involves repeating the same sound at the end of words. Instead, assonance focuses on repeating vowel sounds within words, regardless of whether the words rhyme. For example, “The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain” is an example of assonance, as the “ai” sound is repeated throughout the sentence.

Assonance can be used in a variety of ways to enhance your writing. Here are a few examples:

Create a musical effect: By repeating vowel sounds, you can create a musical effect that can add rhythm and melody to your writing. This can help your writing flow more smoothly and make it more engaging to read.
Emphasize certain words or phrases: By repeating vowel sounds in certain words or phrases, you can draw attention to them and make them stand out. This can help you emphasize important points or create a mood or tone in your writing.
Add depth and complexity: By using assonance, you can add depth and complexity to your writing. This can help you create more nuanced and layered, more satisfying writing .

10. Onomatopoeia: Use Words That Imitate the Sounds They Represent

You should consider using onomatopoeia to make your writing more vivid and engaging. Onomatopoeia is the use of words that imitate the sounds they represent. This literary device can help you create a more immersive experience for your readers by allowing them to hear the sounds in their minds as they read.

Onomatopoeia can be used in a variety of ways. You can use it to describe nature’s sounds, like birds chirping or leaves rustling. You can also use it to describe the sounds of objects, like the beep of a car horn or the clanging of pots and pans in the kitchen. Onomatopoeia can even be used to describe the sounds of emotions, like the thumping of a heart or the sigh of relief.

One of the advantages of using onomatopoeia is that it can help you create a more sensory experience for your readers. Using words that imitate the sounds they represent, you can help your readers hear the sounds in their minds as they read. This can make your writing more engaging and memorable.

Another advantage of using onomatopoeia is that it can help you create a more realistic and authentic experience for your readers. Using words that imitate the sounds they represent can help your readers feel like they are in the scene with your characters. This can help you create a stronger emotional connection with your readers and make your writing more impactful.

Here are a few examples of onomatopoeia that you can use in your writing:

Sizzle: This word imitates the sound of something cooking on a hot surface, like a steak on a grill.
Buzz: This word imitates the sound of a bee or other insect flying around.
Hiss: This word imitates the sound of air escaping from a tire or a snake slithering through the grass.
Thump: This word imitates the sound of something heavy hitting the ground, like a book falling off a shelf.

11. Anaphora: Repeat the Same Word or Phrase at the Beginning of Successive Clauses

Anaphora is a rhetorical device that can create a powerful effect in your writing. It involves repeating the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences. This repetition can help to emphasize an idea, create a rhythm, and make your writing more memorable.

When you use anaphora, you start each sentence or clause with the same word or phrase. This repetition can help to create a sense of unity and cohesion in your writing. It can also help emphasize a particular point or idea you want to convey to your reader.

Anaphora is often used in speeches and other forms of persuasive writing. For example, Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech is full of examples of anaphora. In this speech, King repeatedly repeats the phrase “I have a dream” to emphasize his vision of a better future.

Using anaphora in your writing can help to create a similar effect. Repeating a word or phrase can create a sense of anticipation in your reader. They will be waiting for the next instance of that word or phrase, which can help to keep them engaged with your writing.

Here are some tips for using anaphora effectively in your writing:

Choose a word or phrase that is important to your message.
Use anaphora sparingly. Too much repetition can become tedious for your reader.
Vary the length and structure of your sentences to keep your writing interesting.
Experiment with different words and phrases to see which ones work best for your message.

12. Epistrophe: Repeat the Same Word or Phrase at the End of Successive Clauses

Epistrophe is a creative writing technique where the writer repeats the same word or phrase at the end of successive clauses or sentences. This technique is also known as epiphora. Epistrophe is used in poetry, speeches, and prose to create emphasis and rhythm.

Epistrophe is similar to anaphora when the writer repeats the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences. The difference between the two is that epistrophe repeats the word or phrase at the end of the sentence, while anaphora repeats it at the beginning.

One famous example of epistrophe is from Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address: “Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” In this example, Lincoln repeats the phrase “of the people, by the people, for the people” at the end of each clause, creating a powerful and memorable effect.

Epistrophe can be used to create a sense of finality or to emphasize a particular point. It can also create a sense of rhythm or musicality in the writing. When using epistrophe, it’s important to choose a word or phrase that is meaningful and impactful, as repetition can quickly become tedious if it’s not used effectively.

13. Anadiplosis: Repeat the Last Word of One Clause at the Beginning of the Next Clause

Anadiplosis is a powerful literary device used in creative writing to create a sense of rhythm and repetition. In Anadiplosis, you repeat the last word of one clause at the beginning of the next clause. This technique is often used to emphasize a particular word or phrase and to create a sense of continuity in the text.

Anadiplosis is commonly used in poetry, speeches, and other forms of creative writing. It is a versatile technique that can be used to create various effects. For example, Anadiplosis can create a sense of urgency or build momentum in a narrative.

Anadiplosis can also create a sense of symmetry or balance in a text. By repeating a word or phrase, you can create a sense of harmony and order in your writing. This technique can be especially effective with literary devices like alliteration or rhyme.

Here are some examples of Anadiplosis in action:

“Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” – Yoda, Star Wars.
“The love of wicked men converts to fear; That fear to hate, and hate turns one or both To worthy danger and deserved death.” – William Shakespeare, Richard II.
“When I give, I give myself.” – Walt Whitman, Song of Myself.

14. Chiasmus: Reverse the Order of Words in Two Parallel Phrases

Chiasmus is a literary device that reverses word order in two parallel phrases. It is a rhetorical device commonly used in literature, speeches, and other forms of creative writing. The word “chiasmus” comes from the Greek word “Kiasmos,” which means “crossing” or “x-shaped.”

Chiasmus is a powerful tool for writers because it can create a sense of balance and symmetry in a sentence. It can also help to emphasize a particular point or idea. By reversing the order of words, writers can create a memorable and impactful phrase that sticks with the reader.

Here are a few examples of chiasmus in action:

“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” – John F. Kennedy
“You forget what you want to remember, and you remember what you want to forget.” – Cormac McCarthy, The Road
“It is not the years in your life but the life in your years that counts.” – Adlai E. Stevenson

Notice how each of these examples has a similar structure. The first phrase sets up an idea, and the second phrase reverses the order of words to create a memorable and impactful statement.

When using chiasmus in your writing, it’s important to ensure that the reversed phrases make sense and flow well. It’s also important to use chiasmus sparingly, as overusing it can make your writing seem contrived or forced.

15. Adnomination: Repeat Words with the Same Root, Differing in One Sound or Letter

Adnomination is a literary device that involves repeating words with the same root but differing in one sound or letter. This technique can create a particular sound and effect in text. It can also be used to describe the repetition of a word but in a different sense. Adnomination is used frequently for emphatic contrast or punning.

Using adnomination can add emphasis and depth to your writing. It can help to create a poetic effect, making your writing more memorable and engaging for your readers. Adnomination can also help to create a sense of rhythm and flow in your writing.

Here are a few examples of adnomination:

“She was the light of his life, the fire in his soul, and the wind in his sails.”
“The city was a maze of streets, alleys, and avenues.”
“The cat sat on the mat, looking fat and happy.”

As you can see from these examples, adnomination can create a sense of repetition and rhythm in your writing. It can also create a sense of contrast or comparison between different words.

When using adnomination in your writing, it’s important to use it sparingly. Overusing this technique can make your writing feel forced and contrived. Instead, try to use adnomination naturally and organically to your writing style.

16. Flashbacks: Reveal Past Events to Provide Context or Deepen Characterization

Flashbacks are a powerful tool that can reveal past events and provide context to your story. By taking the reader back in time, you can deepen the characterization of your protagonist, reveal important backstories, and create a more complex and nuanced narrative.

When using flashbacks, it’s important to be strategic. You don’t want to disrupt the flow of your story or confuse your reader. Here are some tips to help you use flashbacks effectively:

Use flashbacks sparingly. Too many flashbacks can be disorienting and disrupt the flow of your story. Use them only when necessary to provide context or deepen characterization.
Make sure your flashbacks are relevant. Your flashbacks should directly relate to the main story and help move the plot forward.
Use clear transitions. Make it clear to your reader when moving into a flashback and returning to the present. You can use formatting, such as italics or a change in tense, to help differentiate between the two.
Don’t rely on flashbacks to provide exposition. While flashbacks can be a great way to reveal important backstories, they shouldn’t be used as a crutch to provide exposition. Make sure your story is strong enough to stand on its own.

17. Dialogue: Use Conversations Between Characters to Convey Information and Develop Relationships

Dialogue is essential for creative writers to convey information and develop relationships between characters. You can reveal their personalities, motivations, and conflicts by writing conversations between characters. Dialogue can also move the plot forward and create tension in the story.

When writing dialogue, it is important to make it sound natural and believable. People do not always speak in complete sentences and often interrupt each other. Use contractions, slang, and regional dialects to make the dialogue more authentic. However, avoid using too much jargon or technical language that may confuse the reader.

To make the dialogue more engaging, use body language and gestures to show how the characters feel. For example, if a character is nervous, they may fidget or avoid eye contact. They may clench their fists or raise their voice if they are angry. These nonverbal cues can add depth and complexity to the conversation.

When writing dialogue, it is important to remember that every character has a voice and personality. Each character should have a unique way of speaking, with their vocabulary, tone, and syntax. This can help the reader distinguish between characters and make them more memorable.

18. Monologue: Allow a Character to Express Their Thoughts or Feelings in an Extended Speech

Monologues are an effective tool in creative writing that allows characters to express their thoughts or feelings in an extended speech. This technique is often used in theater but can also be used in books, movies, and other mediums. Monologues can be addressed to other characters in the scene, or they can be one character talking to themselves or the audience.

To write a compelling monologue, you must first understand your character’s motivations, fears, and desires. This will help you create a speech that is authentic and believable. You should also consider the setting and tone of the scene. Is the character angry, sad, or happy? Is the scene serious or humorous?

A good monologue will have a clear beginning, middle, and end. It should also be concise and to the point. Avoid rambling or going off on tangents. Use descriptive language and vivid imagery to engage the reader and bring the scene to life.

When writing a monologue, it’s important to remember that it should reveal something about the character. It should provide insight into their personality, beliefs, and values. It should also advance the plot or reveal something important about the story.

19. Symbolism: Use Objects, Characters, or Events to Represent Abstract Ideas or Concepts

Symbolism is a powerful literary device that can add depth and meaning to your writing. It uses objects, characters, or events to represent abstract ideas or concepts. Doing so can create a richer and more complex narrative that engages your readers on multiple levels.

One of the most important things to remember when using symbolism is that the symbol should be closely related to what it represents. A strong symbol usually shares key characteristics with whatever it is meant to symbolize or is related to it in some other way. For example, a dove symbolizes peace because of its gentle nature and association with religious stories.

Characters can also be symbolic. They can represent specific ideas or concepts or embody broader themes or motifs. For example, in “The Great Gatsby,” the character of Jay Gatsby represents the American Dream, while the character of Daisy Buchanan represents the corruption and superficiality of the wealthy elite.

Events can also be symbolic. They can represent larger societal issues or personal struggles. For example, in “To Kill a Mockingbird,” the trial of Tom Robinson represents the racial inequality and injustice prevalent in the American South during the 1930s.

When using symbolism, it’s important to remember that it should enhance your story rather than detract from it. Don’t use symbols just to use them; make sure they serve a purpose and add meaning to your narrative.

20. Irony: Create a Contrast Between What Is Expected and What Actually Occurs

Irony is a useful tool in creative writing that can help you create a contrast between what is expected and what actually occurs. Using irony, you can create a sense of surprise, humor, or even tragedy in your writing. There are three types of irony: verbal, situational, and dramatic.

Verbal Irony

Verbal irony is when a character says one thing but means the opposite. This type of irony is often used for comedic effect. For example, if a character says, “I just love being stuck in traffic for hours,” when they don’t enjoy it, that’s verbal irony.

Situational Irony

Situational irony is when the opposite of what is expected happens. This type of irony can create a sense of surprise or even tragedy. For example, if a firefighter’s house burns down, that’s situational irony.

Dramatic Irony

Dramatic irony is when the audience knows something that the characters do not. This type of irony can create tension and suspense in your writing. For example, if the audience knows that a character is about to be betrayed, but the character does not, that’s dramatic irony.

21. Hyperbole: Use Exaggeration for Emphasis or Effect

When it comes to creative writing, one technique that can be particularly effective is hyperbole. Hyperbole is a figure of speech that exaggerates something for emphasis or effect. Using hyperbole, you can create vivid images, convey strong emotions, and add humor to your writing.

Hyperbole can be used in a variety of ways. For example, you might use it to describe a character in your story. Instead of saying that your protagonist is “tall,” you might exaggerate and say they are “towering over everyone in the room.” This helps to create a stronger image in the reader’s mind and emphasizes the character’s physical presence.

Another way to use hyperbole is to add humor to your writing. For example, you might describe a character’s reaction to a situation exaggeratedly, such as saying they “nearly died of shock” when they received unexpected news. This can add a lighthearted touch to your writing and make it more engaging for readers.

When using hyperbole, it’s important to balance exaggeration and believability. While hyperbole is meant to be an exaggeration, it shouldn’t be so extreme that it becomes unbelievable or ridiculous. It’s also important to use hyperbole sparingly, as too much can make your writing feel over-the-top and tiresome.

22. Understatement: Minimize the Importance of Something for Emphasis or Humor

Understatement is a creative writing technique that involves intentionally representing something as less significant than it is. It is the opposite of hyperbole, which exaggerates the importance of something. Understatement is used to downplay the value or importance of something, often to create emphasis or humor.

Using understatement can be an effective way to make a point without being too direct or confrontational. It can also create a sense of irony or humor in your writing. For example, if you are writing a story about a character who has just won the lottery, you might use understatement to describe their reaction to the news. Instead of saying they were ecstatic, you could say they were “moderately pleased” or “mildly surprised.”

One of the benefits of using understatement is that it can create a sense of humility in your writing. It can show that you know the limitations of your knowledge or perspective. For example, if you write an opinion piece on a controversial topic, you might use understatement to acknowledge other valid viewpoints. You could say, “While it is true that some people believe X, others might argue Y.”

Another benefit of understatement is that it can create a sense of surprise or shock in your writing. By downplaying the importance of something, you can create a sudden shift in tone that catches the reader off guard. For example, if you are writing a horror story, you might use understatement to describe a gruesome scene. Instead of describing the blood and gore in graphic detail, you might say “there was a small amount of blood on the floor.”

23. Juxtaposition: Place Contrasting Elements Side by Side to Highlight Their Differences

Juxtaposition is a powerful tool in creative writing that involves placing two contrasting elements side by side to highlight their differences. This technique can create tension, irony, humor, or convey social or political commentary. By juxtaposing, you can draw attention to the differences between the two elements and create a more vivid and compelling narrative.

Juxtaposition can be used in various ways in creative writing. For example, you can use it to compare and contrast characters, settings, themes, or ideas. This technique can effectively highlight the differences between two characters or settings and create a sense of conflict or tension.

Another way to use juxtaposition is to create irony. By placing two seemingly unrelated elements, you can create a sense of irony that can be both humorous and thought-provoking.

For example, in George Orwell’s Animal Farm, the pigs who lead the revolution and establish a new social order are eventually revealed to be just as corrupt and oppressive as the humans they overthrew. This juxtaposition creates a powerful irony and underscores the novel’s social and political commentary.

Juxtaposition can also be used to create mood and atmosphere. By placing two contrasting elements side by side, you can create a sense of tension or unease that can add depth and complexity to your writing.

For example, in Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Masque of the Red Death,” the opulent and decadent party that the protagonist attends is juxtaposed with the looming presence of the Red Death, creating a sense of dread and foreboding that adds to the story’s horror and suspense.

24. Parallelism: Use Similar Grammatical Structures to Create Balance and Rhythm

Parallelism is a writing technique that uses similar grammatical structures to create balance and rhythm within a sentence. Using parallelism, you repeat a specific grammatical pattern throughout a sentence or paragraph. This repetition creates a sense of rhythm and balance, making your writing more engaging and memorable.

Parallelism can be used in many different ways, including:

Creating lists: When you list items in your writing, you can use parallelism to make the list more readable and memorable. For example: “She loved to dance, sing, and act.”
Emphasizing important points: Parallelism can be used to emphasize important ideas or concepts in your writing. For example: “You must work hard, study diligently, and never give up if you want to succeed.”
Comparing and contrasting: Parallelism can also be used to compare and contrast ideas in your writing. For example: “He was both kind and cruel, generous and selfish, all at the same time.”

When using parallelism, it’s important to ensure that your repeating structures are truly parallel. This means that they should have the same grammatical form and structure. For example, if you use parallelism to create a list, each item should be structured similarly. This will make your writing more clear and compelling.

In addition to creating balance and rhythm, parallelism can help you convey your ideas more effectively. Repeating a specific grammatical pattern can draw attention to important ideas and make them more memorable. This can be especially useful when trying to persuade or convince your readers.

25. Oxymoron: Combine Contradictory Terms to Create a Striking Effect

An oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines two contradictory terms to create a striking effect. This literary device is often used in creative writing to add depth and complexity to a text. Oxymorons can create a sense of irony or humor or emphasize a point.

Oxymorons consist of two words that have opposite meanings. For example, “bittersweet,” “jumbo shrimp,” and “living dead” are all examples of oxymorons. These terms may seem contradictory, but when used together, they create a unique and memorable image in the reader’s mind.

When using oxymorons in your writing, it’s important to consider the context in which they are used. An oxymoron can be used to create a sense of irony or humor, but it can also be used to emphasize a point. For example, “cruel kindness” can highlight the negative impact of well-intentioned actions.

Oxymorons can also be used to create memorable and impactful descriptions. For example, the phrase “silent scream” creates a vivid image of a person expressing intense emotion without making a sound. Similarly, the phrase “dark light” can describe a situation where light and darkness are present.

26. Paradox: Present a Seemingly Contradictory Statement That Reveals a Deeper Truth

Paradox is a literary device that involves presenting a statement that appears contradictory but, upon further examination, reveals a deeper truth or meaning. It’s a powerful technique that can add depth and complexity to your writing.

One classic example of a paradox is the statement, “Less is more.” At first glance, this statement seems to contradict itself. How can less be more? But upon closer inspection, we can see that the statement reveals a more profound truth: that sometimes, simplicity is more effective than complexity.

Another example of a paradox is the statement, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” This statement appears contradictory because how can someone who is also an enemy be considered a friend? But upon closer examination, we can see that this statement reveals a deeper truth: sometimes, people with a common enemy can work together towards a common goal.

Paradoxes can be used in a variety of ways in creative writing. They can add depth and complexity to characters, reveal hidden meanings and truths, and create a sense of mystery and intrigue. When using paradoxes in your writing, it’s vital to ensure they are relevant to the story and add value to the reader’s understanding.

To create a paradox, consider the theme or message you want to convey in your writing. Think about how you can present a statement that appears contradictory but reveals a deeper truth. Consider using contrasting words or phrases, such as “love and hate” or “life and death,” to create a sense of tension and intrigue.

27. Pun: Use a Play on Words for Humor or Emphasis

Puns are a popular literary device that can add humor and emphasis to your writing. A pun is a play on words involving words with similar sounds but different meanings. Puns can be used for comedic effect, to create irony, or to add depth to your writing.

To use a pun in your writing, you need to identify words or phrases that have multiple meanings or that sound similar to other words. For example, you could use a pun by saying, “I’m reading a book on anti-gravity. It’s impossible to put down!” This pun relies on the double meaning of “put down,” which can mean physically placing something down and losing interest.

Puns can also be used to create irony or to add depth to your writing. For example, you could use a pun in a serious piece of writing to draw attention to a particular point. This can be an effective way to add emphasis to your message without being too heavy-handed.

When using puns, it’s important not to overdo them. Too many puns can be distracting and can take away from the overall message of your writing. Instead, use puns sparingly and strategically to add humor or emphasis where needed.

28. Foreshadowing: Hint at Future Events in the Story

Foreshadowing is a literary technique that hints at future events in a story. It is a powerful tool that builds suspense, creates tension, and keeps readers engaged. By foreshadowing, you can prepare your readers for what’s to come and make the story more satisfying when the events finally unfold.

There are several ways to use foreshadowing in your writing. One common method is to use symbolism. For example, you might use a recurring image or object to hint at something that will happen later in the story. This can help create a sense of continuity and add depth to your writing.

Another way to use foreshadowing is through dialogue. You can use your characters’ conversations to hint at future events or big reveals. This can be a joke, an offhand comment, or even something unsaid that adds personality to your characters while planting the seed for later revelations.

Foreshadowing can also be used to create dramatic irony. This is when the reader knows something that the characters do not, which can create tension and anticipation. For example, if a character is planning a surprise party, but the reader knows that the guest of honor hates surprises, the reader will be on the edge of their seat waiting for the reveal.

When using foreshadowing, it’s essential to strike a balance. You don’t want to give away too much information too soon, but you also don’t want to be so subtle that your readers miss the hints altogether. It’s a delicate dance, but foreshadowing can be a powerful tool in your creative writing toolbox.

29. Euphemism: Use a Mild or Indirect Expression to Replace a Harsh or Blunt One

In creative writing, euphemism is a technique used to substitute a harsh or blunt expression with a mild or indirect one. It helps to convey a message without being offensive or unpleasant. Euphemism is often used in literature to add depth and subtlety to a character’s dialogue or to describe sensitive subjects.

For example, instead of saying, “he died,” a writer might use the euphemism “he passed away,” which conveys the same meaning but more gently and respectfully. Similarly, instead of saying, “She’s fat,” a writer might use the euphemism “She’s curvy” or “She’s full-figured,” which are less harsh and more positive.

Euphemism can also be used to create irony or humor. For instance, in George Orwell’s novel “Animal Farm,” the pigs use euphemisms to manipulate the other animals and justify their actions. They refer to stealing food as the “readjustment of rations” and executions as “sending to the knacker.”

However, it’s important to use euphemisms carefully and appropriately. Overuse can make writing sound insincere or cliché. It’s also important to consider the context and audience. What may be an appropriate euphemism in one situation may not be in another.

30. Stream of Consciousness: Write from the Perspective of a Character’s Thoughts and Feelings

Stream of consciousness is a writing technique that captures the natural flow of a character’s extended thought process. This technique is often used to convey the character’s thoughts and feelings realistically, and it can be a powerful tool for immersing the reader in the story.

To write from the perspective of a character’s thoughts and feelings using the stream-of-consciousness technique, you need to incorporate sensory impressions, vague ideas, unusual syntax, and rough grammar. Your writing may not flow logically, but it will be more authentic and reflect the character’s inner world.

One way to get started with stream-of-consciousness writing is to imagine that you are the character and try to write down everything that comes to mind. Don’t worry about grammar or punctuation at first; focus on capturing the character’s thoughts and feelings as they come. You can always go back and edit later.

Another technique is to use a prompt or trigger to get the character’s thoughts flowing. For example, you could write about a specific event or memory important to the character or use a sensory detail like a smell or sound to evoke a particular emotion.

Remember that stream-of-consciousness writing can be challenging for readers who are used to more traditional storytelling techniques. To make your writing more accessible, you can use formatting tools like italics or bold text to indicate when the character is thinking versus speaking or paragraph breaks to signal a shift in the character’s thoughts.

31, Epistolary: Tell a Story Through Letters, Diary Entries, or Other Documents

Epistolary writing is a technique that involves telling a story through letters, diary entries, or other documents. This technique can create a sense of intimacy between the reader and the characters and provide a unique perspective on the story.

To write an epistolary story, you should first develop a narrative arc. This means you should clearly understand your story’s beginning, middle, and end before you start writing. Once you have this in mind, you can start thinking about the letters or other documents that will make up your story.

One of the advantages of epistolary writing is that it allows you to create a sense of immediacy and intimacy that is difficult to achieve with other techniques. By using letters or diary entries , you can give the reader a direct insight into the thoughts and feelings of your characters. This can be particularly effective if you write a story dealing with complex emotions or relationships.

Another advantage of epistolary writing is that it allows you to experiment with different voices and styles. Because a different character writes each letter or diary entry, you can use this technique to create a sense of diversity and variety in your story. This can be particularly effective if you are writing a story that deals with multiple perspectives or points of view.

32. Magic Realism: Blend Elements of the Fantastical with the Everyday

Magic realism is a literary genre that combines fantastical elements with the everyday. It is a unique and fascinating technique that allows writers to create a world that is both familiar and strange, where magical and supernatural events are presented as a regular part of everyday life.

In magic realism, the fantastic is not presented as something extraordinary or unknown but as a part of the world. This creates a sense of wonder, enchantment, and connection to the world around us.

To write in the magic realism genre, you need to blend the fantastical with the everyday seamlessly and believably. This can be achieved by using a variety of techniques, such as:

Subtle Magic: In magic realism, magic is often presented subtly , with small, everyday events taking on a magical quality. For example, a character might be able to see the future, or a tree might have the power to heal the sick.
Symbolism and Metaphor: Magic realism often uses symbolism and metaphor to convey its message. For example, a character might be represented by an animal, or a magical event might represent a larger theme or idea.
Mixing Genres: Magic realism often blends different genres, such as fantasy, horror, and romance, to create a unique and compelling story.
Magical Realism vs. Fantasy: It is important to note that magical realism differs from fantasy. In fantasy, the magical elements are presented as something separate from the real world, while in magic realism, they are presented as an integral part of it.

33. Anthropomorphism: Give Human Traits to Animals or Objects

Anthropomorphism is a literary device attributing human traits to non-human things, such as animals or objects. This technique can add depth and complexity to your writing, allowing you to explore human emotions and experiences through the lens of non-human characters.

When using anthropomorphism, it’s important to balance realism and fantasy. While you want your non-human characters to be relatable and engaging, you also want them to be believable within the context of your story. Consider the following tips when incorporating anthropomorphism into your writing:

Use specific details to create a vivid and realistic portrayal of your non-human characters. Think about their physical appearance, mannerisms, and behaviors and how they might differ from those of humans.
Avoid relying too heavily on stereotypes or clichés when creating your non-human characters. Instead, draw on real-life observations and experiences to create unique and nuanced personalities.
Consider the implications of giving human traits to non-human characters. How might this affect the themes and messages of your story? What commentary might you be making on human nature and society?

34. Allegory: Use a Story or Characters to Represent Abstract Ideas or Moral Lessons

Allegory is a powerful technique in creative writing that allows you to convey complex or abstract ideas through characters, events, or symbols. An allegory is a narrative in which the characters and events represent abstract ideas or moral lessons. This literary device is often used to convey political or social commentary or to explore philosophical or religious themes.

The use of symbolism is key to creating a compelling allegory. Symbols are objects, characters, or events that represent something beyond their literal meaning. When used in an allegory, symbols can represent abstract concepts or ideas in a way that is more accessible to the reader.

For example, George Orwell’s Animal Farm is an allegory in which the animals represent different factions of society, and the story’s events represent the Russian Revolution and the rise of Stalinism. Using animal characters and events that mirror real-world historical events allows the reader to connect with the story deeper and understand the underlying message.

Allegories can be used to explore a wide range of themes and ideas, from political and social commentary to personal growth and spiritual enlightenment. Some common themes explored through allegory include the struggle between good and evil, the nature of humanity, the search for truth and meaning, and the consequences of greed and corruption.

35. In Medias Res: Begin the Story in the Middle of the Action

One of the most effective ways to hook your readers is to start your story in media res, Latin for “in the middle of things.” This technique involves beginning your story during action rather than with exposition or background information. By plunging your readers into the middle of the story, you can immediately capture their attention and keep them engaged.

To use in media res effectively, you need to start with a scene that is both interesting and relevant to the story. This scene should raise questions in the reader’s mind and create a sense of urgency. For example, you might start a mystery novel with the detective already on the killer’s trail or a romance novel with the couple amid a heated argument.

One advantage of starting in media res is that it allows you to avoid the pitfalls of exposition. You can reveal this information through action and dialogue rather than telling your readers about the characters and their backgrounds. This not only makes your story more engaging but also helps to create a more immersive reading experience.

However, it’s important to remember that in media res is not appropriate for every story. If your story requires a lot of exposition or background information, starting in media res may confuse your readers and make it difficult for them to follow the plot. Additionally, if you start your story too far into the action, you may miss important opportunities to establish character and setting.

36. Frame Narrative: Use a Story Within a Story to Provide Context or Commentary

A frame narrative, also known as a frame story or framing device, is a literary technique that uses a story within a story to provide context or commentary. It is a powerful tool for writers who want to tell a complex story with multiple layers of meaning. Using a frame narrative, you can create a rich, immersive world that draws readers in and keeps them engaged.

In a frame narrative, the outer story serves as a frame or container for the inner story. The outer story provides context and commentary on the inner story, and the inner story provides depth and complexity to the outer story. This technique can create various effects, from suspense and mystery to humor and satire.

One of the most famous examples of a frame narrative is “The Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer. In this work, a group of pilgrims travels to Canterbury and decides to pass the time by telling stories. Each pilgrim tells a story, resulting in a collection of stories within a story. This technique allows Chaucer to explore various themes and ideas, from love and marriage to religion and politics.

Another example of a frame narrative is “One Thousand and One Nights,” also known as the Arabian Nights. This work is a collection of Middle Eastern and South Asian stories and folk tales compiled in Arabic during the Islamic Golden Age. The frame story is about a Persian king who marries a new bride every day and executes her the next morning.

To avoid this fate, the clever Scheherazade tells the king a story every night but leaves it unfinished, promising to finish it the next night. This goes on for 1,001 nights, and by the end, the king has fallen in love with Scheherazade and spares her life.

37. Unreliable Narrator: Use a Narrator Whose Credibility Is in Question

When it comes to creative writing, one technique that can be used to add depth and complexity to a story is the use of an unreliable narrator. An unreliable narrator is a character who tells the story but whose credibility is in question. This can be achieved through deliberate deception or unintentional misguidedness, forcing the reader to question the narrator’s reliability.

Using an unreliable narrator can add intrigue to a story, as the reader is forced to question the truthfulness of what they are being told. This can create a sense of tension and uncertainty that can keep the reader engaged throughout the story. Additionally, an unreliable narrator can explore themes of perception, truth, and memory as the reader is forced to consider what is real and imagined.

There are several ways to create an unreliable narrator in your writing. One way is to use a first-person point of view, as this allows the reader to see the story through the eyes of the narrator. This can make it easier to create a sense of intimacy with the character but also make it harder to trust their version of events.

Another way to create an unreliable narrator is to use a mentally unstable or emotionally compromised character. This can make it harder for the reader to separate truth from fiction, as the character’s perception of reality may be skewed. Villains, insane people, fools, liars, or hypocrites can all be examples of unreliable narrators.

38. Multiple Narrators: Tell the Story from the Perspectives of Different Characters

If you want to add depth and complexity to your story, consider using multiple narrators. This technique allows you to tell the story from different characters’ perspectives, providing a more nuanced view of the events and allowing the reader to see the story from different angles.

To use multiple narrators effectively, it’s important to choose characters whose perspectives are compelling and distinct. You want to avoid confusing the reader, so make sure each character has a distinct voice and point of view. Consider the following tips:

Choose characters who have different backgrounds, experiences, and goals. This will allow you to explore different aspects of the story and add complexity to the plot .
Use chapter headings or other markers to indicate when the perspective is changing. This will help the reader track who narrates the story and prevent confusion.
Be consistent with the point of view. If you use first-person narration for one character, stick with that for the entire chapter or section. This will help maintain consistency and clarity.
Use multiple narrators to reveal different aspects of the story. For example, one character might have access to information that the others do not, or they might interpret events differently based on their own experiences and biases.

39. Cliffhanger: End a Chapter or Scene with Suspense to Keep Readers Engaged

One of the most effective techniques to keep readers engaged is to end a chapter or scene with a cliffhanger. A cliffhanger is a writing device that creates suspense and leaves the reader wanting more. It can be a sudden twist in the plot, a revelation, or a question left unanswered.

You must build tension and anticipation throughout the chapter or scene to create a cliffhanger. You can do this by introducing a problem or challenge the protagonist must overcome. As tension builds, you can escalate the stakes and introduce new obstacles that complicate the situation.

When you reach the end of the chapter or scene, you should leave the reader with a sense of uncertainty or anticipation. You can do this by ending with a question, a revelation, or a sudden twist in the plot. The key is creating a sense of urgency that makes the reader want to turn the page and discover what happens next.

Here are some tips for creating effective cliffhangers:

Keep it short and sweet: A cliffhanger should be no more than a few sentences long. It should be concise and to the point, leaving the reader with a clear sense of what is at stake.
Use strong verbs: To create a sense of urgency, use strong verbs that convey action and movement. Avoid weak or passive language that slows down the pace of the story.
Leave the reader with a question: A cliffhanger should leave the reader with a question that needs to be answered. This can be a question about the plot, the characters, or the setting.
Escalate the stakes: As the tension builds, you should escalate the stakes and make the situation more difficult for the protagonist. This will create a sense of urgency and keep the reader engaged.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some common creative writing techniques used in literature.

Many creative writing techniques are used in literature, but some of the most common ones include imagery, symbolism, foreshadowing, and flashbacks.

Imagery uses vivid descriptions and sensory details to create a mental picture in the reader’s mind. Symbolism represents abstract ideas or concepts using objects, characters, or actions. Foreshadowing uses hints or clues to suggest what will happen later in the story. Flashbacks are scenes that occur in the past and are used to provide background information or reveal something important about a character or event.

How can descriptive writing techniques be used to enhance storytelling?

Descriptive writing techniques can enhance storytelling by creating a vivid and immersive experience for the reader. By using sensory details such as sights, sounds, smells, and textures, you can transport your reader to the world you’ve created and make them feel like they’re a part of the story. Descriptive writing can also create mood and atmosphere, reveal character traits, and set the tone for the story.

What are some examples of persuasive writing techniques?

Persuasive writing techniques convince the reader to take a particular action or adopt a particular point of view. Some standard techniques include emotional appeals, such as fear or desire, to get the reader to act. Another technique is using logic and reasoning to present a strong argument for your point of view. You can also use rhetorical questions, repetition, and other persuasive devices to make your argument more compelling.

How can identifying different writing techniques improve my writing?

Identifying different writing techniques can improve your writing by giving you a better understanding of how to use them effectively. By studying the techniques used by other writers, you can learn how to create more engaging characters, build tension and suspense, and create a more immersive world for your readers. You can also learn different techniques to achieve different effects, such as creating a sense of mystery or building empathy for your characters.

What are some of the most important elements when using creative writing techniques?

When using creative writing techniques, it’s important to consider the audience you’re writing for, the genre you’re writing in, and the purpose of your writing. It would help if you also considered the tone and style of your writing and the pacing and structure of your story. It’s important to use techniques appropriate for your story and help you achieve your desired effect.

What are some examples of different types of creative writing beyond fiction and poetry?

Creative writing encompasses various genres and styles, including memoirs, personal essays, screenplays, and even video game scripts. Some writers also use creative writing techniques in non-fiction, such as journalism and academic writing. The key to using creative writing techniques effectively is to adapt them to the specific genre and style of writing you’re working in.

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#3 Abigail Airuedomwinya

22418 points

#4 Graham Kinross

14494 points

#5 Scout Tahoe

13196 points

#6 Chris Campbell

11205 points

#7 Thom With An H

10610 points

#8 Rayhan Hidayat

10212 points

#9 Michał Przywara

9886 points

#10 Deborah Mercer

9610 points

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Creative Writing Prompts

When the idea to start a weekly newsletter with writing inspiration first came to us, we decided that we wanted to do more than provide people with topics to write about. We wanted to try and help authors form a regular writing habit and also give them a place to proudly display their work. So we started the weekly Creative Writing Prompts newsletter. Since then, Prompts has grown to a community of more than 450,000 authors, complete with its own literary magazine, Prompted .

Here's how our contest works: every Friday, we send out a newsletter containing five creative writing prompts. Each week, the story ideas center around a different theme. Authors then have one week — until the following Friday — to submit a short story based on one of our prompts. A winner is picked each week to win $250 and is highlighted on our Reedsy Prompts page.

Interested in participating in our short story contest? Sign up here for more information! Or you can check out our full Terms of Use and our FAQ page .

Why we love creative writing prompts

If you've ever sat in front of a computer or notebook and felt the urge to start creating worlds, characters, and storylines — all the while finding yourself unable to do so — then you've met the author's age-old foe: writer's block. There's nothing more frustrating than finding the time but not the words to be creative. Enter our directory! If you're ready to kick writer's block to the curb and finally get started on your short story or novel, these unique story ideas might just be your ticket.

This list of 1800+ creative writing prompts has been created by the Reedsy team to help you develop a rock-solid writing routine. As all aspiring authors know, this is the #1 challenge — and solution! — for reaching your literary goals. Feel free to filter through different genres, which include...

Dramatic — If you want to make people laugh and cry within the same story, this might be your genre.

Funny — Whether satire or slapstick, this is an opportunity to write with your funny bone.

Romance — One of the most popular commercial genres out there. Check out these story ideas out if you love writing about love.

Fantasy — The beauty of this genre is that the possibilities are as endless as your imagination.

Dystopian – Explore the shadowy side of human nature and contemporary technology in dark speculative fiction.

Mystery — From whodunnits to cozy mysteries, it's time to bring out your inner detective.

Thriller and Suspense — There's nothing like a page-turner that elicits a gasp of surprise at the end.

High School — Encourage teens to let their imaginations run free.

Want to submit your own story ideas to help inspire fellow writers? Send them to us here.

After you find the perfect story idea

Finding inspiration is just one piece of the puzzle. Next, you need to refine your craft skills — and then display them to the world. We've worked hard to create resources that help you do just that! Check them out:

How to Write a Short Story That Gets Published — a free, ten-day course by Laura Mae Isaacman, a full-time editor who runs a book editing company in Brooklyn.
Best Literary Magazines of 2023 — a directory of 100+ reputable magazines that accept unsolicited submissions.
Writing Contests in 2023 — the finest contests of 2021 for fiction and non-fiction authors of short stories, poetry, essays, and more.

Beyond creative writing prompts: how to build a writing routine

While writing prompts are a great tactic to spark your creative sessions, a writer generally needs a couple more tools in their toolbelt when it comes to developing a rock-solid writing routine . To that end, here are a few more additional tips for incorporating your craft into your everyday life.

NNWT. Or, as book coach Kevin Johns calls it , “Non-Negotiable Writing Time.” This time should be scheduled into your routine, whether that’s once a day or once a week. Treat it as a serious commitment, and don’t schedule anything else during your NNWT unless it’s absolutely necessary.
Set word count goals. And make them realistic! Don’t start out with lofty goals you’re unlikely to achieve. Give some thought to how many words you think you can write a week, and start there. If you find you’re hitting your weekly or daily goals easily, keep upping the stakes as your craft time becomes more ingrained in your routine.
Talk to friends and family about the project you’re working on. Doing so means that those close to you are likely to check in about the status of your piece — which in turn keeps you more accountable.

Arm yourself against writer’s block. Writer’s block will inevitably come, no matter how much story ideas initially inspire you. So it’s best to be prepared with tips and tricks you can use to keep yourself on track before the block hits. You can find 20 solid tips here — including how to establish a relationship with your inner critic and apps that can help you defeat procrastination or lack of motivation.

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Creative Writing Ultimate Guide

POSTED ON Dec 28, 2022

Written by Gloria Russell

I don’t know about you, but when I start learning a new skill, I want to know everything about it right away. How do I get started? What do I need to get started? How could this new skill transform my life?

Being an incessant researcher of new pastimes, I love a good master post. So, I’ve made one today for one of my favorite things in the world: creative writing .

I wrote this for people who are just getting into creative writing, but even if you’ve been writing for a while, stay tuned—some of the tricks and resources in this post will be helpful for you, too.

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What is creative writing?

Creative writing examples, how to start creative writing, creative writing prompts, creative writing jobs, creative writing degrees, online creative writing courses.

Creative writing is imaginative writing. It’s meant to entertain its readers and get some emotional response from them. You’ll note that I said imaginative , but I didn’t say fictional writing, because while fiction is a subcategory of creative writing, it doesn’t define creative writing. All fiction is creative writing, but not all creative writing is fiction.

While technical, legal, or academic writing might be focused on conveying information in the most efficient and clear manner possible, the goal of creative writing is slightly different. You still want to communicate effectively and clearly, but you also want to put some pep in there. Creative writing uses tools like metaphor and imagery to evoke an image, emotion, or both from the reader.

Another way to look at it: if you were to say what makes creative writing distinct as a form, you could say it’s the artsy one.

Creative writing covers more than just fiction, or even just novels . Here’s a quick rundown of some types of creative writing you might encounter.

Novels (which fall under the ‘fiction’ umbrella) are a type of creative writing where the reader follows a character or characters through a plot. A novel might be a standalone, or it might be part of a series.

Example: Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler

2. Short Stories

Short stories (which also fall under the ‘fiction’ umbrella) follow a character through a plot, like you’d see in a novel, but short stories are, well, shorter. Generally, short stories run between 1,000 and 10,000 words, with works under 1,000 words falling under the subcategory ‘flash fiction.’

Example: The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Poetry is a form of writing which focuses heavily on imagery, metaphor, symbolism, and other figurative tools. It also involves a lot of technical work with form; meter and rhythm are commonly used to enhance meaning. You can generally tell what poems are by looking at them, since they’re usually divided into groups of lines (stanzas) instead of paragraphs, like you might see in other forms of creative writing.

Example: Little Beast by Richard Siken

Related: Where to Publish Poetry

Plays are written for the stage. They include stage direction, brief scene descriptions, and character dialogue, but there’s often not a lot of prose. Plays are intended to be watched by an audience instead of read, so whatever prose exists, it is intended for the people participating in the play.

Example: Hamlet by Shakespeare

Songs are similar to poetry in terms of their structure and use of figurative language, but songs are meant to be performed. People don’t generally read song lyrics without listening to it, and the instrumentation and production often enhance the meaning of a song. Songwriters also use music theory to play with meaning—at a basic level, for example, minor chords generally convey sadness, while major chords generally convey happiness.

Example: Let it Be by the Beatles

6. Memoirs & Personal Essays

Memoirs and personal essays are a form of creative writing where an author draws on their real lived experience to create a narrative. Memoir specifically sometimes plays with chronological order and specific technical fact in favor of symbolic resonance—the author is getting at an emotional truth rather than a literal or objective truth.

Example: Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris

7. Journaling

Not everyone uses journaling as a creative writing exercise—some people want to log their daily activities and be done with it—but if you’ve ever poured your heart out about a breakup to the nonjudgmental pages of a notebook, you’ve probably already done some creative writing!

Want to find more examples? I wrote on this topic for another site, and it includes even more examples of creative writing for you to try.

Now that you know what creative writing looks like, let’s talk about how to get started, even if you’ve never practiced creative writing before.

1. Try stuff on until something fits

Take a look at the list above (or do a Google search for ‘types of creative writing’ and see if there’s anything else you might be interested in—I won’t be offended) and pick one that seems fun. If you want to try, for example, a screenplay, but you’re not sure how to write one, read a bunch. Get a feel for how they work.

Maybe you do that and decide you don't want to write screenplays after all. Okay! Try short stories. Try poetry. Try songwriting. Practicing different forms will make you a more well-rounded writer in the long run, and you might be surprised at what resonates with you.

2. Practice, practice, practice

Once you’ve found a form or a few forms that suit you, your job as a newbie is simple: practice. Write whatever you want as often as you can and, if possible, for your eyes only. Create a relationship between yourself and your craft.

Some say you should start with short stories before jumping into novels so you can practice completing narrative arcs. That might work great! But if you hate writing short stories, just practice with writing novels.

If you have an idea that feels a little too advanced for you, that’s probably what you should be working on, since it’ll teach you a lot about the craft along the way. Don’t be intimidated, and don’t worry about anyone else’s opinions (this includes any fretting about publishing). Your singular goal here is to create, and your secondary goal is to challenge yourself.

3. Join some kind of writerly group

But hold on, you might be thinking. How do I know I’m not getting worse the more I practice? How do I know I’m not just churning out garbage?

At some point, especially if your goal is to publish , you’ll want feedback on your work. And while it’s important to have the support of your loved ones, it’s also important to get feedback from other writers.

I do not recommend sending your very first manuscript to an editor or well-established writer for feedback—their feedback, generally aimed at moderate to advanced writers, is probably going to devastate you at the fledgling stage. I do recommend finding other writers at approximately your skill level to bounce ideas off of and exchange critiques. These other writers can be found online or at local writing circles—check your local public library for creative writing workshops.

Have you picked out a form of creative writing to try, but you just can’t come up with any ideas? Try using a creative writing prompt to get those creative gears turning. These are totally for you to use however is most helpful: use the prompt as-is, tweak it a little, whatever works.

Prompts are a great way to explore different types of tones in writing and hone your own personal style as an author!

Use this FREE tool: Writing Prompts Generator

Looking to make some money with your creative writing endeavors? Here’s a few options to kickstart your job search:

Ghostwriting

As a ghostwriter, your job is to write the story your client assigns you . This might be a fictional novel, or it might be a memoir. The client often has specific requests for content, length, and so on. The catch? Your name is not on the book. You’re not allowed to say that you wrote it—the client’s name or pen name usually goes on the author line. You can find ghostwriting gigs on sites like Upwork or Fiverr.

Marketing does involve some technical elements like copywriting, but creative writers have a place in marketing, too. Brands need catchy slogans, funny commercials, and even social media gurus to run entertaining Twitter accounts. For more ideas on how to market your upcoming book , check out our post on the topic.

Columnist/Blog Writer

You can also look for work as an op-ed columnist or blog writer. This might be something you do for an existing website, or it might be a blog you start from scratch on Wix, SquareSpace, or Tumblr.

You might have heard of people getting creative writing degrees, or at least you might have heard some of the discourse surrounding these degrees. Off the bat, I want to say that you don’t need a creative writing degree to be a writer. It doesn’t make you a ‘real’ writer, and it doesn’t indicate your seriousness toward the craft.

If you do want to get a creative writing degree, though, you’re looking (broadly) at two options:

Undergraduate writing programs

This is your BFA in creative writing. Not all colleges offer them—many (like my alma mater) offer a creative writing concentration or focus as part of an English degree. So you might graduate, hypothetically, for example, with a degree in English with a concentration in creative writing. Some colleges don’t offer a major, but they do offer minors.

Check to see what sorts of courses your college or prospective college offers. Do you have to be an English major to take their creative writing course? Does their creative writing course offer guidance in the type of creative writing you want to pursue? For example, my alma mater offered a creative writing concentration with two tracks, one for fiction and one for poetry. There was also a separate film studies concentration for aspiring screenplay writers and film students.

Graduate writing programs (a.k.a., the MFA)

MFA programs can be extremely competitive and prohibitively expensive, not to mention that you’re obviously not guaranteed to come out of them a better writer. They can be a great tool, but they’re not a necessary one. Look at it this way: are you willing to get this MFA if it means you might come out of it without a successfully published novel? If so, proceed.

If you want to pursue an MFA, do your research. Don’t go straight for the Iowa Writers Workshop application page and hope for the best—investigate the universities that look appealing to you, see if your interests align with theirs, and make that application fee count.

Going to college isn’t the only way to take classes on creative writing! If you’re looking for more cost-friendly options, the Internet is your friend. I’ve linked to a few places loaded with creative writing courses to get you started.

1. Intelligent.com: The Best 10 Online Creative Writing Courses

2. Coursera: Best Creative Writing Courses and Certifications

3. Self-Publishing School: Best Self-Publishing Courses

4. Our Programs: Fiction Write Your Book Program

Are you ready to try an online creative writing course? Are you ready to start some creative writing prompts? Or, are you think you're ready to go for a full creative writing project of your own? Here is a resource to help you get started:

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Creativity Techniques

26+ Creative Writing Tips for Young Writers

So you want to be a writer? And not just any writer, you want to be a creative writer. The road to being a legendary storyteller won’t be easy, but with our creative writing tips for kids, you’ll be on the right track! Creative writing isn’t just about writing stories. You could write poems, graphic novels, song lyrics and even movie scripts. But there is one thing you’ll need and that is good creative writing skills.

Here are over 26 tips to improve your creative writing skills :

Read a wide range of books

When it comes to creative writing, reading is essential. Reading allows you to explore the styles of other writers and gain inspiration to improve your own writing. But don’t just limit yourself to reading only popular books or your favourites. Read all sorts of books, everything from fairytales to scary stories. Take a look at comics, short stories, novels and poetry. Just fill your heads with the knowledge and wisdom of other writers and soon you’ll be just like them!

Write about real-life events

The hardest thing about creative writing is connecting emotionally with your audience. By focusing your writing on real-life events, you know that in some way or another your readers will be able to relate. And with creative writing you don’t need to use real names or details – There are certain things you can keep private while writing about the rare details. Using real-life events is also a good way to find inspiration for your stories.

Be imaginative

Be as crazy and wild as you like with your imagination. Create your world, your own monsters , or even your own language! The more imaginative your story, the more exciting it will be to read. Remember that there are no rules on what makes a good idea in creative writing. So don’t be afraid to make stuff up!

Find your writing style

Thes best writers have a particular style about them. When you think of Roald Dahl , you know his books are going to have a sense of humour. While with Dr Seuss , you’re prepared to read some funny new words . Alternatively, when you look at R.L.Stine, you know that he is all about the horror. Think about your own writing style. Do you want to be a horror writer? Maybe someone who always writes in the first person? Will always focus your books on your culture or a particular character?

Stick to a routine

Routine is extremely important to writers. If you just write some stuff here and there, it’s likely that you’ll soon give up on writing altogether! A strict routine means that every day at a certain time you will make time to write about something, anything. Even if you’re bored or can’t think of anything, you’ll still pick up that pencil and write. Soon enough you’ll get into the habit of writing good stuff daily and this is definitely important for anyone who wants to be a professional creative writer!

Know your audience

Writing isn’t just about thinking about your own interests, it’s also about thinking about the interests of your audience. If you want to excite fellow classmates, know what they like. Do they like football , monsters or a particular video game? With that knowledge, you can create the most popular book for your target audience. A book that they can’t stop reading and will recommend to others!

Daily Exercises

To keep your creative writing skills up to scratch it is important to keep practising every day. Even if you have no inspiration. At times when your mind is blank, you should try to use tools like writing prompts , video prompts or other ways of coming up with ideas . You could even take a look at these daily writing exercises as an example. We even created a whole list of over 100 creative writing exercises to try out when you need some inspiration or ideas.

Work together with others

Everyone needs a little help now and then. We recommend joining a writing club or finding other classmates who are also interested in writing to improve your own creative writing skills. Together you can share ideas, tips and even write a story together! A good storytelling game to play in a group is the “ finish the story” game .

Get feedback

Without feedback, you’ll never be able to improve your writing. Feedback, whether good or bad is important to all writers. Good feedback gives you the motivation to carry on. While bad feedback just gives you areas to improve and adapt your writing, so you can be the best! After every piece of writing always try to get feedback from it, whether it is from friends, family, teachers or an online writing community .

Enter writing competitions

The best way to improve your creative writing is by entering all sorts of writing competitions . Whether it’s a poetry competition or short story competition, competitions let you compete against other writers and even help you get useful feedback on your writing. Most competitions even have rules to structure your writing, these rules can help you prepare for the real world of writing and getting your work published. And not only that you might even win some cool prizes!

Keep a notebook

Every writer’s best friend is their notebook. Wherever you go make sure you have a notebook handy to jot down any ideas you get on the go. Inspiration can come from anywhere , so the next time you get an idea instead of forgetting about it, write it down. You never know, this idea could become a best-selling novel in the future.

Research your ideas

So, you got a couple of ideas for short stories. The next step is to research these ideas deeper.

Researching your ideas could involve reading books similar to your ideas or going online to learn more about a particular topic. For example, if you wanted to write a book on dragons, you would want to know everything about them in history to come up with a good, relatable storyline for your book.

Create Writing Goals

How do you know if your writing is improving over time? Simple – Just create writing goals for yourself. Examples of writing goals might include, to write 100 words every day or to write 600 words by the end of next week. Whatever your goals make sure you can measure them easily. That way you’ll know if you met them or not. You might want to take a look at these bullet journal layouts for writers to help you track the progress of your writing.

Follow your passions

Writing can be tedious and many people even give up after writing a few words. The only way you can keep that fire burning is by writing about your true passions. Whatever it is you enjoy doing or love, you could just write about those things. These are the types of things you’ll enjoy researching and already know so much about, making writing a whole lot more fun!

Don’t Settle for the first draft

You finally wrote your first story. But the writing process isn’t complete yet! Now it’s time to read your story and make the all-important edits. Editing your story is more than just fixing spelling or grammar mistakes. It’s also about criticising your own work and looking for areas of improvement. For example, is the conflict strong enough? Is your opening line exciting? How can you improve your ending?

Plan before writing

Never just jump into writing your story. Always plan first! Whether this means listing down the key scenes in your story or using a storyboard template to map out these scenes. You should have an outline of your story somewhere, which you can refer to when actually writing your story. This way you won’t make basic mistakes like not having a climax in your story which builds up to your main conflict or missing crucial characters out.

It’s strange the difference it makes to read your writing out aloud compared to reading it in your head. When reading aloud you tend to notice more mistakes in your sentences or discover paragraphs which make no sense at all. You might even want to read your story aloud to your family or a group of friends to get feedback on how your story sounds.

Pace your story

Pacing is important. You don’t want to just start and then quickly jump into the main conflict because this will take all the excitement away from your conflict. And at the same time, you don’t want to give the solution away too early and this will make your conflict too easy for your characters to solve. The key is to gradually build up to your conflict by describing your characters and the many events that lead up to the main conflict. Then you might want to make the conflict more difficult for your characters by including more than one issue in your story to solve.

Think about themes

Every story has a theme or moral. Some stories are about friendship, others are about the dangers of trusting strangers. And a story can even have more than one theme. The point of a theme is to give something valuable to your readers once they have finished reading your book. In other words, to give them a life lesson, they’ll never forget!

Use dialogue carefully

Dialogue is a tricky thing to get right. Your whole story should not be made up of dialogue unless you’re writing a script. Alternatively, it can be strange to include no dialogue at all in your story. The purpose of dialogue should be to move your story forward. It should also help your readers learn more about a particular character’s personality and their relationship with other characters in your book.

One thing to avoid with dialogue is… small talk! There’s no point in writing dialogue, such as “How’s the weather?”, if your story has nothing to do with the weather. This is because it doesn’t move your story along. For more information check out this guide on how to write dialogue in a story .

Write now, edit later

Writing is a magical process. Don’t lose that magic by focusing on editing your sentences while you’re still writing your story up. Not only could this make your story sound fragmented, but you might also forget some key ideas to include in your story or take away the imagination from your writing. When it comes to creative writing, just write and come back to editing your story later.

Ask yourself questions

Always question your writing. Once done, think about any holes in your story. Is there something the reader won’t understand or needs further describing? What if your character finds another solution to solving the conflict? How about adding a new character or removing a character from your story? There are so many questions to ask and keep asking them until you feel confident about your final piece.

Create a dedicated writing space

Some kids like writing on their beds, others at the kitchen table. While this is good for beginners, going pro with your writing might require having a dedicated writing space. Some of the basics you’ll need is a desk and comfy chair, along with writing materials like pens, pencils and notebooks. But to really create an inspiring place, you could also stick some beautiful pictures, some inspiring quotes from writers and anything else that will keep you motivated and prepared.

Beware of flowery words

Vocabulary is good. It’s always exciting when you learn a new word that you have never heard before. But don’t go around plotting in complicated words into your story, unless it’s necessary to show a character’s personality. Most long words are not natural sounding, meaning your audience will have a hard time relating to your story if it’s full of complicated words from the dictionary like Xenophobia or Xylograph .

Create believable characters

Nobody’s perfect. And why should your story characters be any different? To create believable characters, you’ll need to give them some common flaws as well as some really cool strengths. Your character’s flaws can be used as a setback to why they can’t achieve their goals, while their strengths are the things that will help win over adversity. Just think about your own strengths and weaknesses and use them as inspirations for your storybook characters. You can use the Imagine Forest character creator to plan out your story characters.

Show, don’t tell

You can say that someone is nice or you can show them how that person is nice. Take the following as an example, “Katie was a nice girl.” Now compare that sentence to this, “Katie spent her weekends at the retirement home, singing to the seniors and making them laugh.”. The difference between the two sentences is huge. The first one sounds boring and you don’t really know why Katie is nice. While in the second sentence, you get the sense that Katie is nice from her actions without even using the word nice in the sentence!

Make the conflict impossible

Imagine the following scenario, you are a championship boxer who has won many medals over the year and the conflict is…Well, you got a boxing match coming up. Now that doesn’t sound so exciting! In fact, most readers won’t even care about the boxer winning the match or not!

Now imagine this scenario: You’re a poor kid from New Jersey, you barely have enough money to pay the bills. You never did any professional boxing, but you want to enter a boxing competition, so you can win and use the money to pay your bills.

The second scenario has a bigger mountain to climb. In other words, a much harder challenge to face compared to the character in the first scenario. Giving your characters an almost impossible task or conflict is essential in good story-telling.

Write powerful scenes

Scenes help build a picture in your reader’s mind without even including any actual pictures in your story. Creating powerful scenes involves more than describing the appearance of a setting, it’s also about thinking about the smell, the sounds and what your characters are feeling while they are in a particular setting. By being descriptive with your scenes, your audience can imagine themselves being right there with characters through the hard times and good times!

There’s nothing worse than an ending which leaves the reader feeling underwhelmed. You read all the way through and then it just ends in the most typical, obvious way ever! Strong endings don’t always end on a happy ending. They can end with a sad ending or a cliff-hanger. In fact, most stories actually leave the reader with more questions in their head, as they wonder what happens next. This then gives you the opportunity to create even more books to continue the story and keep your readers hooked for life (or at least for a very long time)!

Over 25 creative writing tips later and you should now be ready to master the art of creative writing! The most important tip for all you creative writers out there is to be imaginative! Without a good imagination, you’ll struggle to wow your audience with your writing skills. Do you have any more creative writing tips to share? Let us know in the comments!

Marty the wizard is the master of Imagine Forest. When he's not reading a ton of books or writing some of his own tales, he loves to be surrounded by the magical creatures that live in Imagine Forest. While living in his tree house he has devoted his time to helping children around the world with their writing skills and creativity.

5 Ways to Foster Creativity in Your Kids

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Jerz's Literacy Weblog (est. 1999)

Short story tips: 10 hacks to improve your creative writing.

Jerz > Writing > General Creative Writing Tips [ Poetry | Fiction ]

Writing short stories means beginning as close to the climax as possible — everything else is a distraction. A novel can take a more meandering path, but should still start with a scene that sets the tone for the whole book.

A short story conserves characters and scenes, typically by focusing on just one conflict , and drives towards a sudden, unexpected revelation. Go easy on the exposition and talky backstory — your reader doesn’t need to know everything that you know about your characters.

Get Started : Emergency Tips
Write a Catchy First Paragraph
Develop Your Characters
Choose a Point of View
Write Meaningful Dialogue
Use Setting and Context
Set up the Plot
Create Conflict and Tension
Build to a Crisis or a Climax
Deliver a Resolution

1. Get Started: Emergency Tips

Do you have a short story assignment due tomorrow morning ? The rest of this document covers longer-term strategies, but if you are in a pinch, these emergency tips should help. Good luck!

When the story begins , what morally significant action has your protagonist taken towards that goal ? (Your protagonist should already have made a conscious choice, good or bad, that drives the rest of the story.)
What obstacles must the protagonist overcome in order to reach the goal? (Simply having a rival is not that interesting. Yes, Harry Potter defeats Voldemort, but first he has to mature into a leader with the moral clarity and teamwork skills necessary to defeat Voldemort. A short story can’t possibly tackle that kind of character development, but a character who faces internal obstacles and must negotiate messy moral trade-offs is more dramatically interesting than the hero in the white hat who has to use the right weapon to defeat the villain in the black hat.)
What unexpected consequences — directly related to the protagonist’s goal-oriented actions — ramp up the emotional energy of the story? (Will the unexpected consequences force your protagonist to make yet another choice, leading to still more consequences? How does your protagonist change over the course of the story?)

Omit travel scenes. (Save words. “Later, at the office…”)
Omit scenes where character A tells character B exactly what we just saw happening to character A. (Omit redundancy. Focus on advancing your story. “As I filled Slim in on what I had just seen in the saloon, he dropped his show of apathy and his fingers clutched at his revolver.”)
Facial expressions of a first-person narrator. (Narrators in stories aren’t looking at video being live-streamed from a floating drone that follows them around everywhere, so they can’t report “A smile lit my face” or “My eyes darkened.” See Writing Dialogue .)
At the climax , what morally significant choice does your protagonist make? (Your reader should care about the protagonist’s decision, and ideally shouldn’t see it coming.)

An effective short story (or poem ) does not simply record or express the author’s feelings; rather, it generates feelings in the reader. (See “ Show, Don’t (Just) Tell .”)

Drawing on your own real-life experiences, such as winning the big game, bouncing back after an illness or injury, or dealing with the death of a loved one, are attractive choices for students who are looking for a “personal essay” topic. But simply listing the emotions you experienced (“It was exciting,” “I’ll never forget how heart-broken I felt,” “I miss her so much I’ll never the same without her”) is not the same thing as generating emotions for your readers to experience.

For those of you who are looking for more long-term writing strategies , here are some additional ideas.

Keep a notebook. To R. V. Cassill, notebooks are “incubators,” a place to begin with overheard conversation, expressive phrases, images, ideas, and interpretations on the world around you.
Write on a regular, daily basis. Sit down and compose sentences for a couple of hours every day — even if you don’t feel like it.
Collect stories from everyone you meet. Keep the amazing, the unusual, the strange, the irrational stories you hear and use them for your own purposes. Study them for the underlying meaning and apply them to your understanding of the human condition.

Read, Read, Read

Read a LOT of Chekhov. Then re-read it. Read Raymond Carver, Earnest Hemingway, Alice Munro, and Tobias Wolff. If you don’t have time to read all of these authors, stick to Chekhov. He will teach you more than any writing teacher or workshop ever could. -Allyson Goldin, UWEC Asst. Professor of Creative Writing

2. Write a Catchy First Paragraph

In today’s fast-moving world, the first sentence of your narrative should catch your reader’s attention with the unusual, the unexpected, an action, or a conflict . Begin with tension and immediacy. Remember that short stories need to start close to their end.

“It is important to understand the basic elements of fiction writing before you consider how to put everything together. This process is comparable to producing something delectable in the kitchen–any ingredient that you put into your bowl of dough impacts your finished loaf of bread. To create a perfect loaf, you must balance ingredients baked for the correct amount of time and enhanced with the right polishing glaze.” -Laurel Yourke

3. Developing Characters

Your job, as a writer of short fiction–whatever your beliefs–is to put complex personalities on stage and let them strut and fret their brief hour. Perhaps the sound and fury they make will signify something that has more than passing value–that will, in Chekhov’s words, “make [man] see what he is like.” – Rick Demarnus

In order to develop a living, breathing, multi-faceted character, it is important to know way more about the character than you will ever use in the story . Here is a partial list of character details to help you get started.

Name Age Job Ethnicity Appearance Residence Pets Religion Hobbies Single or married? Children? Temperament Favorite color Friends Favorite foods Drinking patterns Phobias Faults Something hated? Secrets? Strong memories? Any illnesses? Nervous gestures? Sleep patterns

Imagining all these details will help you get to know your character, but your reader probably won’t need to know much more than the most important things in four areas :

Appearance. Gives your reader a visual understanding of the character.
Action. Show the reader what kind of person your character is, by describing actions rather than simply listing adjectives.
Speech. Develop the character as a person — don’t merely have your character announce important plot details.
Thought. Bring the reader into your character’s mind, to show them your character’s unexpressed memories, fears, and hopes.

For example, let’s say I want to develop a college student persona for a short story that I am writing. What do I know about her?

Her name is Jen, short for Jennifer Mary Johnson . She is 21 years old . She is a fair-skinned Norwegian with blue eyes , long, curly red hair , and is 5 feet 6 inches tall . Contrary to the stereotype about redheads, she is actually easygoing and rather shy . She loves cats and has two of them named Bailey and Allie. She is a technical writing major with a minor in biology. Jen plays the piano and is an amateur photographer . She lives in the dorms at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. She eats pizza every day for lunch and loves Red Rose tea . She cracks her knuckles when she is nervous. Her mother just committed suicide.

4. Choose a Point of View

Point of view is the narration of the story from the perspective of first, second, or third person . As a writer, you need to determine who is going to tell the story and how much information is available for the narrator to reveal in the short story. The narrator can be directly involved in the action subjectively, or the narrator might only report the action objectively.

Yourke on point of view:

First Person. “Unites narrator and reader through a series of secrets” when they enter one character’s perceptions. However, it can “lead to telling ” and limits readers connections to other characters in the short story.
Second Person. “Puts readers within the actual scene so that readers confront possibilities directly.” However, it is important to place your characters “in a tangible environment” so you don’t “omit the details readers need for clarity.”
Third Person Omniscient. Allows you to explore all of the characters’ thoughts and motivations. Transitions are extremely important as you move from character to character.
Third Person Limited. “Offers the intimacy of one character’s perceptions.” However, the writer must “deal with character absence from particular scenes.”

5. Write Meaningful Dialogue

Make your readers hear the pauses between the sentences. Let them see characters lean forward, fidget with their cuticles, avert their eyes, uncross their legs . – Jerome Stern

Dialogue is what your characters say to each other (or to themselves).

Each speaker gets his/her own paragraph , and the paragraph includes whatever you wish to say about what the character is doing when speaking. (See: “ Quotation Marks: Using Them in Dialogue “.)

Write Meaningful Dialogue Labels

“John asked nervously” is an example of “telling.” The author could write “John asked very nervously” or “John asked so nervously that his voice was shaking,” and it still wouldn’t make the story any more effective.

How can the author convey John’s state of mind, without coming right out and telling the reader about it? By inference. That is, mention a detail that conjures up in the reader’s mind the image of a nervous person.

6. Use Setting and Context

Setting moves readers most when it contributes to an organic whole. So close your eyes and picture your characters within desert, jungle, or suburb–whichever setting shaped them. Imagining this helps balance location and characterization. Right from the start, view your characters inhabiting a distinct place. – – Laurel Yourke

Setting includes the time, location, context, and atmosphere where the plot takes place.

Remember to combine setting with characterization and plot .
Include enough detail to let your readers picture the scene but only details that actually add something to the story. (For example, do not describe Mary locking the front door, walking across the yard, opening the garage door, putting air in her bicycle tires, getting on her bicycle–none of these details matter except that she rode out of the driveway without looking down the street.)
Use two or more senses in your descriptions of setting.

7. Set Up the Plot

Plot is what happens, the storyline, the action. Jerome Stern says it is how you set up the situation, where the turning points of the story are, and what the characters do at the end of the story.

A plot is a series of events deliberately arranged so as to reveal their dramatic, thematic, and emotional significance. – Janet Burroway

Understanding these story elements for developing actions and their end results will help you plot your next short story.

Explosion or “Hook.” A thrilling, gripping, stirring event or problem that grabs the reader’s attention right away.
Conflict. A character versus the internal self or an external something or someone.
Exposition. Background information required for seeing the characters in context.
Complication. One or more problems that keep a character from their intended goal.
Transition. Image, symbol, dialogue, that joins paragraphs and scenes together.
Flashback. Remembering something that happened before the short story takes place.
Climax. When the rising action of the story reaches the peak.
Falling Action. Releasing the action of the story after the climax.
Resolution. When the internal or external conflict is resolved.

Brainstorming. If you are having trouble deciding on a plot, try brainstorming. Suppose you have a protagonist whose husband comes home one day and says he doesn’t love her any more and he is leaving. What are actions that can result from this situation?

She becomes a workaholic.
Their children are unhappy.
Their children want to live with their dad.
She moves to another city.
She gets a new job.
They sell the house.
She meets a psychiatrist and falls in love.
He comes back and she accepts him.
He comes back and she doesn’t accept him.
She commits suicide.
He commits suicide.
She moves in with her parents.

The next step is to select one action from the list and brainstorm another list from that particular action.

8. Create Conflict and Tension

Conflict is the fundamental element of fiction, fundamental because in literature only trouble is interesting. It takes trouble to turn the great themes of life into a story: birth, love, sex, work, and death. – Janet Burroway

Conflict produces tension that makes the story begin. Tension is created by opposition between the character or characters and internal or external forces or conditions. By balancing the opposing forces of the conflict, you keep readers glued to the pages wondering how the story will end.

Possible Conflicts Include:

The protagonist against another individual
The protagonist against nature (or technology)
The protagonist against society
The protagonist against God
The protagonist against himself or herself.

Yourke’s Conflict Checklist

Mystery. Explain just enough to tease readers. Never give everything away.
Empowerment. Give both sides options.
Progression. Keep intensifying the number and type of obstacles the protagonist faces.
Causality. Hold fictional characters more accountable than real people. Characters who make mistakes frequently pay, and, at least in fiction, commendable folks often reap rewards.
Surprise. Provide sufficient complexity to prevent readers predicting events too far in advance.
Empathy. Encourage reader identification with characters and scenarios that pleasantly or (unpleasantly) resonate with their own sweet dreams (or night sweats).
Insight. Reveal something about human nature.
Universality. Present a struggle that most readers find meaningful, even if the details of that struggle reflect a unique place and time.
High Stakes. Convince readers that the outcome matters because someone they care about could lose something precious. Trivial clashes often produce trivial fiction.

9. Build to a Crisis or Climax

This is the turning point of the story –the most exciting or dramatic moment.

The crisis may be a recognition, a decision, or a resolution. The character understands what hasn’t been seen before, or realizes what must be done, or finally decides to do it. It’s when the worm turns. Timing is crucial. If the crisis occurs too early, readers will expect still another turning point. If it occurs too late, readers will get impatient–the character will seem rather thick.- Jerome Stern

Jane Burroway says that the crisis “must always be presented as a scene. It is “the moment” the reader has been waiting for. In Cinderella’s case, “the payoff is when the slipper fits.”

While a good story needs a crisis, a random event such as a car crash or a sudden illness is simply an emergency –unless it somehow involves a conflict that makes the reader care about the characters (see: “ Crisis vs. Conflict “).

10. Find a Resolution

The solution to the conflict . In short fiction, it is difficult to provide a complete resolution and you often need to just show that characters are beginning to change in some way or starting to see things differently.

Yourke examines some of the options for ending a story.

Open. Readers determine the meaning. Brendan’s eyes looked away from the priest and up to the mountains.
Resolved. Clear-cut outcome. While John watched in despair, Helen loaded up the car with her belongings and drove away.
They were driving their 1964 Chevrolet Impala down the highway while the wind blew through their hair.
Her father drove up in a new 1964 Chevrolet Impala, a replacement for the one that burned up.
Monologue. Character comments. I wish Tom could have known Sister Dalbec’s prickly guidance before the dust devils of Sin City battered his soul.
Dialogue. Characters converse.
Literal Image. Setting or aspect of setting resolves the plot. The aqueducts were empty now and the sun was shining once more.
Symbolic Image. Details represent a meaning beyond the literal one. Looking up at the sky, I saw a cloud cross the shimmering blue sky above us as we stood in the morning heat of Sin City.

Got Writer’s Block?

The Writer’s Block Comprehensive Web site that offers solutions to beating writer’s block such as various exercises (not necessarily physical), advice from prolific writers, and how to know if you really have writer’s block.

Overcoming Writer’s Block Precise, short list of ways to start writing again.

Learn through Schooling Some online colleges and universities offer creative writing courses. Look for ones that offer creative writing courses that cover the plot and structure of short stories.

Regular access to an instructor who is a published author, and a peer group that is motivated to read your drafts, might just be the extra motivation you need to develop your own skills.
If you are counting on the credits transferring to help you complete an academic program, check with your university registrar.

Dec. 2002 — submitted by Kathy Kennedy, UWEC Senior (for Jerz’s Advanced Technical Writing class) Jan 2003 — edited by Jamie Dalbesio, UWEC Senior (for an independent study project with Jerz) May 2003 — edited by Jerz and posted at Seton Hill University Jan 2007 — ongoing edits by Jerz May 2008 — reformatted Sep 2010 — tweaked Writer’s Block section Mar 2011 — reformatted and further tweaked Jun 2017 — minor editing. Are “Keds” still a recognizable brand of kids shoes? Feb 2019 — Removed “Keds” reference, beefed up the “bad” shoes example; tweaked formatting.

Show, Don’t (Just) Tell Don’t just tell me your brother is funny… show me what he says and does, and let me decide whether I want to laugh. To convince your readers, show , don’t just tell them what you want them to know. There. I’ve just told you something. Pretty boring, huh? Now, let me show you…
Short Stories: Developing Ideas for Short Fiction A short story is tight — there is no room for long exposition, there are no subplots to explore, and by the end of the story there should be no loose ends to tie up. End right at the climax, so that the reader has to imagine how a life-changing event will affect the protagonist.
Creative Writing Forum Have a story you’d like to share? Looking for feedback? Feel free to post in this creative writing forum.
Technical Writing: What is It? Technical writing is the presentation of information that helps the reader solve a particular problem. Scientific and technical communicators write, design, and/or edit proposals, reports, instruction manuals, web pages, lab reports, newsletters, and many other kinds of professional documents.
Usability Testing: 8 Quick Tips for Designing Tests If you already have a prototype and you want to conduct a usability test, and you’re eager to learn how to make the most of your opportunity to learn from your users, then this document is for you. Keep…
Quotations: Integrating them in MLA-Style Papers The MLA-style in-text citation is a highly compressed format, designed to preserve the smooth flow of your own ideas (without letting the outside material take over your whole paper). A proper MLA inline citation uses just the author’s last name and the page number (or line number), separated by a space (not a comma).
Titles for Web Pages: In-Context and Out-of-Context Most writers know the value of an informative title, but many beginning web authors don’t know that each web page needs two kinds of titles. The in-context (IC) title always sits at the top of a page, with the rest…
Active and Passive Verbs Active verbs form more efficient and more powerful sentences than passive verbs. This document will teach you why and how to prefer active verbs. * The subject of an active sentence performs the action of the verb: “I throw the ball.” * The subject of a passive sentence is still the main character of the sentence, but something else performs the action: “The ball is thrown by me.”
Blurbs: Writing Previews of Web Pages On the Web, blurbs are compressed summaries of what the user will find on the other end of a hyperlink. Good blurbs don’t harangue (“Click here!”) or tease (“Learn ten great tips!”). You’re reading a blurb now. If it helps you decide whether to click the link, it’s done its job.
MLA Style: Step-By-Step Instructions for Formatting MLA Papers Need to write a paper in MLA format? This step-by-step includes images showing how to use MS-Word to create the title block, page layout, and works cited list.
Writing Effective E-Mail: Top 10 Tips People decide to read or trash e-mails in seconds. From the subject line to the closing, offer a focused, scannable message that puts your reader’s needs first.

Archived discussion of “Short Stories: 10 Tips for Creative Writers”

852 thoughts on “ Short Story Tips: 10 Hacks to Improve Your Creative Writing ”

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gorgeous gorgeous girls struggle to write short stories

bro what LMAOOOO

Wow. This was super helpful. I’m a writer myself and this was all very fun to read for me.

This really helped, Thank you

Thanks so much for this very informative article! It was exactly what I looking for today. These hacks will definitely help me to become a more creative writer online. Thanks for sharing :)

This is really helpful

i want to make an story

Could someone answer what was they made them a memorable?

Great job on theses tips. These will be with me for generations.

wow i love this

fishman is here to go fishing yeah yeah

Yes this is pretty cool, cool

Such helpful tips. Thank you.

ok yall, I need help with a school assignment.I have to write a story abouth anything and I don’t know how to start, can someone tell me how to start a story.

IDK, right here on this page I’ve put my “emergency tips,” which is the best advice I have to offer.

You have to come up yourself with what it is your protagonist wants and all the other details. One theory is “write what you know,” so that if you are a cancer survivor or grew up in a military family or you spend time around horses or at steel mills or playing basketball, then it makes sense to write a story that includes the details you already know.

Great writers steal. Find a story that you like, and mix it up to make it your own.

Pls help me I’m about to write a book the title “school day “help me with some content an stories. Thanks

i can tell you how to

Daniel thanks for insightful tips

hey anybody interested? to make a movie on me

Professional have to do that, plus you aren’t famous and nobody can reallly make a documentary on someone who hasn’t even shown their face on here

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So amazed by the info and help of this site. Well done to you all and thank you for furthering my knowledge of writing! Thank you again and great work!

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Some great tips and advice here. I’ve been reading several websites about advancing ones creative writing career. Some blogs, websites and forum’s offer very different views on self-publishing. I’ve noticed websites and publishers with authority in the industry, strongly argue that a serious writer should not enter into self-publishing. This can be damaging and seen as vanity. What are your views on this? Thanks!!

Thank you so much! These tips are awesome. I’m planning on writing a short book and this cleared up a lot of what I needed.

I am happy. It’s Give me good information and tips about how to write a short stories.

Based on how many times I had to say, “OMG, that’s so truuuue!”, this one’s a really great article. Worth the read!

I am a compassionate interested person wanting to engage in writing i have always had this itch if you like to write stories from the early twenties in my life this itch to write has always been there about stories that the average person can relate to and therefore become an interested reader , however , i am now at a point in my life that i am in a position to put more time into learning the craft of writing stories that have a mixture of fiction and fact and that i may also write a memoir because that is the one thing i know will be interesting . Kind regards Mark

Quite helpful ideas. The site is shown on html though, is it right? Creative writing techniques are helpful ways to write, but more important thing is to acquire a writing habit.

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Very educative Thanks

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this is ssoo cool le epic le epic

hey, hope everyone is copacetic. have been trying to improve my writing but still don’t see any improvement in my struggle, is there anyone who help me to overcome my this issue, hope you people will help me because most of you have experience. keen to write as good story writter and also interested in writing novels but suffering from writing. help me

I am elated that I have come across this.

way of navegating around. The concept of a short story is that something goes wrong and the character must fix it, even if it is a Utopian world. There has to be something that goes wrong or has been wrong the entire time. Examples of this is that the authority that everyone trustic began putting random people in prison. Another would be that everyone relies on th main character for protection becuase he or she has a special ability but the main character doesnt know how to use this ability.

oh great. it’s NAVIGATING, by the way.

I make typographical errors, too.

I am mark thank you

Gave me a really good help …… thanks a lot

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thanks so much! its verry help full.

I have a love story which is inspired every people like any age in human life but skill is concurrence and disburse with sparrow and peacock animals situation and also crow life…… I just want to know the right concern person email ID to send the story details and further I suggest a song like tital song & stage show song, said song.

Thanks & regards Dhananjay bathe

now this is epic

Thank you Kanye very cool

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hey who are u cool?

this is so very cool i cannot believe it

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Mary became a workaholic which made her.children unhappy.so they went to live with their dad. Then Mary moves to another city and got a new job. Her ex-husband and Mary agreed to sell their old house. Mary then met a psychiatrist and fell in love with him. But then her ex-husband came back to her and she accepted him back- at first – but then rejected him.

So she committed suicide. Then her ex-husband commited suicide. Her parents buried her corpse in the basement.

I dont think this form of the making a character really helps. First off, people dont like characters who are strong and can do anything, they like characters that have weaknesses that slow them down such as being blind or not being able to walk. They idea must be something that uses this weakness. The character must also be or become more capable of doing things towards the end. Such as if they couldnt see, they would develop a way of navegating around. The concept of a short story is that something goes wrong and the character must fix it, even if it is a Utopian world. There has to be something that goes wrong or has been wrong the entire time. Examples of this is that the authority that everyone trustic began putting random people in prison. Another would be that everyone relies on th main character for protection becuase he or she has a special ability but the main character doesnt know how to use this ability.

Hope this helps anyone that is still confused!

Re #7: 1. Your quote by Burroway should be Janet Burroway not Jane. Fact-checking us vital. 2. Story elemrnts for developing actions and their end results should be Exposition, not explosion. As it stands this is false and misleading information that will trip many unsuspecting/new writers up.

Thanks for noting the typo — I fixed it. I am not sure that exposition is, by its nature, very hooking, so I’m leaving that as is.

I really like and value this page, I my self a middle school-er found it helpful w/ saying that i already new all the tips, but alas it was still a great reminder. Also remember to keep you sentence, punctuation and dialog varied. This will help keep the reader interested

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Just about to create a short story and it has been a while, great advice to get me back in the mood.

Would love to write short stories but just can’t get myself started. Needing an affordable directed course with assignments and deadlines and tutorial comment feedback. OU looks good but WAY beyond my means. Have plenty of ideas and have read copiously (and still am). This site particularly helpful, thank you. Ray

It is all quite informative.

Filled with error Syed.

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With creative writing, as with any kind of writing, your reader is your most important consideration. You need to know and understand whom you’re writing for if you’re to do a good job of keeping them interested. Thanks for sharing a great post.

I think you should think about what your characters very well and not try to change things about them.

I have my english term exam tmrw and these tips have givn me a good idea of short story writing~though I m good at writing but short story was not my speciality… So, thanx for these excellent tips… You r jst gr8!!!

A good writeup. Love it.

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Great! Thanks so much! This will help me in my Creative Writing class I am taking this summer!

Terrible advice

To what, exactly, are you referring Tyler?

Dennis you’re the writer now?

I did assign the topic and format to a student in my technical writing class, I served as the student’s client, and I have been updating and maintaining this document since 2002.

Noice? Ohhh Marilyn

Really helpful

Elated??? Look at # 7 haha shd commits duicide but moves back with parents lol Also re resolution lol. Conflict is resolve not resolved lol. These are jyst drongos copying and plagiarising other peoples’ work and not getting it right.

It was informative and educating.

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RT @Chris_Oldham: Need a hand polishing up your short story? Try these emergency tips! https://t.co/5XrFzKU5rH #amwriting https://t.co/Dgfb…

Need a hand polishing up your short story? Try these emergency tips! https://t.co/5XrFzKU5rH #amwriting https://t.co/DgfbrqAotX

10 ways to improve your short stories. https://t.co/UJMpkku02Y #writing #amwriting #shortstory

cannot read so much but i think its good for the ones who have so much time to read.

The blank page is not taunting me any more, thank you. PS have you ever read Amanda McKittrick Ros – the greatest worst writer who ever lived? I think she should be added to every creative writing curriculum.

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You spelt a couple of words wrong mate

It’s possible. If you spotted any errors, I’d welcome specific notes. Which words?

Ur dumb Rohan

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308 Creative Writing Prompts To Unlock Your Writing Skills

Published November 23, 2022

A yellow typewriter that emphasizes 'Stay Creative'.

You want to start creative writing but how? It’s hard to be creative on demand. Most people need some inspiration or a push in the right direction. That’s why we teach our creative writing summer courses with various techniques to conquer your fear of the blank page.

And we’ve put together a stimulating list of Creative Writing prompts to get those creative wheels turning! But, if you want to niche down then feel free to check out our high school writing prompts .

General Writing Prompts

An envelope from a passing plane falls out of the sky and lands on your character. What would the contents of the envelope be?
You’re invulnerable except for one weakness. What’s your weakness?
Create a character that abhors your favourite hobby, and explain why.
Create a story that revolves around the main character, “the girl with the red balloon.”
What’s the most boring job you can imagine? Write a sports commentary on a person doing it.
Describe a character’s morning routine as if you’re writing an inspiring script for a personal development Youtube channel.
Your character is dancing in the rain. What’s the backstory?
Write a story beginning with the climax, then proceed to give flashbacks.
Who is your least favourite person? What do you dislike most about them? Write a backstory on how they may have developed these negative traits.
Two characters are talking about a topic. Write the same dialogue twice, each from two different perspectives.
You have 7 days to complete a mission. Should you fail, the world ends. What’s the mission about?
Think about a person you want to be with. What do you wish they’d tell you? Write the scenario.
Your character is making a magic potion that steals 5 years of life from the maker. Why are they willing to give up their time for the potion?
Is there a moment in your life you wish would last forever? Capture it with your writing.
Write a story that begins with a tribal ritual. What’s the ritual about? How is it performed?
Choose a random holiday on the calendar, and write a greeting card about it.
Rewrite the lyrics to a song with a good beat.
Write a pokemon battle from the pokemon’s perspective.
Write about a character suffering from a disease without mentioning the disease.
If you had 1 hour left to live, what would you do?

Before moving on, creative writing examples can also help you conquer the fear of the blank page. We highly recommend reading through our resource, as well as our tips for creative writers like you.

Mythical Creatures/Places Prompts

You meet a dragon. How would the story go? Describe the dragon as much as you can.
Your character is running away from a perilous situation. Suddenly, a pegasus and their rider swoop down from the sky to their rescue.Who is the rider?
Losing your way while travelling, you accidentally stumbled on a golden city. You think it’s El Dorado! Before you take one more step, large soldiers materialise, golden spears pointed at your throat. How do you escape?
Write a poem about a mythical place that has always fascinated you.
If you could choose one mythical creature to meet in real life, who would it be?
You heard a beautiful melody while walking through a forest on a guided tour. You wandered off on your own and found a group of fairies singing a ritual song. Suddenly, they all turn to you and say in unison, “We have been waiting for you.” What’s happening?
You’re in a submarine on the ocean floor. When a mermaid approaches you with open curiosity. Describe the mermaid in as much detail as you can.
Describe the underworld from Cerberus’ perspective.
Your character went island hopping on vacation. When they encounter the irresistible song of the sirens. What happens next?
Write about Hades from Zeus’ perspective.
You just found out you’re a reincarnated Egyptian god/goddess. How do you react?

Superpower Writing Prompts

If you could choose any superpower, what would it be? Why?
You just discovered you have the power of invisibility. What would you do with this power?
What responsibilities come with having superpowers?
How would the world be different if everyone had superpowers?
You’re at a party, and you can read everyone’s mind. How will the scene go?
Write about what it would be like to have the power of flight.

Tired yet? Keep going or take a break by reading through the top UK universities for creative writing – maybe that will provide some extra motivation to keep you racing through these prompts.

“For the First Time” Prompts

A tourist from a tropical country encounters snow for the first time. How would they react?
Write about a person who grew up in a desert and saw the sea for the first time.
What was the most crucial decision you made? Write a story of what would’ve happened if you chose differently.
A colourblind person sees colour for the first time. How did the experience go?
Write about a deaf toddler who hears their mommy for the first time.
Write a romantic story about first-time lovers.
How was your experience riding the boat for the first time?
You eat a foreign fruit for the first time. Describe the taste in a way that makes the reader’s mouth water.
Write about a character who skydives for the first time.
What would Christopher Columbus have felt seeing America for the first time?
Write about a character who experiences the death of an immediate family member for the first time.
It was your first time seeing a Kangaroo. Write the experience from the Kangaroo’s perspective.
Write about a character who gets caught up in a riptide for the first time.

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Unfortunate Events

Write a story wherein a character experiences 3 unfortunate events in quick succession within 24 hours.
A businessman loses all his money in one day. What happens next?
Burglars break into your home 4 consecutive times in one month. Write a thrilling narrative.
You wake up to your empty garage. Someone stole your car. The carnapper happens to be the leader of an infamous gang, and you happen to be a CIA agent. Write an action-packed story.
Write about an innocent character framed to be the murderer.
You entered the class with all your classmates glaring at you with anger and indignation, except one. Who smiles at you in evil triumph. What happened?
A character starts the day wrong and ends up ruining the rest of the day because of a bad mood. They go to bed screaming in frustration, “THE WORST DAY EVER!” Write what transpired in a way that’ll make your readers laugh.
Your protagonist has a goal. But every time they try to achieve it, something bad happens. Is it a coincidence, or is someone sabotaging their efforts?

Alternate Ending/Path

Write an alternate ending to a movie or story you wished ended differently.
Write a character who’s born into a military family, and who is expected to follow their father’s footsteps. But they feel called to a different path.
Who would you be if you could be anyone you want to be?
Julius Caesar survived his assassination. How will his story continue after the betrayal?
An heir to the throne chose to run away and travel the world in disguise. Write about their journey.
Romeo and Juliet didn’t die. So how will their romance continue?
Harry Potter ended up marrying Hermione. Write the alternate ending.
Augustus didn’t die in the Fault in Our Stars. Write a happy ending.
How would you have wanted the Game of Thrones to end instead? Write the script.
Gatsby was discovered to be innocent, and his life was spared. What happens next?
If Jack didn’t die, how would his romance with Rose continue?

From the Object’s Perspective

Your character is an expert samurai. Write about the samurai from the sword’s perspective.
Write a story with art materials as the main characters.
What is your most prized possession? Write from its perspective about how it thinks and feels about you.
Write about a family’s history from an heirloom’s perspective.
Write a scene from Dr Strange from his cape’s perspective.
Write about the Elder Wand’s previous masters before it became Dumbledore’s, from the wand’s perspective.
Narrate a Percy Jackson scene from Riptide’s perspective.
Write a scene from Dr. Strange from his cape’s perspective.
If Gandalf’s staff could talk, what legendary tales would it tell you?
A castle houses multiple generations of nobles. What secrets does it know?

Is the Grass Greener on the Other Side?

Write a story about two characters who wish they live the other person’s life without the other knowing.
A character believes the grass is greener on the other side. Turns out it isn’t. How did the story go?
Write about a little girl who wanted to be a mermaid, and her wish was granted.
A character thought having instant millions could make them happy. It didn’t. Write about their inner monologue on their deathbed.
You had the opportunity to live the life of your favourite Hollywood star in a day. How will it go?
Do you think abundant money can buy happiness? Why or why not?
If you could shift into any career in the world, what would it be? Why?
Your character’s best friend just got engaged. They’re happy for them, but they can’t help feeling a little jealous. Write about the internal struggle.

Time Travel/History

Choose a historical event, and insert a fictional character who experiences it and has no idea how significant it is in human history.
If you could travel back in time as a mere observer, what 3 historical events would you want to witness in person?
What would you tell your younger self from 10 years ago?
If you could change one event in human history, what would it be? Why?
What would you tell a parent if you could meet them before they had you?
You travel back in time but can’t return to your own time. What happens next?
If you could save one person from dying at their appointed time, who would it be? Why?
What would you tell your great-grandchild if you could travel to the future?
If you could relive an event that happened in the past without changing it, what would it be? Why?
Choose one decision you wouldn’t make if you could go back in time. How will your life change?
Your character travels through time, but they keep getting stuck in the same year. What year is it, and what’s happening?
You’re travelling back in time, but you accidentally go too far and land in the middle of a prehistoric jungle. Describe your experience.

Describe ___ To A Blind Person

If you were to describe the:

Northern Lights
Empire State Building
Mona Lisa Painting
Pyramids of Giza
Most beautiful person you met

How would you go about it?

The Villain/Wrongdoing

Write about a bully who undergoes a change of heart after being bullied.
A mad scientist concocted a deadly solution in their lab to eradicate a huge percentage of the human race. What events pushed them to such measures?
Write a story about a manipulative character who always found a way to escape problems unscathed. Until they meet their match.
An important event is going on. A biassed journalist creates fake news. What events made the journalist regret what they did?
Write about a character who is falling in love with the villain.
Write a scene from Narnia from the White Witch’s perspective.
What would the final Lord of the Rings battle look like from Sauron’s perspective? Write the scene.
Write a Star Wars scene from Darth Vader’s perspective.

Inner Monologue

You’re waiting in line to buy pizza. And you see a person reading the menu. What would their inner monologue be?
What goes on in the mind of a traitor?
Write a character who’s about to end their life. But they changed their mind at the last minute. Why?
Write the inner monologue of a genius taking a maths exam.
What goes on inside a gamer’s mind while playing Mobile Legends?
Write about what Martin Luther must have been thinking while writing his momentous speech “I Have A Dream.”
What do you think were the thoughts of Julius Caesar during his assassination?
Write about what Taylor Swift’s inner monologue must have been while she wrote her famous song “All Too Well.”
Write about a character’s internal monologue while on a blind date.
What went on in the mind of the Titanic’s captain as they sunk?

Family and Friendship

Think about your top 5 friends. Make them characters in your story with you as the antagonist.
You want to give a favourite book to a friend. Write the dedication note.
Recall a favourite moment you had with your best friend. Write the event from their perspective.
A family was eating dinner as usual. But something happened that changed their lives forever. What was the life-changing event?
Write a story about a hero who gave their lives to protect their loved ones against a powerful foe.
If a friend were to introduce you in an essay, what would they write?
Write an essay convincing your close friends to watch a movie they haven’t watched before.
If you and your family were the main characters of an alien invasion story, how would it go?
Two friends have been debating a topic for years. One dies first at a young age. How does the remaining person live his remaining life in reaction to his friend’s untimely death?
Write about a character who looks back on their life and discovers how they’ve hurt the people closest to them. How will they try to repair these relationships?
What’s your favourite bread? Describe its deliciousness without using the word delicious or any of its synonyms.
What’s your favourite dish? Narrate a chef preparing it in a suspenseful way.
Start your story with someone drinking their usual morning coffee at a local coffee shop.
How would the dialogue go if you were to instruct a younger sibling on how to prepare a dish through the phone?
Write a romantic story about food lovers who met at a restaurant.
Describe how a stew smells so tasty as to make your readers’ mouths water.
Brewed vs 3-in-1-Coffee, why is one better than the other?
You watch a person eating food with such satisfaction that it makes you hungry. Describe how they ate the food.
Describe a dish without revealing its name.
Write about a character suffering from depression, then they taste food that reminds them of happy childhood days.
What’s a vegetable you hate? Write an inner monologue from its perspective, detailing how it hates you back.
A mother receives the last letter from her son before he dies in the war. What does the letter say?
A couple parts ways. A year later, one of them decides to win back the relationship and proceeds to search. Only to discover the other died a week ago. What happens next?
In a snap, your young character’s life takes a cruel turn because every family member dies in one day. What will they do in the aftermath of the tragedy?
A superhero shines bright. But what about the normal person who lost a loved one because of the superhero’s rash action in saving the world? Write a story about the normal person.
Your character is dying, and their life is flashing before their eyes. What are they seeing?
Write a character who has to let go of a loved one who recently passed away.
What would you say if you could talk to someone you desperately want to talk to, but can’t?
Write about a character who goes through the motions but is frozen in the past. What situation forces them to move on?
Write about a war veteran struggling with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
A young student suffers from bullying. What development do they go through that allows them to stand up for themselves later in the story?
You stumbled upon a mostly empty house with a picture frame hanging on a wall. Who’s in the picture?
An old woman walks by every 3pm in the afternoon. Where is she going?
You look out and see a couple fighting behind a closed window. What are they arguing about?
Who do you find most mysterious? Imagine what their inner monologue sounds like. Write it down.
Someone gave you a key necklace. You later discovered it’s an actual key to a secret door. What happens next?
Write a story about a character surfing on the beach. When they stumbled upon a message in a bottle. The very next day, they leave everything behind to go someplace else. What’s the message?
A locket has been passed down multiple generations and ended up with you. Little did you know it was hiding a secret yet to be discovered. What is the secret? How did you find out?
You sit at a playground and notice a young girl looking sullen and withdrawn. What do you think is her story?
Someone played the public piano at the airport. Your character watched as a tear ran down their face. Why?
Choose a painting of a deceased painter. What are they trying to tell you?
Your great-grandchild went back in time to meet you. Why?
There’s a secret room that’s been walled off. Why?
You find a hidden door in your apartment. Where does it lead to?
“With his last breath, he uttered a name.” Continue the story.
You’re walking down a street, and you see someone who looks exactly like you. Your eyes meet, and both freeze in astonishment. What happens next?
Every year, a character dreads June 13th. Why?
What’s your most hated insect? Describe the expression of disgust on your face from the insect’s perspective.
Your character lands in a new world, and they encounter an animal they never saw before. How would you describe the animal?
The wolves sing to the moon. Write a song about it.
Write the inner monologue of a cat intent on world domination.
Two cats are playing a mock fight. What would their dialogue be?
Write the inner monologue of a dog waiting for its owners to return.
A dog jumped on you. And you hear a voice say, “Sorry, sorry!” Who is it?
Write from the perspective of a porcupine. What does it feel like to have a soft body covered with spikes?
Write a war scene from the horse’s perspective.
A male bird is courting a female bird. Write a dialogue.
An ocean diver gets surrounded by a hundred squids. What happens next?
Write what blood tastes like to a female mosquito.
What’s the daily life of an ant in a colony like? Write a story.
Ravens have a mourning ritual for their dead. Write about the ritual from a raven’s perspective.
A male lion searches for his brother and finds him right before he’s about to be killed by hyenas. Write the suspenseful scene from the searching lion’s perspective.

Funny/Comedy

You pass by a restaurant and see two people laughing their heads off. What is making them laugh?
Write a comedy with your neighbour as the main character.
A character tries a new hobby but is really bad at it. What is their hobby, and how do they fail?
Your character goes on a date with someone who has a strange quirk. Describe the quirk and the date.
You’re at a job interview, and the interviewer asks you an absurd question. How do you answer it?
Write a funny story about a man who is either always early or always late.
Your character is in a meeting, but they keep dozing off. What’s the meeting about, and how do they stay awake?
You’re at a party, but you’re really bored. How do you entertain yourself?
Write about a character explaining that the dog ate their homework, with the line “true story.”
A man discovered an unknown bird species. It happens to be a parrot. And it scared the man senseless when it heard the bird talk. Write about the details of the horrifying encounter.
You’re stuck in traffic, but you must hit the loo quickly. What do you do?
Write a detailed essay that makes a mundane object sound massively life-changing.
You’re about to eat food you abhor, but you must act like it’s the best thing ever. What is the food, and how do you react?
Write about a character who can read minds and cannot help but answer unspoken thoughts, garnering horrified and bewildered glances.
Your character falls in love. But they had no clue it was the child of their sworn enemy! How do they untangle the mess?

New/Parallel World

Create a world where the currency is food.
You see a planet at night that glows especially bright. If it housed living creatures, what would it be like?
Who’s your favourite fictional character? Imagine they came to life in the real world. How would they adjust? What would their reaction be to the modern world?
You stumbled upon a parallel universe. What happens next?
A portal opens up and transports you to another world. What is the world like, and how do you get back home now that the portal’s closed?
Write Snow White’s story from the Evil Queen’s perspective.
What would you ask if you had access to the Evil Queen’s Mirror on the Wall?
Write Mulan’s story from her father’s perspective.
Write Ariel’s story from King Triton’s perspective.
If the Prince in Sleeping Beauty wrote a poem for Princess Aurora, how would it go?
Write Cinderella’s story from the lost shoe’s perspective.
Narrate Cinderella’s story from the Evil Stepmother’s perspective.
Write Simba’s story from Scar’s point of view.
Write Elsa’s story from Olaf’s perspective.
A war broke out in an ancient era, and a runner bolts out, carrying a crucial message. Write a story about the journey.
You woke up to people screaming, “Invasion! RUN!” What will you do next?
Your character is a soldier who’s captured by the enemy. How do they escape?
You find a wounded soldier on the battlefield. What happens next?
People are falling sick with a new, unknown disease. A doctor tries to find a cure amidst all the chaos. Did the doctor succeed?

Thriller/Horror

Your character encounters a monster in an alley. Write the scene.
You open your door, and there’s a note on the floor that says, “I’m watching you.” What happens next?
Write a character that stumbled upon a human corpse while exploring a cave. Who is it?
You live in a new home, and you discover it’s haunted. By whom?
You watch a beautiful lady receive a bouquet of roses. She reads the attached note and drops it in an expression of utter horror. What did she read?
Write a story about an attractive man with a dark secret.
You’re riding the train. Suddenly, someone who looks familiar approaches you and says with alarm, “Quick, we have to get off this train now .” What happens next?
Write a horror story about a character going to the grocery store.
Someone shares a secret with you that has a huge impact on your circle of friends. You promise to keep it. But the owner of the secret dies the next day. Unable to carry the burden, you reveal the secret. Only to end up being haunted by the owner’s ghost. How does the story resolve itself?
You had a nightmare about a character chasing you. You wake up remembering only one detail: a tattoo. As you go about your day, you notice a stranger with the same tattoo. What happens next?
A series of events led to you receiving a cursed package. Why did it choose you? How do you get rid of it?
Write a story about a character who wakes up with someone shaking their shoulders and looking into their eyes, asking frantically, “What happened?!”
If a zombie apocalypse broke out right now, what are the first 3 things you would do? Why?
A character in your story wants to confess to someone they fell in love with by sending them a text message. How would the message go?
Write about a character looking for love on a dating site…and finding it.
Write a story about two people falling in love, only to discover they are closely related.
Two characters meet on a pilgrimage together. Write about how they fell in love.
“Wherever you are in the world, I will find you.” Write a romantic story starting with this sentence.
Two lovers are separated by war. They swore to get married after, but they both died before they could reunite. Write their story via the letters they exchanged with each other.
You held the hand of someone you’re attracted to for the first time. What does it feel like?
Write about two characters who like each other in secret. Did they end up confessing their mutual attraction?
A character goes on a journey to understand what love means. How did it go?
What’s your favourite poem? Write a poem responding to it.
Compose a poem about falling for someone who doesn’t return your affections.
Write a short poem about your name.
A sailor is wrestling against a stormy ocean. Write a poem from the ocean’s perspective.
Write a poem about an object or a place you once had access to when you were a child. But it’s no longer there today.
Planet Earth has many beautiful places. Choose one and write a poem praising its beauty.
What is the most beautiful building you’ve ever laid eyes on? Write a poem about it.
What does your favourite perfume smell like? Describe the scent in a poem.
Use lots of onomatopoeia in a poem.
Write a poem about the colour green.
Who’s the most attractive person you met in your life? Write a poem about them.
What are you most afraid of? Why?
Someone is trying to convince you to try something you’re scared of. How would the dialogue go?
A character is afraid of public speaking. But they end up being a world-renowned public speaker. Write a story about the journey.
Write about a character who’s terrified of the deep ocean.
Your character is afraid of aliens. But they proceed to fight them anyway to protect others. Write the story from the first-person point of view.

General Personal Essay

What is the greatest regret of your life? Write an essay about it.
How would you define “love”?
Who do you admire the most today? Why?
How would your day go if you were someone’s shadow for a day?
What is your happy place? Why?
What do you feel, hear, smell, or see right now? Describe it in as much detail as you can.
Write about your favourite hobby and how it affects your life.
If you could create a national holiday, what would it be? How would the country celebrate it?
What’s your favourite season? Why?
What makes you happy? Write the answer from the perspective of a very young person or a very old person.
What are three personal weaknesses you want to improve on? How do you plan on improving?
What are the top 3 words that describe you best? Why?
Write a story about a character falling for a narcissist, then finding a way out.
What are your 3 greatest achievements in life? Write an essay about it.
You’re nominated for an award. The host reads out the winner’s name, and it’s you! Write your 1-minute speech.
What’s your favourite piece of clothing? What are the memories you’ve made while wearing it?
What’s your favourite mode of transportation? Write an essay convincing the readers why it’s the best option.
If you could invent anything, what would it be? Why?
If you had wings, how would you take care of them? Write an essay entitled “Top 10 Tips for Wing-care.”
If you were the president of the country, what 3 policies would you reinforce first? Why?

A Line in the Story

Include this line in your story: “It wasn’t…what I wanted.”
Write about a character who lives their life according to this statement by Nelson Mandela, “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
Write a short story that begins with “My life was never the same since.”
What’s your favourite song? Write a story that begins with the first verse.
Write a story that ends with “she never looked back.”
“Practice makes perfect,” the common saying goes. Write a thriller story with the line repeated at least 3 times throughout.
“I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it.” Write a story from the perspective of someone who lives by this quote.
Start your story with this quote by Michael Jordan, “I can accept failure; everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.”
You meet someone who wants to lose weight but easily gets discouraged. Write 5 inspiring letters to motivate them to keep going.
You see “Reach out to a friend” posters hanging everywhere to advocate for mental health. Write a letter to someone who is lonely and desperately needs a friend.
What would you write if you could send a letter to a renowned historical person?
If you could send a letter to a politician, what would you write?
Write a letter to your younger self, convincing them not to give up on their dreams.
Your character finds an old love letter from a previous relationship. What do they do with it?
A Gratitude Letter: You’ve just been diagnosed with cancer, and you’re going through chemotherapy. Write a letter to your body, thanking it for everything it’s been through.
Create an essay around the theme, “It’s not about how much you earn, but how much you spend.”
A character undergoing a financial crisis wins the lottery. Did their life improve? Or did it become worse?
Write an orphan character who rises through the ranks and becomes a millionaire. What’s their motivation?
A rich man gives away all his money and lives a life of poverty. Why?
A carefree couple racks up a large amount of debt, and they have to face the consequences. How do they go about reforming their lives?
Your character has to choose between love and money. Which do they choose and why?

Out of This World

You’re on a space mission when you suddenly find yourself stranded on an unknown planet. Describe the planet and your experience.
You’re a space shuttle pilot, and you encounter a black hole. What happens next?
Your character is the first human to make contact with aliens. How does the meeting go?
You’ve been chosen to be the first human to live on Mars. Describe your experience.
You wake up one day to find that you’ve been turned into an alien. What happens next?
You’re an alien who is observing humans for the first time. Write your observation notes.

There you have it! A wealth of writing prompts to help get you started. Whether you’re aiming to write a story, poem, or personal essay, we’ve got you covered.

And if you’re looking to go deeper into honing your skills then try out some creative writing exercises to get the brain juices flowing.

Don’t forget to bookmark this post for future reference!

Maintaining a hopeful outlook

Another way to build resilience in the face of external challenges is to shore up our inner reserves of hope —and I’ve found that poetry can serve as inspiration for this.

For the writing portion of the lesson, I invite students to “get inside” poems by replicating the underlying structure and trying their hand at writing their own verses. I create poem templates, where students fill in relevant blanks with their own ideas.

One poem I like to share is “So Much Happiness” by Naomi Shihab Nye. Its lines “Even the fact that you once lived in a peaceful tree house / and now live over a quarry of noise and dust / cannot make you unhappy” remind us that, despite the unpleasant events that occur in our lives, it’s our choice whether to allow them to interfere with our happiness. The speaker, who “love[s] even the floor which needs to be swept, the soiled linens, and scratched records,” has a persistently sunny outlook.

It’s unrealistic for students who hear gunshots at night to be bubbling over with happiness the next morning. Still, the routine of the school day and the sense of community—jokes with friends, a shared bag of hot chips for breakfast, and a creative outlet—do bolster these kids. They have an unmistakable drive to keep going, a life force that may even burn brighter because they take nothing for granted—not even the breath in their bodies, life itself.

Itzayana was one of those students who, due to the adversity in her life, seemed too old for her years. She rarely smiled and started the school year with a defiant approach to me and school in general, cursing frequently in the classroom. Itzayana’s version of “So Much Happiness” hinted at some of the challenges I had suspected she had in her home life:

It is difficult to know what to do with so much happiness. Even the fact that you once heard your family laughing and now hear them yelling at each other cannot make you unhappy. Everything has a life of its own, it too could wake up filled with possibilities of tamales and horchata and love even scrubbing the floor, washing dishes, and cleaning your room. Since there is no place large enough to contain so much happiness, help people in need, help your family, and take care of yourself. —Itzayana C.

Her ending lines, “Since there is no place large enough to contain so much happiness, / help people in need, help your family, and take care of yourself,” showed her growing awareness of the need for self-care as she continued to support her family and others around her. This is a clear sign of her developing resilience.

Poetry is packed with emotion, and writing their own poems allows students to grapple with their own often-turbulent inner lives. One student commented on the process, saying, “By writing poems, I’ve learned to be calm and patient, especially when I get mad about something dumb.” Another student showed pride in having her writing published; she reflected, “I feel good because other kids can use it for calming down when they’re angry.”

To ease students into the creative process, sometimes we also write poems together as a class. We brainstorm lines to include, inviting the silly as well as the poignant and creating something that represents our community.

Practicing kindness

Besides offering my students new ways of thinking about themselves, I also invite them to take kind actions toward themselves and others.

In the music video for “Give a Little Love” by Noah and the Whale, one young African American boy—who witnesses bullying at school and neglect in his neighborhood —decides to take positive action and whitewash a wall of graffiti. Throughout the video, people witness others’ random acts of kindness, and then go on to do their own bit.

“My love is my whole being / And I’ve shared what I could,” the lyrics say—a reminder that our actions speak louder than our words and do have an incredible impact. The final refrain in the song—“Well if you are (what you love) / And you do (what you love) /...What you share with the world is what it keeps of you”—urges the students to contribute in a positive way to the classroom, the school campus, and their larger community.

After watching the video, I ask students to reflect upon what kind of community they would like to be part of and what makes them feel safe at school. They write their answers—for example, not being laughed at by their peers and being listened to—on Post-it notes. These notes are used to create classroom rules. This activity sends a message early on that we are co-creating our communal experience together. Students also write their own versions of the lyrics, reflecting on different things you can give and receive—like kindness, peace, love, and ice cream.

Reaping the benefits

To see how creative writing impacts students, I invite them to rate their resilience through a self-compassion survey at the start of the school year and again in the spring. Last year, two-thirds of students surveyed increased in self-compassion; Alejandro grew his self-compassion by 20 percent. The program seems to work at developing their reading and writing skills, as well: At the middle of the school year, 40 percent of my students moved up to the next level of ELD, compared to 20 percent the previous year.

As a teacher, my goal is to meet students where they’re at and learn about their whole lives. Through creative writing activities, we create a community of compassionate and expressive learners who bear witness to the impact of trauma in each others’ experiences and together build resilience.

As a symbol of community and strength, I had a poster in my classroom of a boat at sea with hundreds of refugees standing shoulder to shoulder looking skyward. It’s a hauntingly beautiful image of our ability to risk it all for a better life, as many of my ELD students do. Recognizing our common humanity and being able to share about our struggles not only leads to some beautiful writing, but also some brave hearts.

About the Author

Laura Bean, M.F.A. , executive director of Mindful Literacy, consults with school communities to implement mindfulness and creative writing programs. She has an M.F.A. in Creative Writing and presented a mindful writing workshop at Bridging the Hearts and Minds of Youth Conference in San Diego in 2016.

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Writing skills - creative and narrative writing

Part of English Writing skills

Imaginative or creative writing absorbs readers in an entertaining way. To succeed with this kind of writing you will need to write in a way that is individual, original and compelling to read.

Responding to Prompts

Imagine you’re in an exam and you are asked to write a creative piece called ‘The Party’. What does this title make you think of?Before you decide what you’d write, it’s useful to remember that you do whatever you want with the prompt as long as it’s somehow connected to a party.

It doesn’t have to be something that really happened
It doesn’t have to be based on exactly what the title says or is
It can be as abstract or as mundane as you want it to be.

So this means that for the title ‘The Party’, you could write a lovely descriptive piece about your dream birthday party, or a personal account of a party you attended that was very good – or very bad. You could write a story about a political party, or a doll’s tea party, or a party held by fans to watch the final episode of a TV show everyone is very excited about, or a party that didn’t actually happen because no one turned up. The most important thing is that you choose a story you can write well, showing off your skill in using language effectively and keeping your reader entertained.

Original ideas

There is no formula for having a great idea – but to begin your writing, you do need, at least, some kind of idea. Then you need to find ways to turn your idea into something a reader would enjoy reading. This is the creative part, taking something ordinary and turning it into something extraordinary.

For example, think about writing a description of a coastline. You might start to think straight away about a crowded beach - children playing, deck chairs, sun shining, happy sounds; but, if you stop for a moment, you’ll recall that that's been done before. It's okay, but it's hardly original.

The 'plot hook' in this example is 'What could possibly go wrong?'.

Establish the time and place, as well as the general situation. This can also be used to help develop a suitable mood or atmosphere. It can sometimes help to use a familiar place that your reader can relate to in some way. At this stage, you need to 'set up' the story and begin to introduce the main character(s).

Fiction trigger (or inciting incident)

Use your narrator to tell of an incident or event that the reader feels will spark a chain of events. This helps make the reader feel that the story has really started. From this point, life cannot be quite the same for your main character (that is your protagonist). There is a problem that has to be faced and overcome.

The fiction trigger can be an event that really starts the story. It will develop from the 'plot hook'. If the story is about a day out at the zoo, then maybe an animal has escaped. If it is about a robbery, it might be the event that makes a character consider carrying out a robbery; and if it is about an accident, it will be the event that causes it to happen.

Keeping up the momentum (plot development or rising action)This section builds the tension – keeps the reader absorbed and guessing where it will all lead.

This is where you will move the story forward and will use lots of techniques to keep the reader guessing, 'What will happen next?!'

The problem reaches a head, with suspense creating lots of tension for the reader– showing the reader the possible result of what has come before.

This is not the end of your story – not quite. It will be the key event but your protagonist will, somehow, overcome it and all will be well.

Conclusion (the resolution)

This must leave your reader with a sense of satisfaction, or it could be a twist in the tale leaving questions that linger in the mind.

This is the ending of your story – where all loose ends are tied up to the satisfaction of the reader. A good story will cause the reader to go, 'Hmm – I liked that' or even 'Wow'

By following this story structure, and planning under each of the above headings, you should be able to come up with a tense plot for your own story, one that will engage and absorb your reader.

Writing techniques

Throughout your own story, you will also need to use writing techniques that will work to keep your reader engaged and absorbed. An important skill is to put clear images of the setting and characters in your reader’s mind, as well as to create a sense of atmosphere that suits each part of the story.

Narration - the voice that tells the story, either first person (I/me) or third person (he/him/she/her). This needs to have the effect of interesting your reader in the story with a warm and inviting but authoritative voice.
Description - describing words such as adjectives close adjective A word which describes a noun or pronoun. , adverbs close adverb An adverb gives more information about the verb, an adjective or another adverb. , similes close simile A literary technique where a comparison is made between two things using ‘as’ or ‘like’. and metaphors close metaphor Makes a direct comparison by presenting one thing as if it were something else with the characteristic. For example describing a brave person as a lion. that add detail. This is told by the narrator. It helps engage readers by creating vivid pictures and feelings in their 'mind’s eye'.
Dialogue - the direct speech of characters, shown inside quotation marks. We all judge characters by what they talk about and by the way they speak. This makes dialogue a key technique for creating interest and realism.
Alliteration - repetition of the same beginning sounds in nearby words.This can create a useful emphasis, maybe to highlight a sound or movement, or to intensify feeling or even to bind words together.
Connotation - a word’s meaning can be literal, as in 'It looked like a cat', or it can create connotations as in 'As soon as the food reached the table, the boy pounced on it like a cat.' A connotation is a meaning created by a special use of a word in a particular way or context. It works by adding some kind of emotion or a feeling to a word’s usual meaning. All literature depends upon using language that creates connotations. They engage the reader because they evoke reactions and feelings.
Pathetic fallacy - personification is a kind of metaphor and when nature is described in this way, it is called a use of pathetic fallacy. This can help suggest a suitable atmosphere or imply what the mood of the characters is at a certain point, eg in a ghost story, the storm clouds could be said to 'glower down angrily upon the group of youngsters'. A pathetic fallacy can add atmosphere to a scene. It can even give clues to the reader as to what is to come, acting as a kind of foreshadowing close foreshadow Hint at something that will happen later and have greater significance .
Personification - this is a technique of presenting objects as if they have feelings, eg 'the rain seemed to be dancing merrily on the excited tin roof.' This creates a sense of emotion and mood for the reader.
Repetition - the action of repeating a word or idea. This can add emphasis or create an interesting pattern of sound or ideas.
Onomatopoeia - use of words which echo their meaning in sound, for example, 'whoosh' 'bang'. Using this can add emotion or feeling that helps give the reader a vivid sense of the effect being described.
Simile - a kind of description. A simile compares two things so that the thing described is understood more vividly, eg 'The water was as smooth as glass.' (Hint - 'like' or 'as' are key words to spot as these create the simile). A simile can create a vivid image in the reader’s mind, helping to engage and absorb them.
Symbolism - we grow up learning lots of symbols and these can be used in stories to convey a lot of meaning as well as feeling in a single idea or word, eg a red rose can symbolise romantic love; a heavy buckled belt can hint at the power held by the character; an apple can even symbolize temptation if it is used in a way that the reader links to the apple that tempted Eve in the biblical Garden of Eden.
Impact - symbols help writers pack a lot of meaning into just a single word. They work to engage the reader, too, for the reader automatically gets involved in working out the meaning.

Examples of narration

First person narrator.

I held on to the tuft of grass and slowly looked down - I was too shocked to speak. One moment I had been strolling along the cliff with Vicki, the next I was hanging over the edge. And where was Vicki?

The only thing you shouldn't do is swap the narrative point of view during the story - don’t start with 'I' and then switch to 'he', as it is likely to confuse your reader.

Third person narrator

Steve held on to the tuft of grass and slowly looked down - he was too shocked to speak. One moment he had been strolling along the cliff with Vicki, the next he was hanging over the edge. And where was Vicki?

Ending a short story

The ending of a story doesn't necessarily have to be happy but it has to make sense in a way that ties up what has happened.

There are different types of story endings, for example:

The cliff-hanger - this isn’t an ending as such, it’s a way of tempting the reader to read the next chapter or instalment. Charles Dickens wrote his chapters like this as they were originally published in magazines in serial form. For example, does the spy manage to stop the bomb in time?
The twist-in-the-tale - the reader will feel fairly sure about the ending, but in the final part everything changes and we are surprised. For example, we learn that it isn’t a bomb after all, it’s a birthday present!
The enigma ending - the story stops, but the reader is left a little unsure what will come to happen, yet is intrigued by the possibilities - and still feels satisfied. For example, the bomb is defused and everyone is safe, but then an army commander reports the theft of another bomb… only this time twice as powerful.

There are many possibilities; but there are two endings you should try to avoid:

The meteor was now inches from impact. The world watched and waited with bated breath and at that moment my eyes opened... It was all a dream

The trick ending - a bomb will inevitably explode and as it does, the narrator wakes up - it was all a dream. This is too clichéd and unsatisfying for modern readers.
The disconnected ending - the secret agent suddenly stops worrying about the bomb, retires, and goes off to play golf. Readers don't like this because the ending has nothing to do with the story – very unsatisfying.

Whatever kind of story you write, work out a satisfying ending and include it in your plan.

Writing that is creative and imaginative needs to be entertaining. You need to experiment a little and not be frightened to try something new.

What might you write about if the following tasks came up in an exam? Take a few minutes to think about different ways you could interpret the task, and maybe sketch a quick plan for your best idea.

The Best Day of My Life
The Mysterious Door
Never Again
Stormy Weather
How to be a Hero
Sunday at the Beach
My Life as an Expert
Greetings from the Future
What I REALLY Learned at School

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Ultimate Guide to Creative Writing Therapy (with Writing Therapy Prompts)

March 22, 2023

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Creative writing therapy, or therapeutic writing is a form of therapeutic intervention that uses writing as the tool to explore and express your thoughts, feelings and emotions. It’s also known as journal therapy – and it’s essentially the art of writing in a journal to heal yourself.

Writing therapy can be a useful tool for people who struggle with mental health, have experienced trauma or grief, or are simply looking for a creative outlet to process their thoughts and feelings. Today we’re going to explore what creative writing therapy is, how it works, and the potential benefits of writing therapy. We’ll also share writing therapy prompts to help you get started and explore writing therapy today.

Please keep in mind that there is no true substitute for seeing a licensed therapist, and if you feel like you could benefit from talking to someone and getting help with what you’re going through – you’re not alone! There are tons of incredible therapists out there to help you. Here at Made with Lemons we’re big advocates for therapy and if you’d like a more inside scoop to our own journey with therapy, join On Your Terms . It’s a wellness newsletter that shares a more inside look to our own wellness journey as well as tools to help you along yours. Learn more about On Your Terms here.

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What is Creative Writing Therapy?

Writing therapy, also known as therapeutic writing, is a form of creative and expressive therapy that involves writing about your personal experiences, thoughts and feelings. It can take many forms, including journaling, poetry, creative writing, letter writing, or memoirs. Writing therapy can be done individually or in a group setting. It can also be facilitated by a therapist, counselor or writing coach.

The purpose of creative writing therapy is to help you express and process your emotions in a safe and supportive environment. It’s helpful to be able to write out your thoughts and feelings that might be hard to articulate in other ways.

You might also see therapeutic writing used to help explore issues that are difficult to discuss in traditionally talking therapy sessions. And when your therapist invites you to try writing therapy, it’s also used in conjunction with other forms of therapy, such as trauma-focused therapy, to enhance its effectiveness.

An example of creative writing therapy could be writing a letter to a person who hurt you, and then shredding or burning the letter to release some of the hurt and anger.

How Does Therapeutic Writing Work?

Writing therapy works by allowing individuals to express their thoughts and feelings in a way that is both private and creative. The act of writing can help you organize your thoughts and gain clarity on your emotions. Writing can also be a way to release pent-up emotions and relieve stress.

For example, if you’re feeling stressed after a long day of work, taking a few moments to write down what’s stressing you out and allowing yourself to let it go, can help you have a calm and more relaxing evening.

Writing therapy should be a truly non judgemental space. It’s a time to write without worrying about grammar, punctuation, or spelling. The goal here is to let words flow freely, without judgment or criticism. Creative writing therapy sessions can be structured or unstructured, and sometimes it’s helpful to use prompts or exercises to help you get started. (i.e. what in your life is bringing you the most anxiety, or writing a letter to your friend to express ___________ hurt you when they said that.)

Oftentimes we find it easier to write about our hurt, our pain and the experiences that caused that, as opposed to opening up to talk about those things. In this way, writing can be a way to explore and process complex emotions such as grief or anger in a safe and supportive environment, where no one can get hurt further by what’s being felt and expressed.

Potential Benefits of Writing Therapy

Now let’s talk about some of the benefits of therapeutic writing.

Improved mental health

Writing therapy can be a tool that helps you manage symptoms of depression, anxiety and other mental health conditions. You can use journaling therapy to express and process difficult emotions, which over time can lead to improved mental regulation and a better sense of control over your thoughts and feelings.

Increased self-awareness

Creative writing therapy can help you gain a better insight into your thoughts and behaviors. By reflecting on your experiences through writing, you can start to identify patterns and gain an understanding of yourself.

Stress relief

Therapeutic writing can be a way to relieve stress and reduce anxiety. Writing is often cathartic, allowing you to release pent-up emotions and start to feel relief from things that would otherwise feel overwhelming.

Improved communication skills

Journal therapy can also help you improve your overall communication skills. When you practice expressing yourself through writing, you can develop more confidence to communicate more effectively in both your personal and professional relationships. In essence, writing your feelings can help you communicate them better when needed.

Increased creativity

Lastly, creative writing therapy can also be a way to tap into your creativity and imagination. We talk a lot about your inner child around here, and journal therapy can be another helpful way you can interact with your inner child. Through writing you can explore new ideas and perspectives, leading to your own personal growth.

How to try Creative Writing Therapy Today

Now let’s talk about how you can try therapeutic writing for yourself today. These tips are going to help you get started with writing therapy from home, as a personal activity to help heal yourself.

Set aside dedicated time for writing therapy

Like most self improvement and self care techniques, it helps to set aside a dedicated time to write regularly. We know this can be a challenging task, especially if you’re struggling with mental health issues or challenges in your life. A good place to start is to set aside a few minutes each evening to write and decompress from your day. It can be just 2 minutes before bed. Remember, therapeutic writing is a non judgemental activity, so the amount of time you dedicate isn’t important, it’s just important to show up for yourself.

Find a quiet and comfortable space

Find a place that’s quiet and comfortable, and where you can write without interruptions. Some people find it helpful to create a writing ritual, such as lighting a candle or playing soft music to create a sense of calm and focus. Find what works for you, in a space where you can be alone for a few minutes.

Choose a writing therapy prompt or topic

At the end of this guide we’re going to share writing therapy prompts to help you explore creative writing therapy and give you a starting point. You can also talk to your therapist to get prompts, or find some online. Prompts can be general, such as “write about what makes you grateful or happy”, while others can be more specific, such as “write about a time that you felt overwhelmed.”

Write freely and without judgment

The most important thing about writing therapy is to write freely, without judging yourself. Allow yourself to write without worrying about grammar, punctuation or spelling. Don’t put a time limit on your writing, or feel like you have to write a certain number of words or pages. The goal here is to allow your thoughts and emotions to flow freely without any judgment at all.

Write honestly and openly

Along with being judgment free, it’s also so important that you write honestly and openly. Writing therapy is a space for honesty and openness. This space is created for you to share your thoughts and emotions, even if they're difficult or uncomfortable to confront. Just be open to exploring them, and remember that you don’t have to share this with anyone, so it’s a space where you can be fully honest with yourself.

Reflect on your writing

After writing, you can take a few moments to reflect on what you have written. It might even be helpful to come back to what you have written at another time, when you have a clear head or have left the emotions behind. This can help you consider the emotions and patterns that you have expressed. Doing this reflection can help you gain more insight into your thinking patterns and emotions for future sessions.

Consider sharing your writing with a therapist or counselor

Lastly, consider sharing your writing with a therapist or counselor. They can help you process emotions and gain a deeper understanding of yourself. Sharing your writing can also help you feel less alone in your struggles and provide important validation for your experiences.

20 Writing Therapy Prompts

When do I feel the most like myself?
How do I feel at this moment?
What do I need more of in my life?
What do I look forward to every day?
What is a lesson that I had to learn recently?
Based on my daily routine, where do I see myself in 5 years?
What don’t I regret?
What would make me happy right now?
What has been the hardest thing to forgive myself for?
What’s bothering me? And why?
What do I love about myself?
What are my priorities right now?
What does my ideal day look like?
What does my ideal morning look like? Evening?
Make a list of 30 things that make you smile
Make a gratitude list
The words I’d like to live by are…
I really wish others knew this about me…
What always brings tears to my eyes?
What do I need to get off my chest today?

Creative writing therapy can be a powerful tool for exploring and processing thoughts and emotions. When you set aside a dedicated time to write, and create a safe and supportive space for yourself, you can gain insight into your emotions and develop better tools to manage them. With practice and commitment, writing therapy can become a habit for your self care routine.

If you’d like to build the habit of writing therapy in your own life, then we’d like to invite you to download our habit tracker. It’s super easy to use, beautifully designed and completely free. All you need is a google account to access it. Grab a copy of our habit tracker here.

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Top 10 Creative Writing Strategies to Overcome Writer’s Block

April 23, 2024

When you start writing, ideas and words flow like magic, but after some time, it might take some effort to bring creativity into your work.

Are you a writer struggling with writer’s block? Are you looking for effective ways to overcome it? If yes, we’ve got you covered! Whether you’re a student seeking assistance from a top essay writing websites or simply looking for a way to enhance your blog writing, this article has you covered.

As a writer, having a creative block is natural! We asked some creative authors to share their ideas on beating writer’s block. Here are the top 10 creative writing strategies to help remove writer’s block. You can implement these strategies in your writing to achieve the best outcomes.

1. Freewriting

Freewriting is an effective way to overcome writer’s block. Writers tend to focus on grammar and spelling, distracting them from the original concept.

Instead of focusing too much on spelling, punctuation, and grammar, writers can perform freewriting.

For example, you can set a timer, say 10 -15 minutes, during which you do free writing and then rework the spelling and grammar. This will help you remain creative during the process and let your creativity flow throughout.

Proofreading can help you refine your content in the second step, so you can allocate a certain period for freewriting.

2. Change of Environment

Sometimes, the monotonous environment restricts writers from letting their creativity emerge in writing.

In this situation, a change in environment is a good practice. Being in a new environment can help bring a fresher mindset. You can be in a new environment that is full of inspiration.

Writers can go to a cafe, sit in the park, or go to a vacation spot. So, if you find yourself having a creativity block , it’s a great idea to be in a new place.

3. Mind Mapping

Mind mapping is creating a visual representation of your ideas through a map. This approach is an effective way to ensure creativity flourishes in your writing.

You can create a map of your thoughts, ideas, and approaches and write it down somewhere on paper. Then, you can proceed with writing. Simply start by creating a central concept and branching out related thoughts and processes. Later, when you lack creativity, you can use the map to redirect the writing process to the right path.

4. Prompt-Based Writing

Many creative writing prompts are available for you to start with. You can take inspiration from thousands of blogs, apps, and books and use them in your writing.

Writing is all about finding your next inspiration. Prompt-based writing exercises focus on a specific topic. The motivation behind writing a prompt is to encourage the writer to write thoughtfully and creatively about that topic.

5. Exercise and Movement

Exercise and movement also help you clear your mind and remove blockages. You can think and function properly throughout the day when you’re physically active. It’s highly suggested that you participate in physical movement and exercise to let your creativity flourish.

For example, you can walk a few minutes to the park near your home, join a gym, or do yoga. Depending upon your preference, you can choose a fun activity and enjoy your time with it. It will keep you energetic and fresh, and this exercise and movement can help you enhance your creativity.

6. Reading

To be an efficient writer, you must be a good reader. Not only does reading give you ideas and inspiration, but it can also help you overcome writer’s block. The more you read, the more ideas and information you will have to come up with your following excellent writing.

You can select your favorite books and blogs to read daily. To keep the habit, you can set a goal of reading a certain number of pages, say 15 pages, each day.

Further, when you write on a topic, you can cover your research process by reading different reference topics in detail to get the idea.

7. Collaboration

When you collaborate with like-minded people, you are likely to generate new ideas, understanding, and information.

If you think you lack creativity, you can connect with several writers and collaborate with them to create a combined work in which each of you can bring your unique thought process to execution.

Collaboration is an effective way to enhance your creativity.

8. Break Tasks into Smaller Steps

When you have a lot of work to do, it can be natural for your brain to lack creativity. Therefore, you can break these writing tasks into smaller steps. With smaller tasks, you can estimate your time appropriately and perform your work without getting overwhelmed. For example, if you’re writing a blog, you can divide it into various steps: research, outline, writing, proofreading, and more. Even for the writing, you can select to write under certain headings.

When you have smaller tasks, you can spend more time thinking about creative ways to enhance your writing instead of finishing the task. It’s a good practice to divide your work into a schedule to ensure creativity.

9. Experiment with Writing Exercises

Many writing exercises are available for writers like you to ensure creativity. If facing a creative block, you can experiment with various writing exercises and know which works best. For example, there are ways available for you on shortening an essay without losing its concept, essence, and objective. Each writing exercise comes to help you become a better writer. Performing these exercises can help you think, write, creativity, interest, and more.

It’s a good idea to try and test what exercises work best for you and be consistent with them. This exercise will help you boost your creativity and ensure you perform well in your writing process.

10. Take Breaks and Practice Self-Care

As a writer, there can be times when you might be tired of your continuous work, which results in creativity blockage. It’s necessary to realize the importance of breaks and how they help you with your creativity. When your mind is occupied with work, it gets less space to flourish its ideas, thoughts, and creativity. This is why you must take a break and rest your mind. Further, you can practice various ways of self-practice, like meditation, reading , exercise, yoga, and more. This self-care helps you be in a better physical and mental position to ensure you don’t face creativity blockages.

Wrapping Up

It’s very natural for writers to deal with writer’s block! It’s not something that you must beat yourself up about. You must be kind to yourself, give your body and mind the break they deserve, and have faith in yourself.

Here, we listed down the ten best writer’s block tips for fostering creativity in your writing and overcoming writer’s block. While writer’s block can be like a towering wall, an obstacle between you and your creative vision, you must stay energized. You can apply these creative writing techniques , like breaking down your work into smaller tasks, performing exercises, taking a break, and more.

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12 Steps For Excellent Exam Creative Writing [Infographic]
Creative Writing For Beginners: Unlock Your Creativity
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105 Creative Writing Exercises: 10 Min Writing Exercises
70 Creative Writing Prompts
4 Activities to Support Creative Writing

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How to present poetry & shayari|shayari bolne ka andaz|शायरी, कविता बोलने का अंदाज़|kavita kese bole
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Artist Aid: Editing an Artist Statement
7 Wild Ways to Find Better Content Ideas
How do you teach tone in poetry?
कवि बनना है|To become a poet|सभी का एक ही प्रश्न कवि कैसे बने|कवि कैसे बने|kavi kaise bane

COMMENTS

8 Tips for Getting Started With Creative Writing
Action: In creative writing, action should occur for a reason—characters' actions should be based on their motivations, their points of view, and their previous choices. A protagonist's actions should always propel them toward their main goal in a way that is related to the plot events at hand. A character's goals affect their character ...
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Creative writing can seem daunting to beginners, but with the right approach, anyone can start their journey into this creative field. Here are some steps to help you start creative writing. 1. Finding Inspiration. The first step in creative writing is finding inspiration. Inspiration can come from anywhere and anything.
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Online creative writing courses will help you brush up on the basics of grammar, punctuation, and spelling, and you'll discover effective ways to structure a narrative and pace the story. Some lessons will focus on developing characters and settings. A comprehensive course covers different forms of writing, including personal essays and poetry ...
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Creative writing is a written art form that uses the imagination to tell stories and compose essays, poetry, screenplays, novels, lyrics, and more. It can be defined in opposition to the dry and factual types of writing found in academic, technical, or journalistic texts. ... To help you imagine situations to put your character in, we made a ...
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Types of Creative Writing. Examples of creative writing can be found pretty much everywhere. Some forms that you're probably familiar with and already enjoy include: • Fiction (of every genre, from sci-fi to historical dramas to romances) • Film and television scripts. • Songs. • Poetry.
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4 Forms of Creative Writing. While there are really no bounds to what creative writing can be, there are four main buckets it falls into. 1. Fiction. Fiction is work that describes imaginary events, places, or people. This can include novels, short stories, or even flash fiction. 2. Creative Nonfiction. Creative nonfiction is about telling true ...
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Creative writing can be a very fulfilling hobby. Writing can help you explore deep questions, use your imagination, and express your thoughts and feelings in a healthy way. If you want to learn creative writing, you've come to the right place. Read on to learn our top ten creative writing tips to help you get started.
20 Writing Tips to Help You Improve Your Craft Today
Don't dilute your story with adverb-y sentences — get down to business and tell us what the characters are doing. 15. Get rid of distractions. Yes, this is probably one of the hardest writing tips to follow — especially for those of us who enjoy working from noisy coffee shops and taking frequent Netflix breaks.
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Creative Writing 101. Creative writing is any form of writing which is written with the creativity of mind: fiction writing, poetry writing, creative nonfiction writing and more. The purpose is to express something, whether it be feelings, thoughts, or emotions. Rather than only giving information or inciting the reader to make an action ...
Elements of Creative Writing
This free and open access textbook introduces new writers to some basic elements of the craft of creative writing in the genres of fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. The authors—Rachel Morgan, Jeremy Schraffenberger, and Grant Tracey—are editors of the North American Review, the oldest and one of the most well-regarded literary magazines in the United States.
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Creative writing is a powerful tool that can help you connect with others, explore your thoughts and feelings, and share your unique perspective. By mastering these techniques and experimenting with different styles and forms of writing, you can unlock your full creative potential and create works of art that inspire and entertain others.
1800+ Creative Writing Prompts To Inspire You Right Now
This list of 1800+ creative writing prompts has been created by the Reedsy team to help you develop a rock-solid writing routine. As all aspiring authors know, this is the #1 challenge — and solution! — for reaching your literary goals. Feel free to filter through different genres, which include... Dramatic — If you want to make people ...
Creative Writing Ultimate Guide
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26+ Creative Writing Tips for Beginners ️
Simple - Just create writing goals for yourself. Examples of writing goals might include, to write 100 words every day or to write 600 words by the end of next week. Whatever your goals make sure you can measure them easily. That way you'll know if you met them or not.
Creative Writing For Dummies Cheat Sheet
Writing a solid first draft. Writing a first draft of your creative project - whether a novel, short story, poem, or play - can be a bit daunting. Follow these handy hints to help you organize your thoughts and manage your time: Don't worry about a great opening line yet. Simply start writing wherever you like.
Short Story Tips: 10 Hacks to Improve Your Creative Writing
2. Write a Catchy First Paragraph. In today's fast-moving world, the first sentence of your narrative should catch your reader's attention with the unusual, the unexpected, an action, or a conflict. Begin with tension and immediacy. Remember that short stories need to start close to their end.
308 Creative Writing Prompts To Help You
Write a story that begins with the first verse. Write a story that ends with "she never looked back.". "Practice makes perfect," the common saying goes. Write a thriller story with the line repeated at least 3 times throughout. "I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it.".
199+ Creative Writing Prompts To Help You Write Your Next Story
A long list of creative writing prompts and writing ideas. 1. Symphony of the Skies. Imagine a world where music can literally change the weather. Write a story about a character who uses this power to communicate emotions, transforming the skies to reflect their inner turmoil or joy. 2.
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Reaping the benefits. To see how creative writing impacts students, I invite them to rate their resilience through a self-compassion survey at the start of the school year and again in the spring. Last year, two-thirds of students surveyed increased in self-compassion; Alejandro grew his self-compassion by 20 percent.
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Write with confidence, powered by AI beta. Get perfect spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Sound fluent, professional, and natural. Fine-tune your writing with word and sentence alternatives. Choose a writing style and tone that fits your audience.
Creative Writing Forums
A creative writing forum dedicated to all writing, where writers can discuss publishing, plot, character development, word mechanics, and may use our Writing Workshop to further develop your writing. ... word mechanics, and may use our Writing Workshop to further develop your writing. Log in or Sign up. Creative Writing Forums - Writing Help ...
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Writing skills - creative and narrative writing. Part of English Writing skills. Imaginative or creative writing absorbs readers in an entertaining way. To succeed with this kind of writing you ...
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Creative writing therapy can help you gain a better insight into your thoughts and behaviors. By reflecting on your experiences through writing, you can start to identify patterns and gain an understanding of yourself. Stress relief. Therapeutic writing can be a way to relieve stress and reduce anxiety. Writing is often cathartic, allowing you ...
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Here are the top 10 creative writing strategies to help remove writer's block. You can implement these strategies in your writing to achieve the best outcomes.
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Learning to write fiction is like training for a marathon. Before you get ready for the main event, it's good to warm up and stretch your creative muscles. Whether you're a published author of a bestselling book or a novice author writing a novel for the first time, creative exercises are great for clearing up writer's block and getting your creative juices flowing.