creative writing typing.com

What Is Creative Writing? (Ultimate Guide + 20 Examples)

Creative writing begins with a blank page and the courage to fill it with the stories only you can tell.

I face this intimidating blank page daily–and I have for the better part of 20+ years.

In this guide, you’ll learn all the ins and outs of creative writing with tons of examples.

What Is Creative Writing (Long Description)?

Creative Writing is the art of using words to express ideas and emotions in imaginative ways. It encompasses various forms including novels, poetry, and plays, focusing on narrative craft, character development, and the use of literary tropes.

Bright, colorful creative writer's desk with notebook and typewriter -- What Is Creative Writing

Table of Contents

Let’s expand on that definition a bit.

Creative writing is an art form that transcends traditional literature boundaries.

It includes professional, journalistic, academic, and technical writing. This type of writing emphasizes narrative craft, character development, and literary tropes. It also explores poetry and poetics traditions.

In essence, creative writing lets you express ideas and emotions uniquely and imaginatively.

It’s about the freedom to invent worlds, characters, and stories. These creations evoke a spectrum of emotions in readers.

Creative writing covers fiction, poetry, and everything in between.

It allows writers to express inner thoughts and feelings. Often, it reflects human experiences through a fabricated lens.

Types of Creative Writing

There are many types of creative writing that we need to explain.

Some of the most common types:

Short stories
Screenplays
Flash fiction
Creative Nonfiction

Short Stories (The Brief Escape)

Short stories are like narrative treasures.

They are compact but impactful, telling a full story within a limited word count. These tales often focus on a single character or a crucial moment.

Short stories are known for their brevity.

They deliver emotion and insight in a concise yet powerful package. This format is ideal for exploring diverse genres, themes, and characters. It leaves a lasting impression on readers.

Example: Emma discovers an old photo of her smiling grandmother. It’s a rarity. Through flashbacks, Emma learns about her grandmother’s wartime love story. She comes to understand her grandmother’s resilience and the value of joy.

Novels (The Long Journey)

Novels are extensive explorations of character, plot, and setting.

They span thousands of words, giving writers the space to create entire worlds. Novels can weave complex stories across various themes and timelines.

The length of a novel allows for deep narrative and character development.

Readers get an immersive experience.

Example: Across the Divide tells of two siblings separated in childhood. They grow up in different cultures. Their reunion highlights the strength of family bonds, despite distance and differences.

Poetry (The Soul’s Language)

Poetry expresses ideas and emotions through rhythm, sound, and word beauty.

It distills emotions and thoughts into verses. Poetry often uses metaphors, similes, and figurative language to reach the reader’s heart and mind.

Poetry ranges from structured forms, like sonnets, to free verse.

The latter breaks away from traditional formats for more expressive thought.

Example: Whispers of Dawn is a poem collection capturing morning’s quiet moments. “First Light” personifies dawn as a painter. It brings colors of hope and renewal to the world.

Plays (The Dramatic Dialogue)

Plays are meant for performance. They bring characters and conflicts to life through dialogue and action.

This format uniquely explores human relationships and societal issues.

Playwrights face the challenge of conveying setting, emotion, and plot through dialogue and directions.

Example: Echoes of Tomorrow is set in a dystopian future. Memories can be bought and sold. It follows siblings on a quest to retrieve their stolen memories. They learn the cost of living in a world where the past has a price.

Screenplays (Cinema’s Blueprint)

Screenplays outline narratives for films and TV shows.

They require an understanding of visual storytelling, pacing, and dialogue. Screenplays must fit film production constraints.

Example: The Last Light is a screenplay for a sci-fi film. Humanity’s survivors on a dying Earth seek a new planet. The story focuses on spacecraft Argo’s crew as they face mission challenges and internal dynamics.

Memoirs (The Personal Journey)

Memoirs provide insight into an author’s life, focusing on personal experiences and emotional journeys.

They differ from autobiographies by concentrating on specific themes or events.

Memoirs invite readers into the author’s world.

They share lessons learned and hardships overcome.

Example: Under the Mango Tree is a memoir by Maria Gomez. It shares her childhood memories in rural Colombia. The mango tree in their yard symbolizes home, growth, and nostalgia. Maria reflects on her journey to a new life in America.

Flash Fiction (The Quick Twist)

Flash fiction tells stories in under 1,000 words.

It’s about crafting compelling narratives concisely. Each word in flash fiction must count, often leading to a twist.

This format captures life’s vivid moments, delivering quick, impactful insights.

Example: The Last Message features an astronaut’s final Earth message as her spacecraft drifts away. In 500 words, it explores isolation, hope, and the desire to connect against all odds.

Creative Nonfiction (The Factual Tale)

Creative nonfiction combines factual accuracy with creative storytelling.

This genre covers real events, people, and places with a twist. It uses descriptive language and narrative arcs to make true stories engaging.

Creative nonfiction includes biographies, essays, and travelogues.

Example: Echoes of Everest follows the author’s Mount Everest climb. It mixes factual details with personal reflections and the history of past climbers. The narrative captures the climb’s beauty and challenges, offering an immersive experience.

Fantasy (The World Beyond)

Fantasy transports readers to magical and mythical worlds.

It explores themes like good vs. evil and heroism in unreal settings. Fantasy requires careful world-building to create believable yet fantastic realms.

Example: The Crystal of Azmar tells of a young girl destined to save her world from darkness. She learns she’s the last sorceress in a forgotten lineage. Her journey involves mastering powers, forming alliances, and uncovering ancient kingdom myths.

Science Fiction (The Future Imagined)

Science fiction delves into futuristic and scientific themes.

It questions the impact of advancements on society and individuals.

Science fiction ranges from speculative to hard sci-fi, focusing on plausible futures.

Example: When the Stars Whisper is set in a future where humanity communicates with distant galaxies. It centers on a scientist who finds an alien message. This discovery prompts a deep look at humanity’s universe role and interstellar communication.

Watch this great video that explores the question, “What is creative writing?” and “How to get started?”:

What Are the 5 Cs of Creative Writing?

The 5 Cs of creative writing are fundamental pillars.

They guide writers to produce compelling and impactful work. These principles—Clarity, Coherence, Conciseness, Creativity, and Consistency—help craft stories that engage and entertain.

They also resonate deeply with readers. Let’s explore each of these critical components.

Clarity makes your writing understandable and accessible.

It involves choosing the right words and constructing clear sentences. Your narrative should be easy to follow.

In creative writing, clarity means conveying complex ideas in a digestible and enjoyable way.

Coherence ensures your writing flows logically.

It’s crucial for maintaining the reader’s interest. Characters should develop believably, and plots should progress logically. This makes the narrative feel cohesive.

Conciseness

Conciseness is about expressing ideas succinctly.

It’s being economical with words and avoiding redundancy. This principle helps maintain pace and tension, engaging readers throughout the story.

Creativity is the heart of creative writing.

It allows writers to invent new worlds and create memorable characters. Creativity involves originality and imagination. It’s seeing the world in unique ways and sharing that vision.

Consistency

Consistency maintains a uniform tone, style, and voice.

It means being faithful to the world you’ve created. Characters should act true to their development. This builds trust with readers, making your story immersive and believable.

Is Creative Writing Easy?

Creative writing is both rewarding and challenging.

Crafting stories from your imagination involves more than just words on a page. It requires discipline and a deep understanding of language and narrative structure.

Exploring complex characters and themes is also key.

Refining and revising your work is crucial for developing your voice.

The ease of creative writing varies. Some find the freedom of expression liberating.

Others struggle with writer’s block or plot development challenges. However, practice and feedback make creative writing more fulfilling.

What Does a Creative Writer Do?

A creative writer weaves narratives that entertain, enlighten, and inspire.

Writers explore both the world they create and the emotions they wish to evoke. Their tasks are diverse, involving more than just writing.

Creative writers develop ideas, research, and plan their stories.

They create characters and outline plots with attention to detail. Drafting and revising their work is a significant part of their process. They strive for the 5 Cs of compelling writing.

Writers engage with the literary community, seeking feedback and participating in workshops.

They may navigate the publishing world with agents and editors.

Creative writers are storytellers, craftsmen, and artists. They bring narratives to life, enriching our lives and expanding our imaginations.

How to Get Started With Creative Writing?

Embarking on a creative writing journey can feel like standing at the edge of a vast and mysterious forest.

The path is not always clear, but the adventure is calling.

Here’s how to take your first steps into the world of creative writing:

Find a time of day when your mind is most alert and creative.
Create a comfortable writing space free from distractions.
Use prompts to spark your imagination. They can be as simple as a word, a phrase, or an image.
Try writing for 15-20 minutes on a prompt without editing yourself. Let the ideas flow freely.
Reading is fuel for your writing. Explore various genres and styles.
Pay attention to how your favorite authors construct their sentences, develop characters, and build their worlds.
Don’t pressure yourself to write a novel right away. Begin with short stories or poems.
Small projects can help you hone your skills and boost your confidence.
Look for writing groups in your area or online. These communities offer support, feedback, and motivation.
Participating in workshops or classes can also provide valuable insights into your writing.
Understand that your first draft is just the beginning. Revising your work is where the real magic happens.
Be open to feedback and willing to rework your pieces.
Carry a notebook or digital recorder to jot down ideas, observations, and snippets of conversations.
These notes can be gold mines for future writing projects.

Final Thoughts: What Is Creative Writing?

Creative writing is an invitation to explore the unknown, to give voice to the silenced, and to celebrate the human spirit in all its forms.

Check out these creative writing tools (that I highly recommend):

Creative Writing 101

Creative writing is any form of writing which is written with the creativity of mind: fiction writing, poetry writing, creative nonfiction writing and more. The purpose is to express something, whether it be feelings, thoughts, or emotions.

Rather than only giving information or inciting the reader to make an action beneficial to the writer, creative writing is written to entertain or educate someone, to spread awareness about something or someone, or to express one’s thoughts.

There are two kinds of creative writing: good and bad, effective and ineffective. Bad, ineffective creative writing cannot make any impression on the reader. It won’t achieve its purpose.

So whether you’re a novelist, a poet, a short-story writer, an essayist, a biographer or an aspiring beginner, you want to improve your craft. The question is: how?

When you write great fiction, poetry, or nonfiction, amazing things can happen. Readers can’t put it down. The work you wrote becomes a bestseller. It becomes famous. But you have to reach to that level… first .

The best way to increase your proficiency in creative writing is to write, write compulsively, but it doesn’t mean write whatever you want. There are certain things you should know first… it helps to start with the right foot.

To do exactly that, here we have a beginners’ guide from Writers’ Treasure on the subject:

An Introduction to Creative Writing
How to Get Started in Creative Writing in Just Three Steps
Creative Writing vs. Technical Writing
Fiction Writing 101: The Elements of Stories
Poetry Writing: Forms and Terms Galore
Creative Non-Fiction: What is it?
Tips and Tricks to Improve Your Creative Writing
Common Mistakes Made by Creative Writers

For novelists: do you want to write compelling opening chapters?

Are you an aspiring novelist? Will your novel see the light of day? For that, you will need to make the first chapter of your story as compelling as possible. Otherwise, readers won’t even pick up your novel. That chapter can be the make-or-break point that decides whether your novel is published or not. It’s because good editors know how you write from the first three pages… or sometimes even from the opening lines.

To solve this problem, I created a five-part tutorial on Writing Compelling Opening Chapters . It outlines why you need to write a compelling opening chapter, my personal favourite way of beginning it, what should be told and shown in it, general dos and don’ts, and what you need to do after having written it. Check it out for more.

Need more writing tips?

Sometimes you reach that stage when you outgrow the beginner stage of writing but feel that you’re not yet an expert. If I just described you, no worries– Writers’ Treasure’s writing tips are here. Whether you want to make your writing more readable, more irresistible, more professional, we’ve got you covered. So check out our writing tips , and be on your way to fast track your success.

I offer writing, editing and proofreading , as well as website creation services. I’ve been in this field for seven years, and I know the tools of the trade. I’ve seen the directions where the writing industry is going, the changes, the new platforms. Get your work done through me, and get fast and efficient service. Get a quote .

Free updates

Get free updates from Writers’ Treasure and learn more tips and tricks to improve your writing.

Your Health

Treatments & Tests
Health Inc.
Public Health

Why writing by hand beats typing for thinking and learning

Jonathan Lambert

A close-up of a woman's hand writing in a notebook.

If you're like many digitally savvy Americans, it has likely been a while since you've spent much time writing by hand.

The laborious process of tracing out our thoughts, letter by letter, on the page is becoming a relic of the past in our screen-dominated world, where text messages and thumb-typed grocery lists have replaced handwritten letters and sticky notes. Electronic keyboards offer obvious efficiency benefits that have undoubtedly boosted our productivity — imagine having to write all your emails longhand.

To keep up, many schools are introducing computers as early as preschool, meaning some kids may learn the basics of typing before writing by hand.

But giving up this slower, more tactile way of expressing ourselves may come at a significant cost, according to a growing body of research that's uncovering the surprising cognitive benefits of taking pen to paper, or even stylus to iPad — for both children and adults.

Is this some kind of joke? A school facing shortages starts teaching standup comedy

In kids, studies show that tracing out ABCs, as opposed to typing them, leads to better and longer-lasting recognition and understanding of letters. Writing by hand also improves memory and recall of words, laying down the foundations of literacy and learning. In adults, taking notes by hand during a lecture, instead of typing, can lead to better conceptual understanding of material.

"There's actually some very important things going on during the embodied experience of writing by hand," says Ramesh Balasubramaniam , a neuroscientist at the University of California, Merced. "It has important cognitive benefits."

While those benefits have long been recognized by some (for instance, many authors, including Jennifer Egan and Neil Gaiman , draft their stories by hand to stoke creativity), scientists have only recently started investigating why writing by hand has these effects.

A slew of recent brain imaging research suggests handwriting's power stems from the relative complexity of the process and how it forces different brain systems to work together to reproduce the shapes of letters in our heads onto the page.

Your brain on handwriting

Both handwriting and typing involve moving our hands and fingers to create words on a page. But handwriting, it turns out, requires a lot more fine-tuned coordination between the motor and visual systems. This seems to more deeply engage the brain in ways that support learning.

Shots - Health News

Feeling artsy here's how making art helps your brain.

"Handwriting is probably among the most complex motor skills that the brain is capable of," says Marieke Longcamp , a cognitive neuroscientist at Aix-Marseille Université.

Gripping a pen nimbly enough to write is a complicated task, as it requires your brain to continuously monitor the pressure that each finger exerts on the pen. Then, your motor system has to delicately modify that pressure to re-create each letter of the words in your head on the page.

"Your fingers have to each do something different to produce a recognizable letter," says Sophia Vinci-Booher , an educational neuroscientist at Vanderbilt University. Adding to the complexity, your visual system must continuously process that letter as it's formed. With each stroke, your brain compares the unfolding script with mental models of the letters and words, making adjustments to fingers in real time to create the letters' shapes, says Vinci-Booher.

That's not true for typing.

To type "tap" your fingers don't have to trace out the form of the letters — they just make three relatively simple and uniform movements. In comparison, it takes a lot more brainpower, as well as cross-talk between brain areas, to write than type.

Recent brain imaging studies bolster this idea. A study published in January found that when students write by hand, brain areas involved in motor and visual information processing " sync up " with areas crucial to memory formation, firing at frequencies associated with learning.

"We don't see that [synchronized activity] in typewriting at all," says Audrey van der Meer , a psychologist and study co-author at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. She suggests that writing by hand is a neurobiologically richer process and that this richness may confer some cognitive benefits.

Other experts agree. "There seems to be something fundamental about engaging your body to produce these shapes," says Robert Wiley , a cognitive psychologist at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. "It lets you make associations between your body and what you're seeing and hearing," he says, which might give the mind more footholds for accessing a given concept or idea.

Those extra footholds are especially important for learning in kids, but they may give adults a leg up too. Wiley and others worry that ditching handwriting for typing could have serious consequences for how we all learn and think.

What might be lost as handwriting wanes

The clearest consequence of screens and keyboards replacing pen and paper might be on kids' ability to learn the building blocks of literacy — letters.

"Letter recognition in early childhood is actually one of the best predictors of later reading and math attainment," says Vinci-Booher. Her work suggests the process of learning to write letters by hand is crucial for learning to read them.

"When kids write letters, they're just messy," she says. As kids practice writing "A," each iteration is different, and that variability helps solidify their conceptual understanding of the letter.

Research suggests kids learn to recognize letters better when seeing variable handwritten examples, compared with uniform typed examples.

This helps develop areas of the brain used during reading in older children and adults, Vinci-Booher found.

"This could be one of the ways that early experiences actually translate to long-term life outcomes," she says. "These visually demanding, fine motor actions bake in neural communication patterns that are really important for learning later on."

Ditching handwriting instruction could mean that those skills don't get developed as well, which could impair kids' ability to learn down the road.

"If young children are not receiving any handwriting training, which is very good brain stimulation, then their brains simply won't reach their full potential," says van der Meer. "It's scary to think of the potential consequences."

Many states are trying to avoid these risks by mandating cursive instruction. This year, California started requiring elementary school students to learn cursive , and similar bills are moving through state legislatures in several states, including Indiana, Kentucky, South Carolina and Wisconsin. (So far, evidence suggests that it's the writing by hand that matters, not whether it's print or cursive.)

Slowing down and processing information

For adults, one of the main benefits of writing by hand is that it simply forces us to slow down.

During a meeting or lecture, it's possible to type what you're hearing verbatim. But often, "you're not actually processing that information — you're just typing in the blind," says van der Meer. "If you take notes by hand, you can't write everything down," she says.

The relative slowness of the medium forces you to process the information, writing key words or phrases and using drawing or arrows to work through ideas, she says. "You make the information your own," she says, which helps it stick in the brain.

Such connections and integration are still possible when typing, but they need to be made more intentionally. And sometimes, efficiency wins out. "When you're writing a long essay, it's obviously much more practical to use a keyboard," says van der Meer.

Still, given our long history of using our hands to mark meaning in the world, some scientists worry about the more diffuse consequences of offloading our thinking to computers.

"We're foisting a lot of our knowledge, extending our cognition, to other devices, so it's only natural that we've started using these other agents to do our writing for us," says Balasubramaniam.

It's possible that this might free up our minds to do other kinds of hard thinking, he says. Or we might be sacrificing a fundamental process that's crucial for the kinds of immersive cognitive experiences that enable us to learn and think at our full potential.

Balasubramaniam stresses, however, that we don't have to ditch digital tools to harness the power of handwriting. So far, research suggests that scribbling with a stylus on a screen activates the same brain pathways as etching ink on paper. It's the movement that counts, he says, not its final form.

Jonathan Lambert is a Washington, D.C.-based freelance journalist who covers science, health and policy.

handwriting

Writing Activities

105 Creative Writing Exercises To Get You Writing Again

You know that feeling when you just don’t feel like writing? Sometimes you can’t even get a word down on paper. It’s the most frustrating thing ever to a writer, especially when you’re working towards a deadline. The good news is that we have a list of 105 creative writing exercises to help you get motivated and start writing again!

What are creative writing exercises?

Creative writing exercises are short writing activities (normally around 10 minutes) designed to get you writing. The goal of these exercises is to give you the motivation to put words onto a blank paper. These words don’t need to be logical or meaningful, neither do they need to be grammatically correct or spelt correctly. The whole idea is to just get you writing something, anything. The end result of these quick creative writing exercises is normally a series of notes, bullet points or ramblings that you can, later on, use as inspiration for a bigger piece of writing such as a story or a poem.

Good creative writing exercises are short, quick and easy to complete. You shouldn’t need to think too much about your style of writing or how imaginative your notes are. Just write anything that comes to mind, and you’ll be on the road to improving your creative writing skills and beating writer’s block .

Use the generator below to get a random creative writing exercise idea:

List of 105+ Creative Writing Exercises

Here are over 105 creative writing exercises to give your brain a workout and help those creative juices flow again:

Set a timer for 60 seconds. Now write down as many words or phrases that come to mind at that moment.
Pick any colour you like. Now start your sentence with this colour. For example, Orange, the colour of my favourite top.
Open a book or dictionary on a random page. Pick a random word. You can close your eyes and slowly move your finger across the page. Now, write a paragraph with this random word in it. You can even use an online dictionary to get random words:

Create your own alphabet picture book or list. It can be A to Z of animals, food, monsters or anything else you like!
Using only the sense of smell, describe where you are right now.
Take a snack break. While eating your snack write down the exact taste of that food. The goal of this creative writing exercise is to make your readers savour this food as well.
Pick a random object in your room and write a short paragraph from its point of view. For example, how does your pencil feel? What if your lamp had feelings?
Describe your dream house. Where would you live one day? Is it huge or tiny?
Pick two different TV shows, movies or books that you like. Now swap the main character. What if Supergirl was in Twilight? What if SpongeBob SquarePants was in The Flash? Write a short scene using this character swap as inspiration.
What’s your favourite video game? Write at least 10 tips for playing this game.
Pick your favourite hobby or sport. Now pretend an alien has just landed on Earth and you need to teach it this hobby or sport. Write at least ten tips on how you would teach this alien.
Use a random image generator and write a paragraph about the first picture you see.

Write a letter to your favourite celebrity or character. What inspires you most about them? Can you think of a memorable moment where this person’s life affected yours? We have this helpful guide on writing a letter to your best friend for extra inspiration.
Write down at least 10 benefits of writing. This can help motivate you and beat writer’s block.
Complete this sentence in 10 different ways: Patrick waited for the school bus and…
Pick up a random book from your bookshelf and go to page 9. Find the ninth sentence on that page. Use this sentence as a story starter.
Create a character profile based on all the traits that you hate. It might help to list down all the traits first and then work on describing the character.
What is the scariest or most dangerous situation you have ever been in? Why was this situation scary? How did you cope at that moment?
Pretend that you’re a chat show host and you’re interviewing your favourite celebrity. Write down the script for this conversation.
Using extreme detail, write down what you have been doing for the past one hour today. Think about your thoughts, feelings and actions during this time.
Make a list of potential character names for your next story. You can use a fantasy name generator to help you.
Describe a futuristic setting. What do you think the world would look like in 100 years time?
Think about a recent argument you had with someone. Would you change anything about it? How would you resolve an argument in the future?
Describe a fantasy world. What kind of creatures live in this world? What is the climate like? What everyday challenges would a typical citizen of this world face? You can use this fantasy world name generator for inspiration.
At the flip of a switch, you turn into a dragon. What kind of dragon would you be? Describe your appearance, special abilities, likes and dislikes. You can use a dragon name generator to give yourself a cool dragon name.
Pick your favourite book or a famous story. Now change the point of view. For example, you could rewrite the fairytale , Cinderella. This time around, Prince Charming could be the main character. What do you think Prince Charming was doing, while Cinderella was cleaning the floors and getting ready for the ball?
Pick a random writing prompt and use it to write a short story. Check out this collection of over 300 writing prompts for kids to inspire you.
Write a shopping list for a famous character in history. Imagine if you were Albert Einstein’s assistant, what kind of things would he shop for on a weekly basis?
Create a fake advertisement poster for a random object that is near you right now. Your goal is to convince the reader to buy this object from you.
What is the worst (or most annoying) sound that you can imagine? Describe this sound in great detail, so your reader can understand the pain you feel when hearing this sound.
What is your favourite song at the moment? Pick one line from this song and describe a moment in your life that relates to this line.
You’re hosting an imaginary dinner party at your house. Create a list of people you would invite, and some party invites. Think about the theme of the dinner party, the food you will serve and entertainment for the evening.
You are waiting to see your dentist in the waiting room. Write down every thought you are having at this moment in time.
Make a list of your greatest fears. Try to think of at least three fears. Now write a short story about a character who is forced to confront one of these fears.
Create a ‘Wanted’ poster for a famous villain of your choice. Think about the crimes they have committed, and the reward you will give for having them caught.
Imagine you are a journalist for the ‘Imagine Forest Times’ newspaper. Your task is to get an exclusive interview with the most famous villain of all time. Pick a villain of your choice and interview them for your newspaper article. What questions would you ask them, and what would their responses be?
In a school playground, you see the school bully hurting a new kid. Write three short stories, one from each perspective in this scenario (The bully, the witness and the kid getting bullied).
You just won $10 million dollars. What would you spend this money on?
Pick a random animal, and research at least five interesting facts about this animal. Write a short story centred around one of these interesting facts.
Pick a global issue that you are passionate about. This could be climate change, black lives matters, women’s rights etc. Now create a campaign poster for this global issue.
Write an acrostic poem about an object near you right now (or even your own name). You could use a poetry idea generator to inspire you.
Imagine you are the head chef of a 5-star restaurant. Recently the business has slowed down. Your task is to come up with a brand-new menu to excite customers. Watch this video prompt on YouTube to inspire you.
What is your favourite food of all time? Imagine if this piece of food was alive, what would it say to you?
If life was one big musical, what would you be singing about right now? Write the lyrics of your song.
Create and describe the most ultimate villain of all time. What would their traits be? What would their past look like? Will they have any positive traits?
Complete this sentence in at least 10 different ways: Every time I look out of the window, I…
You have just made it into the local newspaper, but what for? Write down at least five potential newspaper headlines . Here’s an example, Local Boy Survives a Deadly Illness.
If you were a witch or a wizard, what would your specialist area be and why? You might want to use a Harry Potter name generator or a witch name generator for inspiration.
What is your favourite thing to do on a Saturday night? Write a short story centred around this activity.
Your main character has just received the following items: A highlighter, a red cap, a teddy bear and a fork. What would your character do with these items? Can you write a story using these items?
Create a timeline of your own life, from birth to this current moment. Think about the key events in your life, such as birthdays, graduations, weddings and so on. After you have done this, you can pick one key event from your life to write a story about.
Think of a famous book or movie you like. Rewrite a scene from this book or movie, where the main character is an outsider. They watch the key events play out, but have no role in the story. What would their actions be? How would they react?
Three very different characters have just won the lottery. Write a script for each character, as they reveal the big news to their best friend.
Write a day in the life story of three different characters. How does each character start their day? What do they do throughout the day? And how does their day end?
Write about the worst experience in your life so far. Think about a time when you were most upset or angry and describe it.
Imagine you’ve found a time machine in your house. What year would you travel to and why?
Describe your own superhero. Think about their appearance, special abilities and their superhero name. Will they have a secret identity? Who is their number one enemy?
What is your favourite country in the world? Research five fun facts about this country and use one to write a short story.
Set yourself at least three writing goals. This could be a good way to motivate yourself to write every day. For example, one goal might be to write at least 150 words a day.
Create a character description based on the one fact, three fiction rule. Think about one fact or truth about yourself. And then add in three fictional or fantasy elements. For example, your character could be the same age as you in real life, this is your one fact. And the three fictional elements could be they have the ability to fly, talk in over 100 different languages and have green skin.
Describe the perfect person. What traits would they have? Think about their appearance, their interests and their dislikes.
Keep a daily journal or diary. This is a great way to keep writing every day. There are lots of things you can write about in your journal, such as you can write about the ‘highs’ and ‘lows’ of your day. Think about anything that inspired you or anything that upset you, or just write anything that comes to mind at the moment.
Write a book review or a movie review. If you’re lost for inspiration, just watch a random movie or read any book that you can find. Then write a critical review on it. Think about the best parts of the book/movie and the worst parts. How would you improve the book or movie?
Write down a conversation between yourself. You can imagine talking to your younger self or future self (i.e. in 10 years’ time). What would you tell them? Are there any lessons you learned or warnings you need to give? Maybe you could talk about what your life is like now and compare it to their life?
Try writing some quick flash fiction stories . Flash fiction is normally around 500 words long, so try to stay within this limit.
Write a six-word story about something that happened to you today or yesterday. A six-word story is basically an entire story told in just six words. Take for example: “Another football game ruined by me.” or “A dog’s painting sold for millions.” – Six-word stories are similar to writing newspaper headlines. The goal is to summarise your story in just six words.
The most common monsters or creatures used in stories include vampires, werewolves , dragons, the bigfoot, sirens and the loch-ness monster. In a battle of intelligence, who do you think will win and why?
Think about an important event in your life that has happened so far, such as a birthday or the birth of a new sibling. Now using the 5 W’s and 1 H technique describe this event in great detail. The 5 W’s include: What, Who, Where, Why, When and the 1 H is: How. Ask yourself questions about the event, such as what exactly happened on that day? Who was there? Why was this event important? When and where did it happen? And finally, how did it make you feel?
Pretend to be someone else. Think about someone important in your life. Now put yourself into their shoes, and write a day in the life story about being them. What do you think they do on a daily basis? What situations would they encounter? How would they feel?
Complete this sentence in at least 10 different ways: I remember…
Write about your dream holiday. Where would you go? Who would you go with? And what kind of activities would you do?
Which one item in your house do you use the most? Is it the television, computer, mobile phone, the sofa or the microwave? Now write a story of how this item was invented. You might want to do some research online and use these ideas to build up your story.
In exactly 100 words, describe your bedroom. Try not to go over or under this word limit.
Make a top ten list of your favourite animals. Based on this list create your own animal fact file, where you provide fun facts about each animal in your list.
What is your favourite scene from a book or a movie? Write down this scene. Now rewrite the scene in a different genre, such as horror, comedy, drama etc.
Change the main character of a story you recently read into a villain. For example, you could take a popular fairytale such as Jack and the Beanstalk, but this time re-write the story to make Jack the villain of the tale.
Complete the following sentence in at least 10 different ways: Do you ever wonder…
What does your name mean? Research the meaning of your own name, or a name that interests you. Then use this as inspiration for your next story. For example, the name ‘Marty’ means “Servant Of Mars, God Of War”. This could make a good concept for a sci-fi story.
Make a list of three different types of heroes (or main characters) for potential future stories.
If someone gave you $10 dollars, what would you spend it on and why?
Describe the world’s most boring character in at least 100 words.
What is the biggest problem in the world today, and how can you help fix this issue?
Create your own travel brochure for your hometown. Think about why tourists might want to visit your hometown. What is your town’s history? What kind of activities can you do? You could even research some interesting facts.
Make a list of all your favourite moments or memories in your life. Now pick one to write a short story about.
Describe the scariest and ugliest monster you can imagine. You could even draw a picture of this monster with your description.
Write seven haikus, one for each colour of the rainbow. That’s red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.
Imagine you are at the supermarket. Write down at least three funny scenarios that could happen to you at the supermarket. Use one for your next short story.
Imagine your main character is at home staring at a photograph. Write the saddest scene possible. Your goal is to make your reader cry when reading this scene.
What is happiness? In at least 150 words describe the feeling of happiness. You could use examples from your own life of when you felt happy.
Think of a recent nightmare you had and write down everything you can remember. Use this nightmare as inspiration for your next story.
Keep a dream journal. Every time you wake up in the middle of the night or early in the morning you can quickly jot down things that you remember from your dreams. These notes can then be used as inspiration for a short story.
Your main character is having a really bad day. Describe this bad day and the series of events they experience. What’s the worst thing that could happen to your character?
You find a box on your doorstep. You open this box and see the most amazing thing ever. Describe this amazing thing to your readers.
Make a list of at least five possible settings or locations for future stories. Remember to describe each setting in detail.
Think of something new you recently learned. Write this down. Now write a short story where your main character also learns the same thing.
Describe the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen in your whole life. Your goal is to amaze your readers with its beauty.
Make a list of things that make you happy or cheer you up. Try to think of at least five ideas. Now imagine living in a world where all these things were banned or against the law. Use this as inspiration for your next story.
Would you rather be rich and alone or poor and very popular? Write a story based on the lives of these two characters.
Imagine your main character is a Librarian. Write down at least three dark secrets they might have. Remember, the best secrets are always unexpected.
There’s a history behind everything. Describe the history of your house. How and when was your house built? Think about the land it was built on and the people that may have lived here long before you.
Imagine that you are the king or queen of a beautiful kingdom. Describe your kingdom in great detail. What kind of rules would you have? Would you be a kind ruler or an evil ruler of the kingdom?
Make a wish list of at least three objects you wish you owned right now. Now use these three items in your next story. At least one of them must be the main prop in the story.
Using nothing but the sense of taste, describe a nice Sunday afternoon at your house. Remember you can’t use your other senses (i.e see, hear, smell or touch) in this description.
What’s the worst pain you felt in your life? Describe this pain in great detail, so your readers can also feel it.
If you were lost on a deserted island in the middle of nowhere, what three must-have things would you pack and why?
Particpate in online writing challenges or contests. Here at Imagine Forest, we offer daily writing challenges with a new prompt added every day to inspire you. Check out our challenges section in the menu.

Do you have any more fun creative writing exercises to share? Let us know in the comments below!

Marty the wizard is the master of Imagine Forest. When he's not reading a ton of books or writing some of his own tales, he loves to be surrounded by the magical creatures that live in Imagine Forest. While living in his tree house he has devoted his time to helping children around the world with their writing skills and creativity.

Comments loading...

When You Write

Do Writers Type or Write by Hand? Creative Benefits of Each

In my writer circles, the question “ Do writers type or write by hand ” gets asked a lot.

There are little bells attached to both methods, you have to choose which method makes the less annoying noise for you.

Research seems to indicate that writing using longhand allows you to retain more of the written material than typing. But, when it comes to speed, typing will outrun longhand—Usain Bolt quick.

These benefits, which seem to be evenly distributed, create some sort of a conundrum, especially when you actually need both speed and retention of your material.

Like many novelists and authors who have come before you, you’re probably musing over what method to use at different stages of your creative writing process.

Fortunately for you, you’ve landed on the right post at the right time. Before I start rambling about which helps with creativity or which is the preferred method by your favorite author, let me outline the benefits that each method has.

Handwriting Vs Typing: What’s The Difference?

The major differences are typified by the benefits and cons of both—the benefits of typing mirror the cons of writing by hand and vice versa.

Benefits of Writing by Hand

Taking notes longhand has its advantages; in fact, the hypothesis that you remember more of the content that you hand wrote than the stuff you typed has been backed by research.

Moreover, there are old-school writers like myself who’ve not fallen out of love with a physical journal notebook. From experience, I have learned that pouring one’s thoughts onto paper actually helps overcome writer’s block and establish a more personal experience with your concepts.

Here are some of the benefits of handwriting:

1. Writing by hand is a distraction-free type of writing. Typing usually involves the usage of a device that is probably connected to the internet. More often than not, if you are typing using a smartphone, tablet, or computer, a huge chunk of your time is spent jumping from one app to another or from one Twitter to LinkedIn.

But, shutting out distractions and maintaining maximum focus is essential to professional writers. A stylus might help you write, but it doesn’t do much in minimizing the distractions from your smartphone, tablet, or computer.

2. Writing helps deal with writer’s block. Writing by hand allows you to scribble some rhubarb in your journal or on a piece of paper. But unlike a word processing app, misspelled rhubarb—by hand—doesn’t result in any ugly squiggly lines popping on the page. This is just one of the ways in which handwriting gives you an extra edge over typing when you lack internal inspiration.

3. Writing by hand helps with retention. As I said, this has been backed by research. Researcher Daniel Oppenheimer conducted a psychological science research at the University of California that showed that writing notes by hand helps with memory and recall. The study results indicated that areas of the brain associated with recall and comprehension are more “engaged” when people use pen and paper for handwriting their notes.

4. Writing by hand is effective for visual learning processes. Sketching visual representation of information is easier and intuitive with handwriting. Writing by hand allows you to sketch infographics and manipulate them however you want—nothing is preset and you can freestyle everything, unlike in word processing apps and spreadsheets, where most infographic tools follow predetermined dimensions.

Benefits of Typing

Nowadays, most writers type their first drafts on a word processor (well, since the first typewriter, “modern writers” have been trading the quill and fountain pens for a set of keys).

There are reasons why most professional writers have the entire writing process on word processing apps. It is faster to type on a laptop than writing by hand (for most people, anyway).

Moreover, a lot of things are automated; hence one can write mindlessly and let the apps brush up after them—seamlessly putting the text in check as they produce letter-perfect content.

Here are some of the major rewards of typing your work:

1. Typing allows formatting . There are some texts that need to be formatted in a specific way, formats that can only be done with a word processor. A publisher or a lecturer might require you to submit work with a particular word count, a particular font, or a specific referencing style. Typing with the help of a word processor enables you to automatically set and tweak such formatting specifics.

2. Typing offers ease and speed . If you are working on complex writing projects with deadlines, working on a laptop is more efficient than using longhand. Typing is also a very convenient way of writing when there is a lot of content that needs to be copied; transferring texts from an external source to your document only takes a few commands. With lots of grammar checking software extensions, word processors play a huge part in the editing process .

3. Typing is good for research and multi-tasking. Writing involves a lot of research and referencing. Therefore, the note-taking or draft writing processes require that you multitask—switching between tabs, media clips, and PDFs. When you are writing by hand you have to laboriously transfer all your researched material to your notebook—letter by letter. On the other hand, a laptop or tab allows you to have both the writing window and the research window open, side by side. When you find the required information, you can simply highlight and drag the text to your document.

4. It’s easy to back up typed writing . Writing on a computer offers more storage options than writing in a notebook. Most of these options offer easy, instant, and secure ways of backing your work compared to storage options you have when you write using longhand. For example, working on a word processor—like MS Word or Google Docs—allows you to save and backup your documents on backup drives or the cloud. Writing by hand affords less storage options, and you might easily lose your work because there are usually no advanced security options—i.e., digital encryption.

Discovering What Does the Job for You

There are factors that need to be taken into consideration when choosing a method best for you. You should know that what worked for someone—even in the same genre—might seem a burdensome writing method for you.

Moreover, you will find out that, in specific scenarios, one writing method might work better than the other. This might depend on the nature of the material you are writing and how you want to use it later.

Therefore, I would recommend experimentation; before making up your mind on whether to write by hand or type, you should give both methods dummy runs in order to find out which way of writing works better for you.

To get a better picture, take a look at some of the scenarios that fit each method.

What Scenario(s) suit(s) typing?

Since it’s easier to edit and fix, search through, and backup typed work, typing is convenient for writing bulky material that has tight submission deadlines. It is also perfect for work that needs to be decently edited and securely stored.

What Scenario(s) suit(s) Longhand Writing?

Writing by hand works best when you want to retain a lot of the material which you’re writing. Take for example, when you’re note-taking during a lecture or watching a video tutorial; what you need—to have the most out of the learning process—is to have an abstract understanding of the content and maintain focus on the most substantial elements of the material.

Not only will your brain retain more of your handwritten material, but you can also draw visual pointers to help you remember parts of it.

Which One Helps with Creativity?

More often than not, typing seems to produce better quality content, but that’s at face value. Sometimes, your idea reservoir dries up, and there usually isn’t much your stylus or keyboard can do to help you get your mojo back.

A perfect solution is actually one that has induced creativity for writers across centuries—pen and paper.

The aesthetic element of longhand and the freedom to write and sketch anything makes writing more fun than typing, and that can inject the much-needed creativity into the writing process.

When you are writing by hand, your cognitive processes are more involved than when you type and this can lead to some random springs of ideas. And at the pace of handwriting, you’re not worried about your hands outpacing your brain.

Do Writers Write by Hand or Computer?

There are still a bunch of writers that use longhand writing to craft their first draft before transferring the material to a word processor for editing.

Although typing enables a writer to finish books much faster than writing using longhand, there are a couple of authors who believe the benefits of the pen-pencil-paper setup outweighs the rewards of typing. Therefore, they still prefer getting the work done the old way (of course, they have to get the draft typed later).

In fact, most writers who still use longhand believe—in line with the benefits of handwriting that I have already outlined—that using longhand helps them process their thoughts and poppy ideas more efficiently.

For some old-school authors, writing by hand offers the only way to completely eliminate the distractions brought by the many widgets that have flooded the digital era.

Authors Who Write by Hand

Here are a few authors who wouldn’t (God bless their soul) and those who won’t let go of their beloved pen and paper when writing their draft:

Ernest Hemingway
Jack Kerouac
Quentin Tarantino
Joyce Carol Oates
Stephen King
J. K. Rowling
George Clooney
Neil Gaiman
Joe Haldeman
Andre Dubus III

“Having reviewed all the evidence brought before this honorable blog, it is the decision of the court that writing by hand has more creative benefits compared to typing.”

If it were up to me, I would say write by hand when crafting your bestseller. However, I do realize that writing by hand can be a taxing process for most writers.

Moreover, the creative process is supposed to be flexible, and depending on the type of prose or the reason you’re writing, you might be bound to fulfill some formatting requisites easily attained when typing.

Ultimately, the onus of choosing whether to type or write by hand is on you. As for me, I have my pen and Moleskine ready to pour my thoughts.

Hand Writing Vs Typing: Which is Better for Creativity?

Writing by hand or typing – which one is better for creativity? For the most part, it seems that writing by hand has been left in the past. Of course, typing is the easier option. It’s faster, simpler, and it comes with a range of benefits such as automatic spell checks. But is typing the best option when it comes to creativity?

Various studies have actually found that writing by hand uses large regions of the brain involved in thinking, language, and working memory. This means that your brain gets a workout when you write by hand and this is more likely to get the creative juices flowing.

In this article, we will take a look at why writing by hand is better for creativity than typing. We will also take a look at some of the benefits of writing by hand and some of the benefits of typing. While writing by hand is better for creativity , typing also has many benefits. Read on to find out more about hand writing vs typing.

Why is Hand Writing Better for Creativity?

Writing by hand feels much more special than typing. Typing is easy and efficient, but it can also be quite boring. When you physically write with a pen, you are more likely to absorb the information that you’re writing. All of your focus is on the task at hand and you’re more likely to trigger creative thoughts because the act of actively writing things down is much more conscious than simply typing things out.

There is a lot of science to support the cognitive benefits of writing by hand. Putting pen to paper can use many more neurons in your brain. This helps you to retain the information and can enhance your memory. Not only that, but writing by hand can also make you much happier.

A blank piece of paper can become anything. You can scribble, draw things, and write to your heart’s content . Writing by hand allows you to unleash everything onto the paper without any restrictions. Whatever pops into your mind can make its way onto the paper.

When you type electronically, you are limited in terms of creativity. While you may be able to do some doodles and other things with certain applications or programs, it would take much longer to do this on a screen than to just get it all out on paper by hand. The lengthier process on the computer can put a dent in the creativity and may result in your losing some of your creative ideas.

Benefits of Writing By Hand

There are many benefits of writing by hand. Some of the main benefits include the following:

Hand writing is useful for visual learners
Hand writing boosts the learning process
Writing by hand can be a work of art
Hand writing can help you to avoid distractions

Hand Writing Is Useful For Visual Learners

Writing by hand allows you to have the freedom to easily sketch anything you need to support the writing. You can add infographics, images , or word webs to help you with your writing. These non-traditional layouts can help you to put all of your thoughts onto the paper and visualize the connections with your thoughts.

Hand Writing Boosts The Learning Process

According to psychological research , writing by hand can help with both memory and recall. Studies show that areas of the brain that are associated with comprehension and recall are much more engaged when notes are written down by hand with a pen and paper.

Writing By Hand Can Be A Work Of Art

Many people like to make handwritten notes instead of computer notes because they are more aesthetically pleasing. If you have good calligraphy skills or very neat handwriting, hand written notes can give you an outlet to practice your hobby. Writing is simple, all you need is a pen and some paper to get creative with your writing and practice your skills.

Hand Writing Can Help You To Avoid Distractions

Technology is very distracting and time-consuming. Writing requires a lot of focus and many writers can find it difficult to avoid distractions. Writing by hand away from your smartphone or computer screen is a great way for you to focus completely on the task at hand.

Benefits of Typing

Although writing by hand helps us to be more creative , we can’t blow off typing as it does have a lot of benefits too. Below is a list of the benefits of typing:

Allows you to back up your work quickly
Good for multi-tasking and researching
Typing is better for work that needs certain formatting
Typing can help you to avoid hand cramps
Typing is fast and easy

Allows You To Back Up Your Work Quickly

Writing on a computer can provide you with a much more secure place to store your writing. Word processors give you various ways to back up your work and computers have very useful features such as storing files in the cloud . While working with pen and paper is a great way to ensure your work is as creative as possible, it also leaves you much more prone to losing your work. This is where typing has an advantage.

Good For Multi-Tasking And Researching

Depending on the work you are completing, you may need to make various notes and multi-task. When you type notes on a computer you can have a separate window open for your research and this makes it much easier for you to type up the notes that you need.

Typing Is Better For Work That Needs Certain Formatting

If you are working on a project that requires specific formatting, or if you need to hit a certain word count in your document, a computer allows you to keep track of these elements easily.

Typing Can Help You To Avoid Hand Cramps

While carpal tunnel and posture problems can come up with typing, many people find that hand writing is much more physically demanding on your hands and fingers. Hand cramps can slow down the writing process and this can be a common issue for those who choose to hand write rather than type.

Typing Is Fast And Easy

If you are pressed for time or have a deadline, typing can be very beneficial. Typing on a computer is a very fast process that allows you to get a lot of words down with minimal effort. Computer documents are also very easy to edit and often easier to read.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, writing there are many benefits to both hand writing and typing. However, if you are looking for the most creative writing outlet, writing by hand has been proven to be the best option.

Creative Writing Exercises For Typing Practice

It’s always smart to get out of dull routines and mix things up a bit. And when it comes to repetitive tasks like typing practice, this is especially true. So rather than sticking with the same old boring typing tasks, why not try out some creative writing exercises instead?

Let’s talk about some fun and interesting ways to help your students have some fun with their typing practice. And before you know it, you’ll have a class full of engaged and hard-working typers.

Smart Ways to Add Creative Writing Exercises to Your Class

Write about a happy moment.

Making things personal is always guaranteed to grab a person’s attention. As such, it’s a great idea to have your students write about something that made them really happy. It’ll get their creative juices going since they’ll need to brainstorm and sift through multiple happy instances. And the typing itself won’t feel like work since it’s about an emotionally uplifting topic. All in all, everyone’s going to be a happier camper with this exercise.

Write About A Sad Experience

On the flip side, it’s also a great idea to have your students write about something that made them really sad. Again, this is guaranteed to grab their attention in ways that the same old boring typing exercises just can’t. It gets to the core of who they are and the life they lead. In a way, it can even be therapeutic as your students work through their emotions on paper. And again, the typing itself won’t feel like a chore since it’s about an emotionally challenging topic.

Think Of Five Random Words And Make A Story Out Of Them

This is an exercise in creativity, resourcefulness, and typing all in one. Your students will need to come up with a story using only the five words they’re given. They can be chosen at random or by the students themselves. By limiting their creative options, they’ll have to be more inventive and resourceful in their storytelling. And the typing itself will also be a good workout since they’ll need to type out a story in such a limited amount of space.

Write A Story About A Passionate Topic In 100 Words Or Less

One of the easiest ways to get a person to talk is to have them talk about a passion. The same principle applies to creative writing exercises. When your students write about something they’re passionate about, it’s guaranteed to get them typing faster and with more zeal. And the writing exercise itself will be over before you know it since they’ll need to keep things concise and short.

Describe Your Current View By Typing

This one is easy to get into since they’re basically looking around and describing what they see. The only difference is they’re typing things out instead of saying them. For example, if there’s a window, they might think “I see the trees outside my classroom,” and then they type it out. It’s fairly simple but can be fun to do. It might help if they speak things out loud and type at the same time as they observe things.

Type Out Words Using ABC

What’s nice about this one is there’s a simple order to follow – the ABCs. For this exercise, all they need to do is type out a word that corresponds to the order of the alphabet. For instance, they might type out “A” and then write apple. Then they’d type “B” and write out banana. Then just repeat the whole process till they finish up at “Z.” It’ll be a great way for them to work on their typing skills while also improving their spelling and vocabulary.

Write A Short Story Without Using The Letter “E”

This is likely to be a challenge. But if you can keep the exercise as short as possible, your students will likely get into it. So it’d be smart to limit this to poems or paragraphs. The great thing about this exercise is your students will have to be creative and resourceful. They may not even realize they’re becoming better typists as they work through this exercise, as they’ll have to think about how they’re going to describe things if the letter “E” is not available.

Make Typing Fun Again With Creative Writing Exercises

It’s no surprise that learning to type can seem like a boring, repetitive activity. But with these creative writing exercises, it’s about to get a whole lot more fun. But if you want an easy way to make improving their typing skills more interesting, why not try the tools at KeyboardingOnline ? That way, all you need to do is simply boot up the program, and the whole process is more entertaining with little effort from you at all.

TRY OUR FREE APP

Write your book in Reedsy Studio. Try the beloved writing app for free today.

Craft your masterpiece in Reedsy Studio

Plan, write, edit, and format your book in our free app made for authors.

Best Writing Apps in 2024

Showing 128 writing apps that match your search.

The only writing platform with unlimited potential through project management, collaboration, and publishing.

Platforms: Online, Chrome

Best for: Outlining, Drafting, Book, and Story

Website: https://www.squibler.io/

Base price:

Premium price:

★★★ Performance

★★★ Features

★★ Accessibility

The human brain is non-linear: we jump from idea to idea, all the time. Your second brain should work the same. In Obsidian, making and following connections is frictionless. Tend to your notes like a gardener; at the end of the day, sit back and marvel at your own knowledge graph.

Platforms: Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android, PC

Best for: Note-taking, Outlining, Journal, Book, Story, Essay, Poetry, Blog, and Free

Website: https://obsidian.md/

★★★★★ Performance

★★★★ Features

★★★★ Accessibility

Also rated 4.5 ★ on TechRadar

Microsoft Word

Elevate your writing, create beautiful documents, and collaborate with others—anywhere, anytime.

Platforms: Online, Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad, Chrome, PC

Best for: Drafting, Essay, Journal, Book, Story, Poetry, and Blog

Website: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/word

★★★★ Performance

★★★★★ Features

★★★★★ Accessibility

Learn more about Reedsy Studio .

A minimalist writing zone, where you can block out all distractions and get to what's important. The writing! To get started, all you need to do is delete this text (seriously, just highlight it and hit delete), and fill the page with your own fantastic words. You can even change the title!

Best for: Drafting, Book, Story, Poetry, Journal, Essay, and Free

Website: https://zenpen.io/

★★★ Accessibility

A tool for thoughtful writing. See your work in new ways, think with an integrated concept map, and export with an automatic reference section, all in a distraction free environment.

Platforms: Mac

Best for: Drafting, Book, Story, Essay, and Free

Website: https://www.augmentedtext.info/author

Also rated 4.4 ★ on TechRadar

Gingko is a new kind of tool, that lets you shape your ideas with lists, outlines and cards, all in the same clean interface.

Platforms: Online

Best for: Outlining, Essay, Book, Story, and Blog

Website: https://gingkowriter.com/

Campfire Write

Campfire is a versatile writing tool organized into modules, each one offering a different type of story element you can create. Keep track of each character's motives, history, eye color, and more. The Characters Module gives you an easy way to make quick notes or detailed character sheets about anyone in your story. Upload your map to the Maps Module, add pins to integrate it with the rest of your story, and nest other maps to keep things organized.

Platforms: Mac, Windows, Online, PC

Best for: Outlining, Drafting, Book, Story, and Free

Website: https://www.campfirewriting.com/

Also rated 4.0 ★ on Reedsy

WhiteSmoke renders you with the highest quality proofreading abilities available, correcting not only simple spelling mistakes like old fashioned word processors, but everything from grammar, word choices and even style mistakes, all without breaking a sweat.

Platforms: Online, Windows, PC

Best for: Editing, Proofreading, and Essay

Website: https://www.whitesmoke.com/

Rhymer's Block

A real-time rhyme suggestion engine offering color-coded rhyme highlighting, the ability to save your work to the cloud, the power to embed SoundCloud jams into your notes, customizable visual layouts, and more.

Platforms: Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android

Best for: Drafting, Poetry, and Free

Website: https://www.rhymersblock.com/welcome

Also rated 4.8 ★ on the App Store

iWriter Pro

iWriter Pro is elegant and minimalist text editor with built-in MultiMarkdown support. Distraction-free and subscription-free.

Platforms: Mac, iPhone, iPad

Best for: Drafting, Book, Story, Blog, and Free

Website: https://serpensoft.info/

Written? Kitten!

The Internet's best write-reward system! Write one hundred words, get an image of a kitten!

Best for: Drafting, Book, Story, Essay, Journal, Poetry, Blog, and Free

Website: https://writtenkitten.co/

★★★★★ Value

Reedsy Studio

A powerful writing tool from Reedsy. Write and export a beautifully typeset book. This is the beloved app made for authors, by authors.

Best for: Outlining, Drafting, Editing, Proofreading, Publishing, Book, Poetry, Story, and Free

Website: https://reedsy.com/write-a-book

Also rated 4.6 ★ on Trustpilot

Join a community of over 1 million authors

Reedsy is more than just a blog. Become a member today to discover how we can help you publish a beautiful book.

Save your shortlist

Enter your email address to save your shortlist so that you don't lose it!

By continuing, you will also receive Reedsy's weekly publishing tips and access to our free webinars.

We sent over your shortlist. Thank you for using Reedsy's Writing Apps Directory, happy publishing! 🙌

We made a writing app for you

Yes, you! Write. Format. Export for ebook and print. 100% free, always.

1 million authors trust the professionals on Reedsy. Come meet them.

Enter your email or get started with a social account:

Creative Writing Programs Online

Learn more about lu.

By submitting contact information through this form, I agree that Liberty University and its affiliates may call and/or text me about its offerings by any phone number I have provided and may provide in the future, including any wireless number, using automated technology.

Message and data rates may apply. For additional information, text HELP to 49595 or 49596. You may opt-out at any time by sending STOP to 49595 or 49596. Visit for Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy .

15 colleges and schools

350+ degrees on-campus

600+ degrees online

20 NCAA Div. 1 Sports

Online Undergraduate and Graduate Creative Writing Programs

Do you want to learn how to tell stories or create art through your words? If you want to write poetry, script plays, or write novels, Liberty has creative writing programs that can help you learn the skills you need. You can start with the basics and develop your skills under the teaching and mentorship of teachers who know their craft. But what program is right for you?

Associate Degrees

Liberty’s 100% online Associate of Arts (A.A.) in Creative Writing offers you the opportunity to enhance your writing skills as you prepare for a future career or a bachelor’s degree.

Apply Now Request Info

Bachelor’s Degrees

Bachelor of science in creative writing – christian literature, bachelor of science in creative writing – english.

Liberty’s 100% online Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Creative Writing – English offers you the chance to develop a deep understanding of the English language.

Bachelor of Science in Creative Writing – Journalism

Liberty’s 100% online Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Creative Writing – Journalism allows you to develop investigative and reporting abilities and build your portfolio.

Liberty’s 100% online Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in English and Writing offers you advanced training in composition and literature, creative writing, and modern grammar.

Liberty’s 100% online Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in English and Writing – Christian Literature can help you hone your writing and critical thinking skills as you explore the works of some of the greatest Christian writers in history.

Liberty’s 100% online Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in English and Writing – Creative Writing degree offers advanced training in grammar, technical writing, and storytelling.

Liberty’s 100% online Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in English and Writing – Journalism offers you a journalism education that can teach you to write compelling stories and help you pursue exciting writing opportunities.

Liberty’s 100% online Master of Arts (M.A.) in Composition will guide you through the fundamentals of writing and grammar and help prepare you to teach composition at the collegiate level.

Liberty’s 100% online Master of Arts (M.A.) in Professional Writing can help you craft effective communication using digital media, traditional publishing, and cutting-edge technology as you master advanced grammar and composition.

Liberty’s 100% online Master of Arts (M.A.) in Professional Writing – Research Administration and Sponsored Programs blends studies in writing with practical business applications, which can help you become a more marketable job candidate.

Liberty’s 100% online Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) in Creative Writing is designed to help you build on your writing skills with specific workshops dedicated to the craft of fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, or screenwriting.

Creative Writing

Master’s Degrees

Composition

Professional Writing

Professional Writing – Research Administration and Sponsored Programs

Creative Writing – Christian Literature

Liberty’s 100% online Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Creative Writing – Christian Literature allows you to study prominent authors and works of Christian literature of the past and present.

Creative Writing – English

Liberty’s 100% online Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Creative Writing – English offers you the chance to develop a deep understanding of the English language.

Creative Writing – Journalism

Liberty’s 100% online Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Creative Writing – Journalism allows you to develop investigative and reporting abilities and build your portfolio.

English and Writing

English and Writing – Christian Literature

English and Writing – Creative Writing

English and Writing – Journalism

Associate of Arts in Creative Writing

Apply Now Request Information

Liberty’s 100% online Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Creative Writing – English offers you the chance to develop a deep understanding of the English language while sharpening your writing skills.

Bachelor of Science in English and Writing – Creative Writing

Liberty’s 100% online Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in English and Writing – Creative Writing offers you advanced training in composition and literature, creative writing, and modern grammar.

Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

Liberty’s 100% online Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) in Creative Writing can help you learn new concepts, grow your understanding, and hone your writing skills to their highest form.

Which kind of creative writing program fits my needs?

If you don’t have a degree and aren’t ready to commit to a bachelor’s – Liberty’s online Associate of Arts in Creative Writing gives you an entry point into creative writing. Designed as a halfway step to a bachelor’s degree, our A.A. in Creative Writing will cover foundational courses and training that can help you get started while opening the door to a more in-depth Bachelor of Science in English and Writing – Creative Writing after you graduate.
If you want a full bachelor’s degree focused on creative writing and English language – Liberty’s Bachelor of Science in English and Writing – Creative Writing is designed to equip you with a thorough background in English language studies to support your creative writing skills. The skills you learn in this program can also help you pursue teaching or roles in communication and writing for business.
If you already have a bachelor’s degree and want a career in writing – Liberty’s online Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing could be the best choice for you. The M.F.A. in Creative Writing is designed to help you refine your craft and gain a mastery in your writing discipline. And because an M.F.A. is considered a terminal degree, earning a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing can open the door to university teaching.

Karen Kingsbury Center for Creative Writing An exciting part of our creative writing programs is that you will have the opportunity to take courses that were created in partnership with #1 New York Times bestselling author and Christian novelist Karen Kingsbury. Kingsbury has contributed course content to the degrees above, providing firsthand training in all areas of interest. We are proud to partner with her through our Karen Kingsbury Center for Creative Writing .

Potential Career Options with a Creative Writing Degree

Book and magazine writer
Business communications specialist
Creative writing instructor
Professional blogger
Public relations
Publications editor
Screenwriter
Social media coordinator
Website copy editor and writer
Writing manager

What Are the Benefits of Studying Creative Writing at Liberty University?

We are recognized by multiple institutions for our academic quality, affordability, and accessibility . Our commitment to excellence also helped us rank in the top 10% of Niche.com’s best online schools in America . Earning your online creative writing degree from a nonprofit university with this kind of recognition can help set you apart from others in your field.
Liberty University’s state-of-the-art online learning environment offers you a wide variety of learning methods, including simulations, recorded lectures, and digital collaboration tools that will help you engage with your studies and learn practical teaching skills.
The majority of tuition for undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs has not increased in 9 years. While many other online colleges have raised tuition, Liberty has been able to keep costs low as a nonprofit university.
You can complete your online creative writing program in less time than you think, due to our 8-week format and 8 start times per year.

Military Benefits

Service is important to us, so whether you’re currently serving in the Armed Forces, have served, or are married to someone who serves, we’re here to serve you. Liberty’s military benefits are available to:

Active duty service members of the U.S. Armed Forces
Reserve/National Guard
Veterans/retirees
Spouses of service members and veterans/retirees
Current Department of Defense employees

We are proud to support you in your pursuit of a flexible and affordable online education by offering you the following benefits:

For undergraduate programs:

Tuition discounts – $250 per credit hour for undergraduate courses
Additional discount for veterans who serve in a civilian capacity as a First Responder (less than $565 per course)
8-week courses, 8 different start dates each year, and no set login times (may exclude certain courses such as practicums, internships, or field experiences)
Potential college credit for military training

For graduate programs:

Tuition discounts – $275 per credit hour for graduate courses
Additional discount for veterans who serve in a civilian capacity as a First Responder (less than $625 per course)

Areas of Interest

Choose your area of Interest:

Training Champions for Christ

Liberty’s promise to you is an education that expertly brings knowledge and faith together. Here, education is designed around you. It connects you to people and opportunities that help you develop the skills and confidence you’re looking for. At Liberty, you’ll find the knowledge, experience, and mentorship you want to make your career — and life — a fulfilling one.

Why Liberty

Liberty University is not just another school. It is the realization of a dream, the product of thousands of prayers. It was built to invite students into a bigger, better story. Discover the Liberty difference for yourself.

Scholarships

When it comes to choosing a college, finances make a difference. That’s why at Liberty, we believe in offering you a top-notch education — that’s also affordable. Discover how Liberty can help you keep your college costs down.

For residential students

Online Discounts

At Liberty University, we believe everyone should have an equal opportunity to pursue higher education, and it's our job to keep private education affordable. Explore the many ways a Liberty education can be an affordable one.

For online students

Academic Excellence

Liberty University is institutionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, and certain programs have earned additional field-specific accreditation as well.

IMAGES

Getting Started with Typing.com
How writing on a typewriter made me more creative
Typing.com Review
How To Improve Creative Writing
Primary Creative Writing Classes
Typing Practice

VIDEO

Typing com Reviews [ With Proof Scam or Legit ? ] Typing com ! Typing com Review
writing & typing sounds & chatting【study with me】
Typing.com
Creative writing skills
5 Tips For Creative Writing
4 Top Website for Typing Practices Speed Typing Skills| Speed Test

COMMENTS

What Is Creative Writing? (Ultimate Guide + 20 Examples)
Creative writing is an art form that transcends traditional literature boundaries. It includes professional, journalistic, academic, and technical writing. This type of writing emphasizes narrative craft, character development, and literary tropes. It also explores poetry and poetics traditions.
Creative Writing 101: A Beginner's Guide to Creative Writing
Creative Writing 101. Creative writing is any form of writing which is written with the creativity of mind: fiction writing, poetry writing, creative nonfiction writing and more. The purpose is to express something, whether it be feelings, thoughts, or emotions. Rather than only giving information or inciting the reader to make an action ...
8 Tips for Getting Started With Creative Writing
Action: In creative writing, action should occur for a reason—characters' actions should be based on their motivations, their points of view, and their previous choices. A protagonist's actions should always propel them toward their main goal in a way that is related to the plot events at hand. A character's goals affect their character ...
Handwriting vs. Typing: What Are the Benefits of Writing by Hand?
Some of the benefits of handwriting include: 1. Writing by hand is useful for visual learners. Writing longhand notes gives you the graphic freedom to easily sketch an infographic, word web, or another non-traditional layout to put your thoughts down and visualize connections. 2.
1800+ Creative Writing Prompts To Inspire You Right Now
Here's how our contest works: every Friday, we send out a newsletter containing five creative writing prompts. Each week, the story ideas center around a different theme. Authors then have one week — until the following Friday — to submit a short story based on one of our prompts. A winner is picked each week to win $250 and is highlighted ...
Handwriting Versus Typing: The Best Method for Writing
Process information more easily. Writing notes by hand requires different types of cognitive processing than does typing notes on an electronic device. Comprehension and retention are improved through the physical process of writing. In other words, handwriting keeps your mind sharp. Slow down your thinking.
Why writing by hand beats typing for thinking and learning
As schools reconsider cursive, research homes in on handwriting's brain benefits : Shots - Health News Researchers are learning that handwriting engages the brain in ways typing can't match ...
105 Creative Writing Exercises: 10 Min Writing Exercises
Here are over 105 creative writing exercises to give your brain a workout and help those creative juices flow again: Set a timer for 60 seconds. Now write down as many words or phrases that come to mind at that moment. Pick any colour you like. Now start your sentence with this colour.
Novlr: the creative writing workspace designed with your writing goals
Join them to thrash out ideas, share your struggles, get advice, or just hang out with a likeminded community. Get involved. Write for free. With Novlr, you can achieve your writing goals. Built by writers and owned by its writing community, Novlr helps you progress along every stage of your writing journey.
Do Writers Type Or Write By Hand? Creative Benefits Of Each
Benefits of Typing. Typing provides speed and helps you avoid hand cramps. Nowadays, most writers type their first drafts on a word processor (well, since the first typewriter, "modern writers" have been trading the quill and fountain pens for a set of keys). There are reasons why most professional writers have the entire writing process on ...
How to Improve Your Typing Skills as a Writer
All you need to do is place your left and right index fingers on the two ridges and the keyboard becomes much more accessible. Touch typing skills are essential for every writer. Even if you had typing training before or you are a naturally fast typing person (you lucky one!), improving this skill can only get you better results.
Hand Writing Vs Typing: Which is Better for Creativity?
Benefits of Typing. Although writing by hand helps us to be more creative, we can't blow off typing as it does have a lot of benefits too. Below is a list of the benefits of typing: Allows you to back up your work quickly. Good for multi-tasking and researching. Typing is better for work that needs certain formatting.
Creative Writing Exercises For Typing Practice
This is an exercise in creativity, resourcefulness, and typing all in one. Your students will need to come up with a story using only the five words they're given. They can be chosen at random or by the students themselves. By limiting their creative options, they'll have to be more inventive and resourceful in their storytelling.
The Ultimate List of 128 Writing Apps in 2024
Welcome to our directory of creative writing apps! Simply filter your search by platform and category to find the perfect writing app to get you across the finish line of your novel. Please note that the star ratings for each writing app is a combination of our own testing and public user reviews. We strongly recommend you to research every app ...
Learn Touch Typing Free
TypingClub is the best way to learn touch typing online for free. You can choose from 650 fun and engaging typing courses, games and videos in different languages and levels. Whether you are a student, a teacher or a professional, TypingClub can help you improve your typing skills and speed.
Online Creative Writing Programs
Learn More About How You Can Study the Craft of Writing With Liberty University's Online Creative Writing Programs. (855) 814-8615. Explore; Online; On-Campus; Online Discounts ...
Typing Practice
Take a typing test, practice typing lessons, learn to type faster.

What Is Creative Writing? (Ultimate Guide + 20 Examples)

What Is Creative Writing (Long Description)?

Types of Creative Writing

Short Stories (The Brief Escape)

Novels (The Long Journey)

Poetry (The Soul’s Language)

Plays (The Dramatic Dialogue)

Screenplays (Cinema’s Blueprint)

Memoirs (The Personal Journey)

Flash Fiction (The Quick Twist)

Creative Nonfiction (The Factual Tale)

Fantasy (The World Beyond)

Science Fiction (The Future Imagined)

What Are the 5 Cs of Creative Writing?

Conciseness

Consistency

Is Creative Writing Easy?

What Does a Creative Writer Do?

How to Get Started With Creative Writing?

Final Thoughts: What Is Creative Writing?

Creative Writing 101

For novelists: do you want to write compelling opening chapters?

Need more writing tips?

Free updates

Share this:

Your Health

Why writing by hand beats typing for thinking and learning

Is this some kind of joke? A school facing shortages starts teaching standup comedy

Your brain on handwriting

Shots - Health News

What might be lost as handwriting wanes

Slowing down and processing information

105 Creative Writing Exercises To Get You Writing Again

What are creative writing exercises?

List of 105+ Creative Writing Exercises

Related Posts

Do Writers Type or Write by Hand? Creative Benefits of Each

Handwriting Vs Typing: What’s The Difference?

Benefits of Writing by Hand

Benefits of Typing

Discovering What Does the Job for You

What Scenario(s) suit(s) typing?

What Scenario(s) suit(s) Longhand Writing?

Which One Helps with Creativity?

Do Writers Write by Hand or Computer?

Authors Who Write by Hand

Recommended Reading...

Hand Writing Vs Typing: Which is Better for Creativity?

Why is Hand Writing Better for Creativity?

Benefits of Writing By Hand

Hand Writing Is Useful For Visual Learners

Hand Writing Boosts The Learning Process

Writing By Hand Can Be A Work Of Art

Hand Writing Can Help You To Avoid Distractions

Benefits of Typing

Allows You To Back Up Your Work Quickly

Good For Multi-Tasking And Researching

Typing Is Better For Work That Needs Certain Formatting

Typing Can Help You To Avoid Hand Cramps

Typing Is Fast And Easy

Final Thoughts

Creative Writing Exercises For Typing Practice

Smart Ways to Add Creative Writing Exercises to Your Class

Write About A Sad Experience

Think Of Five Random Words And Make A Story Out Of Them

Write A Story About A Passionate Topic In 100 Words Or Less

Describe Your Current View By Typing

Type Out Words Using ABC

Write A Short Story Without Using The Letter “E”

Make Typing Fun Again With Creative Writing Exercises

Craft your masterpiece in Reedsy Studio

Best Writing Apps in 2024

Microsoft Word

Campfire Write

Rhymer's Block

iWriter Pro

Written? Kitten!

Reedsy Studio

Save your shortlist

We made a writing app for you