What is Creative Writing?

Creative writing is a form of writing in which one doesn’t need to back it with academic references or texts. It ranges from poetry to prose, screenplays to blogs, and children’s content to adult content. Anyone can be a creative writer. It just often takes practice and patience. If you desire to grow in your creative writing skills, fear not. Here are some helpful tools and tips.

5 Tips for Beginner Creative Writers:

1. Practice free writing.

• Start with a blank page and write whatever comes to mind for 5 minutes.

• Don’t think about grammar or spelling.

• Editing can come later.

2. Follow writing prompts to spark creative ideas.

Prompt Examples:

1. “When I started out my day, I never thought…”

2. “After running as fast as I could, I looked back and saw…”

3. “She never seemed to like me, but I didn’t care because…”

4. “With bright eyes, I smiled and said…”

3. Read, read, read.

• The more you read and the varieties of genres you read will inevitably bring new ideas into your mind.

4. If you feel an urge to write, don’t hesitate to pull out the notes app on your phone or any piece of paper you can find. No one has to see it, and every word you write (whether published or unpublished) is another brick laid into the foundation of your writing skills.

5. Remove any pressure from yourself to become a published author or to write an entire novel. Pressure often paralyzes us. Just write to express the emotions and feelings swirling inside you. Write about your experiences and life story. If you want to share your writing with others, that is amazing! In fact, I would encourage it. If you want to keep your writing to yourself because it is private, that is also amazing!

Alright, now that we know the basics, let's put it into practice!

Creative Writing Exercise:

Listen to Samuel Barber's "Adagio for Strings". While listening to the song, write whatever feelings, memories, stories, or images come into your mind. Afterwards, create a 10 page story in which the main character experiences whatever feelings or moments your experienced listening to the song.

If this post inspires you to write and you would like to share what you wrote, I would love to read it!