Creative Writing / Web Study Tools / Practice
How to write a good creative essay?
" I'm a student in Taiwan who is going to have the test of IELTS. In this test, there's a writing part of it. I need to write two essays within one hour. One is to describe maybe 3 charts or diagrams about a specific event or incident. The other one is the creative essay.
" I don't really know how to start my article with the exactly right topic sentence. I mean, I don't really know how to give my article an attractive and clear topic sentence. Somehow, if I can't decide the proper topic sentence as soon as possible, then I don't know how to keep on writing for the whole essay.
" Also, I still can't organize my essay in a very proper way so that sometimes I feel like there's kind of mess in my essay. Please tell me how to create a good, at least a logic topic sentence and advise me about how to organize the whole essay in a proper way in a limited time."* * *
First of all keep cool; don't be afraid !
Think of something that is of interest to you, something that you love maybe, a friend, a parent, even your dog... Then think of the first that comes to your mind about it, e.g. my dog is smart - something simple. Then from this simple observation proceed to something that would be of interest to more people than yourself, e.g. what kind of intelligence a dog can have? Give examples of your dog's intelligence, compare with other dogs, compare with humans.
You don't need to be Einstein to write a clear essay. Just concentrate on things that you know and try to think on them using examples, comparisons and generalisations. To continue on the same example, you can also give your feelings. How comfortable you are with you dog and his limited intelligence, while some people, really smart people, can make you feel uneasy, like they examine you or whatever.
The method to write on a topic can be different according to your habits. But it might help you to keep some notes before you start writing. Write down your main ideas - not too many, just 4 or 5 main ideas, then beside each of them write examples that would give to the reader a clear view of those ideas. Only after you do this, start writing the essay, starting from your best idea and continuing with the second best, etc until you say all you can say about your topic in the time that you have.
Devote two or three sentences in the end to let your reader know what you understood by writing this essay, how you became more aware of your subject by writing this.
Don't try to impress or seem sophisticated. The more simple you are, the better. Just keep in mind that you must try to pass from one idea to the other in a natural way. In this it will help you very much, it will save you, if you define your concepts. Many misunderstandings come from not-defined concepts.
E.g. talking about dogs, you must give a definition of how you understand "intelligence". Is it logical for us to speak about a dog's "intelligence"? If intelligence is identical with reasoning, then a dog can not have and does not have intelligence. Is there some other way of perception besides reason that can be defined as an intelligent way? Intelligence comes from the intellect. What is an intellect?
Try to clarify things in your mind and at your paper. Work with examples, don't try to reach a definition instantly, because you will be lost, you won't know what to think. Examples will guide you.If you are not in a great hurry, you must explore carefully this Original Guide to Creative Writing, and have the Writers themselves advise you