How to start creative writing
Phoebe Simcock,
25th Jun 2021
Tags:
Life
Blog
Ambition
Creative writing is something that has always been very close to my heart and the pleasure of completing a piece of writing is hard to beat. I use writing as a vice to engage, react, conquer and revive, and I encourage you to do the same.
This year’s National Writing Day is on the 23rd of June, and if you haven’t celebrated it in previous years, you are in for a treat.
National Writing Day is an annual celebration for creative writing and encourages people of all ages, races, genders and backgrounds to find their love for words.
The 'Fill the Box' challenge.
Each year they have a theme to focus on, last year it was 247, which was write a poem with twenty-four words in just seven minutes. This year, they have introduced the 'Fill the Box' challenge with the theme of connections. I couldn’t wait to try this one!
So, this box could be a sticky note, a Tweet or you can draw your own box around the size of three bottle caps. I focussed my writing on the literal and theoretical side of connection, so the connections on the London Underground intertwined with the inner connection we feel sometimes with our head and heart.
The importance of free expression found within creative writing is a subject I find often bypassed. To seek out some advice on how creative writing can benefit us, I spoke to female entrepreneur Christine Hallas-Appleby who has her own business ‘Creative Communication Skills Ltd’ and works as an actress, director and script writer.
Christine, like myself, has a love for creative writing but believes it can sometimes feel daunting putting pen to paper. To combat this, we discussed the notion of using video to capture the creative mind without needing for it to be written down.
Emotional cleansing is important for mental health.
Christine spoke of emotional cleansing, and said how strongly she felt that this was important for mental health. Emotional cleansing is freeing emotions that have been stored away and over processed.
When we write, we bring out our personal feelings and this can sometimes be a detox for our brains. Journaling, blogging and letter writing are all types of creative writing that can help with the process of emotional cleansing, and improve our writing skills for life changes such as writing a CV or a cover letter when applying for jobs or courses.
Sometimes writing can seem inaccessible to people who have little time or don’t have the facilities, but poems such as a Haiku are small but effective pieces of writing and sometimes the smallest amount can spark a grand idea. Christine proclaims, “If it’s creative writing for short stories, it’s stimulating that muscle and that imagination”, so it can help to start with small steps and build up to longer stories.
Try an online writing workshop.
If you’re thinking of getting into creative writing, why not try one of these top tips to get started:
- Invent a character and follow their story. Give them a back story, a passport, and you could even write letters to your friends and family as this character.
- Keep a notepad with you at all times, or notes on your phone. Don’t ignore a random idea that pops into your head!
- Try an online writing workshop. If you look for this on your search engine and add your age, there will be different approaches that can suit you.
- Start a blog or journal.
- Seeking out creative writing competitions. Sometimes the winners work is published and this can help with getting your work into the public eye.
