If you think creative writing is just a hobby or a waste of time, think again. Many of the creative writing techniques used in fiction, scriptwriting, and poetry can augment the writing skills used to write blog posts, white papers, articles, speeches, or marketing materials for your business.
How Creative Writing Techniques Benefit Clients
Creative pursuits can help people destress, refocus, and return to work with renewed vigor. Creative writing has taught me to better understand the subtle ways words can help convey subtext and meaning. I apply that knowledge to every client project I work on.
At its core, copywriting is similar to poetry: both convey complex ideas with minimal words. Imagery, context, repetition, and rhyme are found in slogans, taglines, and poems alike.
Word choices matter just as much in poetry, prose, and dialogue as they do in trend reports, executive bios, or feature articles. Voice. Tone. Structure. Creating a logical flow. All of these things, and more, apply to creative writing as well as persuasive writing, business writing, and copywriting. Working with a well-rounded freelance writer like me will benefit you in more ways that you might think.
Technique #1: Revise, Revise, Revise
When I think a script or article is ready to submit, I read it through one more time and always find something else to change. Sometimes the revisions are minor. Whether a plot isn’t engaging enough or a trend report isn’t flowing, my approach is the same. I re-read, identify what’s not working and revise accordingly. Even if that means turning the entire thing on its head. Then I re-read and revise again before submitting it. Clients will occasionally request a revision—which is included in my fee—and I’m happy to oblige.
Not long ago, one of my editors was testing a new format for front-of-the-book profiles. Instead of traditional narrative profiles, he wanted bullet point nuggets of biographic details combined with direct quotations. I did my best to match the sample he provided. He liked it, but decided to narrow the focus even more, so I revised it a couple times based on his feedback until, together, we came up with a format that could become a prototype for future writers to follow.
Whether revising creative work or client work, the goal is producing the best possible result.
Technique #2: Time Management and Organization
Being able to write engaging scripts and stories while knee-deep in client work requires good time management. I proactively try to set aside time for creative writing, but always prioritize client work. Some days that means writing a short scene while waiting for an interview to begin, other times I push creative writing to evenings or weekends. I feel I’m investing in myself by setting aside time for creative endeavors. It fuels my creativity, which benefits all of my clients in the long run.
Creative writing has improved my organizations skills, too. I track and cross-reference which scripts I’ve submitted where, and when I submitted them. One list is organized by theater names, another by script titles. Likewise, I’m constantly cross-referencing and prioritizing current and upcoming projects for multiple clients, scheduling meetings and interviews, organizing research materials, and tracking progress to ensure I meet, or beat, each client’s deadline.
Creative Writing Spurs New Ideas
Every now and then I enter creative writing competitions just to challenge myself. I particularly enjoy flash-fiction competitions where your story has to include something specific (mostly so writers don’t cheat by submitting something they’ve been working on for months). Having a tight deadline forces you to buckle down and write. There’s no time to overthink your work.
Several years ago a friend entered a new locally-run national playwriting competition. Her play was among six 10-minute plays read at the festival. Attending that event inspired me to enter the following year, and my first short play, The Grove, was selected. Was it a great play? No. But writing in a new-to-me format, developing characters, and telling a story in 10 minutes or less was a fun exercise. The experience unleashed my inner playwright, which resulted in adding scriptwriting to the services I offer clients.
Each and every creative writing project I tackle leads to new ideas and fresh ways of looking at everyday situations. That helps me get my clients’ messages to their audiences in new and engaging ways. If you’d like me to do that for your company, brand, or publication, I’d love to talk about your upcoming projects.
Paula is also a playwright whose scripts have been read at Durango Arts Center (Colorado), Bonita Springs Center for Performing Arts (Florida), and The West Side Show Room (Illinois). Her piece, The Dance: A Monologue, will be published in Venus Theatre’s upcoming anthology, Frozen Women/Flowing Thoughts.
Need an experienced writer for your next project? Contact Paula for a quote, or connect with her on LinkedIn.
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