| Creative writing lets one person to tell a story in a way that another person can read and understand that story. It might be a story about something that happened in real life or about something imaginary. Stories that are written about real life events and tell the events exactly as they happened are called non-fiction. Stories about imaginary or made-up events are called fiction. Stories are written so that people who read them can imagine in their minds what the characters look like, how they act, how they feel about events in the story, even how they sound when they speak in the tale. A good story makes the reader "see" the story in their minds much like a movie. Have you ever read a book that made you "see" the story in your mind while you read it? I imagine you have and that is what makes reading so much fun! There are some differences between creative writing that is meant to be read aloud, such as a speech or other public reading, and creative writing that is meant to be read silently. Here, we'll look at how to creatively write words for reading rather than just for reading aloud. The basics of creative writing are generally the same but the flow of the words might be a little different in writing that is mainly for reading aloud. Anyone can write creative stories. You are special and you have your own unique story to tell. But you may wonder how you would begin writing a story that someone else would want to read. Let's look at the four parts that every good story must include:
A story should have a title or name that tells the reader something about what the story is about so they will want to read the story. A story has a beginning which introduces the characters in the story. The characters can be people, animals, or even objects. The reader learns in the beginning the details about some of the main characters are and something about them. A good story has a middle which tells about what happens to the characters in the story. A story must have an ending that explains how what happened in the middle of the story resulted in the end of the story.
In order to write a creative story, you should first determine the subject on which you wish to write. It should be something you know well or have imagined clearly so that you can describe it in detail. What does that mean? Let's look at some examples so we can understand this clearly. First, look at this sentence: "There was an apple on the table." Does that make you see something in your mind? Yes, but it probably isn't very clear. Let's look at another sentence and compare them. Look at this sentence: "On the crooked, scratched, old, wooden table was a plump, glossy, red, apple that looked juicy and ready to eat." Now you can clearly see a picture. Right? But maybe that isn't the picture the author wanted you to see, so it might read instead: "On the bright, shiny, yellow table was a dried up, brown, rotten apple." Now you see a different picture in your mind. See how the different words describing each object add to the picture the words create? That helps let the reader "see" what you want them to imagine as they read your creative writing. That is where the "creativity" comes in to writing! It is best to begin creative writing by practicing writing about things that you know well which probably means you want to write about something that has happened in your life. It might be about getting a pet, like in Brandy The Dog Who Came From India. It might be about a day at school, or about something you love to do for fun. So, let's choose something to write about so we can practice. Let's start by writing a very short story about something we all know about and do every day, just to practice describing things in a way that will let the reader imagine exactly what you want them to imagine. It will not be a long story. It is only an exercise so we can learn how to create descriptions of characters, feelings, sights, sounds, tastes, and events. Let's write about eating dinner last night. Get out your paper and pencil and let's begin! We want to include in our very short story the characters; these will be the people who were present at dinner last evening. Perhaps it was your parents and brothers and sisters; perhaps there were other people present. Now, write a list on a piece of your paper of the characters that will appear in your story. Here's an example list that a writer might have for such a story: Mom
Me
Baby, the parrot
Next, we want to determine the things we will be describing in our story. Where was dinner served? Was it in the kitchen or dining room? Did you perhaps eat outdoors? Did you eat dinner in the living room while watching television? Think about the objects in the area where you had your dinner. What sort of table was there? Was there a table cloth, placemats, or a bare table? What sorts of dishes were used to serve the food? What about the utensils (flatware or silverware) used for serving and eating? Was there interesting conversation during dinner? Think a bit about all these things that will be included in the story. What food was served and how did it look, taste, feel, and smell? These are all facts you will include in your story. You can write them down on your paper or you can keep them in your mind. Choose which way you think will work best for you, but beginning writers often find that writing down facts helps a lot in making sure everything is included and written clearly. Now, get started on the story writing. We need a title, so let's call it "Dinner Last Night" for now, or you can title it whatever you like. You can even change the title later if you wish. Next, a story needs a beginning. Remember, this is where you introduce the characters and tell something about them. Below is an example of how such a story might begin:
Dinner Last Night
As I sat in my room doing my boring math homework, I smelled a spicy fragrance. "Spaghetti with red meat sauce," I thought silently, "Mom makes the very best! I hope we have garlic bread to go with it." Just at that moment, Mom called up the stairs, "Dinner's ready!" I closed my math book and jumped up from my desk. I stopped in the bathroom to wash my hands and then bounded down the stairs to the brightly light, inviting dining room table. As I came into the dining room, I heard Baby, our grey parrot, say, "Dinner's ready," sounding just like my Mom. "Oh, hush! You'll get some spaghetti and salad, too," I said to Baby the parrot as I saw the crispy, crunchy fresh green salad with bright red, juicy tomatoes and my favorite tangy Ranch dressing sitting in a gleaming white bowl at my favorite chair at the polished wooden table where I had eaten so many great dinners before. My mouth was watering, thinking about how great dinner would taste and how wonderful the food smelled, but I knew I must wait for Mom to bring the spaghetti and bread and sit down before I could begin eating.
Now, do you see how we can begin to describe things? Can you hear the parrot? Can you see the salad on the table? Are you anticipating Mom bringing in the rest of the food? If you are, then the story is off to a great start. Okay, now it is time to begin writing your very own story! Write the beginning of your story, introducing the characters you listed and including facts about the setting, situation, as well as the things you saw, smelled, and the conversation. Now, you need to create the middle of the story. You can tell all the things that happened during the evening meal, what you saw, how the food tasted, what different people said, and describe what happened. Finally, you need an ending for your story. This can tell what happened at the end of the meal. Did everyone leave the table together? Did you help clear the dishes? Did you leave the table to go do homework? Describe the end of the dinner. Now our story might look something like this:
Dinner Last Night
As I sat in my room doing my boring math homework, I smelled a spicy fragrance. "Spaghetti with red meat sauce," I thought silently, "Mom makes the very best! I hope we have garlic bread to go with it." Just at that moment, Mom called up the stairs, "Dinner's ready!" I closed my math book and jumped up from my desk. I stopped in the bathroom to wash my hands and then bounded down the stairs to the brightly light, inviting dining room table. As I came into the dining room, I heard Baby, our grey parrot, say, "Dinner's ready," sounding just like my Mom. "Oh, hush! You'll get some spaghetti and salad, too," I said to Baby the parrot as I saw the crispy, crunchy fresh green salad with bright red, juicy tomatoes and my favorite tangy Ranch dressing sitting in a gleaming white bowl at my favorite chair at the polished wooden table where I had eaten so many great dinners before. My mouth was watering, thinking about how great dinner would taste and how wonderful the food smelled, but I knew I must wait for Mom to bring the spaghetti and bread and sit down before I could begin eating. Mom brought my big plate of steaming, delicious spaghetti and placed it in front of me. She placed the bread on the table and put her own place at her seat. I just couldn't wait to dig into the wonderful meal. As I picked up my fork, Baby the parrot squawked, "Ummm, good!" "How would you know?" I asked the parrot. "I haven't even tasted it yet!" Without further ado, I twirled my fork into the pasta and gobbled down a big forkful. "How was school today?" Mom asked. "It was okay," I answered. "I have a ton of homework to get finished tonight. When I finish, can I watch some TV?" "Sure, you can watch as soon as you finish homework and get your bath," Mom answered. As we ate, we talked about school and the upcoming football game. I was excited to think about the crisp, cool evening with the noisy band and cheerleaders that would be at the football game on Friday night. I love going to the games with Mom. After we finished eating, I turned to Baby the parrot and said, "Do you want some bread?" "Squawk!" was all he responded. I thought that must mean he wanted some, so I brought him a crust of my bread. He grabbed it greedily and held it in his claw while relishing every crumb. Baby also ate a strand of spaghetti and a bit of salad. He was happy and let me know by saying "Ummm, good!" after each tasty treat. I helped Mom clear the dishes from the table and place them in the sink. I wanted to get my homework finished before my favorite television show came on, so I asked to be excused. Mom said, "Sure, get that homework done now," with a big smile on her face. Before I bounded up the stairs to get started with my homework, I thought of all the wonderful things Mom does for me and the great meal she had cooked for us. "Mom, you're the greatest!" I told her as I went upstairs to study, "Dinner was wonderful, thank you!"
Of course, your story will be entirely different, but do you see how there is a beginning, middle and ending? Try to include these elements in your own story. Now, review what you have written and change anything you do not like or that you think you should improve. Now, you have written a creative story! You can do the same thing with things you imagine, dreams you have for your future or anything that interests you. You CAN be a writer! All it takes is a desire to tell someone else a story.
Need help with your story. Ask your friends to read it for you, or practice reading it aloud. Like everything else, writing improves with practice, so don't be scared to scratch out words and start over again
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