What is creative writing? and how do we write a creative essay? In this article, I will answer these questions and give you some simple steps for doing just that. So stay tuned.
So what is creative writing?
Creative writing is a powerful tool in telling a story. It helps our social and individual growth and is one of the most important skills we can ever learn. It stretches the imagination and offers a wonderful outlet for self-expression.
It is every form of narrative writing, from poetry to feature articles in newspapers to novels. The list is endless. Simply put, it is anything that is not academic and technical.
How to write a creative essay in four easy steps?
To write a creative essay, choose your subject.
- When choosing a subject, pick something you and others will find interesting. It does not have to be a subject that you know well, in which case, what do you do?
Research the background.
- All good writers research the background for the essay, story, novel, etc. If you need to go talk to people who know the authorities on the subject, ask questions, and learn more about the subject matter. Take some time to think through your topic. Look at it from different perspectives.
Write down all your thoughts on the subject, relevant or random. It doesn’t matter. Just list them down. You can sift through it later to decide what you want.
- All good writers research the background for the essay, story, novel, etc. If you need to go talk to people who know the authorities on the subject, ask questions, and learn more about the subject matter. Take some time to think through your topic. Look at it from different perspectives.
Draw up a plan for the essay.
- Write down the how, what, when, where, and who for the essay. This will guide you and keep you on track so you don’t go down a meandering path. After this, it is time to flesh out the how, what, when, where, and who questions to add content to the story.
Write the essay.
Once you have the first three steps in place, start writing the story. Use your outline and start with the introduction.
In the introduction.
- Create the scenario to draw your Reader’s attention.
- Describe the place, the time, and the background.
- Be fun and engaging so your readers will want to know more.
The body of the essay.
This is where you develop the plot of the essay. It can be just one paragraph for a short story or several paragraphs. If the story is longer.
- Showcase one main idea in each paragraph.
- Develop the story in a smooth and fluid way.
- Don’t be choppy flow from one paragraph to another.
How do we make the story flow?
- Transitions can be words like “yet, and, but, and so on”. They are useful and seamlessly move from one idea to another. Transitions are usually used in the middle of a sentence.
But they can be used in the beginning to emphasize a point.
I just did that. I used “but” in the beginning of a sentence when it is usually used in the middle.“But” in the beginning, will emphasize the content of a sentence following the but and gives continuity through the thought process in the previous sentence.
Other common transitions we use are words like, “However, also, and therefore”. Transitions are important, but be careful not to overuse them in your essay.
There are many more transition words, and I will get into them more fully in another article.
- Transitions can be words like “yet, and, but, and so on”. They are useful and seamlessly move from one idea to another. Transitions are usually used in the middle of a sentence.
Finally: The conclusion of the creative essay.
The conclusion is where the whole plot comes together to tidy up the story, or not. That depends on you, the author, on how you want the story to end.
- It can be neat and tidy, like a happily ever after, like a fairytale ending.
- Or it can be a cliffhanger where the ending is less shrouded in suspense.
The ending, a conclusion of your essay is important, so don’t rush it or end it abruptly. It must leave a strong enough impact to stay in the Reader’s mind after reading it.
Now that your creative essay is done, check it thoroughly for spelling and grammatical errors. Change whatever does not read, write or flow well.
Think about the effect that this essay will have on the reader. Ask someone else to proofread it for you. Very often. We miss errors in our own writing that others will pick up.
Once your essays checked, proofread, corrected, and checked again. It’s done. It’s as simple as that.
I hope you found these tips useful. If you know someone who needs help with creative writing, send them a link to this article. See you next time.