Successful Creative Writing

When I think of success in writing I think of what is important to ME as the reader and it would go something like this:

I believe what makes a piece of creative writing successful are primarily three things; 1) A subject matter that is interesting and makes sense, 2)whether the plot can be derived from the body of the piece and 3) a grammatically error-free piece. I have often found it difficult to get into a piece of writing if it doesn’t grab my attention. The use of humor and imagery right off the bat can really garner someone’s attention. I have often had to struggle through what seems to be a boring story, until I get to the “good part.” Why not start out with the more interesting parts of the work and work backwards to the parts that may not be so attention grabbing?

Further, if I walk away from the piece of writing wondering what the plot or main idea was, it can leave a bad taste in my mouth in reference to the writer or the writer’s style. It is also difficult to read a piece that is full of grammatical errors; I will usually try to stick with it, unless it gives me a headache which is sometimes the case.


In order to become a more successful writer, throughout the semester I will take the feedback and cues from the instructor and my fellow students to heart. In the past, it has really helped me come up with not just more interesting topics, but the overall approach of how to make a topic interesting. Feedback is also helpful when I need to decide which direction to go in when I’m stuck, whether at the beginning, middle or end of writing a particular piece.

I will challenge myself to consider other genres that may not be my favorites in order to become a well-rounded writer. The biggest obstacle to improving my writing is time. I plan to spend adequate quiet time (the type of atmosphere I need to allow my juices to flow) reading and completing my writing assignments. I will also get over my apprehension of having multiple drafts. Usually after the first through third drafts I want to bail out, but I realize now that I must continue with subsequent drafts in order to get to my best piece of writing.

Cindy Davis