10 Tips For Creative Writing To Make Your Stories Stand Out

Creative writing is a challenging process. It’s hard to come up with an original and engaging story all on your own.

Luckily, there are some tricks that can help you create awesome stories that will leave your readers clamoring for more.

Here are 10 tips for creative writing to make your stories stand out and be unique from the rest of the stuff out there.

Tip #1 - Write What You Know

If you’ve never been to New York, don’t try to write a story set in New York. If you’ve never had a pet chimpanzee, don’t try to write about a pet chimpanzee.

When it comes to creative writing, it pays to write what you know.

Many people have the misconception that creative writing means making things up as you go along. In fact, a lot of the time it actually means sticking close to what we already know and can imagine.

It means going inside your own head and making up stories about events that are based on something that has happened in your life or in someone else’s life.

That way, you are more intimately familiar with the story and can fill in gaps or make things clearer for the reader without having to over-explain anything.

Tip #2 - Keep Your Language Simple

Sometimes, writers can get carried away with long, complex sentences. While it may be impressive to you, it will likely confuse the reader.

Your language should be simple and easy for people to understand. Try to use shorter sentences and words that are easier for the average person to comprehend.

Tip #3 - Use The Five Senses To Describe The Setting

Clichés are a writer’s worst enemy. If you want to make your story stand out, avoid using them.

One way to do this is to use the five senses in your descriptions.

Instead of saying that the room was dark, describe what it looked, smelled, sounded, felt like, and tasted like. This will provide readers with more context and help them get a better picture of the setting in your story.

Tip #4 - Develop Memorable Characters

With so many people reading and writing creative stories, it’s important to make your characters stand out. You want to give readers a character they can connect with.

One way is to develop memorable characters. If you’re just starting out, start with some basic archetypes like the hero or the villain, but then add specific details that will help your character come alive in the reader’s mind.

Tip #5 - Create An Intricate Plot

In order to create a story that stands out among all others, you’ll need an intricate plot. Start by developing a protagonist who has goals to pursue; this will be the driving force of your story.

For example, if you wanted to create a horror story, you would create a protagonist who wants something (money, love) and then creates their own problems because of selfish and impulsive behavior.

The more complicated the plot becomes, the more interesting it becomes for readers.

Tip #6 - Focus On Dialogue

Dialogue is the best way to show your characters personalities and make them relatable. Take a look at Stephen King’s “IT” for an example of how well dialogue can be used.

He spends several pages just on one conversation between two kids and it feels like a much deeper connection was formed than in any other King novel I’ve read.

Tip #7 - Let Your Characters Tell The Story

One of the best ways to make your creative writing stand out is to let your characters tell the story. Think back on some of your favorite books, and you’ll probably notice that most of them are written in third person point-of-view (POV) so that the narrator can describe what the characters are thinking and feeling.

This is often more effective than telling the story yourself because it means readers get to be inside a character’s head and understand their motivations better. It also makes for a more interesting read as readers can identify with the characters more easily.

Tip #8 - Create An Engaging Opening Line

Creative writing is about the opening line. You want to capture your readers’ attention and make them want to keep reading. One way to do this is by using an engaging opening line.

It could be something as simple as “I never thought I’d say this, but I was wrong.” This sentence has a lot of intrigue because we want to know what the character was wrong about.

The introduction sets up the story and tells us what we should expect from it while also making us wonder why they were wrong.

Tip #9 - Summarize As You Write

One of the best ways to make your writing stand out is to summarize as you write. This will allow you to stay on track and not get lost in what’s going on.

It will also help you find any plot holes or places where you can go deeper into your story.

Tip #10 - Provide Backstory Through Dialogue And Action Not Exposition

One of the most common writing mistakes is info-dumping. This means that authors will give too much detail or backstory through exposition when it’s not needed.

Instead, try to provide this backstory through dialogue and action instead of exposition. People are more likely to stick with your story if they can see what’s happening as opposed to being told about it.

You should also never introduce an important character in the first chapter. If readers don’t care about a character in the beginning, they won’t keep reading. You want them to care about your main characters and get invested in their stories from the start to motivate them to read on.

The Conclusion - End With A Bang

One of the most common mistakes in creative writing is ending a story too soon. When you find yourself struggling to think about how your story should end, just stop for a second and ask: what would be the most interesting or exciting ending I could have?

You’ll often find that this sparks new ideas for your story.

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