Tips On How To Be More Creative In Writing

Leave a Comment / writing tips / By

For centuries, man has used prose and poetry to record everyday thoughts, pass down stories, and conjure literature that tests the bounds of reality. A well-written piece can stir a cascade of emotions in a reader.

There are different forms of creative writing, such as children’s books, memoirs, screenplays and movies, poetry, novels, creative nonfiction, and short stories. The underlying rules to keep your creative juices flowing are similar for all of these. 

how to be more creative in writing

In this guide, we’ll take a look at how to be more creative in writing. We’ll look at different elements such as structuring your piece and the form of prose you are writing. Action propels the story forward with decisions every character takes. Those characters must be defined, and a central conflict must tie the tale together. Adjusting the pace of narration keeps the reader engaged. The point of view of narration can greatly affect the reader’s perception of the story.

Lastly, having a theme gives readers a deeper message to ponder about. 

Let’s look at ways you can be more creative in your writing in more detail.

How To Be More Creative In Writing

You may be simply looking to write your journal better, or you’re an amateur writer writing for your school newsletter. You could even be a professional writer with a nasty case of writer’s block. Regardless, a quick list of writing tips can help you get going with the next big literary marvel. Let’s take a look.

1. Write Like There’s No Tomorrow

Consistently maintaining a writing practice is hard, to begin with. But once you start, it becomes much easier. Even if what you write isn’t the best, putting your thoughts on paper can be unexpectedly useful for a future piece. 

It’s also important to feel like you’re making progress. Some writers stop to go back and edit, but this kills their momentum. Instead, it’s better to keep drafting and getting the words down on paper.  

2. Be Open To Editing

Your first draft won’t be perfect, no matter how experienced you are. You mustn’t be harsh on yourself, but it’s important to keep on reading over and editing your piece to make it as well-polished as possible. 

This is the best way to produce a great end product. It can even help to get the views of other people on your piece. The information that they can provide can help you take your piece to the next level. However, hearing this feedback can be hard to take and may damage your ego. But you need to let all that go and open your mind. 

3. Read As Much As Possible

Building a style and improving your writing skills can depend on the amount of literature you consume. Reading various books can give you a multidimensional view of what readers like and don’t like. Often when you have a challenging time with some work, reading similar pieces by famous authors provides a reliable frame of reference.

But in addition to this, reading allows you to internalize the writing styles and techniques of other authors, leading to an expansion of your own writing abilities and a better understanding of language and communication. Additionally, regular reading can help you to develop a wider vocabulary, improve grammatical accuracy, and develop your own unique writing voice.

4. Maintain A Perspective

Any fictional work often has some message to convey and a story without perspective can fall flat in the reader’s eyes. They seek a reason to relate or disagree with characters, and that’s where the author’s perspective gives validation. Lending a voice to the story gives a strong impression. 

To achieve this, you can use perspectives, particularly when writing characters. For example, you have the first-person perspective or the third-person viewpoint, both of which are the most common in writing. Changing perspectives mid-story can jar with your readers and disrupt the flow.

5. Attend Writing Workshops

If you are writing for a certain segment of people or popular masses, you must adapt your writing accordingly. One way to help with that is to attend writing classes that focus on these particular niches.

Schools, colleges and universities often conduct workshops for students who want to learn creative writing. Write Unity is a great source that provides research on the best schools for your learning needs. Going over a bunch of reviews and picking the best school is the first step to improving your writing skills.

6. Use Literary Devices

Play with words and phrases and structures to create beautiful and unique writing. Everyone likes good old alliteration in dialogue. It adds aesthetics and shows the prowess of your pen when given eccentric rules. Shakespeare’s iambic pentameter is a rhythm of speech forever etched in our minds too. 

Here are some other literary devices that you may find useful:

  • Metaphors – A comparison between two things that are not literally alike, used to create a vivid image in the reader’s mind. For example, “The world is a stage.”
  • Similes – A comparison between two things using “like” or “as.” For example, “Her eyes are like stars.”
  • Personification – Giving human characteristics to non-human objects or ideas. For example, “The wind whispered through the trees.”
  • Hyperbole – Extreme exaggeration used to create emphasis or humor. For example, “I’ve told you a million times.”
  • Imagery – The use of descriptive language to create a sensory experience for the reader. For example, “The hot sun beat down on his skin.”
  • Symbolism – Using an object or idea to represent a larger concept or theme. For example, a red rose can symbolize love or passion.
  • Alliteration – The repetition of the same sound at the beginning of several words in a row. For example, “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.”

Summarising How To Be More Creative In Writing

So, we’ve taken a look at a few different tips on how to be more creative in writing.

One of the most important steps to take is to develop a consistent pattern of writing. Understanding the elements of your writing and laying out a structure helps you be creative around it. Lastly, using phonetic and literary devices beautify your writing and have a pleasing effect. So stop waiting and grab your pen

About The Author

Mark Wooten has done his doctorate studies in English literature and writes novels for young adults and short stories. He showed a penchant for creative writing at a very young age and chose it as his career path. When he isn’t writing, he imparts his experience to students looking to improve their skills.

Learn More About Writing

Below, you can find links to more guides on writing you may find useful:

richiebilling
Latest posts by richiebilling (see all)

Leave a Reply

Skip to content
%d bloggers like this: