15 Creative Writing Techniques That Will Improve Your Essay Writing in 2024 [Updated]

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Do you know how authors develop an initial idea of fiction? Or did you ever think why some essays become the writing of the world where few others don’t! Well, this is all because of following various creative writing techniques. Creative writing course includes writing fiction, poetry writing, speeches, memoirs, scripts, poetry, drama writing, essay writing, or anything like that.

With this blog, we’ll discuss a few hacks of creative writing techniques and essay writing techniques that will embark on your write-up and give it a memorable edit. We’ll look at the techniques on how to assess the thematic content and how this is expressed in the progression of the plot. At the same time, we’ll be exploring the role of the writer as a self-editor and examine how close-reading and critical thinking can enable improved confidence in the creation of a unique and individual voice that will appeal to a broad readership.

Enough said! Let’s get into the main content now.

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Why do creative writing techniques matter?

Why not? Even the chocolate coating on the donuts makes them extra delicious. And adding sprinklers is another add-on. Did you ever ask for extra sprinklers?

Creative writing develops creative thoughts utilizing their imagination, alternative suggestions by broadening the thought process, and problem-solving skills. Creatively writing your essays or simply following essay writing techniques allow people to showcase their opinion and develop their voice. It helps in the improvement of logical skills.

Creative writing or essay writing is the only way to help writers unleash their creative side and feel more comfortable when they are writing it every day. An essay expresses one ‘s character. It gives an insight into the capacity to articulate a person. It gives the reader an understanding of the personality, aptitude, and vision of the person. Indeed, the purpose of an essay is to examine the following facets of one’s character: 

Knowledge – This is an important metric as it tests the writer’s level of awareness, in factual subjects, more so. It portrays a well-rounded and conscious personality with good attention to the environment. 

Writing ability – This metric measures the expression of concern of the writer. Strong written writing abilities are shown in a well-written essay. 

Logical structure – This parameter demonstrates the logical reasoning and capacity to prioritize the authors. Clustering and grouping various collections of ideas and organizing them in a way that represents logical progression and proper sequencing is critical.

What is the foundation of the best essay?

The following foundations are based on the best essay: 

Content: This is the subject of the discussion; keep close to the topic given, please. For example, if the subject is “FDI in higher education,” w.r.t. “FDI in retail” would not deviate from having difficulties and obstacles since they are very different subjects. Focus on India’s higher education and explain the reason for FDI in higher education. 

Organization: Using instances from the introduction to the end, how the statement is built. 

Presentation: It requires style, vocabulary usage, correct words, spellings, and ease of understanding. An additional bonus is the use of plain words in clean and precise handwriting.

What are the steps involved in writing the best essay?

The method of writing an efficient essay is quite simple. It can literally be illustrated in three steps: 

1. Defines the intent 

The intent may be either to provide a summary or an analysis. In particular, it should be pre-defined as an essay structured to: 

• Persuade – you should be at least somewhat emotional about the subject, whether for or against. 
• Explain and educate – You should be sufficiently well-informed about the issue. Explain / Educate-

2. Organize your ideas 

Brainstorm- This encourages you to think laterally and divergently about the different problems and difficulties with regard to the given topic. Write the subject with points/facts/info.

There are three types of ideas for essay topics that you may come up with. All three apply specifically to paragraphs on the body:

• Theoretical (the focal point of a paragraph on the body)
• Conceptual (the elaboration of the paragraph on the body)
• Empirical (the case of the body paragraph being substantiated)

3. Write!

Gather your resources and ideas, and start writing! 

Top 15 creative writing techniques that will improve your essay writing

1. The reader’s mindset

In creative writing or any type of writing, the reader is the most critical aspect. If you want to do a decent job at keeping them engaged, you ought to know and understand what you write about. For a moment, let’s think about the kind of person you write for when you write an essay and what you need to do to write specifically for them.

2. Keep in mind that outlines are your friend

A significant adversary, even for the most accomplished artists, is the spinning cursor of a blank screen. Sketch out an outline of what you plan to write prior to putting pen to proverbial paper. This is going to be your blueprint for battle, and it will help you fight the battle. Very few writers sit down to write anything without a solid plan in mind, and I do mean very few.

An outline doesn’t need to be complicated. A simple structure of which sections, along with a few sentences about what each section contains, should appear in a particular order may be sufficient. If the subject you’re tackling is a little more complex, your outline may also have to be, but before you write, having an outline is like having a roadmap in your car’s glove box before a road trip. Refer to your outline and get back to crushing heads and taking names if you tend to feel confused.

Let’s look at a real example:

Introduction

It is a brief summary of an essay.

Section 1 – What is the topic about?

It should include paragraph(s) explaining the primary principles behind the topic (style, tone, and messaging)

Examples of each should be there.

Section 2 – Preparing topic with Content

Explanations of how to develop content (written, visual, video)

Considerations for content producers/marketers to bear in mind when producing content (strategy, goals, overall brand messaging)

Section 3 – Examples of content that builds the topic voice

Several examples (three or four) of content that aligns well with marketing positioning and branding of recognizable brands

Conclusion

Wrap-up

Conclude your essay with the overarching structure to keep you on goal.

3. Emotions

Create a list of your life of the top five fears. Write a character who is driven to face one of those fears. When you read about a happy or calamitous incident in your life, write a whole page detailing the exact feelings. Try now to condense the page into a single search word. Dream of a moment when you feel guilty in your life! In a similar case, write a character now and attempt to make it even more embarrassing. 

Is the feeling of satisfaction associated with Death? Kindly reconsidered this.

Secondly, the sentence can be written as- Write a paragraph showing contrasting emotions. When a character learns about the death of his father, he undergoes two feelings/ he experiences two emotions, of separation and grief. Write a paragraph, where a character begins with registering one emotional quotient and develops it into a new feeling entirely by a course of thought.

4. Characters (Allegory

Develop a minor character based on someone that you hate. Let the lead character visit those and, despite the flaws, let the protagonist feel compassion and empathy for them. Get a weird character to tell a story inside a pre-established form: a manual of directions, an update of traffic, exchange of emails, weather forecast, text message. Write about a character who is doing something that they swore they would never do. 

Get a character who has something memorized (the spells in the Harry Potter Series) recite it while doing something totally at odds with what they are reciting. Write a paragraph where a character executes a spell, such as a spell to make others mouse, and let the reader wonder at how peculiar and strange it actually is. 

Write a scene in which your main character is stopped by a stranger, saying they know them and insisting that your main character is something they are not. Describe just how the character feels in this situation of mistaken identity. Describe a tiny feature of a person you admire, and make them love the reader, too. 

Write a personality-revealing scene inside a public bathroom with a character. To leave a slight spot, do they press a thumb against the mirror? On the inside of the stall entrance, do they write an appeal for help? Are they boasting about the size of what they just dumped? Offer an incredibly rare reaction to a national tragedy like a terrorist incident or natural catastrophe to your character. Perhaps they are aware that their reaction is odd and want to cloak it from others, or they are fully oblivious of it and display it without any self-consciousness.

5. Pun

A kind of wordplay. Here are a few types of puns:

Antanaclasis – It is the repetition of the same word or phrase, but with a different meaning. Like-Cats like Felix like Felix.—’Felix’ catfood slogan).

Malapropism –It is the usage of the words with a similar sound, but having a different meaning, for example – writing Optical delusion, instead of Optical illusion. If used interchangeably, the meaning of the sentence can change with context.

Paradox – It is a self-contradictory fact; however, it can be partially true. Like there is a paradox in the sentence- “I can resist anything but temptation.”—Oscar Wilde.

Paraprosdokian – It is arranging a sentence in such a manner, so the last part is unexpected. For example- You’re never too old to learn something stupid.

Polyptoton – It is the repetition of the words with the same root. Example- The things you own end up owning you.- Chuck Palahniuk.

6. The majority of essays address the question, What? Good essays answer the question, Why? The best essays address the question, How? 

If you get stuck trying to make your point, or you’re struggling to meet the word count needed, try to concentrate on the issue, How? 

• How did J.D. Salinger convey the theme of inauthenticity in The Catcher In the Rye?
• How did Napoleon restore stability in France after the French Revolution?
• How does the research prove girls really do rule and boys really do drool?

You’ll already have something to write about if you concentrate on how.

7. Jump around

Writing essays can be a dance. There’s no reason for you to sit in one place and document from start to finish. Give yourself the freedom to write as if, rather than making a single, straightforward point; you’re revolving around your subject. Then, when you edit, you can make sure everything lines up correctly.

8. Use Wikipedia

Not only is Wikipedia one of the world’s top 5 websites, but it can also be a fantastic learning tool. However, Wikipedia is not considered a reliable source for the use of essays by most teachers and professors. Here are two ways, however, that you can use Wikipedia in writing your essay: 

1. Research in Background – Wikipedia can be a great resource to quickly learn all you need to know to get started if you don’t know enough about your subject. 

2. Find references – Check the comparison section of your topic’s Wikipedia articles. Although you might not be able to reference Wikipedia on your own, you will always search and identify the original references.

9. The finishing touches

You may think that you have completed your essay after writing your conclusion. Incorrect. You must pay attention to all the little specifics before you deem this a done job. 

Check the order of your paragraphs. Your best points should be the first and last paragraphs inside the body, with the others dropping in the center. Often, make sure that there is meaning in the paragraph order. If a process, such as how to make a perfect chocolate cake, is mentioned in your article, make sure that your paragraphs are in the correct order. 

If appropriate, check the directions for your essay. Many teachers and scholarship types follow various formats, and to ensure that the essay is in the correct style, you must double-check the directions. 

Finally, check what you have written. Reread and check the article to see if it makes sense. Make sure that the flow of sentences is consistent and incorporate phrases to help relate ideas or thoughts. Cross-check your essay for spelling and grammar mistakes. (Explained in next step)

10. Using transitions 

Make sure you use transitions that link one thought to the next. The importance of using a change in creative writing essays is to focus on the events that you are addressing. The transitions also increase the drama and suspense and the story’s seamless flow.

11. Editing

Editing is a difficult skill to master for inexperienced writers, so they place tremendous importance on the time and effort they put into writing in the first place. A lot of writing, though, is simply rewriting, and this is where you will be best served by an editor’s cold, hard eye. 

Establish (more on this shortly) the practice it takes to remove foreign words. Lyrically, fight the temptation to wax to get to the stage. Not sure if it fits for a paragraph? It’s probably not. Be strict with yourself, and know when something can be omitted or reworked. As a result, your work will be much stronger.

12. A little acceptance

The best writers make it look so easy. It’s enticing to visualize your favorite bloggers quickly putting in excellent posts with limited effort after reading a brilliant post and spending the rest of their day reading cryptic books somewhere in a quaint corner café. In the awareness that this is not how writing works, take comfort. 

Almost always, first drafts are crap, and that’s all right. If you don’t produce a masterpiece on the first try, don’t beat yourself up. Odds are, you definitely won’t, and that’s all right, too. First, just get your ideas down on paper, then go back and start to clean up. Writing is an iterative process, and even the best authors must waste a lot of time reworking material to convince someone that they were probably too ashamed.

13. Find an Editor

Those who show you why something doesn’t work are the best, instead of just telling you that it doesn’t. 

It can be brutally difficult for some authors to encourage someone else to read your writing, especially when they’re just starting out, but it’s important that you establish healthy habits from the beginning and learn to tolerate positive criticism of your writing. Remember, authors are desperately needy beings that need to be continually told that they are the artistic geniuses they say they are, so if you are serious about your writing, you will need to grow a dense shell, and when it comes to toughening up, a good editor is indispensable.

14. K.I.S.S

Keep.It.Short.Simple. Follow this funda to ace your creative essay writing. Using different essay writing techniques is good but be careful in overwriting it. Without overloading the narrative with hollow adjectives, the strongest writers can subtly and sparingly weave in imagery. Try to reduce the volume of description and replace it with a stronger verb instead of bombarding it with adjectives and adverbs to show the reader what you mean, instead of just telling them.

15. Flashcards

If you find it difficult to remember all the names of techniques that you will be portraying in your essay, then it is recommended to make flashcards. Using essay writing technique or creative writing technique on one side of the flashcard and its meaning on the other side. Then work on thinking and memorizing them. Voila! 

Points to Recall

• Developing ideas
• Finding a focus and a thesis
• Composing a draft
• Getting feedback and comments from others
• Revising the draft by expanding ideas, clarifying meaning, reorganizing
• Editing
• Presenting the finished work to readers

Bidding Words

With the above-mentioned stylistic tools or creative writing techniques, or essay writing techniques, your writing will potentially be so much more attractive. Embrace your writing with creative writing skills that are demanding and start your writing journey with confidence. To develop such creative writing techniques in yourself,  you can always take help from masters and subject matter experts by enrolling yourself in creative writing courses. Let us hold our hands together towards the journey to create a writer’s own experience through creative writing techniques. Turbo-charge your writing! Don’t delay it, get it done now!

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