Creative Writing – Three Methods To Improve Your Writing Skills

Creative writing is an art. And like everything artistic, it requires imagination. Whether it is a poem, story, blog, or any other form of writing, the writer must use imagination and expression to evoke emotion from the readers. For your piece to have the desired effect, it must use descriptive language, metaphors, similes, and imagery to paint a beautiful and vivid picture in the minds of your readers.  

Sounds like a lot of work, right? 

In practice, writing does not need to be this painful. 

There are many techniques writers can use to make their words flow, and their writing stand out. Below we discuss three such methods that can help improve your writing skills. 

Freewriting 

Before you begin, it is always good practice to brainstorm initial ideas. Freewriting, developed by Peter Elbow in 1973, is similar to brainstorming as it stimulates the writer to keep writing without worrying about technicalities. It involves writing every idea, question and thought that comes to mind without thinking about spelling and grammar. Freewriting before beginning any story or piece helps increase the flow of ideas and improves your fluency when writing for longer periods. Farewell, writer’s block! 

Storyboard 

Once you have the idea or story formed in your head, it is time to put pen to paper! But before you jump in, it is advisable to create an outline of your story that demonstrates which direction it will take. Creating a storyboard is an excellent way of preparing a narrative through a plot diagram or short extended illustrations of your story. Break it down into an introduction, the main plot, the resolution, and finally, the conclusion that brings it all together. Having an outline of the story will prevent you from losing direction while writing and help you pick up quickly from where you stopped. 

The Three-Act Structure 

The Three-Act Structure is widely used in film and television and is one of the most commonly used modern writing techniques. 

It involves dividing the story or piece into three acts that seamlessly flow from start to finish. The three acts are: 

Setup – This establishes the characters, how they relate, and their world. It must include an ‘inciting incident’ that eventually has an attempted resolution and a turning point. 

Confrontation – This includes the central problem that the main character(s) attempts to resolve. The 'confrontation' must include the journey the character makes to reach a happy/sad conclusion based on how you want your story to end. 

Resolution – This consists of the climax and the resolution of the central problem by the main character(s). 

The best way to improve your writing is to blend your creativity with some method. You can take your writing to the next level by following one or all of these techniques for every piece you write.  

Learn Creative Writing From The Best Faculty 

Want to learn more creative writing techniques to help advance your career as a writer? Why not pursue a degree in English and Creative Writing from the University of Bolton? Our BA (Hons) English and Creative Writing degree course is designed to inspire and develop your interest and appreciation for the vast and enriching world of literature and ideas. You will also get extensive opportunities to develop and enhance your approaches to expression and communication. 

Apart from teaching you all the practical creative writing techniques, we will also help you develop a range of employable skills, such as written and verbal communication, information and ideas presentation, argument, and persuasion, working to tight deadlines, and research and critical analysis. Our course tutors are active researchers in poetry, prose, and drama and feed their knowledge back into the curriculum so you can benefit from their thought processes and latest discoveries.  

At the University of Bolton, we are proud to offer our students #UniAsItShouldBe! Our supportive learning environment, quality teaching, and access to a range of research and work opportunities make for a positive university experience for all our students. Need more information about our English and Creative Writing degree course? Get in touch with our Student Services Team at enquiries@bolton.ac.uk or call us on 01204 903807.