creative writing benefits

Why Learn Creative Writing?

Sean Glatch | November 1, 2022 | 5 Comments

Why learn creative writing? Truthfully, creative writing is one of the most misunderstood disciplines in the 21st century. When people think of a creative writing course, they often imagine a group of lofty, out-of-touch people who wear argyle sweater vests and have unproductive conversations about abstract concepts.

In reality, nothing could be further from the truth: the best writing classes remain engaged with the real world, and the skills gained in a creative writing course apply to nearly every facet of daily life.

If you’re wondering whether it’s worth picking up a course in fiction, nonfiction, or poetry, we have five reasons to learn creative writing. But first, let’s talk about what actually happens in a creative writing course.

The Basics of a Writing Workshop

Whether you’re enrolled in a poetry, fiction, or nonfiction writing class, you can expect the following writing process – at least in a quality writing course like the ones at Writers.com.

Weekly prompts and writing exercises to sharpen the precision and necessity of each word you use.
Constructive critiques from a community of writers who are each growing their writing skills alongside you.
A creative space to explore new ideas, experiment with language, and arrange words in new and exciting ways.
Focused writing instruction from a master of the craft.

The benefits of creative writing come from engaging with the course material, the writing prompts, and the other class members. These elements help you become a better writer, both in creative realms and in everyday life. How? No matter what form of writing, a creative writing class pushes you to connect ideas and create effective narratives using the best words – and that skill translates into real world success.

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April 1st, 2024

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embodied writing interview | writing and the body

Writing the Body: A Nonfiction Craft Seminar

with Margo Steines

April 9th, 2024

The weird and wild body is a rich site of exploration in creative nonfiction. Explore the questions, stories, and lessons your body holds in this seminar with Margo Steines.

The Benefits of Creative Writing

1. why learn creative writing: improved self-expression.

Improving your writing skills leads to stronger communication. When you practice finding the right word in a story or poem, you engage the same parts of your brain that are active in everyday writing and speaking. A creative writing course subconsciously turns you into a more effective communicator.

The importance of precise language and self-advocacy translates well into both interpersonal relationships and working environments. Take it from this expert on how writing and self-advocacy results in career and leadership success.

2. Why Learn Creative Writing: Job Success

This brings us to our next point: great writing leads to job success. Of course, your boss probably isn’t expecting you to write emails in the form of a short story or a sonnet – though if they are expecting this, you have a pretty cool boss.

In reality, almost every job requires some sort of written work, whether that’s simple written communication or something more elaborate, like publishing data or marketing materials. In a creative writing class, you practice the style and grammar rules necessary for effective writing, both within the realms of literature and in career-related writing. Sharpening your writing and creativity skills might just land you your next promotion.

3. Why Learn Creative Writing: Improved Thinking Skills

Strong writing leads to strong thinking. No matter what type of writing you pursue, learning how to write is another form of learning how to think.

That might seem like a bold claim, so think about it this way. Without language, our thoughts wouldn’t have form. We might not need language to think “I’m hungry” or “I like cats,” but when it comes to more abstract concepts, language is key. How would you think about things like justice, revenge, or equality without the words to express them?

When you hone in on your ability to find choice, specific words, and when you work on the skills of effective storytelling and rhetoric , you improve your ability to think in general. Good writing yields great thinking!

4. Why Learn Creative Writing: Empathy

Reading and writing both rely on empathy, especially when it comes to being an effective workshop participant. When we read and write stories, we situate ourselves in the shoes of other people; when we read and write poetry, we let language navigate us through emotion.

The importance of creative writing relies on empathy. We practice empathy whenever we listen to another person’s life story, when someone tells us about their day, and when we sit down with a client or work partner. When we write, we practice the ability to listen as well as to speak, making us more effective communicators and more compassionate human beings.

5. Why Learn Creative Writing: It’s Fun!

In case you’re not convinced that a writing course is right for you, let’s clarify one more fact: creative writing is fun. Whether you’re in a fiction writing course, starting a memoir, crafting a poem, or writing for the silver screen, you’re creating new worlds and characters. In the sandbox of literature, you’re in control, and when you invest yourself into the craft of writing, something beautiful emerges.

The Importance of Creative Writing

Simply put, creative writing helps us preserve our humanity. What better medium to explore the human experience?

To learn creative writing, like any art form, requires compassion, contemplation, and curiosity. Writers preserve the world as they observe it in stories and poetry, and they imagine a better world by creating it in their works.

Through the decades, literature has explored society’s profound changes. Literary eons like the Naturalist movement and the Beat poets responded to the increase in Western Industrialization. Confessional poets like Virginia Woolf helped transform poetry into a medium for emotional exploration and excavation. And, genre movements like the cyberpunk writers of science fiction helped popularize the idea of an “information economy.”

Thus, the importance of creative writing lies in its ability to describe the world through an honest and unfiltered lens. Anyone who engages in creative writing, no matter the genre or style, helps us explore the human experience, share new ideas, and advocate for a better society. Whether you write your stories for yourself or share them with a wide audience, creative writing makes the world a better place.

Jobs for Creative Writers

Because creative writing isn’t a STEM discipline, many people don’t think that learning it will help their job prospects. Why learn creative writing if it doesn’t make any money?

In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. Creative writing skills are much sought after on resumes, since both creativity and the ability to write are soft skills in decline. Additionally, if you’re considering a career change—or ready to start one!—these are some popular jobs for creative writers.

Average Starting Salary: $51,000
Demand: High
Skills needed: creativity, grammar, timeliness

Copywriters help companies put their branding into words. A copywriter might write emails, blogs, website content, or ad copy that encompasses the company’s voice and purpose. Copywriting requires you to write in a mix of styles and forms, flexing your writing muscles in new and exciting ways.

Grant Writer

Average Starting Salary: $50,000
Skills needed: storytelling, research, argumentation

Nonprofits and research facilities rely on local and national grants to fund their projects. Grant writers help secure that funding, writing engaging grants that tell the organization’s story in an engaging, tailored, and convincing way. Creative writers will enjoy the opportunity to tell a meaningful story and create positive community change through this career.

Communications/Public Relations Specialist

Skills needed: creativity, communications, social media

A communications specialist helps drive a company’s image through various social channels. They may help create a positive narrative for their company through blogs, journalist outreach, social media, and other public-facing avenues. Much like copywriting, a PR specialist helps weave an effective story for a company.

Average Starting Salary: $55,000
Demand: Medium/High
Skills needed: creativity, storytelling, organization, self-reliance

The dream job for many writers is to write and sell books. Being a novelist is an admirable career choice—and also requires the most work. Not only do you have to write your stories, but you also have to market yourself in the literary industry and maintain a social presence so that publishers and readers actually read your work. It’s a tough business, but also incredibly rewarding!

Reasons to Learn Creative Writing: Finding a Writing Community

Finally, creative writing communities make the writing struggle worth it. The relationships you foster with other creative writers can last a lifetime, as no other group of people has the same appreciation for the written word. Creative writing communities create transformative experiences and encourage growth in your writing; if there’s one reason to study creative writing craft, it’s the friendships you make in the process.

You don’t need a class to start writing, but it’s never a waste of time to learn the tools of the trade. Creative writing requires the skills that can help you in everyday life, and a creative writing course can help.

At Writers.com, we believe that creative writing can transform both individual lives and the world at large. See the importance of creative writing for yourself: check out what makes our creative writing courses different , then take a look at our upcoming course calendar today.

Sean Glatch

Would like to apply for a course to write a novel.

I’d be happy to help! Please email [email protected] with any questions, and we’ll find the right course for your writing.

[…] Sean. “Why Learn Creative Writing.” writers.com. June 7, 2020. https://writers.com/why-learn-creative-writing . Accessed November 7, […]

[…] And last of all it’s fun! I hope to live my life doing the things I love, with like-minded creative people who I love. I have many exciting things upcoming as I continue with the process of completing my first novel, Les Année Folles, such as publishing to my first magazine, journal, and working on the millions of short story ideas I have stored in my head. Stay tuned! References: Glatch, S. (2020, June 7). WHY LEARN CREATIVE WRITING? Retrieved from Writers.com: https://writers.com/why-learn-creative-writing […]

Creative Writing: What It Is and Why It Matters

By: Author Paul Jenkins

Posted on Published: January 13, 2023 - Last updated: January 15, 2023

Categories Writing

Writing can be intimidating for many people, but creative writing doesn’t have to be. Creative writing is a form of self-expression that allows writers to create stories, characters, and unique settings. But what exactly is creative writing? And why is it important in today’s society? Let’s explore this further.

How We Define Creative Writing

Creative writing is any form where writers can express their thoughts and feelings imaginatively. This type of writing allows authors to draw on their imagination when creating stories and characters and play with language and structure. While there are no boundaries in creative writing, most pieces will contain dialogue, description, and narrative elements.

The Importance of Creative Writing

Creative writing is important because:

It helps us express ourselves in ways we may not be able to do with other forms of communication.
It allows us to explore our creativity and think outside the box.
It can help us better understand our emotions by exploring them through storytelling or poetry.
Writing creatively can also provide much-needed escapism from everyday life, allowing us to escape into a world of our creation.
Creative writing helps us connect with others by sharing our experiences through stories or poems they can relate to. This way, we can gain insight into other people’s lives while giving them insight into ours.

Creative Writing: A Path to Mental and Emotional Wellness

Writing is more than just a way to express your thoughts on paper. It’s a powerful tool that can be used as a form of therapy. Creative writing has been shown to improve emotional and mental well-being.

Through creative writing, we can gain insight into our emotions, develop self-expression and communication skills, cultivate empathy and understanding of others, and boost our imagination and creativity.

Let’s examine how creative writing can relieve stress and emotional catharsis.

Stress Relief and Emotional Catharsis

Writing has the power to reduce stress levels significantly. Writing about our experiences or about things that are causing us anxiety or distress helps us to release those complicated feelings constructively. By expressing ourselves through creative writing, we can work through the emotions associated with stressful situations without having to confront them directly.

This is especially helpful for people who struggle to share their emotions verbally or in person.

Improved Communication and Self-Expression

Creative writing is also beneficial for improving communication skills. Through creative writing, we can explore our thoughts and feelings more intensely than by speaking them aloud. This allows us to think more clearly about what we want to say before actually saying it out loud or in written form, which leads to improved self-expression overall.

Additionally, writing out our thoughts before speaking aloud allows us to articulate ourselves better when communicating with others—which is essential for healthy personal and professional relationships.

Increased Empathy and Understanding of Others

Through creative writing, we can also increase our empathy towards others by exploring different perspectives on various topics that may be unfamiliar or uncomfortable for us—such as racism, homophobia, sexism, etc.—and allowing ourselves the opportunity to see the situation from someone else’s point of view without judgment or bias. This helps us become better communicators and more understanding individuals overall.

The Professional Benefits of Creative Writing

Creative writing is a powerful tool that can help you communicate better and more effectively in the professional world. It can also help you develop various skills that prove invaluable in many industries. Whether you’re looking to build your résumé or improve your communication, creative writing can effectively achieve both.

Let’s take a closer look at how creative writing can benefit your career.

Preparing Students for Careers in Writing, Editing, and Publishing

Creative writing is the perfect foundation for anyone interested in pursuing a career in writing, editing, or publishing. It teaches students the basics of grammar and composition while allowing them to express their ideas in imaginative ways.

Creative writing classes also allow students to learn from professionals who have experience as editors, agents, and publishers. They can use this knowledge to learn creative writing, refine their craft and gain valuable experience before entering the job market.

Improving Skills in Storytelling and Marketing for Various Careers

Creative writing teaches students to think critically about stories and craft compelling narratives that draw readers in. This skill is precious for those who wish to pursue careers outside traditional writing roles—such as marketing or advertising—where storytelling is key.

People who understand the fundamentals of creative writing will be able to create persuasive copy that resonates with readers and effectively conveys a message.

Enhancing Team Collaboration and Leadership Skills

Creative writing isn’t just about expressing yourself through words; it also provides an opportunity to practice working collaboratively with others on projects. Many creative writing classes require students to work together on group projects, which helps them develop essential teamwork skills such as communication, critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity.

As they work together on these projects, they will also gain confidence in their ability to lead teams effectively—an invaluable asset no matter what industry they pursue after graduation.

Uncovering the Power of Creative Writing

Creative writing has become an increasingly powerful force in shaping our society. Creative writing has many uses, from preserving cultural heritage to promoting social change.

Preserving Cultural Heritage with Creative Writing

Creative writing has long been used to preserve and share cultural heritage stories. This is done through fictional stories or poetry that explore a particular culture or group’s history, values, and beliefs. By weaving these stories in an engaging way, writers can bring a culture’s history and traditions to life for readers worldwide. This helps bridge cultural gaps by providing insight into what makes each culture unique.

Promoting Social Change & Activism with Creative Writing

Creative writing can also be used for activism and social change. Writers can craft stories that help promote awareness about important issues such as poverty, race relations, gender equality, climate change, and more.

With the power of words, writers can inspire readers to take action on these issues and work towards creating positive change in their communities.

Through creative writing, writers can raise awareness about important topics while fostering empathy toward individuals who may be facing difficult or challenging situations.

Fostering Creativity & Innovation with Creative Writing

Finally, creative writing can foster creativity and innovation in various fields. For example, businesses can use creative copywriting techniques to create compelling content that captures the attention of customers or potential investors.

Aspiring entrepreneurs can use storytelling techniques when pitching their ideas or products to potential partners or investors to make their cases more persuasive and memorable.

By harnessing the power of words through creative writing techniques, businesses can create content that resonates with their target audience while inspiring them to take action on whatever message they’re trying to convey. It often aids the overall creative process.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the benefits of creative writing.

Creative writing has many benefits, both for the writer and the reader. For the writer, it can be therapeutic, helping them to explore their emotions and better understand themselves. It can also be used as entertainment or communication, allowing them to share their ideas with the world. For the reader, creative writing can provide enjoyment, escapism, and insights into the human condition.

How can I improve my creative writing skills?

There are several ways you can improve your creative writing skills. Firstly, make sure you allow yourself time to write regularly. Use a writing prompt to inspire a short story. Secondly, read as much as you can; great writers are also great readers. Thirdly, experiment with different styles and genres to find one that suits you best. Fourthly, join a writers’ group, writing workshop, or creative writing program to get feedback from other writers. Finally, keep a journal to track your progress and reflect on your work as a creative writer.

What is the importance of imagery in creative writing?

Imagery is an important element of creative writing, as it helps to create a more vivid picture for the reader. By using sensory and descriptive language, writers can transport readers into their stories and help them relate to their characters or themes. Imagery can bring a scene alive with detail and evoke emotion by helping readers create strong visual images in their minds. Furthermore, imagery can help make stories more memorable by giving readers a deeper connection with the characters or setting.

What are the elements of creative writing?

The elements of creative writing include plot, character, dialogue, setting, theme, and point of view. The plot is the structure or main storyline, while the character is the personage involved in this story. Dialogue includes conversations between characters to give insight into their emotions and relationships. Setting refers to the place or time in which a story takes place, while theme explores deeper meanings behind a story’s narrative. Finally, point of view defines how readers experience a story through first-person or third-person omniscient narration.

What’s the difference between creative writing and other types of writing?

The main difference between creative writing and other types of writing is that it allows the writer to create their own story, characters, settings, and themes. Creative writing also encourages writers to be inventive with their style and use descriptive language to evoke emotion or bring stories alive in readers’ minds. Other academic or technical writing types typically involve more research-based information and are usually more objective in their presentation. Additionally, most forms of non-creative writing will have stricter rules regarding grammar, structure, and syntax.

What is the golden rule of creative writing?

The golden rule of creative writing is to show, not tell. It’s the core creative writing skill. When it comes to creative writing, it’s essential to use descriptive language that immerses readers in the story and allows them to experience the events through their emotions and imaginations. This can be done through metaphors, similes, sensory language, and vivid imagery.

How important is creativity in writing?

Creativity is essential in writing as it allows writers to craft a unique story and evoke emotion from the reader. Creativity can bring stories alive with fresh perspectives and exciting plot lines while creating an escape for readers and giving them more profound insights into the human condition. Writers who combine creativity with technical aspects such as grammar, structure, language usage, and flow will create pieces that capture their audience’s attention and provide an enjoyable reading experience.

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7 benefits of creative writing exercises.

Posted by Phil Jamieson Jun 8, 2018 7:30:00 AM

Creative writing exercises also offer benefits to writers that are often overlooked and undervalued, especially in a world that’s shifting toward regimented standardized tests and data-driven work.

Here are seven benefits of completing creative writing exercises on a regular basis.

1. Building Confidence

When writing creatively, you’re engaging in an exercise that will allow you to truly develop your own voice and perspective without consequential limitations. You get a better opportunity to explore and express how you feel about topics, perspectives, philosophies, characters, etc. And this will allow you to feel more comfortable and confident when asserting your opinions and perspectives in other things you write, too.

Writers who don’t write creatively might worry about coming across as an authority or reliable source. By forgetting to insert their own take on the subjects that they’re writing about, they unintentionally end up losing their voice and sound like drones spouting off data. As a result, they lose out on utilizing their unique voice and coming across as an expert with real-world and firsthand experience.

2. Artistic Self-Expression

Individuals who write creatively on a regular basis engage in self-expression, without even realizing it most of the time. Such self-expression can be a healthy way to navigate through negative emotions and thoughts that a writer may experience on a day-to-day basis. Experts even agree that artistic self-expression (i.e., creative writing) “might contribute to maintenance or reconstruction of a positive identity” for individuals who deal with different kinds of trauma ( Medical News Today ).

While it may sound hokey, imagine being stressed at work and then taking a short break to write something creative. When you begin to write and unveil characters or settings, you’re able to better identify why you’re stressed or, at the very least, uncover the negative emotion that you’re experiencing. This gives you the opportunity to work through it all and move in a more positive direction. You can do this for your personal life too, whenever you experience some sort of trauma, stress, or setback.

3.Imagination Boost

A lot of people think that creative writing is frivolous because it’s all about imagining worlds, situations and characters. How could that possibly be beneficial to a real-life working adult who needs to get real work done?

Well, when you engage in creative writing, you’re stimulating and pushing your imagination and “thinking outside the box.” This allows you to refocus your energy on other things and to become better at discovering alternatives and new solutions to problems you’re experiencing. Whether you’re a scientist or a marketer, creative writing will give you the imagination boost you need to think more innovatively and to push boundaries.

4. Thought Clarification

Creative writing allows you to clarify your thoughts as well as your emotions. For example, if you’re a marketer trying to develop your next marketing campaign, you could write a short story in which your target customer reads your promotional emails. You can imagine what they’re doing, where they’re sitting, what’s surrounding them, etc. This allows you to narrow down the language and tactics you use.

Or, if you’re a technical writer writing about a new computer platform, you can write a creative scenario in which someone using the platform experiences a problem. This exercise allows you to clarify your thoughts about what type of information will be valuable to include for your readers and what can be omitted.

In addition, you can also complete creative writing exercises for your personal life to uncover what you think about topics or situations you find yourself immersed in.

5. Better Understanding of the Mechanics of Reading and Writing

As you begin to regularly do writing exercises, you’ll not only gain a more extensive vocabulary, you’ll also come to understand the mechanics of reading and writing better. You’ll know when strict grammar rules work and when they don’t, and you’ll know what will make something you’re writing flow better for your readers even if what you’re writing is a budget report. Once you become comfortable with and have mastered the mechanics of writing professionally and creatively, you’ll be able to bend and break the rules when you need to—to use your own voice and make what you’re writing compelling without coming across as amateur, dull, or inauthentic.

6. Empathy and Communication Skills

When writers create universes with imaginary characters and settings, they must also imagine personalities, emotions, places, and walks of life outside of their own lives. This can provide them with a healthy dose of empathy and understanding for others who are not like themselves and who don’t live where they live or experience what they experience every day.

When writers understand other perspectives better, they’re able to communicate better. They can figure out how to explain and discuss topics from various vantage points. This skill is exceedingly important in both the professional and personal realms.

7. Better Mental, Emotional, and Physical Health

One study , among others , has revealed that expressive writing (i.e., creative writing) has yielded better mental, emotional, and physical health benefits. Creative writing alleviates stress levels, and can ward off severe illnesses, among other things.

Do you like to complete creative writing exercises on a regular basis? Has it helped you when writing for your organization? If so, what benefits have you experienced? Share with us in the comments below.

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How creative writing can increase students’ resilience, students can find strength and community in sharing their stories through writing..

Many of my seventh-grade students do not arrive at school ready to learn. Their families often face financial hardship and live in cramped quarters, which makes it difficult to focus on homework. The responsibility for cooking and taking care of younger siblings while parents work often falls on these twelve year olds’ small shoulders. Domestic violence and abuse are also not uncommon.

To help traumatized students overcome their personal and academic challenges, one of our first jobs as teachers is to build a sense of community. We need to communicate that we care and that we welcome them into the classroom just as they are. One of the best ways I’ve found to connect with my students, while also nurturing their reading and writing skills, is through creative writing.

For the past three years, I’ve invited students in my English Language Development (ELD) classes to observe their thoughts, sit with their emotions, and offer themselves and each other compassion through writing and sharing about their struggles. Creating a safe, respectful environment in which students’ stories matter invites the disengaged, the hopeless, and the numb to open up. Students realize that nobody is perfect and nobody’s life is perfect. In this kind of classroom community, they can take the necessary risks in order to learn, and they become more resilient when they stumble.

Fostering a growth mindset

One of the ways students can boost their academic performance and develop resilience is by building a growth mindset. Carol Dweck, Stanford University professor of psychology and author of the book Mindset , explains that people with a growth mindset focus on learning from mistakes and welcoming challenges rather than thinking they’re doomed to be dumb or unskillful. A growth mindset goes hand in hand with self-compassion: recognizing that everyone struggles and treating ourselves with kindness when we trip up.

One exercise I find very useful is to have students write a story about a time when they persevered when faced with a challenge—in class, sports, or a relationship. Some of the themes students explore include finally solving math problems, learning how to defend themselves, or having difficult conversations with parents.

I primed the pump by telling my students about something I struggled with—feeling left behind in staff meetings as my colleagues clicked their way through various computer applications. I confided that PowerPoint and Google Slides—tools (one might assume) that any teacher worth a paperweight has mastered—still eluded me. By admitting my deficiency to my students, asking for their help, and choosing to see the opportunity to remedy it every day in the classroom, I aimed to level the playing field with them. They may have been reading three or four grade levels behind, but they could slap a PowerPoint presentation together in their sleep.

For students, sharing their own stories of bravery, resilience, and determination brings these qualities to the forefront of their minds and helps solidify the belief that underlies a growth mindset: I can improve and grow . We know from research in neuroplasticity that when students take baby steps to achieve a goal and take pride in their accomplishments, they change their brains, growing new neural networks and fortifying existing ones. Neurons in the brain release the feel-good chemical dopamine, which plays a major role in motivating behavior toward rewards.

After writing about a few different personal topics, students choose one they want to publish on the bulletin boards at the back of the classroom. They learn to include the juicy details of their stories (who, what, when, where, why, and how), and they get help from their peers, who ask follow-up questions to prompt them to include more information. This peer editing builds their resilience in more ways than one—they make connections with each other by learning about each other’s lives, and they feel empowered by lending a hand.

In my experience, students are motivated to do this assignment because it helps them feel that their personal stories and emotions truly matter, despite how their other academics are going. One student named Alejandro chose to reflect on basketball and the persistence and time it took him to learn:

Hoops By Alejandro Gonzalez Being good takes time. One time my sister took me to a park and I saw people playing basketball. I noticed how good they were and decided I wanted to be like them. Still I told my sister that basketball looked hard and that I thought I couldn’t do it. She said,“You could do it if you tried. You’ll get the hang of it.” My dad bought me a backboard and hoop to play with. I was really happy, but the ball wasn’t making it in. Every time I got home from school, I would go straight to the backyard to play. I did that almost every day until little by little I was getting the hang of it. I also played with my friends. Every day after lunch we would meet at the basketball court to have a game. … I learned that you need to be patient and to practice a lot to get the hang of things. With a little bit of practice, patience, and hard work, anything is possible.

Originally, Alejandro wasn’t sure why he was in school and often lacked the motivation to learn. But writing about something he was passionate about and recalling the steps that led to his success reminded him of the determination and perseverance he had demonstrated in the past, nurturing a positive view of himself. It gave him a renewed sense of investment in learning English and eventually helped him succeed in his ELD class, as well.

Maintaining a hopeful outlook

Another way to build resilience in the face of external challenges is to shore up our inner reserves of hope —and I’ve found that poetry can serve as inspiration for this.

For the writing portion of the lesson, I invite students to “get inside” poems by replicating the underlying structure and trying their hand at writing their own verses. I create poem templates, where students fill in relevant blanks with their own ideas.

One poem I like to share is “So Much Happiness” by Naomi Shihab Nye. Its lines “Even the fact that you once lived in a peaceful tree house / and now live over a quarry of noise and dust / cannot make you unhappy” remind us that, despite the unpleasant events that occur in our lives, it’s our choice whether to allow them to interfere with our happiness. The speaker, who “love[s] even the floor which needs to be swept, the soiled linens, and scratched records,” has a persistently sunny outlook.

It’s unrealistic for students who hear gunshots at night to be bubbling over with happiness the next morning. Still, the routine of the school day and the sense of community—jokes with friends, a shared bag of hot chips for breakfast, and a creative outlet—do bolster these kids. They have an unmistakable drive to keep going, a life force that may even burn brighter because they take nothing for granted—not even the breath in their bodies, life itself.

Itzayana was one of those students who, due to the adversity in her life, seemed too old for her years. She rarely smiled and started the school year with a defiant approach to me and school in general, cursing frequently in the classroom. Itzayana’s version of “So Much Happiness” hinted at some of the challenges I had suspected she had in her home life:

It is difficult to know what to do with so much happiness. Even the fact that you once heard your family laughing and now hear them yelling at each other cannot make you unhappy. Everything has a life of its own, it too could wake up filled with possibilities of tamales and horchata and love even scrubbing the floor, washing dishes, and cleaning your room. Since there is no place large enough to contain so much happiness, help people in need, help your family, and take care of yourself. —Itzayana C.

Her ending lines, “Since there is no place large enough to contain so much happiness, / help people in need, help your family, and take care of yourself,” showed her growing awareness of the need for self-care as she continued to support her family and others around her. This is a clear sign of her developing resilience.

Poetry is packed with emotion, and writing their own poems allows students to grapple with their own often-turbulent inner lives. One student commented on the process, saying, “By writing poems, I’ve learned to be calm and patient, especially when I get mad about something dumb.” Another student showed pride in having her writing published; she reflected, “I feel good because other kids can use it for calming down when they’re angry.”

To ease students into the creative process, sometimes we also write poems together as a class. We brainstorm lines to include, inviting the silly as well as the poignant and creating something that represents our community.

Practicing kindness

Besides offering my students new ways of thinking about themselves, I also invite them to take kind actions toward themselves and others.

In the music video for “Give a Little Love” by Noah and the Whale, one young African American boy—who witnesses bullying at school and neglect in his neighborhood —decides to take positive action and whitewash a wall of graffiti. Throughout the video, people witness others’ random acts of kindness, and then go on to do their own bit.

“My love is my whole being / And I’ve shared what I could,” the lyrics say—a reminder that our actions speak louder than our words and do have an incredible impact. The final refrain in the song—“Well if you are (what you love) / And you do (what you love) /...What you share with the world is what it keeps of you”—urges the students to contribute in a positive way to the classroom, the school campus, and their larger community.

After watching the video, I ask students to reflect upon what kind of community they would like to be part of and what makes them feel safe at school. They write their answers—for example, not being laughed at by their peers and being listened to—on Post-it notes. These notes are used to create classroom rules. This activity sends a message early on that we are co-creating our communal experience together. Students also write their own versions of the lyrics, reflecting on different things you can give and receive—like kindness, peace, love, and ice cream.

Reaping the benefits

To see how creative writing impacts students, I invite them to rate their resilience through a self-compassion survey at the start of the school year and again in the spring. Last year, two-thirds of students surveyed increased in self-compassion; Alejandro grew his self-compassion by 20 percent. The program seems to work at developing their reading and writing skills, as well: At the middle of the school year, 40 percent of my students moved up to the next level of ELD, compared to 20 percent the previous year.

As a teacher, my goal is to meet students where they’re at and learn about their whole lives. Through creative writing activities, we create a community of compassionate and expressive learners who bear witness to the impact of trauma in each others’ experiences and together build resilience.

As a symbol of community and strength, I had a poster in my classroom of a boat at sea with hundreds of refugees standing shoulder to shoulder looking skyward. It’s a hauntingly beautiful image of our ability to risk it all for a better life, as many of my ELD students do. Recognizing our common humanity and being able to share about our struggles not only leads to some beautiful writing, but also some brave hearts.

About the Author

Laura Bean, M.F.A. , executive director of Mindful Literacy, consults with school communities to implement mindfulness and creative writing programs. She has an M.F.A. in Creative Writing and presented a mindful writing workshop at Bridging the Hearts and Minds of Youth Conference in San Diego in 2016.

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The Benefits of Creative Writing

Nanowrimo , blog.

To some, creative writing is a fun hobby that has little benefit, and can in fact serve as a time sink wherein nothing is accomplished other than words being spewed onto a page. To others, creative writing is a vital way of expressing oneself. It can be difficult to say which group is correct, but there are some definitive benefits to engaging in creative writing.

One of the first benefits is that it helps to develop creative problem solving skills. Creative writing is an exercise in solving problems, either for the characters within the story or for the author themselves. Characters within stories need to be navigated through a series of difficulties, and if the problems take place in the real world, then the solutions must also be real-world solutions. If the problem is a literal dragon that needs slaying, there’s somewhat less need for it to mimic a real-world solution, since that’s not typically a problem that we have. By navigating fictional characters through difficult times in their lives, either emotionally or financially, writers can learn how to handle those problems in the real world as well, without the stress of trying to figure it out when they’re already in the middle of the situation.

Another benefit of creative writing, particularly if the writer is involved in a formal class or writing group, is that it gives the writer experience in both taking and giving constructive criticism. The first time someone hears that there’s something wrong with their writing can be difficult, but over time, it does get easier. Trust me. I’ve had my fair share of critical remarks, and I’d like to think I’ve gotten better about responding to them. I no longer cry and throw things, so that’s a definite bonus. Taking criticism well is a vital skill, especially in the workplace, because employers often have feedback for their employees that might not necessarily be what the employee wants to hear. Giving criticism that is also constructive is another incredibly valuable skill. If someone believes they are just being torn down, they will not listen to a piece of criticism that might genuinely be designed to help. For this reason, it is important to understand that there are ways to provide tips for improvement without ripping someone’s work apart. Working in a workshop or a creative writing class will help improve these skills.

Creative writing helps to build vocabulary. Do you know how many types of swords there are? I don’t either, actually, but I know many of them. Do you know how many ways there are to say mean? Well, there’s mean, of course, but there are also words like malevolent and malicious and cruel, which all help to paint a more accurate picture of whatever it is that the writer is trying to portray. Once the writer knows these words, they aren’t likely to ever be forgotten. At the very least, the next time the writer is trying to describe someone as mean, they might remember that there are two other, more impressive sounding words that start with ‘m’ that might be used to describe said person.

Creative writing helps to improve outlining skills, which are vital for any kind of large project. Without an outline, creative writers might find themselves bogged down in details they didn’t intend to get lost in, or might lose track of vital plot threads that they’ll need to remember for later in this story. This is also true for any kind of large project, whether it be academic or professional. Presentations made without an outline in place can meander and get lost in themselves, making them difficult to understand or follow. For this reason, outlining is a good skill to pursue, and can be learned or improved upon through the use of creative writing.

One of the most subjective benefits to pursuing creative writing is the way that it can benefit the writer’s emotional well-being. I was skeptical about this one for a long time, because I love writing, but found it to be more stressful than anything else when I did indulge in writing. However, I have found that as I’ve adopted a regular writing schedule and have stuck to it, my mood has begun to improve greatly. I have had friends tell me that I’m happier now, and I do genuinely feel it. But I’m definitely willing to acknowledge that the same might not be true for other people

Creative writing is incredibly beneficial to burgeoning writers, and to students of all kinds. It requires effort, yes, but the more effort someone puts into it, the more likely they are to reap the benefits of it.

27 March, 2017 by McDaniel College Writing Center

Why the teaching of creative writing matters

Lecturer in Creative Writing, University of Bolton

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For the last 30 years or so the rise of creative writing programmes in universities has been met with seemingly unending howls of derision from all quarters. Hanif Kureishi, novelist, screenwriter – and professor of creative writing at Kingston University – described them as a “waste of time”. But universities around the world beg to differ, as the increasing number of courses and students testify.

The recent Sunday Times league tables for universities ranked the quality of teaching in creative writing at The University of Bolton as the best in the country. The programme there also boasts the highest ranking in terms of student experience.

Given that I am the only full-time lecturer in creative writing at Bolton – and also led the programme for two of the three years the recent figures cover – I should be able easily to explain our success, and why our students rate our teaching so highly. I say “should”, because I’m not sure of the answer.

There are easy ways to get students to rate teaching highly. We can tailor the classes to their personal needs and wants, and give them all high marks. Or we can teach them at a lower level than we should so that they feel a greater sense of achievement. But at Bolton we do none of these. So what’s the secret?

The measure of a mark

How you actually go about judging the quality of teaching – particularly with a subject like creative writing – is tricky. There are the normal ways that universities use: peer-assessment, student feedback, the evaluation of staff by professionals who specialise in methods of teaching and learning and staff development programmes. And as Bolton is a teaching intensive, research informed university we do a lot of these things, and I think we do them very well.

But I wonder whether what is being measured or evaluated in these assessments is more the style of the teacher, rather than the content. Most assessors are experts in teaching methods and practices – and it’s unreasonable to expect them to have detailed knowledge of every subject.

As non-specialists they are able to measure the levels of student engagement, of academic challenge, of whether the “learning outcomes” which plague university teaching in creative writing are being met. And if you measure it this way, then it’s quite possible that detractors such as Kureishi are right.

A place for play

Except that the teaching of creative writing, when done well, is about more than the skills and craft and technique, important as these things are. And as the writer and lecturer Liam Murray Bell describes, writers must find and use a consistency of tone, style and voice.

It’s also about encouraging students to play, to move beyond their normal styles and subjects of writing, beyond their use of traditional structural, narrative and poetic forms – and to ask them to see what happens. In this sense university is a place for play . Teacher and game designer Eric Zimmerman has defined play as:

The free space of movement within a more rigid structure. Play exists both because of and also despite the more rigid structures of a system.

If students are not actively encouraged to play then we are simply encouraging them to remain as static as they were when they entered higher education – even if they are more adept at using “writerly” skills and techniques.

The secret of success

To me it seems there is no “secret” to good teaching. You do the basics, and you do them as well as you possibly can. You limit class numbers. You give student-writers the individual attention they crave. You make sure that your teachers are good writers and that your writers are good teachers, so that expertise can be shared effectively.

And you make students read widely. They should read the classics, I suppose, but they should also read the “non-classics” – what many academics see as trash fiction. And they should read their peers and contemporaries too.

Importantly, they should read things such as advertising billboards and street signs, the shapes of buildings, the colour of the pavement, the weather, the look in people’s faces. Writers need to breathe in so that they can breathe out their own individual reactions and responses. At Bolton we spend time reading and breathing, and that helps students find voices and interactions which can blend with the craft of writing to produce work which means something to them.

Very few students will earn a living as a writer. But writing is about more than that, and the ability to communicate effectively is a rare and precious thing. Good teaching should not be measured in the texts which students produce, then, but in the knowledge gained through the actions of writing – knowledge which lasts forever.

In the end, if students enjoy their studies, and believe that they’re gaining skills which are transferable in the workplace and will last them well beyond university, then perhaps that is what they see as ‘good teaching’. And perhaps too they’re the best ones to judge.

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How Creative Writing Boosts Students Academically

Ah, writing workshop in the classroom: so many ideas, so very little time! How do we meet curricular and pacing mandates yet also give our students plenty of opportunities to write with abandonment, to write with fire?

Since I am a Fellow of the National Writing Project , I believe in writing side-by-side with students; I believe in providing young writers with choice; I believe it is fundamental to honor their own stories, encouraging them to write often and passionately so as to develop their voice. Developing their voice, their own song, will influence their academic writing as well.

A nonprofit after-school program known as WriteGirl lives by such a philosophy. Serving more than 350 teenage girls (ages 13 to 18) in metropolitan Los Angeles, WriteGirl describes its program as taking an intensive approach to creative writing education that focuses on "creativity, critical thinking, and leadership skills to empower teen girls." Many of the girls attend overcrowded and underfunded urban public schools. And especially notable, most of the girls go on to enroll in college -- an impressive statistic in contrast to the 66 percent high school graduation rate in Los Angeles Unified School District.

So what's the secret sauce? Let's hear from some of the participants.

Emily, Twelfth Grader

Because of WriteGirl, I can write. It might sound silly -- because obviously this is WriteGirl -- but it's never been silly to me. Growing up with dyslexia meant that my writing was always less eloquent and less readable than everyone else's. I grew up not trusting my writing, not trusting my words, and, eventually, not even trusting my own voice. Society taught me my voice was unimportant because I was a girl and my learning disability taught me to silence that voice completely. It wasn't until I joined WriteGirl that someone taught me to speak up.

At the first workshop, my parents had to drag me out of the car --I was terrified of speaking up, of letting anyone know that I had a voice, in case it would be crushed again. And then I walked inside. Women -- women with pink hair and big smiles and crazy clothes, women who were wearing and saying whatever they wanted -- greeted me as I passed by. For the next two years I was encouraged, mentored and built up.

By the time I turned sixteen, several of the pieces I'd written at WriteGirl were published. I admired the mentors -- strong, independent writers, actors, and businesswomen -- so much that I wasn't afraid to speak up anymore. I wrote what I believed in. WriteGirl gave me a voice and the confidence to use it, and I will always be grateful for that gift.

Amanda, Eleventh Grader

When I joined WriteGirl, I finally discovered a home and a family. Suddenly I had mothers and sisters to help me reach my highest potential. Because of the remarkable women in WriteGirl, I know that being a young female writer doesn't have to be a silent act, clutching your pencil in a corner and softly writing the words you are too scared to utter. These women have taught me that being a young female writer is an act of voice -- loud, courageous, compassionate, and that my words shouldn't be written on a page just to stay there.

A few months ago I was selected to go to the United Nations Headquarters in New York City as a youth delegate, to work with representatives for the advancement of women and girls all over the world. Although it was intimidating to be the youngest person there, my WriteGirl mentor was there every step of the way. She believed in me so much that soon I did, too. Without this message of strength, I also wouldn't have had the courage to become the first ever LA Youth Poet Laureate. [Amanda is featured in the top photo, reciting one of her poems.]

I now hope to learn how to combine my desire to write with my interest in social change and advocacy. And I don't just want to grow those two things in myself, but also inspire those same principles in other people, and cultivate those same passions in other kids -- and adults too, if I may.

Jacqueline, Twelfth Grader

Before I joined WriteGirl, I was the quiet girl, the one who never felt comfortable saying her opinions aloud. I kept it all inside. At first I didn't want to open up to my mentor, Katie. I was scared she wouldn't understand. After several workshops and one-on-one meetings at a cafe, I told her about everything that I didn't have the guts to tell to others: that I wanted to be a journalist, be the editor-in-chief of my school newspaper, maybe even go to college out of state. She dedicated her time to helping me see broader possibilities for my future than I had ever seen before. Before I knew it, I found myself reading a poem to a small crowd at a bookstore, then to a larger crowd of hundreds at a WriteGirl workshop.

In my junior year, I was chosen to represent WriteGirl and travel to the White House to accept the National Arts and Humanities Award from Michelle Obama. The thought of being center stage meeting the first lady in front of reporters and TV cameras made me so nervous that I felt sick. But my mentor coached me through my fear and by the time I walked on that stage, I felt more confident than I ever had before. The first lady embraced me in a hug and encouraged me to set ambitious goals. She said she loved to write and told me to never stop writing. That day, I promised her and myself that I wouldn't.

Teachers are the first to admit how difficult it can be working within the classroom confines to provide students with all that they need. For example, so many of us literacy instructors are seeking innovative ways to provide students with authentic and dynamic writing experiences that develop their voice and also academic skills.

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What Is Creative Writing? The ULTIMATE Guide!

Creative Writing Summer School in Yale - students discussing

At Oxford Royale Academy, we offer a range of summer school programmes that have become extremely popular amongst students of all ages. The subject of creative writing continues to intrigue many academics as it can help to develop a range of skills that will benefit you throughout your career and life.

Nevertheless, that initial question is one that continues to linger and be asked time and time again: what is creative writing? More specifically, what does it mean or encompass? How does creative writing differ from other styles of writing?

During our Oxford Summer School programme , we will provide you with in-depth an immersive educational experience on campus in the colleges of the best university in the world. However, in this guide, we want to provide a detailed analysis of everything to do with creative writing, helping you understand more about what it is and why it could benefit you to become a creative writer.

The best place to start is with a definition.

What is creative writing?

The dictionary definition of creative writing is that it is original writing that expresses ideas and thoughts in an imaginative way. [1] Some academics will also define it as the art of making things up, but both of these definitions are too simplistic in the grand scheme of things.

It’s challenging to settle on a concrete definition as creative writing can relate to so many different things and formats. Naturally, as the name suggests, it is all built around the idea of being creative or imaginative. It’s to do with using your brain and your own thoughts to create writing that goes outside the realms of what’s expected. This type of writing tends to be more unique as it comes from a personal place. Each individual has their own level of creativity, combined with their own thoughts and views on different things. Therefore, you can conjure up your own text and stories that could be completely different from others.

Understanding creative writing can be challenging when viewed on its own. Consequently, the best way to truly understand this medium is by exploring the other main forms of writing. From here, we can compare and contrast them with the art of creative writing, making it easier to find a definition or separate this form of writing from others.

What are the main forms of writing?

In modern society, we can identify five main types of writing styles [1] that will be used throughout daily life and a plethora of careers:

Narrative Writing
Descriptive Writing
Persuasive Writing
Expository Writing
Creative Writing

Narrative writing refers to storytelling in its most basic form. Traditionally, this involves telling a story about a character and walking the readers through the journey they go on. It can be a long novel or a short story that’s only a few hundred words long. There are no rules on length, and it can be completely true or a work of fiction.

A fundamental aspect of narrative writing that makes it different from other forms is that it should includes the key elements of storytelling. As per UX Planet, there are seven core elements of a good story or narrative [2] : the plot, characters, theme, dialogue, melody, decor and spectacle. Narrative writing will include all of these elements to take the ready on a journey that starts at the beginning, has a middle point, but always comes to a conclusion. This style of writing is typically used when writing stories, presenting anecdotes about your life, creating presentations or speeches and for some academic essays.

Descriptive writing, on the other hand, is more focused on the details. When this type of writing is used, it’s focused on capturing the reader’s attention and making them feel like they are part of the story. You want them to live and feel every element of a scene, so they can close their eyes and be whisked away to whatever place or setting you describe.

In many ways, descriptive writing is writing as an art form. Good writers can be given a blank canvas, using their words to paint a picture for the audience. There’s a firm focus on the five senses all humans have; sight, smell, touch, sound and taste. Descriptive writing touches on all of these senses to tell the reader everything they need to know and imagine about a particular scene.

This is also a style of writing that makes good use of both similes and metaphors. A simile is used to describe something as something else, while a metaphor is used to show that something is something else. There’s a subtle difference between the two, but they both aid descriptive writing immensely. According to many writing experts, similes and metaphors allow an author to emphasise, exaggerate, and add interest to a story to create a more vivid picture for the reader [3] .

Looking at persuasive writing and we have a form of writing that’s all about making yourself heard. You have an opinion that you want to get across to the reader, convincing them of it. The key is to persuade others to think differently, often helping them broaden their mind or see things from another point of view. This is often confused with something called opinionative writing, which is all about providing your opinions. While the two seem similar, the key difference is that persuasive writing is built around the idea of submitting evidence and backing your thoughts up. It’s not as simple as stating your opinion for other to read; no, you want to persuade them that your thoughts are worth listening to and perhaps worth acting on.

This style of writing is commonly used journalistically in news articles and other pieces designed to shine a light on certain issues or opinions. It is also typically backed up with statistical evidence to give more weight to your opinions and can be a very technical form of writing that’s not overly emotional.

Expository writing is more focused on teaching readers new things. If we look at its name, we can take the word exposure from it. According to Merriam-Webster [4] , one of the many definitions of exposure is to reveal something to others or present them with something they otherwise didn’t know. In terms of writing, it can refer to the act of revealing new information to others or exposing them to new ideas.

Effectively, expository writing focuses on the goal of leaving the reader with new knowledge of a certain topic or subject. Again, it is predominately seen in journalistic formats, such as explainer articles or ‘how-to’ blogs. Furthermore, you also come across it in academic textbooks or business writing.

This brings us back to the centre of attention for this guide: what is creative writing?

Interestingly, creative writing is often seen as the style of writing that combines many of these forms together in one go. Narrative writing can be seen as creative writing as you are coming up with a story to keep readers engaged, telling a tale for them to enjoy or learn from. Descriptive writing is very much a key part of creative writing as you are using your imagination and creative skills to come up with detailed descriptions that transport the reader out of their home and into a different place.

Creative writing can even use persuasive writing styles in some formats. Many writers will combine persuasive writing with a narrative structure to come up with a creative way of telling a story to educate readers and provide new opinions for them to view or be convinced of. Expository writing can also be involved here, using creativity and your imagination to answer questions or provide advice to the reader.

Essentially, creative writing can combine other writing types to create a unique and new way of telling a story or producing content. At the same time, it can include absolutely none of the other forms at all. The whole purpose of creative writing is to think outside the box and stray from traditional structures and norms. Fundamentally, we can say there are no real rules when it comes to creative writing, which is what makes it different from the other writing styles discussed above.

What is the purpose of creative writing?

Another way to understand and explore the idea of creative writing is to look at its purpose. What is the aim of most creative works of writing? What do they hope to provide the reader with?

We can look at the words of Bryanna Licciardi, an experienced creative writing tutor, to understand the purpose of creative writing. She writes that the primary purpose is to entertain and share human experiences, like love or loss. Writers attempt to reveal the truth with regard to humanity through poetics and storytelling. [5] She also goes on to add that the first step of creative writing is to use one’s imagination.

When students sign up to our creative writing courses, we will teach them how to write with this purpose. Your goal is to create stories or writing for readers that entertain them while also providing information that can have an impact on their lives. It’s about influencing readers through creative storytelling that calls upon your imagination and uses the thoughts inside your head. The deeper you dive into the art of creative writing, the more complex it can be. This is largely because it can be expressed in so many different formats. When you think of creative writing, your instinct takes you to stories and novels. Indeed, these are both key forms of creative writing that we see all the time. However, there are many other forms of creative writing that are expressed throughout the world.

What are the different forms of creative writing?

Looking back at the original and simple definition of creative writing, it relates to original writing in a creative and imaginative way. Consequently, this can span across so many genres and types of writing that differ greatly from one another. This section will explore and analyse the different types of creative writing, displaying just how diverse this writing style can be – while also showcasing just what you’re capable of when you learn how to be a creative writer.

The majority of students will first come across creative writing in the form of essays . The point of an essay is to present a coherent argument in response to a stimulus or question. [6] In essence, you are persuading the reader that your answer to the question is correct. Thus, creative writing is required to get your point across as coherently as possible, while also using great descriptive writing skills to paint the right message for the reader.

Moreover, essays can include personal essays – such as writing a cover letter for work or a university application. Here, great creativity is needed to almost write a story about yourself that captivates the reader and takes them on a journey with you. Excellent imagination and persuasive writing skills can help you tell your story and persuade those reading that you are the right person for the job or university place.

Arguably, this is the most common way in which creative writing is expressed. Fictional work includes novels, novellas, short stories – and anything else that is made up. The very definition of fiction by the Cambridge Dictionary states that it is the type of book or story that is written about imaginary characters and events not based on real people and facts. [7] As such, it means that your imagination is called upon to create something out of nothing. It is a quintessential test of your creative writing skills, meaning you need to come up with characters, settings, plots, descriptions and so much more.

Fictional creative writing in itself takes on many different forms and can be completely different depending on the writer. That is the real beauty of creative writing; you can have entirely different stories and characters from two different writers. Just look at the vast collection of fictional work around you today; it’s the perfect way to see just how versatile creative writing can be depending on the writer.

Similarly, scripts can be a type of creative writing that appeals to many. Technically, a script can be considered a work of fiction. Nevertheless, it depends on the script in question. Scripts for fictional television shows, plays or movies are obviously works of fiction. You, the writer, has come up with the characters and story of the show/play/movie, bringing it all to life through the script. But, scripts can also be non-fictional. Creating a play or movie that adapts real-life events will mean you need to write a script based on something that genuinely happened.

Here, it’s a perfect test of creative writing skills as you take a real event and use your creative talents to make it more interesting. The plot and narrative may already be there for you, so it’s a case of using your descriptive writing skills to really sell it to others and keep readers – or viewers – on the edge of their seats.

A speech is definitely a work of creative writing. The aim of a speech can vary depending on what type of speech it is. A politician delivering a speech in the House of Commons will want to get a point across to persuade others in the room. They’ll need to use creative writing to captivate their audience and have them hanging on their every word. A recent example of a great speech was the one by Sir David Attenborough at the recent COP26 global climate summit. [8] Listening to the speech is a brilliant way of understanding how creative writing can help get points across. His speech went viral around the world because of how electrifying and enthralling it is. The use of many descriptive and persuasive words had people hanging onto everything he said. He really created a picture and an image for people to see, convincing them that the time is now to work on stopping and reversing climate change.

From this speech to a completely different one, you can see creative writing at play for speeches at weddings and other jovial events. Here, the purpose is more to entertain guests and make them laugh. At the same time, someone giving a wedding speech will hope to create a lovely story for the guests to enjoy, displaying the true love that the married couple share for one another. Regardless of what type of speech an individual is giving, creative writing skills are required for it to be good and captivating.

Poetry & Songs

The final example of creative writing is twofold; poetry and songs. Both of these formats are similar to one another, relying on creativity to deliver a combination of things. Poetry can take so many forms and styles, but it aims to inspire readers and get them thinking. Poems often have hidden meanings behind them, and it takes a great deal of imagination and creativity to come up with these meanings while also creating a powerful poem. Some argue that poetry is the most creative of all creative writing forms.

Songwriting is similar in that you use creativity to come up with lyrics that can have powerful meanings while also conjuring up a story for people. The best songwriters will use lyrics that stay in people’s minds and get them thinking about the meaning behind the song. If you lack imagination and creativity, you will never be a good songwriter.

In truth, there are so many other types and examples of creative writing that you can explore. The ones listed above are the most common and powerful, and they all do a great job of demonstrating how diverse creative writing can be. If you can hone your skills in creative writing, it opens up many opportunities for you in life. Primarily, creative writing focuses on fictional pieces of work, but as you can see, non-fiction also requires a good deal of creativity.

What’s needed to make a piece of creative writing?

Our in-depth analysis of creative writing has led to a point where you’re aware of this style of writing and its purpose, along with some examples of it in the real world. The next question to delve into is what do you need to do to make a piece of creative writing. To phrase this another way; how do you write something that comes under the creative heading rather than another form of writing?

There is an element of difficulty in answering this question as creative writing has so many different types and genres. Consequently, there isn’t a set recipe for the perfect piece of creative writing, and that’s what makes this format so enjoyable and unique. Nevertheless, we can discover some crucial elements or principles that will help make a piece of writing as creative and imaginative as possible:

A target audience

All creative works will begin by defining a target audience. There are many ways to define a target audience, with some writers suggesting that you think about who is most likely to read your work. However, this can still be challenging as you’re unsure of the correct demographic to target. Writer’s Digest makes a good point of defining your target audience by considering your main motivation for writing in the first place. [9] It’s a case of considering what made you want to start writing – whether it’s a blog post, novel, song, poem, speech, etc. Figuring out your motivation behind it will help you zero in on your target audience.

Defining your audience is vital for creative writing as it helps you know exactly what to write and how to write it. All of your work should appeal to this audience and be written in a way that they can engage with. As a simple example, authors that write children’s stories will adapt their writing to appeal to the younger audience. Their stories include lots of descriptions and words that children understand, rather than being full of long words and overly academic writing.

Establishing the audience lets the writer know which direction to take things in. As a result, this can aid with things like character choices, plot, storylines, settings, and much more.

A story of sorts

Furthermore, great works of creative writing will always include a story of sorts. This is obvious for works such as novels, short stories, scripts, etc. However, even for things like poems, songs or speeches, a story helps make it creative. It gives the audience something to follow, helping them make sense of the work. Even if you’re giving a speech, setting a story can help you create a scene in people’s minds that makes them connect to what you’re saying. It’s a very effective way of persuading others and presenting different views for people to consider.

Moreover, consider the definition of a story/narrative arc. One definition describes it as a term that describes a story’s full progression. It visually evokes the idea that every story has a relatively calm beginning, a middle where tension, character conflict and narrative momentum builds to a peak and an end where the conflict is resolved. [10]

Simplifying this, we can say that all works of creative writing need a general beginning, middle and end. It’s a way of bringing some sort of structure to your writing so you know where you are going, rather than filling it with fluff or waffle.

A good imagination

Imagination is a buzzword that we’ve used plenty of times throughout this deep dive into creative writing. Every creative writing course you go on will spend a lot of time focusing on the idea of using your imagination. The human brain is a marvellously powerful thing that holds the key to creative freedom and expressing yourself in new and unique ways. If you want to make something creative, you need to tap into your imagination.

People use their imagination in different ways; some will be able to conjure up ideas for stories or worlds that exist beyond our own. Others will use theirs to think of ways of describing things in a more creative and imaginative way. Ultimately, a good imagination is what sets your work apart from others within your genre. This doesn’t mean you need to come up with the most fantastical novel of all time to have something classified as creative writing. No, using your imagination and creativity can extend to something as simple as your writing style.

Ultimately, it’s more about using your imagination to find your own personal flair and creative style. You will then be able to write unique pieces that stand out from the others and keep audiences engaged.

How can creative writing skills benefit you?

When most individuals or students consider creative writing, they imagine a world where they are writing stories for a living. There’s a common misconception that creative writing skills are only beneficial for people pursuing careers in scriptwriting, storytelling, etc. Realistically, enhancing ones creative writing skills can open up many windows of opportunity throughout your education and career.

Improve essay writing – Naturally, creative writing forms a core part of essays and other written assignments in school and university. Improving your skills in this department can help a student get better at writing powerful essays and achieving top marks. In turn, this can impact your career by helping you get better grades to access better jobs in the future.
Become a journalist – Journalists depend on creative writing to make stories that capture audiences and have people hanging on their every word. You need high levels of creativity to turn a news story into something people are keen to read or watch.
Start a blog – In modern times, blogging is a useful tool that can help people find profitable and successful careers. The whole purpose of a blog is to provide your opinions to the masses while also entertaining, informing and educating. Again, having a firm grasp of creative writing skills will aid you in building your blog audience.
Write marketing content – From advert scripts to content on websites, marketing is fuelled by creative writing. The best marketers will have creative writing skills to draw an audience in and convince them to buy products. If you can learn to get people hanging on your every word, you can make it in this industry.

These points all demonstrate the different ways in which creative writing can impact your life and alter your career. In terms of general career skills, this is one that you simply cannot go without.

How to improve your creative writing

One final part of this analysis of creative writing is to look at how students can improve. It begins by reading as much as you can and taking in lots of different content. Read books, poems, scripts, articles, blogs – anything you can find. Listen to music and pay attention to the words people use and the structure of their writing. It can help you pick up on things like metaphors, similes, and how to use your imagination. Of course, writing is the key to improving; the more you write, the more creative you can get as you will start unlocking the powers of your brain.

Conclusion: What is creative writing

In conclusion, creative writing uses a mixture of different types of writing to create stories that stray from traditional structures and norms. It revolves around the idea of using your imagination to find a writing style that suits you and gets your points across to an audience, keeping them engaged in everything you say. From novels to speeches, there are many forms of creative writing that can help you in numerous career paths throughout your life.

[1] SkillShare: The 5 Types of Writing Styles with Examples

[2] Elements of Good Story Telling – UX Planet

[3] Simile vs Metaphor: What’s the Difference? – ProWritingAid

[4] Definition of Exposure by Merriam-Webster

[5] The Higher Purpose of Creative Writing | by Terveen Gill

[6] Essay purpose – Western Sydney University

[7] FICTION | meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary

[8] ‘Not fear, but hope’ – Attenborough speech in full – BBC News

[9] Writer’s Digest: Who Is Your Target Reader?

[10] What is a Narrative Arc? • A Guide to Storytelling Structure

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Writing Can Help Us Heal from Trauma

Deborah Siegel-Acevedo

Three prompts to get started.

Why does a writing intervention work? While it may seem counterintuitive that writing about negative experiences has a positive effect, some have posited that narrating the story of a past negative event or an ongoing anxiety “frees up” cognitive resources. Research suggests that trauma damages brain tissue, but that when people translate their emotional experience into words, they may be changing the way it is organized in the brain. This matters, both personally and professionally. In a moment still permeated with epic stress and loss, we need to call in all possible supports. So, what does this look like in practice, and how can you put this powerful tool into effect? The author offers three practices, with prompts, to get you started.

Even as we inoculate our bodies and seemingly move out of the pandemic, psychologically we are still moving through it. We owe it to ourselves — and our coworkers — to make space for processing this individual and collective trauma. A recent op-ed in the New York Times Sunday Review affirms what I, as a writer and professor of writing, have witnessed repeatedly, up close: expressive writing can heal us.

Deborah Siegel-Acevedo is an author , TEDx speaker, and founder of Bold Voice Collaborative , an organization fostering growth, resilience, and community through storytelling for individuals and organizations. An adjunct faculty member at DePaul University’s College of Communication, her writing has appeared in venues including The Washington Post, The Guardian, and CNN.com.

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Rewrite Your Future: Benefits of a Creative Writing Course

Read below to learn all about what you can expect on our Creative Writing summer courses in the UK, as well as 5 ways a creative writing course could benefit you in the future.

What Does a Creative Writing Course Entail?

Our Creative Writing summer programs are available in the UK in the beautiful cities of Oxford and Cambridge . Available to students aged 16-24, you will be able to understand how some of the world’s best writers became masters in their field, and also receive valuable coaching to push your work further.

You will combine seminars and writing workshops to analyse your work with others, as well as learn some of the techniques which made some of the most successful writers in literary history.

The Benefits of a Creative Writing Course

1. Imagination

Creative Writing boosts your imagination as you create new worlds, situations and characters in your work. When you are stimulating your brain to ‘think outside the box,’ you will become adept to discovering alternative solutions to problems and look at issues from different angles. Your perspectives will become more innovative and you will be able to push boundaries to solve problems.

When you are creating characters in your writing, you will be integrating personalities, emotions and world views that are different from yours. In doing so, you will be developing your empathic skills, gaining an understanding for others’ views who do not encounter life in the same way as you.

Having empathy is a great trait to have for the university and the workplace. Being able to understand and sympathising with your colleagues/classmates’ problems will help them feel valued and supported in overcoming their challenges. You will be creating a more collaborative environment which will ultimately lead to better relationships and success in yours and your teammates’ goals.

3. Better Thought Clarification

Developing structures within creative writing helps you clarify your thoughts into a logical process, as well as your emotions. You will be able to look at situations in the workplace and in the rest of your life with clarity, being able to define clear pathways in order to overcome problems in the future.

4. Broader Vocabulary

Creative Writing encourages you to expand your vocabulary as you explore new ways of expressing yourself. As you develop your writing over time, you will discover a development in your use and range of language, which will ultimately be invaluable in any career path and social situation.

5. Critical Review

Part of your creative writing course involves having your work reviewed by others and learning how to critically review theirs. Being able to listen to the feedback and implement constructive criticism is an important skill that will benefit you in whatever career path you choose.

Are you interested in finding out more about our Creative Writing courses? Click here to learn more about them or contact us today to speak to an advisor.

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Discover the benefits of a UK creative writing course. Boost imagination, develop empathy, clarify thoughts, expand vocabulary, and learn critical review skills. Prepare for success at Oxford Summer Courses.

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The Brain Benefits of Creative Writing

Did you know that writing has powerful health benefits? While most people don’t associate an activity like writing with health, picking it up as a hobby or habit in your later years has been proven to improve brain function and keep the mind sharp.

And the best part of writing? Anyone can do it! Creative writing is an easy and fun way to take care of your mental and physical health. It allows individuals to settle back and deeply reflect on their own life experiences or dream up new ones. Writing offers limitless avenues to explore, from prose to poetry. Whether you would like to write your memories into a memoir or write fictional characters that go on adventures, you receive the same health benefits.

Let’s take a closer look at the health benefits of writing.

Stimulate Cognitive Function & Improve Memory Retention

If you used this as a study trick in your school days, then you know that writing something down over and over again helps you to remember it. The process of recalling something, writing it down, and reading it back on paper boosts memory and comprehension. As a result, this leads to improved cognitive processing.

However, studies have found that the creative process of crafting a story stimulates certain parts of the brain that simply copying words down on paper will not. The process of creating characters, plot, scene, dialogue, setting, and more invigorate the brain. Essentially, creating an entirely new narrative requires much more thought and creativity than rote writing. Creative writing engages the brain on a new level and forms new neural pathways and connections, keeping the brain sharp and agile.

Reduce Stress

Stress can cause and worsen a whole host of health problems. Not to mention, stress is just plain unpleasant. Finding an outlet to redirect and alleviate this stress is essential for everyone’s mental and physical wellbeing. When you are feeling overwhelmed, the last thing you want to do— or think to do— is write a short story or poem.

However, any type of writing that requires imagination helps de-stress your body and mind. Writing provides a constructive escape, providing the distraction your mind needs to decrease anxiety, stop racing thoughts, and improve your mood. As a result, when you’re ready to leave your fictional world for the real world, you’ll likely feel better and even have a fresh perspective.

Improve Sleep & Create Peace of Mind

It can be hard to get your brain to shut off and relax. Consequently, when it comes time for bed, many people lie awake with racing thoughts. Writing is a great tactic for improving your sleep cycle because it helps get those thoughts out on paper, so they are not living so much in your head.

Improve Mood

Specifically for seniors, creative writing and writing in a journal can help promote mindfulness and help older adults live in the present moment, rather than worrying what the future holds. This habit can support coming to terms with the ageing process, help cherish their memories, and celebrate the experiences of their life. Expressive writing is a powerful tool that offers a safe space for individuals to process and explore their thoughts, feelings, emotions, and impactful life experiences.

You don’t have to be an aspiring author to reap the benefits of writing, simply a willingness to pick up your pen! The Life Enrichment Center offers a variety of engaging writing classes for writers of all levels, such as: Creative Writing , Six-Week Memoir Writing , Monologues for Beginners , and the Ten-Minute Play for Beginners .

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Creative Writing Styles: Pros, Cons & Guide

What are creative writing styles, prose writing style: pros & cons, poetry writing style: pros & cons, playwriting style: pros & cons, screenwriting style: pros & cons, journalism writing style: pros & cons, blogging style: pros & cons, copywriting style: pros & cons, guide on how to choose a writing style.

Imagine having a toolbox. Inside this toolbox, you have different tools, each with its unique purpose. Similarly, as a writer, you have a toolbox filled with various writing styles. Each style has its benefits and drawbacks and serves a unique purpose. Today, we'll explore these different creative writing styles, their benefits and drawbacks, and how you can select the right tools for your writing project.

Just like an artist uses oil paints or charcoal to create a masterpiece, a writer uses different writing styles to craft their work. So, what exactly are these styles? There's no one-size-fits-all definition. However, we can think of writing styles as the way you express your thoughts and ideas on paper. Each style has its own distinct characteristics, rules, and conventions. Let's dive into the benefits and drawbacks of different creative writing styles.

Prose Writing: This style is your everyday, run-of-the-mill writing. It's what you find in novels, short stories, and essays. It's straightforward, with the words flowing in sentences and paragraphs, just like the water in a river.
Poetry Writing: Poetry is the songbird of writing styles. It uses rhythm, rhyme, and imagery to convey emotions and ideas. It's the style you turn to when you want to capture the heartbeat of a moment.
Playwriting: As the name suggests, this style is all about writing for the stage. It's about creating dialogues and actions that actors will perform. If you've ever dreamed of seeing your words come to life, playwriting is the style for you.
Screenwriting: This style is similar to playwriting but for the screen—be it a television, cinema, or even YouTube. It involves writing scripts for films, TV shows, and online videos.
Journalism: Journalism writing is about reporting facts in a simple, clear, and concise manner. It's the style you'd use to write news articles, features, and interviews.
Blogging: Blogging is a casual and conversational style of writing. It's like having a chat with your readers over a cup of coffee. Blogging is perfect for sharing personal experiences, opinions, and advice.
Copywriting: Last but not least, copywriting is the art of selling with words. It's the style you see in advertisements, sales letters, and marketing campaigns. This style aims to persuade and convince readers to take a specific action, like buying a product or signing up for a newsletter.

Now that we've unpacked the different writing styles, let's delve deeper into each one's benefits and drawbacks. This will help you choose the right style for your next writing project, be it a blog post, a poem, or a screenplay.

Ever thought of writing a novel or a short story? Then, you should consider the prose writing style. It's like cooking a hearty stew— you mix a variety of ingredients, let them simmer, and serve a delicious dish. Now, let's look at the benefits and drawbacks of this creative writing style.

Freedom of Expression: The prose style gives you the liberty to express your thoughts and ideas without the restrictions of rhythm, rhyme, or meter. It's like painting on a blank canvas, where you are free to explore and experiment.
Complexity and Depth: Prose allows for the development of complex characters, intricate plots, and detailed settings. It's a style where you can delve deep into the human psyche, societal issues, or even the mysteries of the universe.
Accessibility: Prose is the most common and accessible form of writing. Its straightforward and familiar structure makes it easy for readers of all ages and backgrounds to understand and connect with your work.
Length: Prose writing, especially novels and long-form essays, can be time-consuming and require significant commitment. It's like running a marathon, where you need to pace yourself and keep going, even when the finish line seems far away.
Overwhelming Detail: While detail can be a strength, it can also be a drawback. Too much detail can overwhelm readers and slow down the pace of your story. Remember, not every leaf needs to be described, and not every thought needs to be explored.
Difficulty in Standing Out: Given the abundance of prose, standing out can be a challenge. It requires a unique voice, a compelling story, and a mastery of the craft to leave a lasting impression on the reader.

There you have it— the benefits and drawbacks of the prose writing style. Remember, the key is to balance the freedom of expression with the discipline of storytelling. So, are you ready to pick up your pen and start your prose adventure?

Have you ever felt an emotion so deeply that it felt like a song? Poetry might be your ideal creative writing style. It's like dancing with words, where each step, each twirl, each pause, is filled with meaning. Let's explore the benefits and drawbacks of poetry.

Emotional Impact: Poetry is known for its ability to stir emotions. A well-crafted verse can make your readers feel joy, sorrow, wonder, and even a sense of camaraderie. It's a style where a few words can leave a deep impact.
Conciseness: Poetry forces you to say more with less. It's like packing a suitcase for a trip— you can only take what's essential. This brevity can lead to powerful and memorable writing.
Creative Freedom: While there are many forms of poetry, there are no hard and fast rules. You can experiment with rhythm, rhyme, structure, and even invent your own poetic form. It's a playground for your creativity.
Difficulty in Communication: The abstract nature of poetry can make it difficult for some readers to understand. It's like a coded message that needs deciphering. This can limit the reach and impact of your work.
Stigma: Unfortunately, poetry is often seen as highbrow or inaccessible, which can deter some readers. It's a misconception that you, as a poet, will need to challenge and overcome.
Monetization: Let's face it— poetry is not the most lucrative writing style. Most poets write for the love of the craft rather than financial gain.

There you have it— the benefits and drawbacks of the poetry writing style. Remember, at the heart of poetry is emotion. So, are you ready to write your heart out and let your words dance?

If you've ever been swept up in the world of a stage play, you know the power of this form of writing. But what are the benefits and drawbacks of this creative writing style? Let's break down the pros and cons of playwriting.

Collaborative Creativity: One of the unique advantages of playwriting is the opportunity to work with directors, actors, and designers to bring your words to life. It's a team effort where each person adds their own flavor to your dish.
Immediate Audience Feedback: When your work is performed live, you get immediate reactions from the audience. It's like a conversation where you speak through your play, and the audience responds with laughter, gasps, or applause.
Dynamic Storytelling: In playwriting, you can use dialogue, stage directions, and physical action to tell your story. It's like painting a picture where every element— the colors, the shapes, the brush strokes—contributes to the final image.
Dependent on Performance: Your play's success is largely dependent on the performance. If the actors don't deliver your lines as intended, or if the director's vision doesn't match yours, your story may not come across as you hoped.
Limited Scope: Unlike a novel, a play has to be performed in a specific space and time. This can limit the scope of your story. You might have to cut scenes or characters to fit the constraints of the stage.
Inaccessibility: Not everyone has access to live theater, which means your potential audience is smaller. It's like cooking a delicious meal, but only a few people get to taste it.

So, there you have it— the benefits and drawbacks of the playwriting style. If you're a team player who loves the energy of live performance, this might be the writing style for you. Ready to take the stage?

Ever wondered what it's like to write the next big blockbuster or binge-worthy TV show? Let's take a look at the benefits and drawbacks of the screenwriting style, a unique form of storytelling that's all about visual drama.

Vivid Visuals: Screenwriting allows you to create a powerful visual experience for your audience. You get to craft beautiful scenes, thrilling action sequences, and heart-tugging moments that can only be fully appreciated on screen.
Wide Audience Reach: Films and TV shows are consumed by millions around the world. This means your story has the potential to reach more people than most other forms of writing.
High Rewards: Successful screenwriters can earn significant financial and critical recognition, from hefty paychecks to prestigious awards like the Oscars.
Highly Competitive: The film and TV industry is extremely competitive. Landing a screenwriting gig requires not just talent, but also persistence, networking, and a bit of luck.
Restricted Creative Control: Screenwriters often have to compromise their vision to meet the demands of producers, directors, and actors. Your original script might look very different by the time it's on screen.
Strict Formatting: Screenwriting has specific formatting rules that can be challenging to learn and follow. It's like learning a new language—each scene heading, character name, and line of dialogue has its own place.

So, that's the screenwriting style for you. It's a rollercoaster ride of highs and lows, but if you have a knack for visual storytelling and a passion for cinema, it can be a thrilling journey. So, are you ready for your close-up?

Ever thought about being the voice that informs the public about the happenings around the world? Journalism writing style is a unique blend of factual, concise, and compelling storytelling. Let's shed some light on the benefits and drawbacks of this writing style.

Informative & Impactful: As a journalist, you have the power to inform, persuade, and change public opinion. Your words can have a significant impact on society.
Dynamic Field: Journalism is fast-paced and ever-changing. There's always a fresh story to cover, making it a vibrant and exciting field to work in.
Explore Various Topics: Whether it's politics, sports, fashion, or technology—the list is endless. You get to delve into diverse topics, expanding your knowledge and understanding along the way.
High Pressure: Being a journalist can be stressful. There are tight deadlines, and the need to be the first to break the news can create immense pressure.
Fact-Checking: It's very important to verify every piece of information before publication. Mistakes can damage your credibility and have serious consequences.
Unpredictable Hours: News doesn't follow a 9-5 schedule, and neither do journalists. This job can demand long, unpredictable hours, which may interfere with personal life.

There you have it, the journalism writing style. It's not for the faint-hearted, but if you have a nose for news and a desire to make a difference, it's a rewarding profession that keeps you on your toes.

Have you ever thought about sharing your personal experiences, insights or expertise with the world? That's what blogging is all about. Let's dive into the benefits and drawbacks of the blogging writing style.

Freedom of Expression: Blogging offers a platform to express your thoughts, feelings, and ideas. You can write about anything you're passionate about, making it a highly personalized form of writing.
Building a Community: Through your blog, you can connect with like-minded individuals, creating a supportive community that shares your interests. It's a great way to engage with others and expand your network.
Potential Income: If your blog gains a substantial following, it can become a source of income. From advertising, affiliate marketing to selling products or services - the possibilities are many!
Time Consuming: Maintaining a blog requires a considerable amount of time and effort. From creating content, responding to comments, to promoting your blog - it's a significant commitment.
Slow Progress: Building a successful blog doesn't happen overnight. It can take months, even years, of consistent effort to gain a significant following and start earning.
Writer's Block: Coming up with fresh, engaging content regularly can be challenging. Blogger's block is real and can be a major hurdle to overcome.

So, that's the blogging writing style. If you enjoy sharing your experiences, opinions or expertise and don't mind putting in the work, blogging can be a rewarding venture that allows you to connect with the world on your terms.

Ever seen an advertisement that made you want to buy that product right away? That's the power of copywriting. Let's explore the benefits and drawbacks of the copywriting style.

Direct Impact: Copywriting is all about persuasion. A well-crafted copy can compel readers to take action, whether it's buying a product, signing up for a service, or subscribing to a newsletter.
High Demand: Good copywriters are always in demand. Every business, from small startups to multinational corporations, needs compelling copy to sell their products or services.
Creative Freedom: Copywriting allows you to flex your creative muscles. You can play with words, use puns, tell stories - whatever it takes to engage your audience and get your message across.
High Pressure: As a copywriter, your work directly affects a company's bottom line. This pressure to deliver results can be stressful.
Tight Deadlines: Copywriting often involves working under tight deadlines. You need to be able to think on your feet and create compelling content quickly.
Revisions: Copywriters often have to make multiple revisions based on client feedback. This can be time-consuming and sometimes frustrating.

So, that's the copywriting style. If you have a knack for persuasion and don't mind working under pressure, copywriting could be the perfect fit for you, allowing you to combine your creativity with a business-oriented approach.

Choosing a writing style is like picking the right pair of shoes. You want something that not only fits but also complements your style and purpose. The question is, with so many options available, how do you choose the right one? Here are a few tips to help you make the right choice:

Consider Your Purpose: What do you aim to achieve with your writing? Are you looking to inform, entertain, persuade, or narrate a story? Your purpose will help guide your choice. For instance, if you're looking to inform, journalism or blogging style might be best. If you're aiming to persuade, copywriting could be your go-to.

Analyze Your Audience: Who are you writing for? Different audiences prefer different styles. For example, a younger audience might prefer a casual blogging style, whereas a professional audience might appreciate a more formal journalism style.

Play to Your Strengths: Do you have a knack for vivid descriptions? Prose might be your style. Are you good at expressing emotions? Poetry could be your forte. Do you excel at writing dialogue? Consider playwriting or screenwriting.

Experiment: Don't be afraid to try different styles. Write a blog post one day, a poem the next. You'll never know what you're good at until you give it a go.

Remember, there's no 'one-size-fits-all' when it comes to writing styles. The beauty of writing lies in its diversity. So, don't be afraid to explore the benefits and drawbacks of different creative writing styles until you find the one that fits you like a glove.

If you're interested in exploring different creative writing styles and techniques, don't miss the workshop ' Writing From Memory - Part 1 ' by Charlie Brogan. This workshop will help you tap into your personal experiences and memories as a source of inspiration for your writing, adding authenticity and depth to your work.

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How Creative Writing Benefits Teens

June 6, 2023

Creative writing can be a valuable activity for teens whether or not they consider themselves “writers.” Research shows that creative writing not only boosts academic performance and professional success, but enhances self-expression, benefits mental health, and fosters confidence and creativity. Here’s how:

Improving Academic Performance and Professional Readiness

Writing regularly can help teens improve literacy skills critical to academic and professional pursuits while allowing them freedom and choice not always promoted in traditional academic writing, such as literary analysis.

By engaging in creative writing and practices such as peer review at Write the World , teens develop critical thinking skills that help them analyze and evaluate their own writing and the writing of others. This improves their ability to recognize complex ideas and make informed decisions while better communicating their own thoughts and opinions with an intended audience—skills that are transferable in professional contexts beyond the classroom.

Lowering Stress and Supporting Mental Health

Sharing their writing with others can help teens build confidence in their abilities and develop a sense of pride in their work. This can also apply to things such as public speaking or leadership roles.

Writing can additionally be a form of stress relief, an important part of allowing teens to process their emotions in a safe and constructive way. This reduces feelings of anxiety and depression, and leads to improved mental and physical well-being. This is especially crucial in light of recent data revealing a mental health crisis among adolescents; in 2021, the World Health Organization estimated that one in seven teens worldwide experience a mental health condition. “More than a third (37%) of high school students reported they experienced poor mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, and 44% reported they persistently felt sad or hopeless during the past year,” according to the Center for Disease Control ( 2021 ), underscoring a persistent and worsening problem.

Teens can also engage inself-reflection through writing, allowing them to explore their thoughts and emotions in a safe and constructive way. This can help them develop a deeper understanding of themselves and their experiences, fostering identity development and equipping them with a tool for managing challenging thoughts and feelings—and better articulating those thoughts and feelings with others.

From journaling, to poetry that captures lived experience, to fiction inspired by real-world conflicts, creative writing offers many ways for teens to channel their emotions and explore their inner and outer worlds.

Fostering Creativity, Imagination, and Innovation

Creative writing exercises are a wonderful way to stimulate the imagination and help teens think outside the box. This can increase their ingenuity and lead to new ideas and perspectives, especially when supported by authentic exchanges with readers. Peer review and publication are social learning opportunities that lead to greater awareness of self and others.

Overall, creative writing can provide a multitude of benefits for teens’ personal development and academic growth, no matter which genre they explore.

Join the Free Online Global Community Where Teens Write, Review, and Share

Write the World provides online supplemental educational programs and a writing community that serves young writers ages 13 to 19, their educators, and schools. In classrooms, teachers utilize Write the World’s virtual class groups, writing prompts, lesson plans, assessment tools, and other resources to supplement their curriculum . Write the World also offers monthly writing competitions, creative writing workshops , and college application essay programs .

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9 Benefits of Creative Writing to Help Your Children

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There they go again! Your children run through the house, mimicking characters right out of the latest Disney movie. You sense some special energy is attached to their activity, but you don’t know how to turn it into gold.

Lucky for you, we’ve got the answer… writing!

This article will demonstrate how the benefits of creative writing will change your children’s lives, enhance their thought processes and improve their school grades. The countless ways creative writing will help your kids are simply amazing if you just invest the time in learning how to tap into it.

Table of Contents

What is Creative Writing?

Creative writing is a free-form style of writing based on the author's imagination, thoughts, and feelings. The style may be prose, poetry, playwriting, screenwriting, songs, essays, or several others. Creative writing is original and expressive of the author’s self.

While there are many types of creative writing options for adults, there are a few that children, especially, can excel in as they learn and grow. The depth and complexity should correlate to the child’s age, ability, and preference.

Types of Creative Writing for Children

Picture stories

How to Develop Good Creative Writing Habits

Routine and practice.

To develop and grow any good habit , you must plan a routine, work it into a regular schedule, and practice daily. Your children also need to learn this skill. It will carry over into all aspects of their lives as they learn and grow. When they mature, routines, schedules, and practicing will structure their personal lives and professional careers, making them the envy of all.

Reading and writing go together like two peas in a pod or like Mickey and Minnie or Shakespeare and Marlowe. You get the idea. Reading books serves as an example of how stories flow and communicate, but they also help develop good creative writing skills. The more a child reads, the better their writing will become, and their reading and comprehension will improve.

You probably didn’t expect nutrition to come into play with creative writing, but alas, it has. Healthy food helps a child’s brain function at the top of its game. Without it, a child will feel sluggish and unmotivated. Make sure your child has the healthy fuel they need to perform like a rock star.

Other ideas

Additional ideas to spark your child’s creative writing engine:

Present a picture and ask your child to create a story to go with it.
Begin a short story and ask your child to develop the characters and finish the story.
Read a story to your child and ask them to create alternative endings.
Give your child a list of words and phrases and ask them to write a story using them.
Ask your child to write words or phrases on separate index cards, shuffle them, and then ask your child to make up a story in the order the cards come up.

Every child is a creative writer. They may only know how to write in their heads, but they have the gift. This list of nine benefits of creative writing to help your children will demonstrate how the benefits develop and improve your children's lives. The objective is to help you understand how to help your children make the most of this wonderful asset and grow it into something lifelong and marvelous.

1. Language Development and Linguistic Competence

Creative writing strengthens language arts skills and improves children’s grades in all areas of coursework. It helps them understand and develop good grammar habits, sentence structure, vocabulary, and dialogue.

Linguistically, children learn to communicate and comprehend language, dialects, and idioms. They may not even realize what they are doing, but the result of learning complex communication tools will be evident in their writing, reading, speaking, and interactions. These tools will help children not only in their school performance but also in their creative development.

2. Enhancement of Imagination and Creativity

Children have excellent imaginations and creativity, but they often don’t know how to harness it and develop it to get the most from it. Creative writing provides the vehicle and the fuel to let their creativity and imagination soar. It will also help your children learn language, organization, structure, form, and voice to help them in all areas of their lives.

importance of creative writing as a student | benefits of creative writing pdf | what is creative writing

Our childlike addiction to imagination wanes into the past as we grow older. The harsh day-to-day realities of our lives dominate our thinking, and our vision diminishes. With creative writing, it won’t fade. In fact, it becomes honed and perfected like a skilled blacksmith shoes a horse. If your children learn early how to make creative writing part of their lives, it will never leave them, even as they gallop off into the sunset.

3. Emotional Intelligence and Empathy Development

Creative writing enhances a child’s emotional intelligence and empathy development through practice and experimentation in writing. Not only will a child channel their thoughts and emotions into their writing, but they will also connect emotionally and empathically with their characters. This skill will be an enormous help to a child throughout their school years, personal life, college, and future career challenges.

4. Self-Confidence Builder

One of the primary benefits of creative writing for children is boosting self-confidence. Every time they practice, they improve. As they improve, they develop positive self-confidence. If they continue to practice creative writing throughout their school years, their writing skills will be spectacular by the time they prepare for college.

Creative writing provides a safe, supportive environment for a child to express their thoughts and feelings. As the child experiments with writing, they will eventually discover their voice and tone. The exuberant reward for this discovery is a strong and positive self-confidence.

5. Problem-Solving and Research Skills Development

Although creative writing is the self-expression of thoughts and ideas, it requires a narrative and structure. You need to know what you are talking about, which means you will need to do some problem-solving and research to make your creative writing authoritative and meaningful.

For children, this is one of the best ways to hone these skills. These children will be incredible thought leaders. As they develop creative writing routines and habits, they will excel in all areas of their life where they need to do problem-solving and research.

When a child writes creatively, their imagination sparks neurons in their brain to figure out narratives, plots, subplots, solutions, and character backgrounds and development, identity, and motives. Tackling these problems boosts brain activity, development, and growth . Story analysis and research skills will follow as the child yearns to learn more about making their stories better.

6. Therapeutic and Healing Benefits

Creative writing serves as a therapeutic treatment for those battling diseases, difficult emotions, or mental health issues. Scientific studies show that creative writing also helps physical healing through an increased antibody response in the body.

Creative writing helps children effectively and therapeutically process difficult emotions, stress, trauma, fear, and anxiety. A survey by the National Literacy Trust in the UK found that children who engage in literacy are “three times more likely to have higher levels of mental wellbeing” than those who don’t, by a margin of 39.4% to 11.8%.

As far as physical health, creative writing is associated with an increase in CD4+ lymphocyte counts , which are vital to immune system functions. This means that creative writing aids in chronic pain management, reduction in mood swings that produce an imbalance in brain chemical release, and hormonal processes. Yes. Creative writing indeed provides healing benefits for the physical body.

7. Self-Expression Builder

Self-expression is the foundational element of creative writing and helps children funnel their feelings, emotions, thoughts, ideas, and opinions into a written form that validates their identity. Self-expression is vital for good mental health and development. It teaches children how to release their thoughts in a positive, creative way that matters.

advantages and disadvantages of creative writing | importance of creative writing to the child | essay on importance of creative writing

Creative writing allows a child to express themselves without judgment. This provides for the exploration and discovery of their unique identity, which is key to self-confidence and success.

8. Communication Builder

Because creative writing teaches children how to organize thoughts and structure them for presentation in writing, it also improves their overall communication skills. While they may not be writing it down in their heads, they remember the habits they learned from creative writing. It will even help them be better persuasive communicators because of their creative writing skills.

Being adults, we all understand that communication is the foundation of any relationship, personal, social, or work-related. When communication is cloudy or confusing, our relationships suffer. When our communication is clear, we thrive. Effective communication is one of the benefits of creative writing that your children will reap from learning how to do it well.

9. Interpersonal Connection Builder

One of the least considered benefits of creative writing for children is that it enhances their peer relationships. Creative writing serves as an interpersonal connection builder because it opens endless avenues for increasing social interaction, discussion, exchange of ideas, cultural learning, empathy, and trust.

As a child advances in creative writing, language skills, vocabulary, and communication skills, their interpersonal relationships vastly improve. Everyone loves a clear communicator and one who can persuade others on various topics. It’s kind of like how kids choose the best ballplayer to be on their team. They want the best. To be the best, you need practice and resources.

Resources for Creative Writing for Children

Creative writing workshops for children
Home entertainment projects
Gifting projects
Self-publishing
Kids’ book clubs
Vocabulary-building games
Kids’ writing competitions

The benefits of creative writing to help your children far outweigh any burden or investment you need to make to see it through. Children who learn to write creatively and practice often rise to the top of their class in all areas. Children who suffer from trauma, illness, or mental health complexes have not only stopped the progression of their problems but also have reversed adverse effects.

The lifelong good habits your children develop from creative writing will follow them for the remainder of their lives. Creative writing is one of the best gifts you will ever give them. You never know how far your child might rise with their creative writing skills.

Final Thoughts on Benefits of Creative Writing to Help Your Children

With words, humankind has started wars and signed peace treaties. We have issued manifestos, signed pardons, written laws, and authored works that have changed the world, for worse and for good.

Your child may just be the one who brings peace to the planet and comforts the brokenhearted. Teaching children creative writing skills is the secret to opening doors of opportunity for the entire world.

Please visit our site at Develop Good Habits . Also, check out 13 Growth Mindset Videos for Kids to Watch on YouTube . Your children hold the keys to the future for us all.

Rain Story is an author and screenwriter. She is an alumna of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, the University of New Mexico, and the University of Kentucky. She earned two B.A.s and four years of graduate studies in literature, languages, and creative writing before personal tragedies pulled her away from her graduate work. She is also a Donaghey Scholar and fellow of the William G. Cooper, Jr. Honors Program in English.

benefits of creative writing | psychological benefits of creative writing | importance of creative writing to children

Creative Writing Can Help Improve One’s Health: A South African Study Shows How

Article Summary by Dawn Garisch, Janet Giddy, Giles Griffin and Steve Reid

From the beginning of recorded history, people in diverse cultures have embraced the idea that creative expression, including visual art, stories, dance and music, contributes to healing.

In recent times the therapeutic benefit of expressive writing has been well researched in the global north , but not in the global south. This is a significant gap because potentially healing interventions need to be investigated in different contexts, particularly where trauma, limited resources and a need to build a caring and compassionate society exist.

A recently published paper analysed the findings of a study among a diverse group of South Africans who were members of a writing group, the Life Righting Collective . Medical students at the University of Cape Town interviewed 20 members of the collective as part of a medical humanities study module.

We were co-authors of the paper. The research team included medical practitioners, medical students and academics with interests in mental health and medical humanities . Two authors also facilitate Life Righting Collective life writing courses.

Most participants reported improvements in overall wellness and mental health as a result of these writing courses, in line with other research findings which show that creative writing can promote healthier choices as well as improve relationships, mental health and work prospects.

The research findings indicate that the courses can be a useful, non-medical, cost-efficient method to improve psychological well-being.

Listen to the authors discuss the article:

Read the full article on the Medical Humanities journal website .

Analysis and discussion of research | Updates on the latest issues | Open debate

All BMJ blog posts are published under a CC-BY-NC licence

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Creative Writing: 5 benefits and why you should start doing it.

June 25, 2021

creative writing old fashion type writer

Creative writing. What is it and why should you do it? It is exactly what it says. Creative writing is fictional writing which the writer uses their imagination to convey meaning through the use of imagery, narrative, and drama. It is often seen though poetry, fictional novels or short stories, screenplays and scripts. So the real question, why should you do it? Creative writing not only has academic benefits, but personal too- that’s why everyone can benefit, it doesn’t matter if you are in school or are studying something english related!

One of the best parts of creative writing is there are no limits. You can write whatever, whenever and wherever. Complete freedom. Life can be quite chaotic at times and sometimes it can feel like you are loosing control. Creative writing gives you the ability to take the reigns and completely take control and chose the narrative of your story. Escape from reality for a while- something we all need every once in a while.

Communication is key

Communication is so important in everyday life, creative writing can surprisingly help strengthen your communication skills which help you in multiple aspects of life.

Writing your thoughts down- whether that’s through poetry, a story or anything in between, can have a powerful effect. Expressing your thoughts plays an important role for your mental wellbeing, it can take a weight off your shoulders you may not even know you had, read more about the importance here .

Alongside this, expressing your thoughts can help to build and strengthen relationships with everyone in your life, whether that is a friend, partner or colleague. It can open the door to new conversations, allows you to connect and relate with others and really grows a deeper connection between you and others.

Think outside of the box

How many times have you heard you need to think outside of the box? This can be easily said than done, especially when you’ve only ever been inside the box.

Creative writing forces you to be imaginative, you’re creating new characters, scenarios and whole new worlds. When your consistently imagining all of these things and stimulating your creative brain, you’ll be surprised how much this will be reflected in normal life. You will find it easier to think of new ideas, ways to solve problems and most of all- how to think outside of the dreaded box.

Creative writing improves grammar and vocabulary

Grammar is often improved within creative writing. You will start to learn the different grammar rules and after practice, you will soon see your skills and knowledge growing. Alongside this you will see your vocabulary expanding the more you practice creative writing.

A different perspective

As you develop characters and story lines you begin to think about things from a different perspective. You will begin to be in touch with others feelings which is a valuable skill to have. This again helps with your communication skills as well as rounds you into an empathetic and compassionate human being .

If you missed last weeks blog post on ‘How to prepare for an exam 101: the best advise to get you through exams’ then make sure to check it out .

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I’m a Professional Writer, and Here’s Exactly How To Develop a Daily Writing Ritual That Improves Your Well-Being

While I write professionally for various clients and publications, my personal writing is a way of discovering myself and making sense of the world. It anchors me when I feel adrift and helps me process challenging life experiences. Mostly, it provides me with a deep sense of self and well-being.

My daily writing practice anchors me when I feel adrift and helps me process challenging life experiences.

Certainly, it isn’t always easy or fun in the moment. I stumble a lot; some days, ideas don’t reveal themselves quickly, or I can’t make sense of my thoughts in a way that feels cohesive. But it’s the process of sitting down and showing up to write every single day that continues to energize me and fuel my creativity.

Dan MacCombie, LAC

The concept of ritualizing a writing practice is an essential part of The Writing Ritual , a four-week creative writing program I run to help adults—whether they consider themselves writers or not—tap into their creativity through the written word. Unlike with my client work, there are no word counts or briefs; participants are simply encouraged to explore their ideas and imaginations in a safe space through prompts and dialogue. And it works: I have shared The Writing Ritual with hundreds of people around the world and have heard from many that writing has been transformational to their well-being and ability to reflect and articulate their thoughts and emotions.

The benefits of embracing a daily writing routine

When I talk about my 15-minute writing ritual, a lot of people instantly tense up at the idea; most are only accustomed to writing emails, texts, or DMs, and any other writing feels, at best, foreign and at worst, entirely daunting. I get it—confronting a blank page isn’t easy (even for me, a professional writer). Our inner voice tells us we have nothing to write about or that our grammar isn’t quite right, and those fears alone can stop us from writing altogether. But writing for no other reason than just to write can open the door for introspection.

“As a society, we don’t really [focus on] connecting to our inner lives, where our hopes and dreams come from,” says therapist Dan MacCombie, LAC . “Writing connects us to what’s inside of us in a really powerful way...helping us process our feelings of vulnerability.”

A vast body of scientific research has also revealed several reasons to befriend the blank page. The more obvious benefits of writing include a boost in memory and cognition , but scientific studies have also found that expressive writing can strengthen the immune system in people with life-threatening illnesses, and writing down your worries or even writing a to-do list before bed can lead to better sleep .

Writing also serves as a powerful outlet for emotional processing and can be used as a complement to talk therapy or coaching. Indeed, research suggests that while bottling up thoughts and emotions can lead to physiological distress , confronting previous traumas through writing can improve your physical health and the functioning of your nervous system. That’s likely because writing helps organize an event in our mind, freeing up space from the constant buzz of thoughts and granting us the ability to see our own experiences from a healthy distance.

“For people who struggle to connect with their emotions, writing can help them focus on what they feel, moving from the nebulous to the specific.” —Dan MacCombie, LAC, therapist

“For people who struggle to connect with their emotions, writing can help them focus on what they feel—toward whom and what—moving from the nebulous to the specific,” says MacCombie. “Sometimes, I’ll suggest to my clients that they fill a page with what they’re happy about, sad about, angry about. The act of letting stuff come up from the subconscious can be helpful to facilitate emotional processing that might be hard to see otherwise.”

Beyond these benefits, a daily writing practice can help reveal who we are, and remind us of our lived experiences and growth. MacCombie also encourages people to write as a way of meaningfully preserving their memories: “We live in a world that’s filled with images, but words have an ability to evoke senses, emotions, and feelings,” he says. “Writing something down allows us to remember it better and have a record [to reference later].”

3 different types of writing for processing emotions and boosting creativity

1. expressive writing.

Expressive writing involves writing freely about a challenge, trauma, or stressful life experience and focusing on your feelings instead of the details of particular events. It’s a common form of writing used in therapeutic settings and has been shown to improve people's coping strategies and help them develop solutions to problems .

“Expressive writing helps give people more agency over their bodies and stories,” says MacCombie. “Putting a negative experience down on the page helps them see it in a new light.”

2. Morning pages

While "morning pages" is not a type of writing, per se, it refers to writing first thing in the morning (hence the name) before other thoughts or responsibilities can bubble up in your head. It comes from the book The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, and typically involves three pages of stream-of-consciousness writing immediately upon waking up. You can write whatever comes out of you—whether it's a list, an affirmation , or a dream you had the night before .

3. Creative writing

Creative writing is not bound by any specific form—poems, short stories, non-fiction, and fiction can all fall into this bucket. Writing creatively allows us to tap into the reservoirs of our imagination and transcribe our observations or thoughts in a free-flowing way.

As a simple way to practice creative writing, find an old photo, and look at it intently. Write about what you see, what you remember happening when it was taken or when you took it, and what you can remember or imagine exists just beyond the frame.

How to get started with a daily writing routine

The author Joyce Carol Oates says that “everybody has a story.” I like to lean into this mantra in The Writing Ritual and beyond because it’s a perfect reminder that the mind is a surprising place. Once you sit down to write, you could very well be surprised by the different thoughts and feelings that bubble to the surface.

When you’re first getting started with a daily writing routine, begin small. A few sentences or a single paragraph will do, as long as you commit to showing up for yourself every day. Below are a few other tips that can help support your new ritual.

1. Use prompts

If you’re not sure what to write about, use creative prompts to jog your memory or help you tap into your imagination. This can be as simple as choosing a single word to write about, such as “pleasure,” “happiness,” “grief,” “summer,” or “vacation.” What memories or emotions does the word bring up for you?

2. Write by hand

With so many interactions in our daily life occurring on a technological device, there’s something nostalgic and deeply worthwhile about making the choice to write by hand. Different from writing an Instagram caption or email, for which we can endlessly mull over the perfect phrase, writing by hand is all about letting your thoughts flow authentically without the interference of a backspace button. The study cited above on writing's power to boost memory also found this specific benefit to be unique to hand- writing.

Even so, writing somewhere is always better than abandoning the practice entirely—so, if you prefer to write on your phone or computer, you can still do so; just try to resist the urge to self-edit.

3. Write for 10 to 15 minutes per day

Establish a particular time for your new writing practice (set aside 10 or 15 minutes a day), just like you would for any other well-being practice, like taking a daily afternoon walk or doing a nightly meditation. Creating a routine habit out of writing is a simple way to generate forward momentum and stay motivated to continue writing.

During the time you choose for writing, set a timer and silence any social-media or work notifications so you can be fully present with the page, with as few distractions as possible. Even if, on certain days, you don’t feel like writing when the time for your practice rolls around, you still might be surprised by the thoughts and emotions that wind up on the page if you just get started.

Regardless of what gets put to paper, chances are, you'll leave the practice feeling more in tune with yourself and more empowered for whatever comes next in your day. “The simple act of prioritizing creative expression can really give people a sense of hope and self-efficacy,” says MacCombie.

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The Benefits Of Creative Writing

Are there benefits of creative writing that go beyond just expressing yourself? Well, yeah.

One of the key objectives of educators at arts academy middle schools and high schools is to build a strong sense of community for the students so they feel they’re in a safe haven. And creative writing does just that.

When students are able to share their stories of resilience and bravery, it gives them a common link. Plus, it keeps these qualities at the forefront of their minds to foster a growth mindset.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

The Many Benefits of Creative Writing

The importance of establishing a safe space where students can express themselves cannot be overstated. But there is a multitude of other benefits to creative writing. It can help students with the following:

1. Clarifying Thoughts

By putting into words this imaginary scenario, they can more concretely see what thoughts they’re working with, which ones are working for them, and, more importantly, which are not serving them.

2. Learning the Mechanics of Reading and Writing

The sheer act of regular writing is an exercise in grasping the rules of grammar, spelling, and sentence construction. It’s also an opportunity for students to expand their vocabulary.

This isn’t to say that it’s all technical though. As students engage in regular creative writing assignments, they begin to figure out how to more effectively connect with readers while establishing a flow. From there they can begin to experiment with breaking the rules to create more compelling work.

3. Boosting Confidence

One of the greatest values of creative writing is the ability to find one’s voice . Students are able to explore and express how they feel about topics, characters, perspectives, and philosophies so they can feel more confident in the opinions they express.

Creative writing also lends to academic writing. Once a student finds his or her unique voice, they’re able to incorporate it skillfully into academic writing pieces to keep them from sounding dry and humdrum.

4. Improving Communication Skills

In turn, when they’re able to grasp these other perspectives, it improves their communication skills. They’re better also to figure out how to explain and discuss issues from different vantage points. This is an invaluable life skill that will come in useful as they grow into young adults.

5. Demonstrating Self-Expression

Students involved in a regular creative writing regimen are engaged in self-expression that could be likened to therapy. The ability to self-express enables students to navigate their negative emotions and thoughts in a healthy way rather than acting them out.

For example, a student might be feeling stressed about a situation in the classroom or on the school’s campus. By taking a short break to write out what they’re feeling, they can see more clearly the negative emotion and then do something proactive to deal with it. Self-expression is also crucial for sorting out emotions from stress and trauma.

6. Fostering Imagination

The world is forever telling us the value of thinking outside the box. Yet, artists and writers get a lot of slack for appearing frivolous in their creativity. Who has time to sit around and write silly stories?

But the truth is, creative writing stimulates and pushes the imagination and forces students to think outside that proverbial box. It trains their brains to become more adept at discovering alternatives and conjuring new solutions to problems. And the world can always use more of that.

7. Providing Better Overall Health

At the end of the day, studies show that creative and expressive writing goes the distance in yielding not only better mental and emotional health, but also physical health. It makes sense – given the mind and body connection.

When the mind is freed up from negative thinking and emotions and is permitted to be expressive, it alleviates stress on the body which, in turn, leads to better physical health.

Does Creative Writing Drive Your Child?

Is your child is forever buried in a notebook or on a laptop writing? If so, it may be time to enroll him or her into an arts academy middle school/high school where they can shine.

Contact us today to request a tour of our school. And take advantage of the multiple benefits of creative writing for your child.

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7 Benefits of Creative Writing

Writing skills are important for students, whether in high school or college. Being able to write well not only helps you in completing your academic assignments or writing effective answers in your exam but is of great use in almost every facet of life.

When students approach GoAssignmentHelp experts, they often have one main concern – they do not have good writing skills. Some students say that they are unable to frame the answers in their own words while others struggle with language skills like grammar, vocabulary, sentence structure and so on. In general, we have seen students struggling with assignment writing because:

Students lack critical thinking and analytical abilities which are two main things for any form of writing
Students do not know how to use complex sentences
Students lack good vocabulary which is why they are always “out of words”
Students fail to structure their ideas properly and state their arguments clearly
Students face issues like plagiarism, improper referencing and formatting
Students are unable to proofread and edit their own work due to a lack of writing skills

Creative Writing can help students become familiar with the writing process

One of the best ways to enhance your writing skills is through creative writing. Creative writing ignites your imagination, creativity, innovation, and at the same time, helps you focus on elements like grammar, vocabulary and presentation. It includes honest, unfiltered content that can greatly impact our society and help us explore the human experience. Different types of creative writing include plays, poetry, fiction (stories, novels), speeches, scripts (movie, television), personal essays, etc.

Benefits of creative writing - GoAssignmentHelp

The benefits of creative writing

#1 Creative writing boosts thinking skills

The first step to effective writing skills is effective thinking. If you cannot think about a topic or imagine a scenario on a certain topic, you cannot express the topic in words. This is why we say learning how to write is also learning how to think. Creative writing tasks help you choose specific words to speak your mind. It makes you work on your storytelling techniques. It makes you think critically on topics, develop ideas, imagine scenarios, and hence enhances your thinking skills.

#2 Creative writing builds confidence

Just like skills like art, dance, crafts, and sports enhance a student’s confidence, creative writing also builds confidence. This is because it helps you develop a voice of your own. Being a creative writer you will have the ability to write about any topic. If you practice creative writing often you will come across new topics which will enhance your knowledge and widen your perspectives. As a result, you will feel more confident in participating in discussions. Above all, receiving praise for your writing skills would be a great encouragement and a boost to your self-confidence.

#3 Creative writing helps in thought clarification

When you start writing often, you understand how to clarify your thoughts. There might be many different ideas that come into your mind, but you develop a habit to filter them, categorise them and organise them so that you can present them effectively. This technique is not only applicable in writing but different areas of your academic and professional life. For example, if you choose to become a software developer, you must be able to understand the problems of your clients, classify them and find a solution accordingly. If you choose to become a digital marketer, you must be able to imagine your audience’s perspective, what would affect them and what would not.

#4 Creative writing enhances language skills

You can learn more about the grammar, syntax and semantics of a language once you start creative writing. You will be able to express your thoughts in a cohesive and structured manner. You will also be able to master skills like spelling, capitalization, punctuation, word order in sentences, and the ability to distinguish between main ideas and supporting ideas once you start creative writing.

#5 Creative writing increases empathy

Creative writing is a great way to understand how other people might experience life. As you write stories, novels or short essays, you develop different characters and personalities. This helps you understand their perspective about life and how people can be different from each other. It can inculcate more humanity and kindness in you as a person and you might start being more understanding and tolerant in your real life.

#6 Creative writing can benefit academic writing

Although creative writing and academic writing are two different things, creative writing can make it easier for you to write assignments in school and college. This is because creative writing is more complex. It involves imagination, developing characters, storylines and expression. Academic writing on the other hand is plain and simple. It requires stating facts and arguments based on research. Once you master creative writing, academic writing looks much simpler and easier.

#7 Creative writing promotes mental well-being

Students often live stressful lives. With things like peer pressure, living up to society’s expectations, getting better grades and finding the right career, students often feel depressed, alone and anxious in life. Creative writing can help them think positively and enhance their well being. One can use creative writing to promote positive healthy emotions such as kindness, hope, thankfulness, fun, inspiration, and wonder.

Jumpstart your creative writing today!

Now that we have understood why creative writing is good for students and how it benefits them, you must be curious to find out what to do next. How to start working upon your creative writing skills? So, GoAssignmentHelp essay writing experts have listed some easy ways with which you can start working on your creative writing skills right away.

#1 Start reading

The first step to learn how to write is to start reading. The logic is simple. How can you expect to write a novel by yourself until you have not even read one? Similarly, how can you start writing poems, if you do not know what poetry is? So start reading. We know it might be a little difficult to manage your time with all those assignments and academic reading, but even ten minutes a day would work!

#2 Write, Write a lot!

Find time to write something every day. Even if it is just a hundred words. Keep a notebook with you all the time and jot down your ideas whenever they strike. Then use those ideas in your writing. It might seem weird in the beginning but slowly words will start flowing from your mind and you will see progress.

#3 Read more about literary devices

Creative writing is incomplete without literary devices like metaphors, similes, alliterations, symbolism, anaphora, dramatic irony and flashbacks. So read more about them and start incorporating them in your writing to take it to the next level.

#4 Do not just write, edit

You need to learn how to edit and refine your writing. So once you complete a piece, give yourself some time to edit and proofread it. Do not hesitate in rewriting the parts that you do not like or are not as impactful as you thought.

Key takeaways

We all know how to make sentences. But, using those sentences to express something meaningful takes practice and skill. If you are struggling with your writing skills in school or college and want to become a better writer, start with creative writing. We hope the tips given in this article will help you become a better writer and you will overcome all your writing challenges. For more advice or help with your assignments, consult GoAssignmentHelp’s academic writers and assignment help experts. We provide affordable assignment help services in every discipline.

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Why Learn Creative Writing?
The Benefits of Creative Writing 1. Why Learn Creative Writing: Improved Self-Expression. Improving your writing skills leads to stronger communication. When you practice finding the right word in a story or poem, you engage the same parts of your brain that are active in everyday writing and speaking. A creative writing course subconsciously ...
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Creative writing has many benefits, both for the writer and the reader. For the writer, it can be therapeutic, helping them to explore their emotions and better understand themselves. It can also be used as entertainment or communication, allowing them to share their ideas with the world. For the reader, creative writing can provide enjoyment ...
7 Benefits of Creative Writing Exercises
Here are seven benefits of completing creative writing exercises on a regular basis. 1. Building Confidence. When writing creatively, you're engaging in an exercise that will allow you to truly develop your own voice and perspective without consequential limitations. You get a better opportunity to explore and express how you feel about ...
How Creative Writing Can Increase Students'...
Reaping the benefits. To see how creative writing impacts students, I invite them to rate their resilience through a self-compassion survey at the start of the school year and again in the spring. Last year, two-thirds of students surveyed increased in self-compassion; Alejandro grew his self-compassion by 20 percent.
Writing can improve mental health
But while the psychological benefits are consistent for many people, ... Creative writing. Poems, short stories, novellas and novels are all considered forms of creative writing. Usually, creative ...
The Benefits of Creative Writing
Creative writing is a vital way of expressing oneself, developing problem solving skills, and improving vocabulary and outlining skills. It can also help to build the writer's emotional well-being and confidence. Learn more about the benefits of creative writing from the McDaniel College Writing Center blog.
Psychological Benefits of Creative Writing
Creative writing is said to be helpful in decision-making and stress relieving, improving mental health. In summary, creative writing can help with the following psychological factors: - Gaining mental clarity. - Increasing self-esteem. - Improving attention span. - Expressing feelings. - Enhancing and boosting creativity.
Why the teaching of creative writing matters
For the last 30 years or so the rise of creative writing programmes in universities has been met with seemingly unending howls of derision from all quarters.
How Creative Writing Boosts Students Academically
A nonprofit after-school program known as WriteGirl lives by such a philosophy. Serving more than 350 teenage girls (ages 13 to 18) in metropolitan Los Angeles, WriteGirl describes its program as taking an intensive approach to creative writing education that focuses on "creativity, critical thinking, and leadership skills to empower teen girls."
What Is Creative Writing? Types, Techniques, and Tips
Types of Creative Writing. Examples of creative writing can be found pretty much everywhere. Some forms that you're probably familiar with and already enjoy include: • Fiction (of every genre, from sci-fi to historical dramas to romances) • Film and television scripts. • Songs. • Poetry.
What Is Creative Writing? The ULTIMATE Guide!
How can creative writing skills benefit you? When most individuals or students consider creative writing, they imagine a world where they are writing stories for a living. There's a common misconception that creative writing skills are only beneficial for people pursuing careers in scriptwriting, storytelling, etc. Realistically, enhancing ...
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We owe it to ourselves — and our coworkers — to make space for processing this individual and collective trauma. A recent op-ed in the New York Times Sunday Review affirms what I, as a writer ...
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The Benefits of a Creative Writing Course. 1. Imagination. Creative Writing boosts your imagination as you create new worlds, situations and characters in your work. When you are stimulating your brain to 'think outside the box,' you will become adept to discovering alternative solutions to problems and look at issues from different angles ...
The Brain Benefits of Creative Writing
The process of creating characters, plot, scene, dialogue, setting, and more invigorate the brain. Essentially, creating an entirely new narrative requires much more thought and creativity than rote writing. Creative writing engages the brain on a new level and forms new neural pathways and connections, keeping the brain sharp and agile.
Creative Writing Styles: Pros, Cons & Guide
Let's dive into the benefits and drawbacks of different creative writing styles. Prose Writing: This style is your everyday, run-of-the-mill writing. It's what you find in novels, short stories, and essays. It's straightforward, with the words flowing in sentences and paragraphs, just like the water in a river.
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Creative writing has many benefits, both for the writer and for the reader. For the writer, it can help improve problem-solving skills, increase vocabulary, and improve communication skills.
How Creative Writing Benefits Teens
How Creative Writing Benefits Teens. June 6, 2023. Creative writing can be a valuable activity for teens whether or not they consider themselves "writers.". Research shows that creative writing not only boosts academic performance and professional success, but enhances self-expression, benefits mental health, and fosters confidence and ...
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The benefits of creative writing to help your children far outweigh any burden or investment you need to make to see it through. Children who learn to write creatively and practice often rise to the top of their class in all areas. Children who suffer from trauma, illness, or mental health complexes have not only stopped the progression of ...
Creative Writing Can Help Improve One's Health: A South African Study
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Creative Writing: 5 benefits and why you should start doing it
Creative writing improves grammar and vocabulary. Grammar is often improved within creative writing. You will start to learn the different grammar rules and after practice, you will soon see your skills and knowledge growing. Alongside this you will see your vocabulary expanding the more you practice creative writing. A different perspective
Why and How To Develop a Daily Writing Routine
1. Use prompts. If you're not sure what to write about, use creative prompts to jog your memory or help you tap into your imagination. This can be as simple as choosing a single word to write ...
The Benefits Of Creative Writing
But there is a multitude of other benefits to creative writing. It can help students with the following: 1. Clarifying Thoughts. As much as creative writing allows for emotional release, it also is a great way to clarify one's thoughts. For students who are facing a presentation or struggling with an assignment, writing a short story to help ...
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Creative writing can help students improve their thinking, confidence, language skills, empathy, academic writing and mental well-being. Learn how to start working on your creative writing skills with tips and examples from GoAssignmentHelp experts.
Exploring the effects of written emotional disclosures (wed) on
Background Written emotional disclosure (WED) is a creative writing intervention that allows a person to confront emotions and traumatic experiences, which has been shown to produce well‐being benefits and could be used to support healthcare workers (HCWs). Written emotional disclosure is usually delivered as a written intervention, and despite some research exploring the effects of other ...

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Creative Writing: What It Is and Why It Matters

How We Define Creative Writing

The Importance of Creative Writing

Creative Writing: A Path to Mental and Emotional Wellness

Stress Relief and Emotional Catharsis

Improved Communication and Self-Expression

Increased Empathy and Understanding of Others

The Professional Benefits of Creative Writing

Preparing Students for Careers in Writing, Editing, and Publishing

Improving Skills in Storytelling and Marketing for Various Careers

Enhancing Team Collaboration and Leadership Skills

Uncovering the Power of Creative Writing

Preserving Cultural Heritage with Creative Writing

Promoting Social Change & Activism with Creative Writing

Fostering Creativity & Innovation with Creative Writing

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Conclusion: What is creative writing