10 Writing Tips For Creative Individuals

I compiled this list of writing tips for creative individuals as my token of appreciation for everyone and everything that inspired me to explore my creativity.

Granted, we have AI at our disposal and you could generate content with the click of a button. I understand and respect the power of AI but for those of us who still want to pursue writing as a form of artistic expression, I believe these tips will be beneficial to you.

My goal with this article and this blog is to:

I’m not an expert but I am committed to this art form. And so, I want to share some practical writing tips for beginners, students, and authors.

10 Practical Tips On Becoming A Better Writer

1. Develop a relationship with art

Art entertains or soothes our restless, tired, worrisome, fearful, bored, or excited minds. It is a rich part of our history as humans. Yet, we often scoff at or undermine its value in our day-to-day lives.

I bought into the cool aid of monotony and dullness of adulthood. Abandoning my desire to explore creative arts, I was battling with unfulfilled childhood desires to write. Perhaps you can relate to this feeling as well?

Only when I tasted how regimented and practical most careers are did I realize how difficult it is to be creative!

That was the lightbulb moment for me.

No longer did I assign frivolous attributes to my creative desires. Instead, I replaced them with an appreciation for the effort, dedication, and difficulty that come with being artistic.

Spend time researching your favorite authors and their mindset toward writing. You might just find answers and epiphanies that invigorate your relationship with art and in doing so, find a greater meaning or reason for exploring your artistic endeavors.

A strong reason to do something creates the necessary motivation or discipline we need to take action, especially when we are riddled with doubt, uncertainty, and fear.

I believe that when you truly care about something and have a close relationship with it, you have a strong reason to approach it with integrity and commitment.

2. Read as much as you can

As a result-driven person, I am always in search of actions that bring about the most reward. When it comes to writing, the only 2 habits that produced the best results for me were writing daily and reading frequently.

I learned the practicalities of writing from actually writing but I developed a deeper insight into creativity and art from reading.

Both intersect with each other in perfect harmony and together, they create opportunities for unparalleled growth.

Read the kind of stuff you want to write and that will help you develop ideas on how to write.

3. Set aside 15 minutes for limitless writing every day

If I’m being brutally honest, it’s difficult to commit time and energy to something at the early stages of pursuit when you have no reward for it.

I can’t advise you to spend even an hour per day on writing when you already give 8 hours of your time to work and other hours to prep and family.

It’s a big investment that will most likely lead to a massive burnout.

What I would suggest is to condense the time you spend writing and go all out in your creative pursuits.

Start with just 15 minutes of distraction-free, focused, and intense writing until it becomes a part of your life.

Once the commitment becomes second nature to you, invest more time into it.

4. Avoid unnecessary standards of quality

Far too often, unrealistic expectations and exhausting standards prevent writers from writing. Regardless of whether we chalk it down to imposter syndrome or perfectionism, their function is to create obstacles between us and our goals.

It sounds silly to say out loud but the standards we seek are often at the tail end of frequent attempts and practice at creating great content.

Don’t stop yourself from creating some of the best work of your life because of the majority of substandard work.

You have to chip away at the rocks to reveal magnificent diamonds.

At least, that’s what I tell myself whenever I try to sabotage myself with self-defeating thoughts.

5. Write sincerely and vulnerably

Some of the best work I’ve written has been inspired by my insecurities, problems, fears, and unfiltered thoughts.

Though opinions emerge rampant on social media, most loud voices quiver at the prospect of having opinions directed at them or their work.

It takes bravery and courage to expose your work to the world but that is what differentiates those who leave a mark from those who only silently dream.

I feared opinions for many years until I received them and it didn’t affect my love for writing.

Such liberation is something I wish for all artistic and creative individuals.

My advice is to aim high and to create great work but publish indiscriminately until you figure out what works best for you.

6. Exhaust your vocabulary bank

I advise you to use as many outlandish words as you know and then seek out more.

To master this craft, we must invest time in learning new ways to express our thoughts and ideas succinctly, emotively, and with nuance.

I learn new words by reading challenging books and articles or using apps that randomly select new words to learn every day.

7. Test your limits often

“When you assume, you make an ass out of u-and-me.”

I love that quote because it rings true. 

How often do we set limitations on ourselves without actually testing ourselves?

I used to assume that I could only write 500 words per day before reaching burnout.

For a long time, I believed it was true and restricted myself to 500 words. I barely surpassed that on any given day because I created a belief that manifested in symptoms of mental exhaustion.

I can’t remember what inspired me to abandon this belief or assumption but I started to test my limits and before long, I could write more than 1500 words per day. If I’m being honest, it took me about an hour in a day to write 1500 words!

Before setting a word count for yourself, write indiscriminately and without assumptions for as long as possible.

Give yourself the freedom to explore your limitations with neutrality.

You may find that your limitations are beyond your wildest imagination.

8. Experiment with your writing style

As a writer, you will come across three important characteristics of any work:

• Tone
• Tense
• Structure

Depending on what you want to write, the tone, tense, and structure will vary, but a great way to develop proficiency or versatility as a writer is to try as many styles as you can.

I’m currently writing a fictional novel in the first person, present tense and it is difficult as hell. However, I’ve also written stories in third-person past tense and I was able to string together beautiful words to evoke emotions and urgency.

As you experiment, you’ll find your strengths and weaknesses, which can be used to guide you to write content that suits you.

9. Tap into culture

Do you not agree that life can be stranger than fiction at times? It certainly has been the case for me. But, then again, strange is probably a poor word to describe the cultural, environmental, and social differences that exist all around us.

Through our writing, which is a product of thought, we can maximize our knowledge and experiences by opening ourselves up to life itself.

I spend my free time watching videos about different locations, people, and historical events to give me fresh and unique ideas for my stories.

I’ve never found myself hiking through a forest before but all the content I’ve seen and information I’ve read has helped me with world-building in my books.

To put it simply, draw inspiration from everything and everyone around you.

10. Indulge in your desire for greatness

Despite loving my day job, there have been moments of introspection that have troubled me about my purpose in life.

It’s easy to believe that you are destined to be just a small part of a larger organization. A cog in the machine, as they put it. But having a day job shouldn’t define how you live life in totality.

You can be a robust, vibrant, and multifaceted individual with a diverse set of interests that are explored in your free time.

I want to be extremely competent and useful in my job but it also serves as a means to living a fulfilling life.

Part of what I consider to be a fulfilling life entails pursuing art and contributing to the well-being of others.

By all means, dream about what is possible if you are to indulge in your creative desires.

For instance, becoming a bestselling author is only impossible if you never write a book.

Indulge in the desire for greatness and let it fuel you to explore your true identity as a writer.

You never know—you may just find yourself walking by a bookstore and seeing the product of your creativity on display.