A Small Writing Guide

Creative writing can be used as a tool for writing in many ways. Any kind of writing will help you write better texts in the future. Even though Universities of Applied Sciences focus mostly on enhancing academic writing skills, creative writing can be used alongside it as support. So, if you like writing, keep it as a hobby during your studies!

The more you write, the more automatic the writing will become. For example, if you write for five to ten minutes every day, you'll notice how writing will start to feel more natural.

Here are a few creative writing exercises for you to try. The free writing exercise and controlled free writing exercise are from the book Gradutakuu (2015) by Kimmo Svinhufvud.

Free writing exercise

1. Decide how long you want to write
2. Keep your hand moving
3. Don't delete anything you write
4. Don't care about grammar
5. Go for it!
6. Don't think or concern yourself with logic
7. Dive off the deep end!

Controlled free writing

This exercise works well as a brainstorm practice, it automatizes writing and frees you of expectations related to writing. The technique is exactly the same as in the earlier free writing exercise, but this time you have a topic to write about. This exercise helps you with working on your chosen topic, as you're not going to get stuck on grammar problems or choosing just the right word for a sentence. They're important things, but you can focus on those after you've finished the first version of your text.

1. Choose a topic to write about
2. Decide how long you want to write
3. Keep your hand moving
4. Don't delete anything you write
5. Don't think about grammar
6. Go for it!
7. Don't concern yourself with logic
8. Dive off the deep end!
9. Refocus yourself when you notice yourself drifting away from the topic

I remember-I know-I don't know

Julia Cameron is a well-known American writer, poet, journalist and educator. She's written several books about creativity and improving as a writer. The next exercise is from her.

1. Write using a pen and paper or use a computer.
2. Set a timer for three minutes and start writing text under the "I remember" header. Keep writing and don't worry if your text is logical or readable. Once the three minutes are over, reset the timer and set it for another three minutes. Start writing things that you know. After three minutes, reset the timer and start writing text under the "I don't know" header.

Train of thought exercise

In this exercise you'll let go of goals and censoring related to language and thoughts. You can use this as a warm-up, if you're having trouble getting started with writing. Write about each topic for 1–5 minutes.

1. Right now, I feel...
2. Right now, I want...
3. Right now, I know...
4. Right now, I fear...
5. Right now, I dream...

Other tips for creative writing

Try if you can tell the difference between writing on a computer and writing by hand. When writing by hand you have a feel for the pen and paper. Writing by hand and writing on a computer are motorically and cognitively different processes.

In some exercises it might help that you don't see what you write on the screen. You can turn off the monitor when you write. That way you don't see any spelling errors, and you don't start thinking if your text makes sense. Creative writing exercises can support writing at different phases.