For these writers, inspiration might hit in six months when they’re walking out of a pub in London or having brunch in New York City. The perfect writing conditions might be a rainy afternoon in October or when the planets align and Jupiter is rising.

If you’re a student in an English class who’s struggling to be creative and feel confident in the world of creative writing, you likely don’t have the luxury of time. You might only have until next Tuesday to be inspired or for the planets to line up in your favor.

If that’s the case, what do you do to get the creative writing juices flowing? You take action, rather than wait for inspiration. Begin by reading (and practicing) the four creative writing tips in this post.

Four Creative Writing Tips to Boost Your Confidence

You don’t have to be a famous author to be a creative writer. (After all, every famous author had to start writing something before becoming famous, right?)

You also don’t have to be afraid to write. Everyone is creative. You simply need to practice flexing your creative muscles. Try these four tips to boost your confidence in your creative writing abilities.

Be yourself

“Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you.” —Dr. Seuss

Whether you’re a fan of William Shakespeare, Ernest Hemingway, Suzanne Collins, or Dr. Seuss, the truth is that you’re not any of these authors. (And that’s fine. You can still be an awesome writer.)

To be a strong writer, you should definitely read the works of these (and many other) authors to learn what good writing looks like and to learn how writers use language and develop characters.

Even after studying what great authors do well, though, you shouldn’t try to become those writers.

Find your own voice. Write in a style that works for you. Write about your own world and what you know. You may need to do a little research to get the details just right, but that’s fine. The key here is to be authentic.

Find inspiration

Inspiration can hit you when you least expect it, like when you’re waiting in a mile-long TSA line or when you’re getting your teeth cleaned. There are plenty of times, though, that inspiration doesn’t find you. You need to find it.

How do you “find” inspiration?

Your interests

Start by considering your interests and what you might want to write about.

If you’re writing about nature, then by all means, go outside. Sitting in front of your laptop isn’t going to be as inspiring as taking a walk through the woods or sitting by a pond—just look at what that did for Thoreau.

Already tried immersing yourself in a new environment and still feel like you don’t have what it takes to be creative? Try something else.

Your life

Why not look to your own life and memories as inspiration?

That road trip to Mt. Rushmore when you were 10 might have been your average vacation, but think back to that time your dad took a wrong turn somewhere in South Dakota or when you almost lost your little brother in a crowd.

Here’s the thing—you’re not writing a narrative essay that demands you tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. You can take a few (or a lot) of creative liberties when you write the story as fiction.

Maybe in the world of creative writing your dad went the wrong way on the interstate, and you ended up in a small town diner, talking to a patron who you later learned was actually a wanted fugitive. Maybe your brother really did get lost. Maybe he ended up hanging out with a school group, and it took six hours before anyone in the group even realized that he wasn’t actually a member of the class.

If you still feel like you don’t have any stories to tell or are struggling to find inspiration, read 13 Surprising Sources of Inspiration for Writing and 4 Ways to Mine Social Media for Better Topics to Write About.

Or read other students’ creative writing pieces from our essay database to see what types of stories create compelling narratives.

Break through writer’s block

Did you know that Maya Angelou occasionally rented a hotel room to write in or that Stephen King likes a glass of water or tea and writes at the same time every day? J. K. Rowling, on the other hand, writes whenever she can and made up the names of characters on a sick bag when she was on an airplane (Bustle.com).

The point is that different writers have different routines and have various techniques to help them write.

You need to find what works for you.

Try a writing schedule. To begin, write at different times of the day. You might find that you’re too sleepy in the morning or too exhausted at night but work best mid-afternoon.

Maybe you’ll learn that you work best in long marathon stretches. Maybe you’re more creative if you write between classes.

Brainstorming to break writer’s block

If you just can’t seem to get writing at any time of day, brainstorm ideas. Remember, you don’t have to start with an entire story idea. Sometimes you can start with bits and pieces that turn into something brilliant.

For instance, you could…

• Create character names and their personality traits. A common name like Joe Smith could be perfect for a quirky character that is anything but ordinary.

• Write one scene that seems to stick in your mind. Maybe you have an idea about a conflict at an ATM or a wedding inside a fast-food restaurant. Perhaps there’s a funny moment on the subway or in line at a stadium restroom.

• Craft an interesting line. Though you may not have a complete idea for a story, starting with one line can get you moving in the right direction. Imagine starting with a line like, “It was a bright, cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.” George Orwell might not have figured out the entire storyline of the dystopian classic 1984 when he wrote that line, but it’s a great hook that certainly grabs readers’ attention.

Want more tips for beating writer’s block? Read 4 Proven Ways to Keep Writer’s Block From Ruining Your Essay.

Have no fear

Ever try to skateboard, to audition for the lead in a dramatic play, or to do anything that you might fail at (or at least flounder at a little bit) on the first try?

Creative writing is a lot like these types of activities. You might struggle at first. You may realize that your first efforts require a lot of revisions in order to be even close to mediocre.

And because of these fears, you might hold back. After all, no one wants to face rejection. Who wants people to laugh at their efforts?

But what if they don’t laugh? What if you find you have a gift for acting or that your first short story is nothing short of amazing?

The truth is that you’ll never know until you try.

The (not so bad) worst-case scenarios

If you’re still feeling worried about putting yourself out there, think about worst-case scenarios. (I know that seems like strange advice, but hear me out.)

• You workshop your story in class, and some people might not like it. That’s okay. Maybe you love all things J.R.R. Tolkien, but your classmates dislike everything he’s ever written. Even great authors can’t please everyone, so don’t bother worrying about it.

• Classmates may suggest you make revisions. That’s okay too. Constructive feedback is important and helps you improve as a writer. If you work closely with a piece of writing for a long time, you often miss subtle things that fresh eyes can see.

• Your prof gives you a bad grade. This is definitely not okay. Fear of a bad grade is always present, but if you work hard and get the help you need (and follow assignment guidelines), you should be fine.

See? Even the worst-case scenarios aren’t that bad.

Keep in mind that if you do fail (or falter more than you’d like), you can always rewrite (and you can rewrite as many times as it takes to create your masterpiece).

Bonus Creative Writing Tip: Ask for a Little Help From Your Friends

From time to time, we all need a little help from our friends.

If you’d like a few more creative writing tips from your friends (like me) at the Kibin essay writing blog, read 5 Ways to Break the Rules in Your Creative Writing Essays and How to Show Don’t Tell in Your Narrative Essay.

If you’re not sure your friends want to read your latest story (or if you’re still not sure you want them to read it), check out Kibin’s editing service for authors and creative writers. As editors, we can help you polish your writing by catching errors you might miss and help you develop your writing skills by offering revision suggestions.

We’re also great cheerleaders and aren’t afraid to tell you when you’ve written something brilliant (and that will boost anyone’s confidence).

There were the American revolutionaries who refused to pay their taxes without being represented in the British parliament.

There was Nelson Mandela who joined the African National Congress and fought against Apartheid, which had been the law of the South African land since 1948.

And of course, there’s the Woody Guthrie aficionado at my local park who refuses to adhere to the fascist signage.

Well, today is your day.

For years you’ve been told the proper way to write an essay. You’ve been caged by the five-paragraph structure. You’ve been chained to the compulsory thesis statement. You’ve been force-fed a steady diet of transition words and topic sentences.

Well, not today! We will not go quietly into the night! We will not vanish without a fight! We’re going to live on! We’re going to survive! Today we celebrate our Independence Day!

Sorry, I’ve been watching too many Bill Pullman movies lately.

Anyway, here are five ways to break the rules in your creative writing essays.

Creative Writing Essays

Wait, wait, wait. What the heck are creative writing essays?

When I hear “creative writing” and “essay” together in the same sentence, it’s a bit like rubbing my belly and patting my head. They aren’t meant to be done at the same time, so stop asking me to do it!!

Creative writing and essays do seem antonymic in my mind. I mean, an essay is about structure, fact, and research. Meanwhile, creative writing is about imagination, characters, and story-telling.

So what are creative writing essays?

Well, it’s important to first understand that “creative” and “fictitious” are not synonymous. Just because a writing is creative does not mean that it’s made up.

Indeed, a creative essay is a form of creative non-fiction. The idea is that you’re writing about a factual subject, but you’re writing about it in a creative way.

So instead of focusing on being informative and persuasive, as most essays do, the creative writing essay allows the writer to present a subject by telling a (most likely personal) story.

This injection of beautiful, beautiful creativity means the majority of those essay-writing rules of the past can be chucked from the balcony.

Anarchy!?! Well, not exactly. But certainly less structured.

So let’s take a look at some of the ways you can break the rules in your own creative writing essay.

1. Get Personal

As I mentioned above, the lens through which the writer of a creative writing essay approaches his or her work is often personal.

This is a big departure from the world of academic writing, in which it’s a cardinal sin for the essayist to write in the first person.

Well, your writing soul is safe here. In fact, the majority of creative writing essays are memoirs. Now, I’m not talking about a straight-up autobiography (though those would certainly be considered pieces of creative non-fiction).

Instead, think more along the lines of writing an essay about the effects of climate change through the lens of your volunteer experience in Haiti.

Or an essay about fair business practices through the lens of your last failed venture.

The majority of creative writing essay assignments will not only allow the writer to get personal, but will actually encourage it.

2. Outline Outside the Lines

Throw out the crazy-looking webs and clusters. Instead, let’s get creative with our prewriting strategies.

As in any piece of creative writing, it will be important to grab your readers’ attention. You want to transport them to the time and place where your story took place and keep them there for the entirety of your essay.

To do this, you must have a logical narrative structure with seamless flow. So why not map out your story like the greatest storytellers do?

Myriad writing programs are available online (many of which are free), and some of the most successful writers in the world use them.

For example, I use a screenplay writing program every time I embark on a creative writing journey. Such programs include great outlining tools that can help you get your “scenes” in order. This can be an amazing asset when deciding on the best narrative structure.

3. Ditch the Five-Paragraph Structure

I hate to dog on the five-paragraph structure because it is an incredibly useful tool for beginning writers.

Its strength lies in its ability to serve as a blueprint for a good essay, ensuring that the writer includes all the requisite aspects of a strong argument.

However, I’ve been bragging throughout this post about throwing many of these aspects out the window, so let’s do the same with the five-paragraph essay structure.

Besides, the creative writing essay isn’t really about making an argument. It’s about telling a story. And not all stories fit a mold.

The best way to tell your story is whichever way engages the audience and gets your point across. Restricting yourself to five paragraphs is not going to help you do either.

4. Take Your Time in the Intro

In a typical essay, you’re expected to use the introduction to quickly address your argument so that you can move on to defending it in the body of your paper.

The creative writing essay is a bit different. Although you will be making a subtle argument later in your writing, the backbone of your essay will not be your argument, but instead your story.

Instead of rushing to present an argument, you’ll be using the introduction to draw your readers in emotionally, which takes time.

So the goal is to hook your readers in the opening paragraph of the narrative so that they keep reading, then build your story so that they are transfixed. And then you show them what you learned through this experience.

The hope is that they’ll learn it too by reading about it.

5. Taking Liberties

This is a tough one to throw out there. If you abuse it, your essay will be a sham. However, there are instances in creative writing where it’s acceptable to take liberties in your writing.

By this I mean there may be points where you purposely write something that isn’t exactly true.

Yes, yes, get your gasps out now, but then let me explain.

Let’s take a look at In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, one of the greatest pieces of creative non-fiction in history.

The last line of the book reads, “Then, starting home, he walked toward the trees, and under them, leaving behind him the big sky, the whisper of wind voices in the wind-bent wheat.”

Was the wind blowing that day? Perhaps. Yet perhaps it wasn’t. Does it matter?

If on most days the wind is blowing through the wheat in alliterative ways, then Capote can take some liberties here, saying it was blowing on this particular day as well.

Let me be clear: any liberties taken with hard facts will tank your essay. When you take them, if you take them, make sure you only take liberties related to inconsequential moments that affect nothing more than the atmosphere of your writing.

That’s a Wrap

And with that, we have arrived to the end of our anarchist blog post on creative writing essays. Rules can be a detriment to writing creatively, so have some fun breaking them in your next paper.

Need some inspiration? Read some example essays from other students who’ve tackled creative writing essays.

If you’re unsure about some of your decisions in your own creative writing essay, send your draft to one of the skilled editors at Kibin. They will not only proofread your essay, but also give you suggestions to further improve your writing skills.

Have fun!