Creative writing can be an incredibly rewarding pursuit, but it also requires hard work, dedication, and savvy strategies. Fortunately, if you take the time to learn a few tips and tricks, you can improve your creative writing skills quickly and get closer to achieving your goals.
Read More and With More Variety.
A great way to improve your creative writing skills is to read more widely. Not only should you be reading lots of different types of writing, such as fiction, nonfiction, and plays, but you should also be reading both within and outside of the same genre that you write in. This will help you develop an understanding of the conventions and expectations of your preferred genre and give you a better idea of what kind of work stands out from the rest.
Moreover, when you read within the same genre, pay close attention to sentence structure, the use of metaphor and imagery, the voice of the narrator or characters, and other literary techniques used by established writers.
Taking notes while you read is a good way to keep track of what works and what doesn’t – so that you can apply certain styles to your own writing. While there is no surefire way to improve your creative writing skills overnight, taking steps like reading more widely and paying attention to literature’s conventions will help you develop a better understanding of how quality creative work is composed.
Develop an Outline Before You Begin Writing.
Before you start writing any creative piece, it’s important to make a basic outline. This will help you stay organized and give structure to your ideas. Start by jotting down your main topic, subtopics, and theme. Then, decide on the development of ideas throughout the piece and add in any supporting features and information that can bolster the execution of your narrative. Doing this before writing will ensure that the plot points are clearly expressed, flow nicely and are easily followed.
Once your outline is complete, it’s time to start writing. Make sure you take the time to properly articulate each plot point and provide literary devices to conjure imagery in the reader’s mind. This will help keep your piece engaging and allow readers to follow your train of thought, in terms of storytelling, with ease.
You should use vivid language that accurately depicts what you are trying to convey – remember: imagery is an excellent tool for connecting with readers, so don’t be hesitant to include as much as possible in your writing.
Lastly, be sure to write with a consistent tone, tense and person – simple errors with these can lead to confusion and make your creative piece incoherent.
Utilising Figurative Language.
Figurative language can be a powerful tool for providing insight into a character’s emotions, creating suspense and tension in a scene, or adding emphasis to an idea. Metaphors and similes can bring imagery and vivid colour to your writing, helping readers connect with the story easily. On top of this, other forms of figurative language like personification and hyperbole can help animate characters and objects to create a more engaging narrative.
Start by simply understanding the basics of using these four main figurative devices: metaphors, similes, personification and hyperbole. Then experiment with adding them to your writing. Make sure they are used in a meaningful way and be intentional about where you place them in the story.
As you practice more, you can incorporate the use of other, more complex forms of figurative language like: allegory, oxymorons, pathetic fallacy and motifs. By practicing these techniques and others, you’ll soon have the confidence to create beautifully vivid descriptions in your writing and bring it to life for your readers.
Analyse Your Writing.
When you are analysing your writing, it’s important to look for areas that need improvement. Ask yourself if the dialogue is believable, if the characters have enough depth, and if the setting is appropriately described. Evaluate the pacing of scenes and make sure the plot is progressing logically. Finally, examine how much figurative language is used in each piece and see which parts of the narrative could benefit from the various types.
It’s not enough to just spot these mistakes—you need to be able to come up with solutions. In the aforementioned cases you would, for example, first consider revising the dialogue. Then look at fleshing out the characters more. Next, you would deal with the word-play – substituting basic adjectives and verbs for more powerful ones, allowing for richer description of your settings and action.
Subsequently, adjust the pacing if one section is dragging on too long or another seems rushed. And finally, you may also want to change or add more figurative devices to provide further depth and give your writing more vibrancy.
Structural changes will certainly help too, so it’s also important to pay attention to details like sentence structure and paragraph length as well as keeping tabs on appropriate word choice, and grammar mistakes. These tweaks can go a long way in making your story shine.
Practice, Practice, Practice!
Consistent practice is essential to honing your writing skills and developing your own unique style. Regularly set aside time to write, and don’t lose faith – even when you feel like you have nothing new or interesting to express.
Writing often will give your subconscious more time and space to explore previously unexplored ideas, so the more you practice, the easier it is for creative solutions and insights to emerge in your work.
To get your creative juices flowing, take some time to look around and find inspiration. Visit an art gallery, explore a new city (or even your own – you’d be surprised at what you might find). You could photocopy well-written pages from your favourite book, if you like certain expressions and turns of phrase, for example.
If you’re still stuck for ideas, try writing exercises such as freewriting or improvisational writing. These activities allow you to build a subconscious confidence in your ability to express yourself in different situations. One great way to really get started – if time and money are not restrictive – is by taking a creativity class that focuses on writing prompts and constructive criticism.
Besides this, reading good examples of creative writing most definitely helps you increase the quality of your own work, so be sure to pour through those authors you love and create a living library of their best pieces.
Finally, try to recognise that all forms of writing require patience – bring that same determination to your creative endeavours, and you’ll be sure to see immense growth in no time!
If you’re looking for some simple steps to help with non-fiction writing, check out our previous article here. Also have a look at our video on planning on YouTube. If you’re teaching your child how to improve their creative writing, you may want to have a watch of the video below:
At Online Super Tutors, we offer tutoring services for both adults and kids in a variety of subjects: Whether you’re looking for help with home schooling, want to improve your grades, or simply want to learn something new, super tutoring can help. So why wait? Get in touch with us today and start your journey towards academic success!
Please see our Google reviews below as an example of what our clients feel about us: