Creative writing originates in literature and expands to other areas of society, allowing people who write fiction and non-fiction to benefit from the power of words.
So, you may have noticed that most of the content on the Internet shows that creative writing is not exclusive to short stories, novels and poetry.
However, not just anyone can develop the writing skills necessary to attract, retain, and build loyalty among readers and prospects through creative writing techniques. Therefore, in this article I will give you several tips to be able to improve your writing and capture people’s attention.
Today you will learn:
- Creative writing is not just for literature
- Every writer should be a reader
- Inspiration is your worst enemy
- Creative block doesn’t pay bills
- Have as many drafts as you need
- Curiosity will make you write better
- Empathy is the key to engaging readers
- Work to engage readers
Creative writing is not just for literature
Do a basic exercise: take a scientific article from the field that interests you and compare it with an article taken from a blog or advertising copy that explains a certain subject. Now analyze how the sentences have been constructed, how the text dialogues with the reader, how the information is conveyed, and whether the text leaves the reader interested.
First, note that the purpose of each text is different. The scientific article needs to be technical and put the information in a clear way, using the language of that specific area. The blog text, on the other hand, has to dialogue with its target audience, speaking in a simple manner but with relevant information, surprising the reader in each paragraph in a way that leads him to the end of the reading.
So, realize that the difference between traditional writing and creative writing is that the first has the goal of passing on information, and the other does not depend on this, but on creativity.
If you notice, I have already given several tips to contribute to the improvement of your writing, as I talk about in this article here. Therefore, each text developed here can be analyzed from the perspective of creative writing, since my intention is to pass on relevant information to you in an easy and creative way.
Every writer must be a reader
It is impossible to write well and not be an assiduous reader. But I’m not just talking about reading texts in your field. This can addict your language and make you less and less creative.
To really work on creative writing, you need to read a little bit of everything. Technical texts for background and also fiction and non-fiction texts that sharpen your senses and make you create relationships between subjects so that, later, when it is time to write your own text, you are able to surprise your reader.
Inspiration is your worst enemy
You may have found this title strange and are wondering how such a good thing as inspiration can at the same time be an enemy of your writing?
Don’t worry, I’ll explain. This famous word that many people use is one of the many sources of procrastination. You know that moment when you don’t do the tasks because you lack… inspiration? That’s when your tasks pile up, you end up blaming yourself for it (especially if you have anxiety or depression) and your life starts to snowball.
In any case, know that writers are not inexhaustible sources of inspiration, although when they have it, their work becomes much lighter. Writers sweat. They create even when they are not feeling inspired. They create because they have to. Good writers and those who make their living from writing know that depending on inspiration is shooting yourself in the foot.
So if you really want to improve your writing, to make it creative and attract more readers, forget about inspiration. Do your work, whatever it takes.
Creative block doesn’t pay bills
If you have been writing for a while, you must have experienced the most dreaded moment for writers, which is the famous creative block. In this phase, besides lacking inspiration, you feel paralyzed and don’t write a single line. Or if you do, you erase it.
If you do this, you probably do not pay your own bills with your work through creative writing. Many of us do not have this choice, and we have to sweat a lot to come up with good writing, even in these most difficult moments.
To unlock your creativity, write every day!
Every day? Yes, that’s right. It has to be a habit! The more you write, the better you get. Write anything, on any subject. You can always delete it later, but the simple exercise makes you inclined to keep writing and to see subjects where before there seemed to be none.
The city, the bills, the breakfasts, the traffic, your dog, your friends… Write about everything. Write about what you see. Write about what you feel. About a piece of news you saw in the newspaper, and so on.
I, for example, always look for inspiration in the city where I live. São Paulo is a sea of inspiration and every hour you can create something new, no matter what.
Do this exercise and I guarantee that in a short time you will not depend on any inspiration to continue writing.
