Creative Writing

“Write Creatively! You’re writing just dull”, many of us are likely to hear. Consequently, we all want to write creatively. However, as soon as we grab a piece of paper and pen, we start staring at it, puzzled; not knowing what to write. Some might put in a few sentences and just throw it away, while others might just sit and think “creatively” so as to write creatively.

Here are a few of my personal tips. I hope that it works!

Imagination is the key for creative writing. Creativity is unpredictable. Therefore, do not sit to write creatively. It takes shape when you are unconscious, or when you are least expected to create a creative idea.

Unlike essays and articles that you want to write for the university assignments or publish in papers, you do not have to follow a particular pattern for creative writing. For example, in college and university assignments, for essays, we follow patterns of three or five paragraph essay. We put in our arguments, counter-arguments, thesis, anti-thesis, and conclusion. Likewise, we also provide facts. Moreover, in them, we objectively portray the picture. We are less likely to give it a subjective interpretation for the simple fact that subjective interpretation varies from person to person based on cognitive ability. On the other hand, creative writing is free. You do not have to stick to a particular pattern. You’re the master of your own! You define the pattern and write accordingly. All you have to do is write what comes to you. Even if things don’t seen to get connected or convey what you intend to say for the first time, GO ON! Continue writing. In the end, your ideas will make sense. BINGO! You now know what to write.

To me, writing creatively is writing our emotions. If I were to write facts, I’d best write essays that are fixed in a particular pattern. I wouldn’t be writing creatively apart from writing new facts and data. We all go through a lot of circumstances. These could be pain, joy, sorrow, loss, anger, dilemma, regrets and many more. And to me, frankly, these are the very things that you are to put in your creative writing. This is the only basis that separates creative writing from university essay assignments.

Now that you intend to write what you are feeling, what you are going through, write it with a general touch, rather than insignificant subjective feeling so that the readers can relate themselves to what you’re going through.

Use ADJECTIVES and QUALIFIERS to show what you mean. They will beautify your work. However, don’t go OFF TRACK. However, don’t use too many adjectives as it may sound strange. Remember, it’s good if things are sweet, not if they are the sweetest!

Use SIMPLE WORDS. Do not use excess vocabulary as it easily irritates the reader as they have to look its meaning on a dictionary. That could be devastating because your reader might forget what s/he was reading until now.

Try poeti-fying your work. Give it a touch of poetry so that it becomes more beautiful. Instead of saying, “he gave her a rose saying I love you,” opt for, “With a rose that has been the emblem of love, he professed his love to her.”

Remember? The college essays had a word limit? But here, there’s no word limit. Indeed, there’s no limit to your creativity. You can write as much as you want. However, the length should still intrigue the reader to read more. The books of J K Rowling are fat. However, it didn’t stop people to read them because despite the thickness, it still had hooked the readers.

ACCEPT CRITICISM. Show your writings to your friends, parents and teachers and ask for their feedbacks. Based on the comments, work on your weak spots. Do not get harassed or demoralized for a few times because remember, you have just started to write! A child who has just started to crawl cannot walk and run all of a sudden. It takes time. Likewise, you also need time to write better the next time. Slow and steady wins the race!

Read, and read A LOT OF BOOKS. Doing so will improve your reading habit, and increase your love for books as well. Moreover, from the various writers you read, you’ll learn how to write and what to write.

However, most importantly, PRACTICE. And practice a lot because that is how you are to reach close to perfection. None of the best writings are best because of the subjective interpretation. It can be better than your previous works, but not the best. You are a better person but are you the best person?

Now what are you looking at? Go on! Start writing.

HAPPY WRITING!!!