How to Improve Creative Writing

Co-authored by Melessa Sargent and Hannah Madden

Last Updated: February 24, 2023 References

Creative writing is an outlet to express your imagination by putting it onto paper. Many people enjoy creative writing, but some struggle with it because of how unstructured it can feel. If you have been writing creatively and you’d like to improve your skills, try learning grammar rules and receiving feedback on your work to strengthen your creative writing and boost your confidence.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Creating Polished Work

1
Learn the basic grammar and punctuation rules of your language. Your writing will flow much better if it follows punctuation and grammar rules, and errors can be distracting. Spend some time studying up on the basics of how sentences are structured and the best way to use punctuation by reading constantly. For specific questions, consult a grammar manual, and get even more practice by downloading a free grammar practice app on your phone.^{[1]
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- Using correct grammar and punctuation will also make your writing seem more polished.
2
Cut down on unnecessary adjectives and adverbs. It’s easy to fall into the trap of “over-writing,” or adding too many descriptive words to a sentence. Often, readers want the information quickly, so unless you are writing a poem or specifically want to inject flowery language into your story, try to limit your adjectives and adverbs as you write.
- For example, instead of saying, “He quickly and quietly ate his food,” try saying, “He gulped down his meal.” This sentence is more interesting, and gives the same effect to the reader.
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3
Proofread your work carefully. It is easy to make simple mistakes when you write something for the first time. Once you have a solid first draft, go through your work and look for spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, and missing punctuation. Even if your story is good, mistakes make your writing less credible.^{[2]
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University of North Carolina Writing Center
UNC's on-campus and online instructional service that provides assistance to students, faculty, and others during the writing process
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Tip: Take a break from writing and come back to your piece after a few hours or even days. Mistakes will be easier to spot after you’ve taken a break.
4
Revise your first draft as you need to. Once you finish writing something, it can be tempting to set it aside and not change it. However, it is important to revise and enhance your first draft after you’ve finished it. Set aside your work for a little bit, and then come back to it with a fresh mind. Look for ways to cut down or add to your writing that will make it flow better or send a clearer message to your reader.^{[3]
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- Revising is similar to proofreading, except you are looking for ways to improve your piece, not just correcting mistakes.
5
Join a writing group to get constructive criticism. The best way to improve your work is to have someone else share their thoughts on it. Look for a local writing group in your area, or join one online to share your work and get feedback on your writing.^{[4]
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Trustworthy Source
University of North Carolina Writing Center
UNC's on-campus and online instructional service that provides assistance to students, faculty, and others during the writing process
Go to source}^{[5]
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Expert Source

Melessa Sargent
Professional Writer
Expert Interview. 14 August 2019.}
- Don’t be offended if someone doesn’t like your piece, or has a lot of feedback to give. You can choose whether or not to implement a change that someone else suggests.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Finding Time and Ideas

1
Block off time to write every day. Your writing skills will improve with practice. Set aside 20 to 30 minutes (or longer, if you can) to write about anything you want to. Try keeping a journal and writing about your day, or use a notebook to sketch out character ideas and book plots. The more that you flex your writing muscle, the stronger it will get.^{[6]
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Tip: If you think you might forget to write, set an alarm on your phone to remind yourself.
2
Read books that you think you will enjoy. Looking at examples of other people’s writing can be a helpful way to get your own creative ideas flowing. Choose a genre that you love and pick up a book that sounds interesting. Try to read a chapter a day, or more if you have time.^{[7]
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- Get a library card so that you can check out books for free instead of buying them every time.
3
Look up writing prompts to give yourself inspiration. Many websites have daily writing prompts that you can use to create stories or characters with. Use writing prompts to inspire short stories, poems, or character ideas for your creative writing.^{[8]
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Expert Source

Melessa Sargent
Professional Writer
Expert Interview. 14 August 2019.}
- For example, you might start with a prompt like, “Imagine what it would be like to be a plant,” or "Write about a day in the life of Barack Obama.”
4
Practice people-watching to observe interactions and get story ideas. Watching other people around you go about their daily lives can give you inspiration for stories and character designs.^{[10]
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Expert Source

Melessa Sargent
Professional Writer
Expert Interview. 14 August 2019.} Go to your local mall or coffee shop and discreetly write down any notable interactions or habits that you observe.^{[11]
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Trustworthy Source
University of North Carolina Writing Center
UNC's on-campus and online instructional service that provides assistance to students, faculty, and others during the writing process
Go to source}
- You can also use people-watching to practice writing down descriptions of behavior and clothing.
5
Write your own take on an existing story. It can be fun to modernize ideas that have been around for a while. Choose a story that you know well and write it from your perspective, or update it to fit modern times.
- For instance, try writing a fairytale from another character’s perspective, or setting it in today’s era.
6
Set deadlines for yourself. If you want to complete a project by a certain date, mark it on your calendar or in your phone to hold yourself accountable. You can also try setting a goal to write a certain amount of words per day, or one poem per week. Try rewarding yourself when you make a deadline by taking yourself out to eat, or buying something that you’ve been saving up for.
- Deadlines that you set for yourself can seem easy to brush off, but you will be disappointed in yourself if you don’t meet them.
- Make sure your deadlines are realistic. Don’t plan on finishing an entire book by next week if you’re only halfway through.

Expert Q&A

Question

How can I improve my creative writing skills quickly?

Melessa Sargent
Professional Writer
Melessa Sargent is the President of Scriptwriters Network, a non-profit organization that brings in entertainment professionals to teach the art and business of script writing for TV, features and new media. The Network serves its members by providing educational programming, developing access and opportunity through alliances with industry professionals, and furthering the cause and quality of writing in the entertainment industry. Under Melessa's leadership, SWN has won numbers awards including the Los Angeles Award from 2014 through 2021, and the Innovation & Excellence award in 2020.

Melessa Sargent

Professional Writer

Expert Answer

A lot of it just comes down to putting the effort in and writing continuously. There are no quick tips here. You're going to need to put the time and effort in if you're going to improve!
Question

Where can I get ideas for creative writing projects?

Melessa Sargent
Professional Writer
Melessa Sargent is the President of Scriptwriters Network, a non-profit organization that brings in entertainment professionals to teach the art and business of script writing for TV, features and new media. The Network serves its members by providing educational programming, developing access and opportunity through alliances with industry professionals, and furthering the cause and quality of writing in the entertainment industry. Under Melessa's leadership, SWN has won numbers awards including the Los Angeles Award from 2014 through 2021, and the Innovation & Excellence award in 2020.

Melessa Sargent

Professional Writer

Expert Answer

If you hear something that's interesting to you, try to write a story about it from a different angle. Also, the same goes if you see something interesting on TV or in real life, try writing about if from a perspective other than the way you saw it.
Question

How do I get inspiration to write?

Melessa Sargent
Professional Writer
Melessa Sargent is the President of Scriptwriters Network, a non-profit organization that brings in entertainment professionals to teach the art and business of script writing for TV, features and new media. The Network serves its members by providing educational programming, developing access and opportunity through alliances with industry professionals, and furthering the cause and quality of writing in the entertainment industry. Under Melessa's leadership, SWN has won numbers awards including the Los Angeles Award from 2014 through 2021, and the Innovation & Excellence award in 2020.

Melessa Sargent

Professional Writer

Expert Answer

Inspiration is everywhere! Put your own twist on something you enjoy. You could also go people-watching to gather inspiration and ideas for your stories. You can also look up writing prompts to use as inspiration.