How to Develop Creative Writing Skills

Each and every one of us can develop creative writing skills. While no one can teach you exactly how to be creative, you can cultivate in yourself a desire to write imaginative and original work. And by practicing your craft daily, you can ensure that you'll always be inspired and stay on top of your game.

JOURNALING. The best way to develop creative writing skills and get into a groove is to write something---no matter what it is---every single day. Writing on a daily basis can seem daunting if it's not part of your usual routine, but you can motivate yourself to get into the habit by buying a special journal. Bookstores are a good place to look for special journals: you can find leather-bound journals, velvet-covered books, cartoon character journals---whatever you're into. But you don't have to spend a lot on a journal; a black and white composition book from the grocery store will work just fine. You can even choose to journal on your computer in Microsoft Word, though some people find typing on a computer to be much less romantic than actually scribbling longhand on paper. No matter where you choose to write though, you must do it daily. Decide on a word or page limit, and tell yourself that you will write at least that much if not more each day. Writing is a skill like any other: you must practice it every day to develop your skills and to remain in top condition. Just remember to have fun when you write and don't make it a chore. You want to enjoy your journaling so that it becomes a pleasurable part of your daily routine.

READ. READ. READ. You can't possibly become a good writer if you aren't also a good reader. Just think about it: if you were a computer programmer and you wanted to stay on top of the latest technology and trends in your industry, you'd probably read up on your industry every day in online blogs, magazines, and the newspaper. Makes sense, right? So if you want to develop your creative writing skills, you have to do research on other writers and the writing process in general. Being well-read will help you discover what type of writing you enjoy most while also helping you to understand how to write good, engaging material. When you find a genre that you really like, (like humor, for instance) surround yourself with many good humor books. Get carried away by how the writings make you feel and notice why you feel that way (is it an author's tone of voice that really makes his work stand out? Is it the subject matter? Do you admire the colorful language?). In this way, being able to identify what you like will help you become a stronger writer yourself. 

 FEEDBACK. When you feel like you're ready to have foreign eyes on your work, seek out a good, legit source of critical feedback. If you're a student, you could try asking a favorite teacher or professor to sit down with you and go over your work. Not everyone will have the time to critique your writing, but don't be shy about asking: most people are flattered when others come to them seeking help. Many college students will also have access to a writing center. These centers may provide students with either peer tutors or graduate writing tutors. In either case, services are usually free and the trained tutors provide quality feedback on any part of the writing process from brainstorming to editing. Non-students can also find great sources of feedback in their community. Just fire up Google and do a search for local creative writing groups and conferences. These groups will be your best source for creative writing feedback; you want someone with a solid background in writing to give you tips and feedback. When you finally do get someone to critique your work, be specific about what it is you'd like to hear about from them and think beyond grammar issues. Ask your reviewer how he or she feels about the content (how did they react to it when they first read it? have they read anything like it before? could they understand the story?) and be sure that you leave your review session knowing not only what you can improve upon but also what your strengths are already.

KNOW YOUR CRAFT. Check out memoirs by your favorite authors (Stephen King's "On Writing" is an excellent one.) to get a better idea of how the writing process works for different people. You'll pick up some good tips for yourself by learning what works for your favorite writers. And make sure to read writing periodicals like "Writer's Digest." These publications provide writers with reputable information on how to develop creative writing skills. They also give you access to a community of other writers like yourself with whom you can share "writing war stories." 

Christina Jordan's Profile:  an Emmy-winning freelance writer/producer/editor, makes TV shows both for broadcast and the internet.
also a professional belly dancer and dance instructor. adores Middle Eastern music and culture, and gets shimmy on roughly 6 days a week.
also enjoy eating cake and spoiling her husband, two dogs, and two cats.