How to Plan a Creative Writing Piece

Co-authored by Lucy V. Hay

Last Updated: March 9, 2023 References Approved

Whether you are writing for fun or to satisfy a school assignment, planning a creative writing piece can be a challenge. If you don't already have an idea in mind, you will need to do a little brainstorming to come up with something that interests you. Once you have a general idea of what you want to write about, the best way to get started is to break your project into smaller, more manageable parts. When you have a clear idea of what you want to achieve with your piece, the writing itself will come more easily.

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Getting Started

1
Develop an outline. Many writers find that it helps to plan their piece before they begin writing. If you are writing a fiction piece, you might want to plan out all your major characters and plot points. If you are writing a non-fiction piece, research the subject carefully and then list the major ideas you want to address.^{[1]
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2
Complete character sheets. Defining the characteristics, traits, mannerisms, and backstory for your characters is a great way to get started. You can even outline their character arc and role in your story. You can easily develop well-rounded characters using character sheets.^{[2]
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- You can find character sheet templates online, such as here: https://www.freelancewriting.com/copywriting/using-character-sheets-in-fiction-writing/.
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3
Dive right in. Try not to overthink things, or you might have difficulty getting started. Once you know what you want to write, just begin writing.
4
Start anywhere you like. You don't have to start writing a piece at the beginning. You can work on any portion of the piece that appeals to you right now. You could also think of how you want to end the article or story, and then think about how to want to get there.
5
Write your own way. If writing the complete piece seems daunting, consider writing individual scenes and then piecing them together as you go. The more you write, the more familiar you will become with the methods that work best for you.^{[3]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Writing Your Piece

1
Grab the reader's attention. Avoid excessive introductory passages, and get to the main subject or action of your article or story right away.^{[4]
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- Kurt Vonnegut grabs the reader's attention at the start of Slaughterhouse-Five quite simply, by saying, “All this happened, more or less.”
- Tolstoy summed up the main theme of his novel Anna Karenina in its very first sentence: “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”
2
Present memorable characters. If your reader doesn't care what happens to your characters, they will soon lose interest in the story. Avoid stereotypes at all costs, and try to create multi-dimensional characters that have individual personalities and complex emotions.^{[5]
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- If you are writing a work of fiction, each of your main characters has something they want, which motivates them to make the choices that drive the plot forward.
- If you are writing a non-fiction work about an actual person or event, include specific details about the key players to make them more interesting to your reader.
3
Select a time and setting that appeal to you. A great story can be set anywhere you can imagine, in any time period you like. Sometimes combining unexpected elements will lead to a fresh new take on the subject.
- Think of a familiar place you encounter every day, but set the story 100 years in the future – or 1,000.
- Set your story in the modern day world, but change one very key element – imagine that dinosaurs never went extinct, electricity was never invented, or aliens have taken over the planet.
- Whatever time period you choose, make sure the reader has a firm understanding of it early in your story so that they can properly follow the story. The reader needs to know the time period in order to imagine that characters and scenes.
4
Know your audience. Think about the type of person who will be reading this particular piece, and write just for them. Don't try to please everybody, or your writing will end up feeling watered-down and lifeless.^{[6]
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- If you are writing something for the young adult market, focus on the things that matter most to teens and don't worry about whether older adults will like it.
- If you want to write a particular type of fiction, like westerns or sci-fi, read the most popular works in that genre to understand what its readers expect.
- Not everyone will appreciate your sense of humor, and that's okay – be yourself, and let your work speak to those who do.

Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Staying Motivated

1
Set reasonable goals. If the idea of writing a piece seems daunting, break the work down into smaller, manageable steps. Starting in on a small task is less intimidating, and you will get a boost of confidence every time you complete a small goal.^{[7]
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2
Make writing a habit. Try to find a specific day or time of day when you are usually free to write, and promise yourself you will sit down and write on a regular schedule. You might plan to write for two hours every day, or to complete a minimum number of words by Saturday afternoon.^{[8]
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If you get stuck, write anything. Just try to get words onto the page, and don't worry if they are good or not. Avoid writer's block by reminding yourself that you can always go back and change things later.
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Try not to focus too much on your deadlines. Determine how much time you will need to write your piece, to ensure you have allotted enough time to write. Then stick to your schedule and try not to stress over the deadline.^{[9]
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5
Remember the big picture. If you feel yourself getting bogged down by details, try to reconnect with your original concept and why you chose to write that piece in the first place.
6
Communicate with other writers. Join a local writer's group, or seek out other writers online. For example, NaNoWriMo is an annual event that challenges writers to complete a novel in the month of November.

Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Developing Your Concept

1
Select a format. There are many kinds of creative writing, each of which has its advantages. Experiment with various forms until you find which ones you enjoy most.
- Novels. The novel is one of the most popular forms of creative writing, and also one of the most challenging. A novel is a large project, with most novels containing at least 50,000 words. Any topic can be the subject of a novel. Certain types of novels are so popular that they belong to their own category, or genre. Examples of genre fiction are romance, mystery, science fiction, and fantasy.
- Short stories. A work of fiction under 7,500 words is usually considered a short story. A short story usually has all of the elements of a novel, including a structured plot. However, experimental forms of short stories like flash fiction do away with ordinary narrative conventions and can take almost any form the author chooses.
- Personal essay or memoir. A personal essay or memoir is a work of non-fiction based on your life. Drawing on your own life experiences can provide you with a wide array of story topics. Not only that, it can be an interesting way to better understand yourself and share your experiences with the world.
- Blogs. The word blog is a shortened form of the term web log, which can refer to any type of writing that is published regularly on the internet. Blogs can be stories, factual pieces, or diaries.
- Poetry. Poetry can take any number of forms, from traditional rhyming couplets to modern free-form verse. Poets typically develop their own unique writing style and write about any topic imaginable, from situations and emotions to current events or social commentary.
- Screenplays or stage plays. These are detailed scripts written for a film or a play. This form of writing has very specific rules about structure and formatting, but the subject matter can be anything you like.^{[10]
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2
Think of a topic. Inspiration can come from any number of places, and at any time. Some writers keep a small notebook handy to jot down ideas for future stories.^{[11]
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- Keep your eyes open for compelling stories in the news that could provide a starting point.
- Observe what is happening around you and turn it into a story.
- Adapt your thoughts into a story.
- Draw on an interesting or unusual event that happened in your own life.
- Search the web for “writing prompts” and you'll find lots of ideas to get you going, suggested by other writers. You could even use a random prompt generator website to get a unique suggestion just for you!
3
Consider adaptation. A common variety of writing is adaptation, where the author bases the idea for their piece on an existing work. Think about the plot to a book or film you enjoyed that would be interesting to see handled in a different way or with a different type of ending. Use your imagination to approach the topic in an entirely new way, so that your work is uniquely your own.
- The popular 1990's teen movie Clueless is a modern adaptation of Jane Austen's classic novel Emma.
- The classic Greek myth The Odyssey has been re-imagined in countless ways, including James Joyce's Ulysses and the Coen Brothers' O Brother Where Art Thou? Many authors have adapted its basic story structure of a hero's quest.
- Stories about vampires are all loosely adapted from Bram Stoker's Dracula, but many different writers have put their own unique spin on the concept.
4
Identify your main themes. What do you want to say? How do you want your reader to feel when they finish reading your piece? Is there an important social, philosophical, or environmental concept that you would like to convey?^{[12]
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- Salinger's Catcher in the Rye contains themes of alienation and coming of age.
- Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series addresses themes of courage, and the triumph of good over evil.
- Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy plays with themes about the absurdity of life, the interconnectedness of all things, and how seemingly minor incidents can have huge consequences.

Expert Q&A
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Question

How do you write creative characters?

Lucy V. Hay
Professional Writer
Lucy V. Hay is an author, script editor and blogger who helps other writers through writing workshops, courses, and her blog Bang2Write. Lucy is the producer of two British thrillers and her debut crime novel, The Other Twin, is currently being adapted for the screen by Free@Last TV, makers of the Emmy-nominated Agatha Raisin.

Lucy V. Hay

Professional Writer

Expert Answer

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If you want your characters to be realistic and diverse, look at stereotypes in literature and real life and find a way to twist them.
Question

How do you write a creative story?

Christopher Taylor, PhD
English Professor
Christopher Taylor is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014.

Christopher Taylor, PhD

English Professor

Expert Answer

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Read this article to help plan out your idea. Then choose a point of view, develop your protagonist, and try to write a catchy first paragraph to get you started.
Question

How do I write a story plan?

Christopher Taylor, PhD
English Professor
Christopher Taylor is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014.

Christopher Taylor, PhD

English Professor

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

There are several effective methods of planning out a story. Brainstorming possible ideas, developing an outline, and creating character sheets are methods explained in the article that can help you plan out your story.