7 Effective Creative Writing Tips for Beginners
Writing is not an easy task, it takes patience, time, and constant effort, but it’s also not as difficult as many people consider it to be. With continuous practice, anyone can master their creative writing skills. It is important to master sound writing skills at the academic level and it will prove to be fruitful not only when you have to write your dissertation or assignments, but also when you step foot in your professional career.
Creative writing is quite different from academic or formal writing. As the name suggests, it is a piece of writing which is creative, innovative, and written using one’s imagination. In other words, creative writing is jotting down your imagination and creativity into words. It is characterized by a narrative plot, character development, and the use of various literary devices and figures. Poetry, plays, scripts, fiction novels and stories, songs, personal essays, etc. are all examples of creative writing. Besides, the aim of creative writing is to make readers feel the emotions of the story and what the characters are going through. In short, it captivates readers to follow the plot and the story’s theme till the end of the story.
Creative Writing Tips You Need to Know
1. Write Every Day
One common habit of all great and professional writers is they write every day and not when they get the time to write. They make time for writing every day. If you wish to see yourself as a successful writer someday, start writing daily. It doesn’t matter how awful your writing may sound to you, just write. You can write about how you spent your day, about a person you think resembles a character in a movie or a book, or write about literally anything without having to worry about errors. Moreover, if you think you will not get the motivation to write every day, you can set a daily word count or even join a writing forum or group.
2. Develop A Reading Habit
They say readers are leaders, but avid readers are also great writers! Once Stephen King, the king of horror stories and books, said, “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.” And we can’t agree more. Many people don’t consider reading as one of the important creative writing tips. However, they are wrong as reading opens your mind to vast knowledge, information, and stories, and you can even identify the tones of professional and published writers to find a style and tone of your own. You don’t have to stick to a specific genre to read. You can read any book or story and see how writers leave cliffhangers, create suspense and reach the climax of their stories.
3. Keep in Mind the Essentials
Just like all other forms of writing have essential components, creative writing also has some basics that writers need to keep in mind while writing a story. All pieces of creative writing depict action and characters must have solid reasons for their actions. In addition, your story should have character development to show your characters have depth and motifs. All characters should have different attributes and traits to develop their personality. Your story must have a conflict to generate interest in the audience. You should also keep in mind the dialogs, plot, scenes, setting, theme, and point of view while writing a creative story.
4. Avoid Using Complicated Words
We know it’s hard as a writer to not use complicated words and show off your extensive vocabulary, but there is no need to write difficult words all the time. Furthermore, using complex words and flowery language will only confuse your readers. Your readers are here to read your story, and checking the dictionary now and then to find meanings of complicated words is the last thing they’d want to do. Write in the language of a layman and simple words so that everyone can understand your story. Every single word in your story matters and counts, which is why you need to write them clearly so that they effectively serve their purpose and intent.
5. Have a Clear Perspective
One of the important creative writing tips for you – have a clear perspective and maintain it till the end of the story. If your creative story lacks a lesson, moral, or message, it will look empty and readers will lose interest. In addition to that, they will not even understand why you have written this story in the first place and why they should even care about your story. A message or a lesson in your story will make readers feel more connected to the story. Besides, they will be able to relate to your story in several ways. As a creative writer, you need to develop a unique tone and voice of your own that will indulge your readers in the story and create a prominent impression on them.
6. Use Literary Devices for the Best Effect
Using literary devices in your writing will make it sound more appealing and promising to readers. Literary devices add a charm to your story and help you clearly write the imaginative scenes in your story. Appropriate and timely use of literary devices can enhance your creativity and help you in capturing the essence of emotions. Apart from that, they also help the readers to visualize the scenes in their minds. You can include literary devices like similes, metaphors, alliteration, consonance, imagery, satire, dramatic irony, etc.
7. Get Feedback
When you are done with the story, you can always ask your friends or family members to read your story and provide their feedback. Be prepared for constructive criticism. Besides, you can also ask a professional writer or a literary agent to review your work and provide feedback. This way you can learn the flaws and strengths of your writing. Your friends can even encourage you to write more effectively. In addition, getting feedback is also a great way to find out what works best for you and what does not go well with your creative writing.