benefit of creative writing

Why Learn Creative Writing?

Sean Glatch  |  November 1, 2022  |  5 Comments

Why learn creative writing? Truthfully, creative writing is one of the most misunderstood disciplines in the 21st century. When people think of a creative writing course, they often imagine a group of lofty, out-of-touch people who wear argyle sweater vests and have unproductive conversations about abstract concepts.

In reality, nothing could be further from the truth: the best writing classes remain engaged with the real world, and the skills gained in a creative writing course apply to nearly every facet of daily life.

If you’re wondering whether it’s worth picking up a course in fiction, nonfiction, or poetry, we have five reasons to learn creative writing. But first, let’s talk about what actually happens in a creative writing course.

The Basics of a Writing Workshop

Whether you’re enrolled in a poetry, fiction, or nonfiction writing class, you can expect the following writing process – at least in a quality writing course like the ones at Writers.com.

• Weekly prompts and writing exercises to sharpen the precision and necessity of each word you use.
• Constructive critiques from a community of writers who are each growing their writing skills alongside you.
• A creative space to explore new ideas, experiment with language, and arrange words in new and exciting ways.
• Focused writing instruction from a master of the craft.

The benefits of creative writing come from engaging with the course material, the writing prompts, and the other class members. These elements help you become a better writer, both in creative realms and in everyday life. How? No matter what form of writing, a creative writing class pushes you to connect ideas and create effective narratives using the best words – and that skill translates into real world success.

The Benefits of Creative Writing

1. why learn creative writing: improved self-expression.

Improving your writing skills leads to stronger communication. When you practice finding the right word in a story or poem, you engage the same parts of your brain that are active in everyday writing and speaking. A creative writing course subconsciously turns you into a more effective communicator.

The importance of precise language and self-advocacy translates well into both interpersonal relationships and working environments. Take it from this expert on how writing and self-advocacy results in career and leadership success.

2. Why Learn Creative Writing: Job Success

This brings us to our next point: great writing leads to job success. Of course, your boss probably isn’t expecting you to write emails in the form of a short story or a sonnet – though if they are expecting this, you have a pretty cool boss.

In reality, almost every job requires some sort of written work, whether that’s simple written communication or something more elaborate, like publishing data or marketing materials. In a creative writing class, you practice the style and grammar rules necessary for effective writing, both within the realms of literature and in career-related writing. Sharpening your writing and creativity skills might just land you your next promotion.

3. Why Learn Creative Writing: Improved Thinking Skills

Strong writing leads to strong thinking. No matter what type of writing you pursue, learning how to write is another form of learning how to think.

That might seem like a bold claim, so think about it this way. Without language, our thoughts wouldn’t have form. We might not need language to think “I’m hungry” or “I like cats,” but when it comes to more abstract concepts, language is key. How would you think about things like justice, revenge, or equality without the words to express them?

When you hone in on your ability to find choice, specific words, and when you work on the skills of effective storytelling and rhetoric , you improve your ability to think in general. Good writing yields great thinking!

4. Why Learn Creative Writing: Empathy

Reading and writing both rely on empathy, especially when it comes to being an effective workshop participant. When we read and write stories, we situate ourselves in the shoes of other people; when we read and write poetry, we let language navigate us through emotion.

The importance of creative writing relies on empathy. We practice empathy whenever we listen to another person’s life story, when someone tells us about their day, and when we sit down with a client or work partner. When we write, we practice the ability to listen as well as to speak, making us more effective communicators and more compassionate human beings.

5. Why Learn Creative Writing: It’s Fun!

In case you’re not convinced that a writing course is right for you, let’s clarify one more fact: creative writing is fun. Whether you’re in a fiction writing course, starting a memoir, crafting a poem, or writing for the silver screen, you’re creating new worlds and characters. In the sandbox of literature, you’re in control, and when you invest yourself into the craft of writing, something beautiful emerges.

The Importance of Creative Writing

Simply put, creative writing helps us preserve our humanity. What better medium to explore the human experience?

To learn creative writing, like any art form, requires compassion, contemplation, and curiosity. Writers preserve the world as they observe it in stories and poetry, and they imagine a better world by creating it in their works.

Through the decades, literature has explored society’s profound changes. Literary eons like the Naturalist movement and the Beat poets responded to the increase in Western Industrialization. Confessional poets like Virginia Woolf helped transform poetry into a medium for emotional exploration and excavation. And, genre movements like the cyberpunk writers of science fiction helped popularize the idea of an “information economy.”

Thus, the importance of creative writing lies in its ability to describe the world through an honest and unfiltered lens. Anyone who engages in creative writing, no matter the genre or style, helps us explore the human experience, share new ideas, and advocate for a better society. Whether you write your stories for yourself or share them with a wide audience, creative writing makes the world a better place.

Jobs for Creative Writers

Because creative writing isn’t a STEM discipline, many people don’t think that learning it will help their job prospects. Why learn creative writing if it doesn’t make any money?

In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. Creative writing skills are much sought after on resumes, since both creativity and the ability to write are soft skills in decline. Additionally, if you’re considering a career change—or ready to start one!—these are some popular jobs for creative writers.

• Average Starting Salary: $51,000
• Demand: High
• Skills needed: creativity, grammar, timeliness

Copywriters help companies put their branding into words. A copywriter might write emails, blogs, website content, or ad copy that encompasses the company’s voice and purpose. Copywriting requires you to write in a mix of styles and forms, flexing your writing muscles in new and exciting ways.

Grant Writer

• Average Starting Salary: $50,000
• Skills needed: storytelling, research, argumentation

Nonprofits and research facilities rely on local and national grants to fund their projects. Grant writers help secure that funding, writing engaging grants that tell the organization’s story in an engaging, tailored, and convincing way. Creative writers will enjoy the opportunity to tell a meaningful story and create positive community change through this career.

Communications/Public Relations Specialist

• Skills needed: creativity, communications, social media

A communications specialist helps drive a company’s image through various social channels. They may help create a positive narrative for their company through blogs, journalist outreach, social media, and other public-facing avenues. Much like copywriting, a PR specialist helps weave an effective story for a company.

• Average Starting Salary: $55,000
• Demand: Medium/High
• Skills needed: creativity, storytelling, organization, self-reliance

The dream job for many writers is to write and sell books. Being a novelist is an admirable career choice—and also requires the most work. Not only do you have to write your stories, but you also have to market yourself in the literary industry and maintain a social presence so that publishers and readers actually read your work. It’s a tough business, but also incredibly rewarding!

Reasons to Learn Creative Writing: Finding a Writing Community

Finally, creative writing communities make the writing struggle worth it. The relationships you foster with other creative writers can last a lifetime, as no other group of people has the same appreciation for the written word. Creative writing communities create transformative experiences and encourage growth in your writing; if there’s one reason to study creative writing craft, it’s the friendships you make in the process.

You don’t need a class to start writing, but it’s never a waste of time to learn the tools of the trade. Creative writing requires the skills that can help you in everyday life, and a creative writing course can help.

At Writers.com, we believe that creative writing can transform both individual lives and the world at large. See the importance of creative writing for yourself: check out what makes our creative writing courses different , then take a look at our upcoming course calendar today.

Sean Glatch

Would like to apply for a course to write a novel.

I’d be happy to help! Please email [email protected] with any questions, and we’ll find the right course for your writing.

[…] Sean. “Why Learn Creative Writing.” writers.com. June 7, 2020. https://writers.com/why-learn-creative-writing . Accessed November 7, […]

[…] And last of all it’s fun! I hope to live my life doing the things I love, with like-minded creative people who I love. I have many exciting things upcoming as I continue with the process of completing my first novel, Les Année Folles, such as publishing to my first magazine, journal, and working on the millions of short story ideas I have stored in my head. Stay tuned! References: Glatch, S. (2020, June 7). WHY LEARN CREATIVE WRITING? Retrieved from Writers.com: https://writers.com/why-learn-creative-writing […]

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Creative Writing: What It Is and Why It Matters

By: Author Paul Jenkins

Posted on Published: January 13, 2023  - Last updated: January 15, 2023

Categories Writing

Writing can be intimidating for many people, but creative writing doesn’t have to be. Creative writing is a form of self-expression that allows writers to create stories, characters, and unique settings. But what exactly is creative writing? And why is it important in today’s society? Let’s explore this further.

How We Define Creative Writing

Creative writing is any form where writers can express their thoughts and feelings imaginatively. This type of writing allows authors to draw on their imagination when creating stories and characters and play with language and structure. While there are no boundaries in creative writing, most pieces will contain dialogue, description, and narrative elements.

The Importance of Creative Writing

Creative writing is important because:

• It helps us express ourselves in ways we may not be able to do with other forms of communication.
• It allows us to explore our creativity and think outside the box.
• It can help us better understand our emotions by exploring them through storytelling or poetry.
• Writing creatively can also provide much-needed escapism from everyday life, allowing us to escape into a world of our creation.
• Creative writing helps us connect with others by sharing our experiences through stories or poems they can relate to. This way, we can gain insight into other people’s lives while giving them insight into ours.

Creative Writing: A Path to Mental and Emotional Wellness

Writing is more than just a way to express your thoughts on paper. It’s a powerful tool that can be used as a form of therapy. Creative writing has been shown to improve emotional and mental well-being.

Through creative writing, we can gain insight into our emotions, develop self-expression and communication skills, cultivate empathy and understanding of others, and boost our imagination and creativity.

Let’s examine how creative writing can relieve stress and emotional catharsis.

Stress Relief and Emotional Catharsis

Writing has the power to reduce stress levels significantly. Writing about our experiences or about things that are causing us anxiety or distress helps us to release those complicated feelings constructively. By expressing ourselves through creative writing, we can work through the emotions associated with stressful situations without having to confront them directly.

This is especially helpful for people who struggle to share their emotions verbally or in person.

Improved Communication and Self-Expression

Creative writing is also beneficial for improving communication skills. Through creative writing, we can explore our thoughts and feelings more intensely than by speaking them aloud. This allows us to think more clearly about what we want to say before actually saying it out loud or in written form, which leads to improved self-expression overall.

Additionally, writing out our thoughts before speaking aloud allows us to articulate ourselves better when communicating with others—which is essential for healthy personal and professional relationships.

Increased Empathy and Understanding of Others

Through creative writing, we can also increase our empathy towards others by exploring different perspectives on various topics that may be unfamiliar or uncomfortable for us—such as racism, homophobia, sexism, etc.—and allowing ourselves the opportunity to see the situation from someone else’s point of view without judgment or bias. This helps us become better communicators and more understanding individuals overall.

The Professional Benefits of Creative Writing

Creative writing is a powerful tool that can help you communicate better and more effectively in the professional world. It can also help you develop various skills that prove invaluable in many industries. Whether you’re looking to build your résumé or improve your communication, creative writing can effectively achieve both.

Let’s take a closer look at how creative writing can benefit your career.

Preparing Students for Careers in Writing, Editing, and Publishing

Creative writing is the perfect foundation for anyone interested in pursuing a career in writing, editing, or publishing. It teaches students the basics of grammar and composition while allowing them to express their ideas in imaginative ways.

Creative writing classes also allow students to learn from professionals who have experience as editors, agents, and publishers. They can use this knowledge to learn creative writing, refine their craft and gain valuable experience before entering the job market.

Improving Skills in Storytelling and Marketing for Various Careers

Creative writing teaches students to think critically about stories and craft compelling narratives that draw readers in. This skill is precious for those who wish to pursue careers outside traditional writing roles—such as marketing or advertising—where storytelling is key.

People who understand the fundamentals of creative writing will be able to create persuasive copy that resonates with readers and effectively conveys a message.

Enhancing Team Collaboration and Leadership Skills

Creative writing isn’t just about expressing yourself through words; it also provides an opportunity to practice working collaboratively with others on projects. Many creative writing classes require students to work together on group projects, which helps them develop essential teamwork skills such as communication, critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity.

As they work together on these projects, they will also gain confidence in their ability to lead teams effectively—an invaluable asset no matter what industry they pursue after graduation.

Uncovering the Power of Creative Writing

Creative writing has become an increasingly powerful force in shaping our society. Creative writing has many uses, from preserving cultural heritage to promoting social change.

Preserving Cultural Heritage with Creative Writing

Creative writing has long been used to preserve and share cultural heritage stories. This is done through fictional stories or poetry that explore a particular culture or group’s history, values, and beliefs. By weaving these stories in an engaging way, writers can bring a culture’s history and traditions to life for readers worldwide. This helps bridge cultural gaps by providing insight into what makes each culture unique.

Promoting Social Change & Activism with Creative Writing

Creative writing can also be used for activism and social change. Writers can craft stories that help promote awareness about important issues such as poverty, race relations, gender equality, climate change, and more.

With the power of words, writers can inspire readers to take action on these issues and work towards creating positive change in their communities.

Through creative writing, writers can raise awareness about important topics while fostering empathy toward individuals who may be facing difficult or challenging situations.

Fostering Creativity & Innovation with Creative Writing

Finally, creative writing can foster creativity and innovation in various fields. For example, businesses can use creative copywriting techniques to create compelling content that captures the attention of customers or potential investors.

Aspiring entrepreneurs can use storytelling techniques when pitching their ideas or products to potential partners or investors to make their cases more persuasive and memorable.

By harnessing the power of words through creative writing techniques, businesses can create content that resonates with their target audience while inspiring them to take action on whatever message they’re trying to convey. It often aids the overall creative process.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the benefits of creative writing.

Creative writing has many benefits, both for the writer and the reader. For the writer, it can be therapeutic, helping them to explore their emotions and better understand themselves. It can also be used as entertainment or communication, allowing them to share their ideas with the world. For the reader, creative writing can provide enjoyment, escapism, and insights into the human condition.

How can I improve my creative writing skills?

There are several ways you can improve your creative writing skills. Firstly, make sure you allow yourself time to write regularly. Use a writing prompt to inspire a short story. Secondly, read as much as you can; great writers are also great readers. Thirdly, experiment with different styles and genres to find one that suits you best. Fourthly, join a writers’ group, writing workshop, or creative writing program to get feedback from other writers. Finally, keep a journal to track your progress and reflect on your work as a creative writer.

What is the importance of imagery in creative writing?

Imagery is an important element of creative writing, as it helps to create a more vivid picture for the reader. By using sensory and descriptive language, writers can transport readers into their stories and help them relate to their characters or themes. Imagery can bring a scene alive with detail and evoke emotion by helping readers create strong visual images in their minds. Furthermore, imagery can help make stories more memorable by giving readers a deeper connection with the characters or setting.

What are the elements of creative writing?

The elements of creative writing include plot, character, dialogue, setting, theme, and point of view. The plot is the structure or main storyline, while the character is the personage involved in this story. Dialogue includes conversations between characters to give insight into their emotions and relationships. Setting refers to the place or time in which a story takes place, while theme explores deeper meanings behind a story’s narrative. Finally, point of view defines how readers experience a story through first-person or third-person omniscient narration.

What’s the difference between creative writing and other types of writing?

The main difference between creative writing and other types of writing is that it allows the writer to create their own story, characters, settings, and themes. Creative writing also encourages writers to be inventive with their style and use descriptive language to evoke emotion or bring stories alive in readers’ minds. Other academic or technical writing types typically involve more research-based information and are usually more objective in their presentation. Additionally, most forms of non-creative writing will have stricter rules regarding grammar, structure, and syntax.

What is the golden rule of creative writing?

The golden rule of creative writing is to show, not tell. It’s the core creative writing skill. When it comes to creative writing, it’s essential to use descriptive language that immerses readers in the story and allows them to experience the events through their emotions and imaginations. This can be done through metaphors, similes, sensory language, and vivid imagery.

How important is creativity in writing?

Creativity is essential in writing as it allows writers to craft a unique story and evoke emotion from the reader. Creativity can bring stories alive with fresh perspectives and exciting plot lines while creating an escape for readers and giving them more profound insights into the human condition. Writers who combine creativity with technical aspects such as grammar, structure, language usage, and flow will create pieces that capture their audience’s attention and provide an enjoyable reading experience.

Writing can improve mental health – here’s how

Creative Writing Lecturer, Cardiff Metropolitan University

Disclosure statement

Christina Thatcher does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Cardiff Metropolitan University provides funding as a member of The Conversation UK.

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Ernest Hemingway famously said that writers should “write hard and clear about what hurts” . Although Hemingway may not have known it at the time, research has now shown that writing about “what hurts” can help improve our mental health .

There are more than 200 studies that show the positive effect of writing on mental health. But while the psychological benefits are consistent for many people, researchers don’t completely agree on why or how writing helps.

One theory suggests that bottling up emotions can lead to psychological distress . It stands to reason, then, that writing might increase mental health because it offers a safe, confidential and free way to disclose emotions that were previously bottled up .

However, recent studies have begun to show how an increase in self-awareness , rather than simply disclosing emotions, could be the key to these improvements in mental health.

In essence, self-awareness is being able to turn your attention inward towards the self . By turning our attention inward, we can become more aware of our traits, behaviour, feelings, beliefs, values and motivations.

Research suggests that becoming more self-aware can be beneficial in a variety of ways. It can increase our confidence and encourage us to be more accepting of others . It can lead to higher job satisfaction and push us to become more effective leaders . It can also help us to exercise more self-control and make better decisions aligned with our long-term goals.

Self-awareness is a spectrum and, with practice, we can all improve. Writing might be particularly helpful in increasing self-awareness because it can be practised daily . Rereading our writing can also give us a deeper insight into our thoughts, feelings, behaviour and beliefs.

Here are three types of writing which can improve your self-awareness and, in turn, your mental health:

Expressive writing

Expressive writing is often used in therapeutic settings where people are asked to write about their thoughts and feelings related to a stressful life event. This type of writing aims to help emotionally process something difficult .

Research shows that expressive writing can enhance self-awareness , ultimately decreasing depressive symptoms , anxious thoughts and perceived stress .

Reflective writing

Reflective writing is regularly used in professional settings, often as a way to help nurses, doctors, teachers, psychologists and social workers become more effective at their jobs . Reflective writing aims to give people a way to assess their beliefs and actions explicitly for learning and development.

Writing reflectively requires a person to ask themselves questions and continuously be open, curious and analytical. It can increase self-awareness by helping people learn from their experiences and interactions. This can improve professional and personal relationships as well as work performance, which are key indicators of good mental health .

• Creative writing

Poems, short stories, novellas and novels are all considered forms of creative writing. Usually, creative writing employs the imagination as well as, or instead of, memory, and uses literary devices like imagery and metaphor to convey meaning.

Writing creatively offers a unique way to explore thoughts, feelings, ideas and beliefs. For instance, you could write a science fiction novel that represents your concerns about climate change or a children’s story that speaks to your beliefs about friendship. You could even write a poem from the perspective of an owl as a way to represent your insomnia.

Writing creatively about challenging experiences, like grief , can also offer a way to communicate to others something which you feel is too complicated or difficult to say directly.

Creative writing encourages people to choose their words, metaphors and images in a way that really captures what they’re trying to convey. This creative decision-making can lead to increased self-awareness and self-esteem as well as improved mental health .

Writing for self-awareness

Self-awareness is a key component for good mental health and writing is a great place to start.

Why not take some time to write down your feelings about a particularly stressful event that has happened during the pandemic? Or reflect on a difficult work situation from the last year and consider what you have learned from it?

If you prefer to do something more creative, then try responding to this prompt by writing a poem or story:

Think about the ways your home reveals the moment we are currently in. Is your pantry packed with flour? Do you have new objects or pets in your home to stave off loneliness or boredom? What you can see from your window that reveals something about this historic moment?

Each of these writing prompts will give you a chance to reflect on this past year, ask yourself important questions, and make creative choices. Spending just 15 minutes doing this may give you an opportunity to become more self-aware – which could lead to improvements in your mental health.

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Objectives of Creative Writing

Delve into the "Objectives of Creative Writing" and explore the multifaceted aims of this expressive art form. Uncover the diverse purposes, entertainment, education, and social commentary, that creative writing serves. Gain a deeper understanding of how creative writing transcends mere words, providing insight into the human experience.

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In this blog, we delve into the Objectives of Creative Writing and its purposes, shedding light on its significance in our lives. From the art of storytelling to the therapeutic release of emotions, Creative Writing is a dynamic and versatile discipline that has enchanted both writers and readers for generations. 

Table of C ontents  

1)  Objectives of Creative Writing 

    a)  Self-expression 

    b)  Entertainment 

    c)  Education 

    d)  Social commentary 

2)  Purpose of Creative Writing 

3)  Conclusion 

Objectives of Creative Writing  

Creative Writing serves as a versatile and dynamic form of expression, encompassing a range of objectives that go beyond mere storytelling. Here, we delve into the fundamental objectives that drive creative writers to craft their narratives and explore the depths of human creativity:  

Self-expression 

Creative Writing is, at its core, a powerful means of self-expression. It provides writers with a unique canvas upon which they can paint the colours of their innermost thoughts, emotions, and experiences. This objective of Creative Writing is deeply personal and cathartic, as it allows individuals to articulate their inner worlds in ways that spoken language often cannot. 

Through the act of writing, authors can explore the complexities of their own psyche, giving shape and substance to feelings that might otherwise remain elusive. Whether it's capturing the euphoria of love, the depths of sorrow, or the intricacies of human relationships, Creative Writing serves as a conduit for unfiltered self-expression. 

Moreover, Creative Writing grants the freedom to experiment with different writing styles, tones, and literary devices, enabling writers to find their unique voices. In the process, it cultivates self-awareness, self-discovery, and a deeper understanding of one's own experiences. For many, the act of putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard is a therapeutic release, a way to make sense of the chaos within, and an avenue for personal growth and reflection. In essence, Creative Writing empowers individuals to share their inner narratives with the world, fostering connection and empathy among fellow readers who may find solace, resonance, or inspiration in the tales of others. 

Entertainment 

One of the primary and most recognisable objectives of Creative Writing is to entertain. Creative writers craft stories, poems, and essays that are designed to captivate readers, transporting them to different worlds, evoking emotions, and engaging their imaginations. 

At its heart, Creative Writing is the art of storytelling, and storytelling has been an integral part of human culture since time immemorial. Whether it's a thrilling mystery, a heartwarming romance, or a thought-provoking science fiction narrative, Creative Writing offers an escape from the ordinary into realms of fantasy, intrigue, and wonder. It weaves narratives with vivid imagery, compelling characters, and gripping plots, all working together to hold the reader's attention. 

Through Creative Writing, authors create emotional connections between the reader and the characters, fostering a sense of empathy and identification. As readers immerse themselves in a well-crafted story, they experience a wide range of emotions, from laughter to tears, joy to sorrow. It is this emotional journey that makes Creative Writing such a potent form of entertainment, offering readers a pleasurable escape from reality, a chance to explore new perspectives and a memorable experience that lingers long after the last page is turned.  

Education 

Creative Writing is not only a source of entertainment but also a powerful educational tool. It engages writers in a process that goes beyond storytelling; it encourages research, critical thinking, and the development of effective communication skills. 

Writers often embark on extensive research journeys to create authentic settings, characters, and plots. This quest for accuracy and depth enriches their knowledge in various fields, ranging from history and science to culture and psychology. As they delve into their chosen topics, writers gain valuable insights and expand their intellectual horizons. 

Furthermore, Creative Writing teaches readers important life lessons and imparts knowledge. It introduces them to diverse perspectives, cultures, and experiences, fostering empathy and understanding. Reading well-crafted works can be an enlightening experience, challenging preconceptions and encouraging critical thinking. It also enhances vocabulary, language skills, and the ability to express thoughts and emotions effectively. 

In educational settings, Creative Writing nurtures creativity, encourages self-expression, and helps students develop essential communication and analytical skills. This educational objective of Creative Writing underscores its value as a holistic tool for personal and intellectual growth, making it an integral part of both formal and informal learning processes. 

Social commentary 

Creative Writing often serves as a potent medium for social commentary, embodying a powerful objective that transcends mere storytelling. Through the art of narrative, poets, novelists, and essayists alike can engage in meaningful discourse about society's values, issues, and challenges. 

Writers use their creative works to shine a light on important societal concerns, question norms, and provoke thought. They employ allegory, satire, symbolism, and other literary techniques to critique, challenge, or explore various aspects of the human condition and the world we inhabit. Whether addressing issues such as inequality, injustice, environmental crises, or political corruption, Creative Writing can be a catalyst for change. 

By portraying the complexities of real-life situations and characters, writers encourage readers to reflect on their own lives and the world around them. This introspection can lead to increased awareness and, ideally, inspire action to address pressing societal issues. 

In essence, the social commentary objective of Creative Writing underscores its role as a mirror reflecting the world's triumphs and flaws. It empowers writers to be advocates for change, storytellers with a purpose, and champions of social justice, ensuring that Creative Writing continues to be a powerful force for positive transformation in society. 

Tap into your creative potential with our Creative Writing Training – Get started today! 

Purpose of Creative Writing 

Creative Writing serves a multitude of purposes, making it a dynamic and invaluable art form. Beyond its objectives, Creative Writing plays a crucial role in our lives and society, contributing to personal growth, cultural preservation, inspiration, and connection.  

Catharsis 

One of the profound and therapeutic purposes of Creative Writing is catharsis. This aspect of Creative Writing is deeply personal, as it offers writers a means to release pent-up emotions, confront inner turmoil, and find a sense of closure. 

Through the act of writing, individuals can explore their innermost thoughts and feelings in a safe and controlled environment. Whether it's grappling with grief, heartbreak, trauma, or any other emotional burden, Creative Writing provides an outlet to give shape and voice to those complex emotions. It allows writers to dissect their experiences, providing a space for self-reflection and healing. 

The process of transforming raw emotions into words can be both liberating and transformative. It can provide a sense of relief, allowing writers to gain insight into their emotional landscapes. Moreover, sharing these emotions through writing can foster connection and empathy among readers who may have experienced similar feelings or situations, creating a sense of community and understanding. 

Ultimately, catharsis through Creative Writing is a journey of self-discovery and emotional release, offering solace, healing, and a path towards personal growth and resilience. It highlights the profound impact of the written word in helping individuals navigate the complexities of their own inner worlds. 

Cultural preservation 

Creative Writing serves a noble purpose beyond personal expression and entertainment—it plays a vital role in cultural preservation. This objective of Creative Writing involves safeguarding the rich tapestry of human heritage, traditions, and stories for future generations. 

Cultures are defined by their narratives, folklore, and historical accounts. Creative writers, whether chroniclers of oral traditions or authors of historical fiction are the custodians of these invaluable cultural treasures. They document the stories passed down through generations, ensuring they are not lost to time. 

Through Creative Writing, cultures are celebrated, languages are preserved, and unique identities are immortalised. Folktales, myths, and legends are retold, keeping them relevant and alive. These narratives provide insights into the beliefs, values, and wisdom of a society, fostering a deeper understanding of its roots. 

Moreover, Creative Writing bridges cultural divides by sharing stories from diverse backgrounds, fostering empathy and appreciation for the richness of human experience. In this way, Creative Writing becomes a bridge across generations, connecting the past with the present and preserving the collective memory of humanity for a brighter future. 

Inspiration 

One of the transformative purposes of Creative Writing is to inspire others. It is a beacon that shines brightly, guiding aspiring writers and kindling the creative flames within them. Through the power of storytelling and the written word, Creative Writing has the remarkable ability to ignite the spark of imagination and motivation. 

Exceptional works of literature often leave an indelible mark on readers. They can evoke a sense of wonder, curiosity, and passion, motivating individuals to embark on their own creative journeys. Many renowned authors found their calling through the inspiration they drew from the words of others, perpetuating a beautiful cycle of creativity. 

Creative Writing serves as a testament to human potential, showcasing the boundless depths of imagination and the infinite possibilities of language. It encourages individuals to explore their unique perspectives, cultivate their voices, and craft stories that resonate with the human experience. 

For writers and readers alike, Creative Writing is a wellspring of inspiration, a reminder that the world of imagination is boundless and that the written word has the power to shape minds, hearts, and the course of history. Through the act of creation and the sharing of stories, Creative Writing continues to inspire generations to dream, create, and connect with the world in profound ways. 

Connection 

Creative Writing holds a remarkable purpose - it fosters connections. It serves as a bridge between authors and readers, offering a means of understanding, empathy, and human connection that transcends time, space, and cultural boundaries. 

When readers immerse themselves in a well-crafted story, they embark on an emotional journey alongside the characters. This shared experience creates a bond between the author and the reader as both parties navigate the complexities of the human condition together. Readers can see the world through the eyes of characters from diverse backgrounds and cultures, fostering empathy and understanding. 

Furthermore, Creative Writing connects individuals across generations. Literary classics, for example, allow us to connect with the thoughts and emotions of people who lived centuries ago. These timeless works offer insights into the universal aspects of the human experience, reminding us of our shared humanity. 

Creative Writing also has the power to connect people in the present. Through reading and discussion, individuals can form communities, share their interpretations, and engage in meaningful dialogue. Book clubs, literary events, and online forums all provide platforms for people to connect over their love for literature. 

Conclusion 

In conclusion, Creative Writing is a multifaceted art form with diverse objectives and purposes. From self-expression and entertainment to education, social commentary, catharsis, cultural preservation, inspiration, and connection, it enriches our lives in myriad ways. This timeless craft continues to captivate, inspire, and connect us, shaping our world through the power of words. 

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Greater Good Science Center • Magazine • In Action • In Education

How Creative Writing Can Increase Students’ Resilience

Many of my seventh-grade students do not arrive at school ready to learn. Their families often face financial hardship and live in cramped quarters, which makes it difficult to focus on homework. The responsibility for cooking and taking care of younger siblings while parents work often falls on these twelve year olds’ small shoulders. Domestic violence and abuse are also not uncommon.

To help traumatized students overcome their personal and academic challenges, one of our first jobs as teachers is to build a sense of community. We need to communicate that we care and that we welcome them into the classroom just as they are. One of the best ways I’ve found to connect with my students, while also nurturing their reading and writing skills, is through creative writing.

For the past three years, I’ve invited students in my English Language Development (ELD) classes to observe their thoughts, sit with their emotions, and offer themselves and each other compassion through writing and sharing about their struggles. Creating a safe, respectful environment in which students’ stories matter invites the disengaged, the hopeless, and the numb to open up. Students realize that nobody is perfect and nobody’s life is perfect. In this kind of classroom community, they can take the necessary risks in order to learn, and they become more resilient when they stumble.

Fostering a growth mindset

One of the ways students can boost their academic performance and develop resilience is by building a growth mindset. Carol Dweck, Stanford University professor of psychology and author of the book Mindset , explains that people with a growth mindset focus on learning from mistakes and welcoming challenges rather than thinking they’re doomed to be dumb or unskillful. A growth mindset goes hand in hand with self-compassion: recognizing that everyone struggles and treating ourselves with kindness when we trip up.

One exercise I find very useful is to have students write a story about a time when they persevered when faced with a challenge—in class, sports, or a relationship. Some of the themes students explore include finally solving math problems, learning how to defend themselves, or having difficult conversations with parents.

I primed the pump by telling my students about something I struggled with—feeling left behind in staff meetings as my colleagues clicked their way through various computer applications. I confided that PowerPoint and Google Slides—tools (one might assume) that any teacher worth a paperweight has mastered—still eluded me. By admitting my deficiency to my students, asking for their help, and choosing to see the opportunity to remedy it every day in the classroom, I aimed to level the playing field with them. They may have been reading three or four grade levels behind, but they could slap a PowerPoint presentation together in their sleep.

For students, sharing their own stories of bravery, resilience, and determination brings these qualities to the forefront of their minds and helps solidify the belief that underlies a growth mindset: I can improve and grow . We know from research in neuroplasticity that when students take baby steps to achieve a goal and take pride in their accomplishments, they change their brains, growing new neural networks and fortifying existing ones. Neurons in the brain release the feel-good chemical dopamine, which plays a major role in motivating behavior toward rewards.

After writing about a few different personal topics, students choose one they want to publish on the bulletin boards at the back of the classroom. They learn to include the juicy details of their stories (who, what, when, where, why, and how), and they get help from their peers, who ask follow-up questions to prompt them to include more information. This peer editing builds their resilience in more ways than one—they make connections with each other by learning about each other’s lives, and they feel empowered by lending a hand.

In my experience, students are motivated to do this assignment because it helps them feel that their personal stories and emotions truly matter, despite how their other academics are going. One student named Alejandro chose to reflect on basketball and the persistence and time it took him to learn:

Hoops By Alejandro Gonzalez Being good takes time. One time my sister took me to a park and I saw people playing basketball. I noticed how good they were and decided I wanted to be like them. Still I told my sister that basketball looked hard and that I thought I couldn’t do it. She said,“You could do it if you tried. You’ll get the hang of it.” My dad bought me a backboard and hoop to play with. I was really happy, but the ball wasn’t making it in. Every time I got home from school, I would go straight to the backyard to play. I did that almost every day until little by little I was getting the hang of it. I also played with my friends. Every day after lunch we would meet at the basketball court to have a game. … I learned that you need to be patient and to practice a lot to get the hang of things. With a little bit of practice, patience, and hard work, anything is possible.

Originally, Alejandro wasn’t sure why he was in school and often lacked the motivation to learn. But writing about something he was passionate about and recalling the steps that led to his success reminded him of the determination and perseverance he had demonstrated in the past, nurturing a positive view of himself. It gave him a renewed sense of investment in learning English and eventually helped him succeed in his ELD class, as well.

Maintaining a hopeful outlook

Another way to build resilience in the face of external challenges is to shore up our inner reserves of hope —and I’ve found that poetry can serve as inspiration for this.

For the writing portion of the lesson, I invite students to “get inside” poems by replicating the underlying structure and trying their hand at writing their own verses. I create poem templates, where students fill in relevant blanks with their own ideas. 

One poem I like to share is “So Much Happiness” by Naomi Shihab Nye. Its lines “Even the fact that you once lived in a peaceful tree house / and now live over a quarry of noise and dust / cannot make you unhappy” remind us that, despite the unpleasant events that occur in our lives, it’s our choice whether to allow them to interfere with our happiness. The speaker, who “love[s] even the floor which needs to be swept, the soiled linens, and scratched records,” has a persistently sunny outlook.

It’s unrealistic for students who hear gunshots at night to be bubbling over with happiness the next morning. Still, the routine of the school day and the sense of community—jokes with friends, a shared bag of hot chips for breakfast, and a creative outlet—do bolster these kids. They have an unmistakable drive to keep going, a life force that may even burn brighter because they take nothing for granted—not even the breath in their bodies, life itself. 

Itzayana was one of those students who, due to the adversity in her life, seemed too old for her years. She rarely smiled and started the school year with a defiant approach to me and school in general, cursing frequently in the classroom. Itzayana’s version of “So Much Happiness” hinted at some of the challenges I had suspected she had in her home life:

It is difficult to know what to do with so much happiness. Even the fact that you once heard your family laughing and now hear them yelling at each other cannot make you unhappy. Everything has a life of its own, it too could wake up filled with possibilities of tamales and horchata and love even scrubbing the floor, washing dishes, and cleaning your room. Since there is no place large enough to contain so much happiness, help people in need, help your family, and take care of yourself.   —Itzayana C.

Her ending lines, “Since there is no place large enough to contain so much happiness, / help people in need, help your family, and take care of yourself,” showed her growing awareness of the need for self-care as she continued to support her family and others around her. This is a clear sign of her developing resilience.

Poetry is packed with emotion, and writing their own poems allows students to grapple with their own often-turbulent inner lives. One student commented on the process, saying, “By writing poems, I’ve learned to be calm and patient, especially when I get mad about something dumb.” Another student showed pride in having her writing published; she reflected, “I feel good because other kids can use it for calming down when they’re angry.”

To ease students into the creative process, sometimes we also write poems together as a class. We brainstorm lines to include, inviting the silly as well as the poignant and creating something that represents our community.

Practicing kindness

Besides offering my students new ways of thinking about themselves, I also invite them to take kind actions toward themselves and others.

In the music video for “Give a Little Love” by Noah and the Whale, one young African American boy—who witnesses bullying at school and neglect in his neighborhood —decides to take positive action and whitewash a wall of graffiti. Throughout the video, people witness others’ random acts of kindness, and then go on to do their own bit.

“My love is my whole being / And I’ve shared what I could,” the lyrics say—a reminder that our actions speak louder than our words and do have an incredible impact. The final refrain in the song—“Well if you are (what you love) / And you do (what you love) /...What you share with the world is what it keeps of you”—urges the students to contribute in a positive way to the classroom, the school campus, and their larger community.

After watching the video, I ask students to reflect upon what kind of community they would like to be part of and what makes them feel safe at school. They write their answers—for example, not being laughed at by their peers and being listened to—on Post-it notes. These notes are used to create classroom rules. This activity sends a message early on that we are co-creating our communal experience together. Students also write their own versions of the lyrics, reflecting on different things you can give and receive—like kindness, peace, love, and ice cream.

Reaping the benefits

To see how creative writing impacts students, I invite them to rate their resilience through a self-compassion survey at the start of the school year and again in the spring. Last year, two-thirds of students surveyed increased in self-compassion; Alejandro grew his self-compassion by 20 percent. The program seems to work at developing their reading and writing skills, as well: At the middle of the school year, 40 percent of my students moved up to the next level of ELD, compared to 20 percent the previous year. 

As a teacher, my goal is to meet students where they’re at and learn about their whole lives. Through creative writing activities, we create a community of compassionate and expressive learners who bear witness to the impact of trauma in each others’ experiences and together build resilience.

As a symbol of community and strength, I had a poster in my classroom of a boat at sea with hundreds of refugees standing shoulder to shoulder looking skyward. It’s a hauntingly beautiful image of our ability to risk it all for a better life, as many of my ELD students do. Recognizing our common humanity and being able to share about our struggles not only leads to some beautiful writing, but also some brave hearts.

About the Author

Laura Bean, M.F.A. , executive director of Mindful Literacy, consults with school communities to implement mindfulness and creative writing programs. She has an M.F.A. in Creative Writing and presented a mindful writing workshop at Bridging the Hearts and Minds of Youth Conference in San Diego in 2016.

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• Neuroscience

Creative Writing and Your Brain

The mind works in mysterious ways when it is creating a fictional story..

Posted April 15, 2013

Is there a creative writer who hasn’t at times wondered what it is that impels thousands of people to spend thousands of hours thinking about and writing made-up stories, that at best will be read by thousands of people who have got nothing better to do than read made-up stories! Is there some evolutionary imperative that has moulded our minds to seek stories? Even Steven Pinker, the cognitive scientist and author of "How the Mind Works" --such a wonderful title-- who controversially suggests that music confers no survival advantage and describes it as “auditory cheesecake” (p. 534), submits that fiction can, like gossip, be biologically adaptive. “Fictional narratives supply us with a mental catalogue of the fatal conundrums we might face someday and the outcome of strategies we could deploy in them.” (p. 543.) Perhaps for writers of fiction the truth of this is even greater. But what does this mean for the mind? Does it suggest we have special systems in our brains that have evolved for the purpose of creating stories that might some day be useful in our real lives? And why is it that some people are better at making up stories than others, and if they are, are they therefore better prepared for whatever life throws at them?

In her book, "The Mystery of the Cleaning Lady", Australian novelist and creative writing teacher, Sue Woolfe, explores these questions in such an honest and personal way that I almost felt as if I were sitting in the room listening to her deepest thoughts. As a neuropsychologist, I often find myself cringing when I read fiction involving, for example, a character who has suffered a stroke, where some of the neurology facts are blatantly wrong. But this didn’t happen with Sue’s book, and I quickly became engrossed, finding myself reading it as a fledgling fiction writer, not as a neuroscientist .

Sue began writing the book as part of her doctoral thesis in creative writing, but this is no dry treatise. She takes her reader through her long, often tortuous process of completing her 2003 novel, "The Secret Cure", in itself a novel about the wonders of the creative human mind, all the while weaving in and out of neuroscience findings and theories that might explain some of her creative processes and how they can so often become blocked. In "The Secret Cure" Sue put herself inside the head of an unusual young man who had been isolated from the real world for almost 20 years because of his severe stutter (a cruel disability that used to be much more common, and was recently brought into the spotlight by the phenomenal success of the Oscar-winning film, "The King’s Speech".) The reader of "The Secret Cure" would be excused for thinking that Sue Woolfe must herself have worked in a research laboratory and have an inside knowledge of autistic disorders, so real was her writing. In her non-fiction writing memoir, "The Mystery of the Cleaning Lady: A writer looks at creativity and neuroscience", she takes us back there, showing us how her creative process soared and stumbled and soared again as she immersed herself in the imaginary world of her laboratory cleaning lady by spending time in a real laboratory and listening and observing and taking notes. When she found she could not write, she asked herself “what does a fiction writer do to her mind to create fiction, and was I doing something wrong that jeopardised my own work?”(p. 44.)

I, like most contemporary neuroscientists, tend to assume that everyone understands that the mind is a product of the brain. As Sue discovered, some neuroscientists like Antonio Damasio explain this further by pointing out that the brain, by itself, would have no mind. It requires the cooperation of the body in order to think and feel. It is this interaction between the brain and the body that causes the mind. In return, our feelings may seem to come from the body, and the body is modified by our thoughts and the brain by our actions. Sue gives many examples of writers who, like her, feel that their creative thoughts are somatic, and come from the belly, or the fingers, rather than from the brain (which in fact has no sensations of its own). As she tells us about her everyday, often painful, journey of creating her novel, she muses, comments, and analyses her creative process. Delving into neuroscience research on creativity, she reports and explains her discoveries in ways that made sense to me as a neuroscientist, but also made sense to me as a creative writer.

Sue begins a novel by writing numerous seemingly unrelated fragments, a process most productive when she is in an almost trancelike state she refers to as “loose construing” where attention is defocused rather than focused, logical thought is slowed, judgement and anticipation put on hold, and new elements can be allowed in without seeming incongruent, almost reminiscent of the dream state. Shaping the story from these fragments comes much later, probably involving more “tight construing” where logic and structure have a place. Only at the end do themes finally emerge. Another interesting idea Sue discusses is Damasio’s hypothesis that we have body reactions or “somatic markers” that imbue certain thoughts with emotional states, making them repugnant, and focuses us on thoughts that are more acceptable. This got her thinking about the constraints an avoidance of unacceptable thoughts can place on a writer. She decided that in order to enter the psyche of a character whose values and experiences were far removed from her own, she must allow herself through “loose construing” to think like her character, however unthinkable those thoughts might be. She learned that she must free her mind to work in its mysterious way to create a rich story; rich with more meanings than she ever consciously thought up.

In the end, Sue came to the conclusion that neuroscience does not yet know how the mind works when it comes to creating complex and rich stories that, from the writer’s point of view -- at least during those precious peak times of creation -- almost seem to write themselves. Rather like the process of writing a novel, the theme or deeper truth – how the mind works to create a story --may only appear after a much longer journey as we pull together the many fragments that neuroscience research throws up. For her readers, Sue has translated her discoveries of fragments of the mystery of creating stories into a writing book that is different, and a far cry from a writing manual. It is a pleasure to read and provides much food for thought and new strategies to try in those times when writing that book seems the worst idea you ever had.

For myself as a baby boomer neuropsychologist, and a writer of fiction as well as narrative non-fiction, I am convinced that creative writing is one of the best exercises we can do for the aging brain. The folklore, somewhat supported by research data, is that in most right-handed people, right brain (called the right hemisphere) thinking is more creative and holistic, and left hemisphere thinking more logical and linear. The right hemisphere is better at seeing the world from a broader perspective and may be better at visual imagery, and the left hemisphere is definitely dominant for language. But to believe the rhetoric of folk psychologists who claim that they can teach you how to draw or become more creative by using your right hemisphere is probably unwise. The brain is more like a great symphony orchestra where every part works in concert with the whole. Sure, occasionally the violins might soar above the rest, but even then they rely on the background of the orchestra as a beautifully coordinated entity to give them their full meaning. In the healthy brain, everything we do involves the right and left hemispheres of the brain working together, and creative writing must be one of the clearest examples of this. Our language comes primarily from the left hemisphere and perhaps our images – the visual ones at least -- come more from the right hemisphere. Very likely the “loose construing” Sue discusses is more a right hemisphere activity and the “tight construing” later needed to put the story together is more of a left hemisphere activity. But in both types of thinking and in all stages of writing that story, my guess is that both hemispheres are fully on-line. Reading fiction and narrative non-fiction also indisputably engages both sides of the brain, at least if the reader is engaged in the story.

The joy of this for a “baby boomer” writer or reader is that these pleasurable activities could almost certainly be added to the intellectual and physical exercises that slow down the brain’s aging process most often experienced by the forgetting of names and words and where you put the car keys – or the car! Neuroscience research is only at the beginning of proving the importance of ongoing intellectual activity for the brain – the “use it or lose it” idea -- but there is already some good evidence for this. From my personal experience, an entirely uncontrolled experiment, it seems that although I frequently can’t remember a word when in casual conversation, when I am writing this happens far less often. Perhaps this is because the brain is so fired up or primed for finding words when a writer is deeply focused on writing. Multiple word and image connections are firing, and thus the right word is more likely to pop up when it is needed. There is certainly evidence for this type of priming in memory studies.

A cynic may point out that for baby boomers who are way past their child-bearing years, getting your imagination working and activating your understanding of language by writing or reading fiction or creative non-fiction cannot be directly biologically adaptive. But if grandparents are important in the upbringing of their grandchildren – and we share 25% of our genes with each of our grandchildren, so their survival is biologically of utmost importance to us -- then remaining switched on for as long as possible can certainly be viewed as socially adaptive. And for all of us who love stories, who cares anyway? The pleasure is enough for us.

Jenni Ogden, Ph.D. , clinical neuropsychologist and author of Trouble in Mind, taught at the University of Auckland.

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7 Benefits of Creative Writing

Writing skills are important for students, whether in high school or college. Being able to write well not only helps you in completing your academic assignments or writing effective answers in your exam but is of great use in almost every facet of life. 

When students approach GoAssignmentHelp experts, they often have one main concern – they do not have good writing skills. Some students say that they are unable to frame the answers in their own words while others struggle with language skills like grammar, vocabulary, sentence structure and so on. In general, we have seen students struggling with assignment writing because: 

• Students lack critical thinking and analytical abilities which are two main things for any form of writing  
• Students do not know how to use complex sentences
• Students lack good vocabulary which is why they are always “out of words” 
• Students fail to structure their ideas properly and state their arguments clearly 
• Students face issues like plagiarism, improper referencing and formatting 
• Students are unable to proofread and edit their own work due to a lack of writing skills 

Creative Writing can help students become familiar with the writing process

One of the best ways to enhance your writing skills is through creative writing. Creative writing ignites your imagination, creativity, innovation, and at the same time, helps you focus on elements like grammar, vocabulary and presentation. It includes honest, unfiltered content that can greatly impact our society and help us explore the human experience. Different types of creative writing include plays, poetry, fiction (stories, novels), speeches, scripts (movie, television), personal essays, etc. 

The benefits of creative writing 

#1 Creative writing boosts thinking skills 

The first step to effective writing skills is effective thinking. If you cannot think about a topic or imagine a scenario on a certain topic, you cannot express the topic in words. This is why we say learning how to write is also learning how to think. Creative writing tasks help you choose specific words to speak your mind. It makes you work on your storytelling techniques. It makes you think critically on topics, develop ideas, imagine scenarios, and hence enhances your thinking skills. 

#2 Creative writing builds confidence 

Just like skills like art, dance, crafts, and sports enhance a student’s confidence, creative writing also builds confidence. This is because it helps you develop a voice of your own. Being a creative writer you will have the ability to write about any topic. If you practice creative writing often you will come across new topics which will enhance your knowledge and widen your perspectives. As a result, you will feel more confident in participating in discussions. Above all, receiving praise for your writing skills would be a great encouragement and a boost to your self-confidence. 

#3 Creative writing helps in thought clarification 

When you start writing often, you understand how to clarify your thoughts. There might be many different ideas that come into your mind, but you develop a habit to filter them, categorise them and organise them so that you can present them effectively. This technique is not only applicable in writing but different areas of your academic and professional life. For example, if you choose to become a software developer, you must be able to understand the problems of your clients, classify them and find a solution accordingly. If you choose to become a digital marketer, you must be able to imagine your audience’s perspective, what would affect them and what would not. 

#4 Creative writing enhances language skills 

You can learn more about the grammar, syntax and semantics of a language once you start creative writing. You will be able to express your thoughts in a cohesive and structured manner. You will also be able to master skills like spelling, capitalization, punctuation, word order in sentences, and the ability to distinguish between main ideas and supporting ideas once you start creative writing. 

#5 Creative writing increases empathy 

Creative writing is a great way to understand how other people might experience life. As you write stories, novels or short essays, you develop different characters and personalities. This helps you understand their perspective about life and how people can be different from each other. It can inculcate more humanity and kindness in you as a person and you might start being more understanding and tolerant in your real life.   

#6 Creative writing can benefit academic writing 

Although creative writing and academic writing are two different things, creative writing can make it easier for you to write assignments in school and college. This is because creative writing is more complex. It involves imagination, developing characters, storylines and expression. Academic writing on the other hand is plain and simple. It requires stating facts and arguments based on research. Once you master creative writing, academic writing looks much simpler and easier. 

#7 Creative writing promotes mental well-being

Students often live stressful lives. With things like peer pressure, living up to society’s expectations, getting better grades and finding the right career, students often feel depressed, alone and anxious in life. Creative writing can help them think positively and enhance their well being. One can use creative writing to promote positive healthy emotions such as kindness, hope, thankfulness, fun, inspiration, and wonder. 

Jumpstart your creative writing today! 

Now that we have understood why creative writing is good for students and how it benefits them, you must be curious to find out what to do next. How to start working upon your creative writing skills? So, GoAssignmentHelp essay writing experts have listed some easy ways with which you can start working on your creative writing skills right away. 

#1 Start reading 

The first step to learn how to write is to start reading. The logic is simple. How can you expect to write a novel by yourself until you have not even read one? Similarly, how can you start writing poems, if you do not know what poetry is? So start reading. We know it might be a little difficult to manage your time with all those assignments and academic reading, but even ten minutes a day would work! 

#2 Write, Write a lot! 

Find time to write something every day. Even if it is just a hundred words. Keep a notebook with you all the time and jot down your ideas whenever they strike. Then use those ideas in your writing. It might seem weird in the beginning but slowly words will start flowing from your mind and you will see progress. 

#3 Read more about literary devices 

Creative writing is incomplete without literary devices like metaphors, similes, alliterations, symbolism, anaphora, dramatic irony and flashbacks. So read more about them and start incorporating them in your writing to take it to the next level. 

#4 Do not just write, edit 

You need to learn how to edit and refine your writing. So once you complete a piece, give yourself some time to edit and proofread it. Do not hesitate in rewriting the parts that you do not like or are not as impactful as you thought. 

Key takeaways 

We all know how to make sentences. But, using those sentences to express something meaningful takes practice and skill. If you are struggling with your writing skills in school or college and want to become a better writer, start with creative writing. We hope the tips given in this article will help you become a better writer and you will overcome all your writing challenges. For more advice or help with your assignments, consult GoAssignmentHelp’s academic writers and assignment help experts. We provide affordable assignment help services in every discipline.  

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7 benefits of creative writing exercises.

Posted by Phil Jamieson   Jun 8, 2018 7:30:00 AM

Creative writing exercises also offer benefits to writers that are often overlooked and undervalued, especially in a world that’s shifting toward regimented standardized tests and data-driven work.

Here are seven benefits of completing creative writing exercises on a regular basis.

1. Building Confidence

When writing creatively, you’re engaging in an exercise that will allow you to truly develop your own voice and perspective without consequential limitations. You get a better opportunity to explore and express how you feel about topics, perspectives, philosophies, characters, etc. And this will allow you to feel more comfortable and confident when asserting your opinions and perspectives in other things you write, too.

Writers who don’t write creatively might worry about coming across as an authority or reliable source. By forgetting to insert their own take on the subjects that they’re writing about, they unintentionally end up losing their voice and sound like drones spouting off data. As a result, they lose out on utilizing their unique voice and coming across as an expert with real-world and firsthand experience.  

2. Artistic Self-Expression

Individuals who write creatively on a regular basis engage in self-expression, without even realizing it most of the time. Such self-expression can be a healthy way to navigate through negative emotions and thoughts that a writer may experience on a day-to-day basis. Experts even agree that artistic self-expression (i.e., creative writing) “might contribute to maintenance or reconstruction of a positive identity” for individuals who deal with different kinds of trauma ( Medical News Today ).

While it may sound hokey, imagine being stressed at work and then taking a short break to write something creative. When you begin to write and unveil characters or settings, you’re able to better identify why you’re stressed or, at the very least, uncover the negative emotion that you’re experiencing. This gives you the opportunity to work through it all and move in a more positive direction. You can do this for your personal life too, whenever you experience some sort of trauma, stress, or setback.

3.Imagination Boost

A  lot of people think that creative writing is frivolous because it’s all about imagining worlds, situations and characters. How could that possibly be beneficial to a real-life working adult who needs to get real work done?

Well, when you engage in creative writing, you’re stimulating and pushing your imagination and “thinking outside the box.” This allows you to refocus your energy on other things and to become better at discovering alternatives and new solutions to problems you’re experiencing. Whether you’re a scientist or a marketer, creative writing will give you the imagination boost you need to think more innovatively and to push boundaries.

4. Thought Clarification

Creative writing allows you to clarify your thoughts as well as your emotions. For example, if you’re a marketer trying to develop your next marketing campaign, you could write a short story in which your target customer reads your promotional emails. You can imagine what they’re doing, where they’re sitting, what’s surrounding them, etc. This allows you to narrow down the language and tactics you use.

Or, if you’re a technical writer writing about a new computer platform, you can write a creative scenario in which someone using the platform experiences a problem. This exercise allows you to clarify your thoughts about what type of information will be valuable to include for your readers and what can be omitted.

In addition, you can also complete creative writing exercises for your personal life to uncover what you think about topics or situations you find yourself immersed in.

5. Better Understanding of the Mechanics of Reading and Writing

As you begin to regularly do writing exercises, you’ll not only gain a more extensive vocabulary, you’ll also come to understand the mechanics of reading and writing better. You’ll know when strict grammar rules work and when they don’t, and you’ll know what will make something you’re writing flow better for your readers even if what you’re writing is a budget report. Once you become comfortable with and have mastered the mechanics of writing professionally and creatively, you’ll be able to bend and break the rules when you need to—to use your own voice and make what you’re writing compelling without coming across as amateur, dull, or inauthentic.

6. Empathy and Communication Skills

When writers create universes with imaginary characters and settings, they must also imagine personalities, emotions, places, and walks of life outside of their own lives. This can provide them with a healthy dose of empathy and understanding for others who are not like themselves and who don’t live where they live or experience what they experience every day.

When writers understand other perspectives better, they’re able to communicate better. They can figure out how to explain and discuss topics from various vantage points. This skill is exceedingly important in both the professional and personal realms.  

7. Better Mental, Emotional, and Physical Health

One study , among others , has revealed that expressive writing (i.e., creative writing) has yielded better mental, emotional, and physical health benefits. Creative writing alleviates stress levels, and can ward off severe illnesses, among other things.

Do you like to complete creative writing exercises on a regular basis? Has it helped you when writing for your organization? If so, what benefits have you experienced? Share with us in the comments below.

Topics: writing techniques

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The benefits of creative writing

As you learn to clarify your thoughts and emotions more efficiently and accurately, through creative writing, you will communicate more effectively; a skill that’s exceedingly important in all areas of life.

Practising creative writing is about a lot more than just improving your grammar, spelling and vocabulary; it will allow you to develop your own unique voice and share your perspective without limitations, expressing how you feel about the worlds inside and outside of your head. When you engage in creative writing you’re stimulating your imagination and thinking outside the box, which teaches you how to think more innovatively and push boundaries. Both are valuable skills.

Creating a pretend universe will often mean assembling personalities, emotions, and places that might be totally alien to your own life experiences. This is an effective way to build on your capacity to feel empathy and understanding for people who may have had very different life experiences to your own. Your perspectives and philosophies can be mirrored or explored by your characters or their setting. With practise you’ll find yourself becoming more comfortable in asserting your opinions and values in real life.

Expressive writing can bring a range of mental, emotional, and physical health benefits.

If you engage with creative writing when you’re dealing with difficult emotions, it can help you explore why you’re feeling what you’re feeling, allowing a direct insight to your mindset. It’s an opportunity to work through whatever discomfort we’re experiencing so we can get back to whatever we want to achieve today; a healthy way to alleviate the negative thoughts and emotions we experience on a day-to-day basis.

Of course, creative writing exercises can also expand your vocabulary and provide a better understanding of the mechanics of the written word. You’ll learn to distinguish when grammar works and when it doesn’t. With practise, your writing will flow better for the reader.

According to clinical psychologist Karen A.Baikie and psychiatrist Kay Wilhelm, writing creatively about traumatic, stressful or emotional events has been found to improve both physical and psychological health. In a clinical trial, participants who wrote about difficult life events for 20 minutes, on a handful of occasions, had significantly better physical and psychological outcomes compared to those who wrote about neutral topics. Baikie and Wilhelm concluded that expressive writing has real potential as a therapeutic tool for survivors of trauma and in mental health treatment settings.

By Grant J Everett, Panorama magazine

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9 Benefits of Creative Writing to Help Your Children

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There they go again! Your children run through the house, mimicking characters right out of the latest Disney movie. You sense some special energy is attached to their activity, but you don’t know how to turn it into gold.

Lucky for you, we’ve got the answer… writing!

This article will demonstrate how the benefits of creative writing will change your children’s lives, enhance their thought processes and improve their school grades. The countless ways creative writing will help your kids are simply amazing if you just invest the time in learning how to tap into it.

Table of Contents

What is Creative Writing?

Creative writing is a free-form style of writing based on the author's imagination, thoughts, and feelings. The style may be prose, poetry, playwriting, screenwriting, songs, essays, or several others. Creative writing is original and expressive of the author’s self.

While there are many types of creative writing options for adults, there are a few that children, especially, can excel in as they learn and grow. The depth and complexity should correlate to the child’s age, ability, and preference.

Types of Creative Writing for Children

• Picture stories

How to Develop Good Creative Writing Habits

Routine and practice.

To develop and grow any good habit , you must plan a routine, work it into a regular schedule, and practice daily. Your children also need to learn this skill. It will carry over into all aspects of their lives as they learn and grow. When they mature, routines, schedules, and practicing will structure their personal lives and professional careers, making them the envy of all.

Reading and writing go together like two peas in a pod or like Mickey and Minnie or Shakespeare and Marlowe. You get the idea. Reading books serves as an example of how stories flow and communicate, but they also help develop good creative writing skills. The more a child reads, the better their writing will become, and their reading and comprehension will improve.

You probably didn’t expect nutrition to come into play with creative writing, but alas, it has. Healthy food helps a child’s brain function at the top of its game. Without it, a child will feel sluggish and unmotivated. Make sure your child has the healthy fuel they need to perform like a rock star.

Other ideas

Additional ideas to spark your child’s creative writing engine:

• Present a picture and ask your child to create a story to go with it.
• Begin a short story and ask your child to develop the characters and finish the story.
• Read a story to your child and ask them to create alternative endings.
• Give your child a list of words and phrases and ask them to write a story using them.
• Ask your child to write words or phrases on separate index cards, shuffle them, and then ask your child to make up a story in the order the cards come up.

Every child is a creative writer. They may only know how to write in their heads, but they have the gift. This list of nine benefits of creative writing to help your children will demonstrate how the benefits develop and improve your children's lives. The objective is to help you understand how to help your children make the most of this wonderful asset and grow it into something lifelong and marvelous.

1. Language Development and Linguistic Competence

Creative writing strengthens language arts skills and improves children’s grades in all areas of coursework. It helps them understand and develop good grammar habits, sentence structure, vocabulary, and dialogue.

Linguistically, children learn to communicate and comprehend language, dialects, and idioms. They may not even realize what they are doing, but the result of learning complex communication tools will be evident in their writing, reading, speaking, and interactions. These tools will help children not only in their school performance but also in their creative development.

2. Enhancement of Imagination and Creativity

Children have excellent imaginations and creativity, but they often don’t know how to harness it and develop it to get the most from it. Creative writing provides the vehicle and the fuel to let their creativity and imagination soar. It will also help your children learn language, organization, structure, form, and voice to help them in all areas of their lives.

Our childlike addiction to imagination wanes into the past as we grow older. The harsh day-to-day realities of our lives dominate our thinking, and our vision diminishes. With creative writing, it won’t fade. In fact, it becomes honed and perfected like a skilled blacksmith shoes a horse. If your children learn early how to make creative writing part of their lives, it will never leave them, even as they gallop off into the sunset.

3. Emotional Intelligence and Empathy Development

Creative writing enhances a child’s emotional intelligence and empathy development through practice and experimentation in writing. Not only will a child channel their thoughts and emotions into their writing, but they will also connect emotionally and empathically with their characters. This skill will be an enormous help to a child throughout their school years, personal life, college, and future career challenges.

4. Self-Confidence Builder

One of the primary benefits of creative writing for children is boosting self-confidence. Every time they practice, they improve. As they improve, they develop positive self-confidence. If they continue to practice creative writing throughout their school years, their writing skills will be spectacular by the time they prepare for college.

Creative writing provides a safe, supportive environment for a child to express their thoughts and feelings. As the child experiments with writing, they will eventually discover their voice and tone. The exuberant reward for this discovery is a strong and positive self-confidence.

5. Problem-Solving and Research Skills Development

Although creative writing is the self-expression of thoughts and ideas, it requires a narrative and structure. You need to know what you are talking about, which means you will need to do some problem-solving and research to make your creative writing authoritative and meaningful.

For children, this is one of the best ways to hone these skills. These children will be incredible thought leaders. As they develop creative writing routines and habits, they will excel in all areas of their life where they need to do problem-solving and research.

When a child writes creatively, their imagination sparks neurons in their brain to figure out narratives, plots, subplots, solutions, and character backgrounds and development, identity, and motives. Tackling these problems boosts brain activity, development, and growth . Story analysis and research skills will follow as the child yearns to learn more about making their stories better.

6. Therapeutic and Healing Benefits

Creative writing serves as a therapeutic treatment for those battling diseases, difficult emotions, or mental health issues. Scientific studies show that creative writing also helps physical healing through an increased antibody response in the body.

Creative writing helps children effectively and therapeutically process difficult emotions, stress, trauma, fear, and anxiety. A survey by the National Literacy Trust in the UK found that children who engage in literacy are “three times more likely to have higher levels of mental wellbeing” than those who don’t, by a margin of 39.4% to 11.8%.

As far as physical health, creative writing is associated with an increase in CD4+ lymphocyte counts , which are vital to immune system functions. This means that creative writing aids in chronic pain management, reduction in mood swings that produce an imbalance in brain chemical release, and hormonal processes. Yes. Creative writing indeed provides healing benefits for the physical body.

7. Self-Expression Builder

Self-expression is the foundational element of creative writing and helps children funnel their feelings, emotions, thoughts, ideas, and opinions into a written form that validates their identity. Self-expression is vital for good mental health and development. It teaches children how to release their thoughts in a positive, creative way that matters.

Creative writing allows a child to express themselves without judgment. This provides for the exploration and discovery of their unique identity, which is key to self-confidence and success.

8. Communication Builder

Because creative writing teaches children how to organize thoughts and structure them for presentation in writing, it also improves their overall communication skills. While they may not be writing it down in their heads, they remember the habits they learned from creative writing. It will even help them be better persuasive communicators because of their creative writing skills.

Being adults, we all understand that communication is the foundation of any relationship, personal, social, or work-related. When communication is cloudy or confusing, our relationships suffer. When our communication is clear, we thrive. Effective communication is one of the benefits of creative writing that your children will reap from learning how to do it well.

9. Interpersonal Connection Builder

One of the least considered benefits of creative writing for children is that it enhances their peer relationships. Creative writing serves as an interpersonal connection builder because it opens endless avenues for increasing social interaction, discussion, exchange of ideas, cultural learning, empathy, and trust.

As a child advances in creative writing, language skills, vocabulary, and communication skills, their interpersonal relationships vastly improve. Everyone loves a clear communicator and one who can persuade others on various topics. It’s kind of like how kids choose the best ballplayer to be on their team. They want the best. To be the best, you need practice and resources.

Resources for Creative Writing for Children

• Creative writing workshops for children
• Home entertainment projects
• Gifting projects
• Self-publishing
• Kids’ book clubs
• Vocabulary-building games
• Kids’ writing competitions

The benefits of creative writing to help your children far outweigh any burden or investment you need to make to see it through. Children who learn to write creatively and practice often rise to the top of their class in all areas. Children who suffer from trauma, illness, or mental health complexes have not only stopped the progression of their problems but also have reversed adverse effects.

The lifelong good habits your children develop from creative writing will follow them for the remainder of their lives. Creative writing is one of the best gifts you will ever give them. You never know how far your child might rise with their creative writing skills.

Final Thoughts on Benefits of Creative Writing to Help Your Children

With words, humankind has started wars and signed peace treaties. We have issued manifestos, signed pardons, written laws, and authored works that have changed the world, for worse and for good.

Your child may just be the one who brings peace to the planet and comforts the brokenhearted. Teaching children creative writing skills is the secret to opening doors of opportunity for the entire world.

Please visit our site at Develop Good Habits . Also, check out 13 Growth Mindset Videos for Kids to Watch on YouTube . Your children hold the keys to the future for us all.

Rain Story is an author and screenwriter. She is an alumna of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, the University of New Mexico, and the University of Kentucky. She earned two B.A.s and four years of graduate studies in literature, languages, and creative writing before personal tragedies pulled her away from her graduate work. She is also a Donaghey Scholar and fellow of the William G. Cooper, Jr. Honors Program in English.

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What is a Creative Writer and What Do They Do?

Understanding the Numbers When reviewing job growth and salary information, it’s important to remember that actual numbers can vary due to many different factors — like years of experience in the role, industry of employment, geographic location, worker skill and economic conditions. Cited projections do not guarantee actual salary or job growth.

Many of life’s great stories that are told in the form of literature, film, short stories and poetry, among many other outlets, first get their start in the minds and on the pages of creative writers.

Creative writing is a professional discipline that is unique in many ways and has the potential to take your career in a vast array of different directions.

If creative writing is a field you’re interested in pursuing, it’s important to keep in mind that while it can be a challenging and competitive profession, it also offers a number of distinctive benefits.

What Are the Different Types of Creative Writing?

“Creative writing” is a broad term that, when it comes to professional careers, encapsulates many different forms of writing.

“There are so many genres,” said Melissa Hart , an instructor in the online Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program in Creative Writing  at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU).

Hart, who has a Bachelor of Arts in Literature and an MFA in Creative Writing, has authored seven fiction and nonfiction books and published articles and essays in The New York Times, Smithsonian, CNN, The Washington Post, Slate and The Los Angeles Times, among others.

She said the career pathways for creative writers are virtually unlimited.

“Creative writers can be poets and screenwriters, personal essayists, novelists, short story writers,” Hart said, explaining that even within the world of creative writing , there are a number of creative avenues you can take. Some of these include:

• Flash fiction
• Hybrid forms
• Researched nonfiction
• Writing that embraces audio and video

What Are the Main Duties of a Creative Writer?

Much like their earning potential, the daily duties of a creative writer can vary greatly depending on what projects they’re working on at any given time, Hart said.

“I think duties differ writer to writer,” she said. “In my work, I practice writing almost every day — usually rough drafts, and then revisions, of novel chapters and nonfiction book chapters, magazine and newspaper articles and essays and newsletter posts.”

According to the BLS , how you spend your days as a creative writer depends largely on what type of writer you are, some of which include:

• Biographer – writing about the accounts of an individual’s life.
• Copywriter – working in advertising and marketing writing persuasive ad copy.
• Novelist – authoring books of fiction based on imaginary plots and characters.
• Screenwriter – creating scripts for movies and television.
• Speechwriter – developing orations for government leaders, political candidates and business leaders.

And in today’s digital world, another form of writing that continues to thrive is blogging , which is defined by global website development leader Wix as articles posted to a website focused on a specific area of interest.

Social media writing , too, continues to emerge with many large organizations like Mailchimp establishing specific standards for its social media writing.

What Credentials Do You Need to Become a Creative Writer?

Hart pointed out that creative writing is a unique profession in that it doesn’t require a degree or academic credential of any kind in order to succeed.

“You don't need any credentials," she said. "You just need an open mind and a willingness to learn your craft in the genre that most interests you.”

However, high-quality college programs in creative writing can be an excellent way for writers who have natural talent and abilities to further develop their skills, Hart said. For instance, in the SNHU online Bachelor of Arts (BA) program in Creative Writing and English, students develop and sharpen their skills in a number of areas, including:

• Writing and editing techniques
• Literary form, genre, structure, style, analysis and critical thinking
• Application of storytelling elements
• Use of genre conventions  and techniques
• Professional portfolio building

There is also an abundance of resources you can look into on your own to better position yourself for a career as a creative writer .

“There are piles of books, for instance, on how to write children's fiction,” Hart said. “Ditto poetry, screenplays, creative nonfiction... and there are so many resources online, as well.”

Is Creative Writing a Skill or a Talent?

Another aspect of creative writing that makes it a unique professional field, Hart said, is that it involves both natural talent and skills that can be learned.

“Perhaps a person is born with an innate talent for storytelling, but reading and practicing and studying creative writing for years will give you the skills you need to write fiction and nonfiction and poetry that appeals to readers,” she said.

Hart said that she’s had a love of language since the age of five, which is when she started writing short stories. It was her passion for writing and storytelling that inspired her to work hard developing her skills.

“All that practice gave me skills as a creative writer,” she said. “I believe I developed a talent for writing in particular genres because I studied them so deeply.”

Is it Hard to Learn Creative Writing?

While for many, learning to be a creative writer could be characterized as hard, Hart explained that “time consuming” is probably a better way of putting it.

“For instance, I just spent three years learning to cross-country ski when I’d never been on skis before,” she said. “I think it generally takes people at least three years to grow adept at creative writing in a particular genre because you’re constantly reading and deconstructing literature and thinking about it and writing and rewriting and rewriting some more.”

That said, among the many benefits of a career in creative writing is the flexibility and freedom it provides, Hart said.

“Creative writers can work anywhere they want,” she said. “I've written novel chapters in my car outside my daughter's dance studio, on airplanes, on the bank of a local river while my kid looked for newts.”

According to Hart, many of her students work in a corner of their house with noise-canceling headphones, while others write on their lunch breaks or in bed late at night.

“You can train yourself to get into a creative writing space the moment you open your laptop,” she said. “It just takes a while.”

Find Your Program

Is creative writing a good career.

What determines if writing is a “good” career will vary person to person, but there are a lot of considerations to keep in mind if it’s a path you’re interested in following, Hart said.

“It’s a good career for me, because I get to write about topics and issues which interest me,” she said. "However, it's my husband who has the great health insurance. If I didn't have health insurance, it might not be a viable career option because freelance writers and authors don't get subsidized health insurance — we must pay for our own."

While freelance writers and authors typically do find and fund their own health insurance, there is a growing number of writer unions and guilds that can assist with health insurance plans, according to Find the Plan , an online hub for freelance writers. And non-freelance copywriters, social media writers and blog writers usually get health benefits through the organization for which they work.

Does Creative Writing Pay Well?

Unlike other professional fields — in areas like business, engineering, education, medicine and law, among others — that typically have a salary range based on experience and the level of your degree, there is a vast disparity in what creative writers earn.

While high-profile, bestselling authors can command six-figure advances for their work, they comprise just a small fraction of those earning a living as creative writers, Hart said.*

“Most of us are midlist writers, earning modest advances and royalty checks,” she said. “It's interesting to note that I can earn as much off of two 4,000-word researched essays for magazines as I can for one of my young adult novels.”

Hart said that it’s common for creative writers to generate their income from a combination of different forms of writing for a variety of outlets, along with other professional activities where they’re paid for their professional expertise. For example, Hart said she earns her living through a combination of:

• Fiction writing
• Nonfiction writing
• Private teaching and instruction through her website
• Teaching college-level creative writing

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the mean annual wage for writers and authors in 2023 was $87,590.*

“But creative writing isn't about the money, for me,” she said. “It's about getting to join the conversation and put something beautiful and inspiring out into the world.”

Discover more about SNHU's online bachelor’s in creative writing : Find out what courses you'll take, skills you'll learn and how to request information about the program.

*Cited job growth projections may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions and do not guarantee actual job growth. Actual salaries and/or earning potential may be the result of a combination of factors including, but not limited to: years of experience, industry of employment, geographic location, and worker skill.

Cary Jordan is an Iowa-based writer with more than 20 years of writing and editing experience on a wide range of issues related to higher education. Cary has held administrative and cabinet-level positions at multiple colleges and universities, and his writing has spanned topics related to undergraduate education as well as graduate education in the areas of business, law, medicine and engineering, among others.

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Writing time 8 benefits of creative writing for kids.

Every day, our little ones experience things that are brand new to them — new adventures, concepts, words, and even problem solving. 

One great way to help our children harness their new skills and navigate the world around them is through creative writing. 

Creative writing has so many unexpected benefits. It's a great activity to pull out to help your children stretch their mental muscles. If you're on the fence about introducing your child to the joy and challenge of creative writing, keep reading and we'll show you why it's an invaluable tool that they can use for the rest of their lives!

1. Build imagination and creativity

Children already have incredible imaginations. It doesn't take much for them to begin spinning tangled webs of stories using whatever we put in front of them.

Whether it's fully articulated dolls or the cardboard rolls left behind from paper products, our little ones can use anything to tell a story.

When you introduce them to creative kids writing, you're giving them an outlet for that creativity. They can write down the stories they've enacted with their toys and draw pictures to go along with the words. Soon, you will see their imagination reach new heights.

2. Improved ELA skills

Unsurprisingly, using the skills they learn in ELA, or English and Language Arts, will strengthen those skills. It's so easy for little ones to forget the small details like finger-spaces and punctuation.

But when you encourage them to write creatively, you enforce those skills. That makes it easier for them to succeed in a school setting!

Even if you don't turn your child's creative writing session into a lesson, when they write, they are sharpening their sentence structure, vocabulary, and their use of punctuation. Little ones especially need help with their letter sizes and positioning, and when they practice creative writing with you, this can only improve.

3. Encourage self expression

Children, no matter their age or stage of development, are full of big feelings. When we provide our little ones with the proper tools, they can use them to express those feelings without resorting to tantrums (we’re looking at you, random screaming fits ).

Creative writing for kids is one way to introduce your child to complex emotional concepts . It's also a great tool for self-expression! While some children are great at communicating their feelings and emotions in words with adults they trust, others might find it easier to write down how they're feeling.

Journaling and creative writing can both go a long way towards the emotional development of young children.

4. Boost self-confidence

When children first begin to learn how to write, it can be frustrating to constantly re-write letters and sentences. Little fingers can struggle to write neatly, remember appropriate letter-spacing, and d's and b's look awfully similar to developing brains!

But like any other skill, it can only improve with practice . The more you work with your children with these complicated concepts, the better they get at them.

When your child holds up a finished piece of creative writing and knows that they did that themselves, that they put those words together and remembered all of their ELA skills and techniques, you'll begin to see their self-confidence and pride in themselves soar.

5. Help communicate and persuade

As children get older and approach more complicated topics in school, they’ll be expected to learn how to communicate ideas and persuade readers with their writing.

We know that's not the point of creative writing — however, when you work with them to build these skills, you can assure they'll be better prepared. After all, they’ll be writing college essays soon enough! 

6. Better problem-solving skills

No creative story is complete without a problem. When your child writes about their heroes or heroines completing daring dos, pay attention to how they're solving the problems that their main characters come across.

Children are already naturally good at coming up with interesting and unique solutions to problems. Their developing brains see things in ways us adults might not! And the more they stretch those problem-solving muscles, the better they'll be at using them later in life!

7. Connection to peers

One of the best things about creative writing is that it opens up countless opportunities for social interaction. When children share their writing, even if it's just for a giggle, they are engaging in a trust-building exercise.

Creative writing is personal! Encourage your children to open up to those close to them. This helps them begin sharing stories and making new friends.

8. How to encourage creative writing in your children

Now that you understand why creative writing is so beneficial for little ones, here's how to get kids to start writing!

Encourage them to write about their favorite characters . Your child might find it easier to write about familiar things.

Using characters they're familiar with is a great way to get them to engage in creative writing. Ask them if they can think of another ending to their favorite story and see where their mind takes them!

Keep pencils and paper available and make sure they know that they're allowed to use them at any time. Inspiration strikes at random!

Gently encourage them but if it turns into a pain point, don't force it. Nothing will make your child less enthusiastic to write than feeling like they have to do it no matter what, even if they don't enjoy it.

Creative writing for kids

Using creative writing can be a great tool to help your child practice their ELA skills, grow their creativity, and solve problems in new and creative ways. When we teach them how to use creative writing as an outlet, there's no end to the ways that they can grow and develop. 

If you're looking for more fun ideas for how to help your child grow and play, try this activity next !

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Top benefits of creative writing

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Building trust

Self-articulation imaginative, composing helps the brain to clear, let those you recall record, you can keep your thoughts in stock, put into point of view the existence occasions, good understanding of reading and writing principles, competence and expertise of conversation, improve the composed and verbal capacities.

• You're going to feel like you've achieved something

It is an extraordinary exercise in the brain

Moreover, exploratory writing exercises bolster writers who are often neglected and underestimated, particularly in a world which advances to controlled routine testing and information-driven research.

At the point when you form inventively, you experience a standard which helps the character and perspective to develop with no extraordinary confinements truly. You will talk about and express your emotions on issues, attitudes, convictions, attitudes, and so on more adequately. It permits you while attesting your sentiments and possibilities, to feel progressively great and sure about different issues that you compose. Journalists who are not inventive essayists may stress that they are a source of authority. On the off chance that you neglect to embed your very own originations into the subjects about which you are composing, you end up accidentally losing your voice and sound like automatons spreading information. Therefore, they come up short on their one of a kind voice and data on this present reality and the dominant eye.

People who compose all the time imaginatively, without acknowledging it, take part in self-articulation. Such self-articulation could be a sound path for an author to explore negative sentiments and contemplations consistently. Although it might seem like hokey, expect that you are discouraged and afterwards enjoy a reprieve to form something innovative. You will better distinguish why you are depressed or at any rate, locate the negative feeling that you are encountering once you fire reviewing and sharing characters or circumstances. It enables you to work through the entirety of this and push ahead an increasingly positive way. You can do too when you have some injury, stress or mishaps, for your own life.

We have all wanted to address each other to get our message. Attempt to record every one of your thoughts, questions, questions, dreams, and considerably more about your psyche. Compose without thinking about what arrives on paper or the screen of your PC. The final product may be somewhat muddled, yet it's not about that. It's tied in with keeping your mind clear, so you can circumvent the day, work, resolve issues and appreciate life. One of these thoughts at the back of your head that divert you, it is simpler to work and concentrate on, paying little mind to your calling. You'll be shocked how composting can bring back old recollections that are nearly overlooked.

You will trigger some other memory you could never have considered else you realize it by putting a specific word or expression on paper. A portion of these recollections won't be pleasant. However, you can see them from a far distance and look them into them and think the amount you've gained from them. Upbeat recollections on the opposite side will expedite a grin your face, and you will review occasions and individuals that you care about and get back in contact.

It's a decent rule to continue composing thoughts that appear suddenly as you're more reluctant to overlook them like this. You can attempt to keep them in your brain, yet since we live in a digital age, we process insane data. The majority of them we should overlook, including some valuable and useful thoughts. Nonetheless, you won't possibly spare them from being ignored when you record them, yet it is more straightforward for you to create and interface them. Through conceptualizing, you can even get new ones.

A paper is one of its most noteworthy portrayals. However, it isn't the best way to place things into point of view. Composing fiction enables you to look at and understand things from an improved point of view. You will draw parallels between the anecdotal occasions and conditions that occur in your life. It enables you to think all the more basically at them. The dispatch of a post is another compelling way. It lets you think well before you record anything since a crowd of people peruses your work.

You will not only get a more specific vocabulary but also understand the mechanics of reading and   writing   as you start to write exercises regularly. You will know when and how rigid grammar rules operate, and you will know what will make it easier for writers, even if it's a financial document that you compose. Once you are familiar with the fundamentals of writing and have learned them thoroughly, you can bend or break the rules when you have to — use your personality to persuade you to compose without being inexperienced, dull, or unauthentic.

While constructing worlds of fictional characters and backgrounds, authors will envision identities, thoughts, locations and individual experiences outside of reality. It can give them a healthy dose of empathy and understanding of others that don't work where they reside or know what they see every day. We can communicate better as readers better understand certain viewpoints. We should appreciate that issues from different points of view can be clarified and debated. In both the professional and personal fields, this skill is essential.

You take more prominent consideration to pick the correct words, as you record something. It implies your writing is progressively smooth, short and brief than the excellent talk. Be that as it may on the off chance that you proceed with this long enough, a considerable lot of them will begin finding their way into your relational abilities, which is splendidly combined with letters, sentences and expressions. You'll start utilizing a broad jargon that causes the individual with whom you to talk a superior impression. It will profit your own and expert lives.

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You're going to feel like you've achieved something

What's more, when a short story, a blog entry or your last paper article is composed, you'll additionally have that sensation. The increasingly inventive individuals will write a novel, a surprisingly better book, and that offers them a more grounded feeling of accomplishment. Stick to shorter structures, and who realizes that on account of your composing abilities, you could even distribute your occupations or additional cash as an afterthought.

It isn't just the preparation of your body that is applied to keeping the shape. For you as well, you can do something very similar. Composing initiates different intellectual procedures and triggers your imagination. It can even fill in as a preventive measure against certain psychological incapacities, for example, Alzheimer’s or dementia.

One research, among others, has indicated that the advantages of expressive composition have been improved. Exploratory writing decreases feelings of anxiety and, in addition to other things, can avoid extreme ailments.

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Creative Hobbies Can Really Benefit Your Mental Health

Key takeaways.

British data suggests that engaging in a creative pursuit can boost levels of happiness and the sense that life is worth living

This was true even for folks who were unemployed or had low incomes

Creative pursuits' mental health boost exceeded that typically supplied to people by their jobs

FRIDAY, Aug. 16, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Painting, woodworking, writing: Whatever you turn to creatively, it could equal or exceed work in terms of maintaining mental health, new research shows.

“Crafting and other artistic activities showed a meaningful effect in predicting people’s sense that their life is worthwhile,” said study lead author Dr. Helen Keyes , of Anglia Ruskin University in the U.K.

“Indeed, the impact of crafting was bigger than the impact of being in employment," she added. "Not only does crafting give us a sense of achievement, it is also a meaningful route to self-expression. This is not always the case with employment.”

The new study was published Aug. 16 in the journal Frontiers in Public Health . It involved almost 7,200 participants in the annual Taking Part survey, conducted by the UK’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Folks were asked about their level of participation in cultural, digital and sporting activities.

People were also queried about their levels of loneliness and "sensations of happiness, anxiety and life satisfaction, and to give their impression of whether life is worthwhile," according to a journal news release.

More than a third (37.4%) of respondents said they'd been involved in some kind of arts or crafts activity over the past month.

People who engaged in a creative pursuit scored higher in terms of happiness, life satisfaction and the sense that life is worthwhile, compared to folks who weren't involved in arts or crafts, the researchers found.

 “The well-being effects were present even after we accounted for things like employment status and level of deprivation," Keyes said in a journal news release. "It seems that crafting can contribute positively to your well-being above and beyond these other aspects of your life.”

Perhaps because many arts and crafts are done while alone, engagement didn't seem to affect people's levels of loneliness.

The study was only designed to show associations, so it could not prove cause and effect.

In her own life, Keyes said she's an avid devotee of DIY projects such as painting and decorating.

“There is certainly something immensely satisfying about seeing the results of your work appear before your eyes,” she said. “It feels great to focus on one task and engage your mind creatively.”

Policymakers might want to take guidance from the new findings, Keyes said.

“Governments and national health services might consider funding and promoting crafting, or even socially prescribing these activities for at-risk populations, as part of a promotion and prevention approach to well-being and mental health,” she said.

More information

Find out more about the benefits of being creative at the American Psychiatric Association .

SOURCE: Frontiers journals, news release, Aug. 16, 2024

What This Means For You

Looking to boost your levels of happiness and purpose? Try taking up a creative art or craft.

Related Stories

Creative hobbies may greatly benefit mental health

Painting, woodworking, writing: Whatever you turn to creatively, it could equal or exceed work in terms of maintaining mental health, new research shows.

"Crafting and other artistic activities showed a meaningful effect in predicting people's sense that their life is worthwhile," said study lead author Dr. Helen Keyes , of Anglia Ruskin University in Britain. Advertisement

"Indeed, the impact of crafting was bigger than the impact of being in employment," she added. "Not only does crafting give us a sense of achievement, it is also a meaningful route to self-expression. This is not always the case with employment."

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Folks were asked about their level of participation in cultural, digital and sporting activities.

People were also queried about their levels of loneliness and "sensations of happiness, anxiety and life satisfaction, and to give their impression of whether life is worthwhile," according to a journal news release.

More than a third (37.4%) of respondents said they'd been involved in some kind of arts or crafts activity over the past month. Advertisement

People who engaged in a creative pursuit scored higher in terms of happiness, life satisfaction and the sense that life is worthwhile, compared to folks who weren't involved in arts or crafts, the researchers found.

"The well-being effects were present even after we accounted for things like employment status and level of deprivation," Keyes said in a journal news release. "It seems that crafting can contribute positively to your well-being above and beyond these other aspects of your life."

Perhaps because many arts and crafts are done while alone, engagement didn't seem to affect people's levels of loneliness.

The study was only designed to show associations, so it could not prove cause and effect.

In her own life, Keyes said she's an avid devotee of DIY projects such as painting and decorating.

"There is certainly something immensely satisfying about seeing the results of your work appear before your eyes," she said. "It feels great to focus on one task and engage your mind creatively."

Policymakers might want to take guidance from the new findings, Keyes said.

"Governments and national health services might consider funding and promoting crafting, or even socially prescribing these activities for at-risk populations, as part of a promotion and prevention approach to well-being and mental health," she said. Advertisement

More information

Find out more about the benefits of being creative at the American Psychiatric Association .

Copyright © 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

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Rewrite Your Future: Benefits of a Creative Writing Course

What’s included in an oxford summer course.

Our tailored summer courses for ages 9-24 include all teaching and academic content, accommodation, meals (including Friday night formal dinners), a prize-giving ceremony, all-day trips and activities, airport transfers, access to Oxford Summer Courses Foundations, travel and medical insurance, and a welcome pack. Apply now to secure your spot in one of our comprehensive summer courses.

What Does a Creative Writing Course Entail?

Our Creative Writing summer programs are available in the UK in the beautiful cities of Oxford and Cambridge . Available to students aged 16-24, these courses offer the opportunity to understand how some of the world’s best writers became masters in their fields and receive valuable coaching to push your work further.

You will combine seminars and writing workshops to analyse your work with others and learn some of the techniques which made some of the most successful writers in literary history.

The Benefits of a Creative Writing Course

1. imagination.

Creative writing stimulates your imagination as you create new worlds, situations, and characters in your work. Engaging your brain to ‘think outside the box’ enhances your ability to discover alternative solutions to problems and view issues from different angles. Your perspectives will become more innovative, allowing you to push boundaries to solve problems effectively.

When you create characters in your writing, you integrate personalities, emotions, and worldviews that are different from your own. This process helps develop your empathetic skills, allowing you to understand and appreciate others' experiences and viewpoints.

Empathy is a valuable trait in both university and the workplace. Understanding and sympathising with your colleagues' or classmates' challenges fosters a collaborative environment, leading to better relationships and collective success.

3. Better Thought Clarification

Developing structures within creative writing helps clarify your thoughts and emotions in a logical process. This skill enables you to approach situations in the workplace and in life with clarity, defining clear pathways to overcome future challenges.

4. Broader Vocabulary

Creative writing encourages you to expand your vocabulary as you explore new ways of expressing yourself. Over time, you will notice a significant improvement in your use and range of language, which is invaluable in any career path and social situation.

5. Critical Review

Part of your creative writing course involves having your work reviewed by others and learning how to critically review theirs. Developing the ability to listen to feedback and implement constructive criticism is a crucial skill that will benefit you in any career path you choose.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What topics are covered in the oxford summer courses creative writing program.

Our creative writing program covers various topics, including fiction, poetry, drama, and non-fiction. Students engage in workshops, exercises, and feedback sessions to develop their writing skills and explore different genres.

How do Oxford Summer Courses prepare students for future careers in creative writing?

Oxford Summer Courses provide students with a strong foundation in creative writing through rigorous academic instruction and practical experience. Students develop essential skills in imagination, expression, and communication, preparing them for further studies and careers in writing, publishing, and related fields.

What makes the Oxford Summer Courses creative writing program unique?

Our program is hosted in prestigious university colleges in historic cities like Oxford and Cambridge, offering students an enriching environment to study creative writing. The courses are designed to be immersive and interdisciplinary, connecting creative writing with literary analysis and cultural contexts. Students also benefit from the opportunity to engage with renowned authors and literary professionals.

Can international students apply for the creative writing program at Oxford Summer Courses?

Yes, our creative writing program is open to international students. We welcome students from around the world to join us in exploring the world of creative writing and experiencing life at some of the world's most esteemed university colleges.

What career paths can graduates of the creative writing program pursue?

Graduates of our creative writing program can pursue diverse career paths in publishing, journalism, advertising, content creation, teaching, and more. The skills and knowledge gained through our program equip students to contribute to various fields and drive innovation in the literary and creative industries.

If you're passionate about storytelling and eager to explore the world of creative writing, Oxford Summer Courses offers tailored summer courses for ages 16-24 in the prestigious cities of Oxford and Cambridge. Experience the magic of literary exploration, hone your writing skills, and connect with like-minded individuals in a vibrant and inspiring setting. Apply now and embark on a transformative journey of creative expression and personal growth.

Ready to Join Oxford Summer Courses?

After submitting your application, we'll be in touch very soon to inform you of the outcome. Apply now to begin your journey with Oxford Summer Courses!

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Discover the benefits of a UK creative writing course. Boost imagination, develop empathy, clarify thoughts, expand vocabulary, and learn critical review skills. Prepare for success at Oxford Summer Courses.

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More From Forbes

Arts and crafts improves mental health, finds new study.

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If you picked up a craft or creative hobby during the COVID lockdowns, this may well have helped you through that period. A new study from researchers in the United Kingdom, published today in Frontiers in Public Health , suggests that creative activities boost mental health.

Creative hobbies such as crochet can benefit mental health, according to a new study.

The study used information from the Taking Part survey, which is carried out annually by the UK’s Department for Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) to learn more about people’s hobbies and how they spend their spare time. Many existing studies that look at the benefit of arts and crafts on mental health tend to look at one single activity. But by studying the responses from 7,182 participants in this survey, researchers could get a sense of the broad impact of creative endeavors in general.

“Crafting and other artistic activities showed a meaningful effect in predicting people’s sense that their life is worthwhile,” study leader Helen Keyes told Frontiers . Keyes, a cognitive psychologist at Anglia Ruskin University, adds, “the impact of crafting was bigger than the impact of being in employment. Not only does crafting give us a sense of achievement, it is also a meaningful route to self-expression. This is not always the case with employment.”

Even though people with creative pastimes reported higher levels of happiness, there was no noticeable change in their level of loneliness. That’s not surprising if you consider that many creative hobbies can be practiced alone.

Working with such a large sample also made it easier to correct for other factors that could influence people’s wellbeing, such as age, gender, or socio-economic factors. Even with those adjustments, there was still a noticeable difference between people who said they had done at least one craft activity in the past year and people who did not. “Engaging in these activities is linked with a greater sense that life is worthwhile, increased life satisfaction and happiness,” said Keyes.

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When participants were asked about their general levels of happiness or how satisfied they were in life, the crafters scored higher than the rest. Even though the effect of creative activities was relatively small, it’s in the same range as factors such as employment status. It’s a lot easier to pick up a craft than to find a new job, so crafting could be a simple way to improve wellbeing.

“Governments and national health services might consider funding and promoting crafting, or even socially prescribing these activities for at-risk populations, as part of a promotion and prevention approach to wellbeing and mental health,” said Keyes.

However, correlation is not causation. The fact that the crafters overall report higher levels of wellbeing doesn’t necessarily mean that crafting was the reason for their increased happiness. Keyes says, “the next step would be to carry out an experimental study where we measure people’s wellbeing before and after significant periods of crafting.”

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