Take Your Writing to the Next Level: An Intermediate Guide to the Creative Writing Process.

There’s beauty in beginnings, especially when you are beginning to learn the creative writing process. When you’re new to a craft, it’s easy to view it with rose-tinted glasses and an unrealistic attitude. This is because progress may seem easier to grasp initially. After all, beginners have nothing to base their progress on. Where do you turn once you feel you’ve mastered the basics? Have you studied “the rules” enough and are confident you are ready to break them responsibly, like your favorite authors? If you are feeling stuck in your own writing and that your own creative writing process has hit a plateau, then perhaps you are in need of an intermediate guide to the creative writing process.

What does the intermediate creative writing process entail, and how can you benefit from it?

The intermediate-level writer is one who has a firm hold on and an understanding of most, if not all, of the creative writing and storytelling basics. Instead of focusing simply on character or world construction, an intermediate writer dives deeper into spinning a narrative in a predetermined way to convey a particular perspective, feeling, or emotion. The intermediate writer uses the same elements and tools of storytelling as beginners; however, they use these tools and elements with precise thought and purpose, whereas beginners use what they’ve learned out of perceived necessity.

Intermediate Guide to the Creative Writing Process

The first literary device we will focus on for the Intermediate Creative Writing Process is “perspective” and how including different perspectives can improve the characters in your stories. It’s also vital to remember that “perspective” is not the same as “point of view.” Point of view tells us what type of narrator is telling the story; perspective tells us how the chosen narrator perceives what is happening around them.

The second device to focus on in the Intermediate Creative Writing Process is “time.” Stories aren’t always told from beginning to end. Many great works of fiction and even non-fiction do not move in one direction. Where you decide to start or stop a story can have a considerable impact on your narrative. To continue on, the third area of focus for our guide is writing symbolically. At its most basic level, a symbol can be anything used to represent something else beyond its literal meaning. Writing with symbolism gives you the power to add imagery and emotion to your work. Symbols can also help define the characters in your story.

The last two parts of this intermediate guide to the creative writing process are more exercises than literary tools. The first of the two is learning and practicing “adapting.” An adaptation is when an existing composition is written into a new form. It can present old work in a manner that brings new meaning to an older piece. Adaptations can simply use elements from the work it draws from, while some are modern retellings. The last section of our guide for intermediate writers is: Flash fiction—which, simply put, is a short story—sometimes a very short story. Flash fiction doesn’t have exact rules or a certain word count; however, when composing it, one must use a limited amount of words to convey the intended emotion. This exercise in minimalism, whether for practice or publication, can undoubtedly sharpen a writer’s ability to craft clear and precise prose.

Take Your Writing to the Next Level with Our Intermediate Creative Writing Course

If you’re interested in exploring a more in-depth version of my Intermediate Guide to the Creative Writing Process and you want to delve into more advanced techniques and strategies for improving your writing skills, then be sure to sign-up for one of the remaining spots for the Online Intermediate Creative Writing Course over at https://creativewritingink.co.uk. Here, you will receive personalized feedback on your weekly assignments—and since there are no set class times, you can work when it fits into your schedule. Becoming a better writer has never been easier.