creative essay intros

How to Write a Creative Essay: Your Fresh Guide

What Is a Creative Essay

In a world full of logic, facts, and statistics, being able to unleash your true creativity might seem like a fresh breath of air. Sometimes, all we need is to shut our minds, let our thoughts flow through, and immerse ourselves in endless imagination. To think about it, being able to let your imagination run wild yields something genuinely exceptional, an outcome that is not restricted to mundane reality which eventually opens a whole new universe of broadened horizons.

Now, imagine that you can bring together your unique thoughts onto a piece of paper and organize them in a specific format, so when one reads through it, one can easily follow your points while simultaneously being captured by your set of perspectives. Notice how there is an intersection between creativity and organization? These two do not have to be mutually exclusive. That's why in this article we intend to explain how you can put your creative thoughts into words, arrange these words into paragraphs and finally structure these paragraphs in a well-defined creative essay outline.

Now that we have your undivided attention let us briefly explain what is a creative essay and what kind of assignment it represents when you're given one. A creative essay is more than just throwing words on paper to reach a certain character limit. Such an essay assesses your ability to discover and clarify notions to your audience. In academic writing, creative essays can provide you the chance to showcase your research ability together with your vocabulary and composition skills.

Nearly all educational levels, including universities, need students to produce creative essays. When picking creative essay topics, you often have great flexibility. Your professor may give you a subject or category to specialize in, but you are allowed to choose any concept as long as it fits the specified area.

While having the flexibility to write about whatever you want is fantastic, the thought may also be somewhat intimidating. So, read on to get the key tips on how to write a creative essay, along with a step-by-step guide in the following paragraphs.

And if you ever pondered how to write in cursive , we've got you covered on that too!

Helpful Tips for Writing a Creative Essay

In case you were wondering, yes, there are some tactics for writing a creative essay that you may employ. Therefore let our college essay writer provide you with the following useful advice to make your creative essay examples more intriguing and unique:

• Start Off Strong: Using an attention-grabbing introduction is a common piece of creative writing advice. One approach to achieve this is to open the narrative with a retrospect, which might throw off the timeline by bringing the audience back into the heart of the scene at the very start of the narrative.
• Employ an Outline: Make an outline after you have a topic. Consider your favorite book by your favorite creator. Does it follow a clear framework? A solid start, body, and closing? Very likely, it does, and your essay needs to reflect that. Therefore, before beginning, devote some time to developing a creative writing essay outline.
• Take Risks: Do it without hesitation. Often, writings that take chances and push limits end up being the most impactful. Don't be shy to experiment with different writing styles, a unique writing tone, or a subject that causes you to feel uneasy. Present your own ideas and allow them to make a statement.
• Use Descriptive Language : Provide descriptive elements that show off your vocabulary to help others understand your creative essay ideas. Writing creatively is all about illuminating a scene with phrases. Employ descriptive words to evoke strong mental images in your audience. To assist your reader in visualizing the situation you're portraying, include sensory information such as vision, sound, flavor, sensation, and scent.
• Use Extended Metaphors: An extended metaphor strategy is frequently used in creative writing. It could be better to use an analogy to communicate the idea by making parallels, which people find simpler to grasp than to struggle through attempting to lay out a difficult topic in a basic manner.
• Edit Extensively: Few succeed on the first try. When you've finished the initial version, go back and review it to see whether your arguments are in the best sequence and if your writing truly stands to reason. In the era of technology, it's simple to cut and paste sections of your essay into where they would suit better to help your essay flow smoother. Remove everything that doesn't support your essay's main idea or topic.

How to Write a Creative Essay: Breaking Down a Creative Essay Outline

Apart from the tips above, you might need a step-by-step guide demonstrating essential writing steps. While creative essays adhere to an outline much like other types of essays, such as book review format , they use a slightly different framework known as the 3-Point Structure. This involves: The Setup -> Confrontation -> Resolution. Let's break down each component below:

• Set Up: Generally stated in the introduction, the setup establishes the characters and their connection with one another. What are the predefined links between the main members? Give the readers enough information to begin making assumptions about how the narrative will evolve.
• Confrontation: Written in the body, the narrative must have a Defining Moment. At this conflicting point, the calm sea becomes a violent storm. This turn of events could be foreshadowed by the plot's hints, or it might just happen out of nowhere. Your decision as the author will determine your actions. For instance, you can start implying that the storyline seems strange before returning to normal without making significant changes. Alternatively, the narrative can be moving along without incident when a significant event occurs, abruptly changing the course of the story.
• Resolution: After the story's pivotal moment, the drama will have intensified and gradually subsided. There will eventually come a time when the tension picks back up and reaches a pinnacle. Now, this could either be revealed at the end of the narrative (a cliffhanger) or disclosed anywhere between the middle and the beginning. This also depends on you as the author.

Creative Essay Introduction

Establishing the scene in a creative essay opening is the first thing to be done in any storytelling. Provide a brief description of the area, the period of the day, and the history of the present situation. This opening setting is key because it establishes the atmosphere and flow of the whole storyline. Having said that, be sure to enliven the scene as much as possible to let the reader see it perfectly. Employ explicit descriptions; poetic devices, analogies, and symbols are excellent ways to change the tone of the text right away.

Creative Essay Body

The bodies are employed to advance the storyline and convey the message. But you may also employ these sections to switch up the motion and emotion. For instance, as the author, you may include the conflict immediately if the plot progresses slowly. The reader is taken aback by this, which alters the narrative’s tone and pace. Also, you might stage a phony conflict to keep your audience on edge.

Creative Essay Conclusion

Usually, the creative writers may wrap up the narrative in the end. Set up a conflict, then give the resolution to wind up the conversation. Most of the time, the ending won't lead to the story's climax, but many expert writers employ cliffhangers. Using such creative essay writing techniques, the reader might be kept in a state of suspense without revealing what happened to the characters.

Creative Essay Topics and Ideas

Before putting yourself into creative essay writing, you should pick among creative writing essays topics that you will be talking about. Here we got some fresh creative essay topics from our top college essay writer to make your choice easier:

• Explain an event in your life that spiraled out of control and flipped its course.
• Create a scenario that directs the end of the world.
• Camouflage the concept of love in a story that is completely irrelevant.
• Design in a story in which one person's beliefs or ideas helped reform the future of society.
• Propose a scenario in the distant future in which technology controls all.
• Describe something that you can't live without; it might be your hobby or a thing that you are dedicated to.
• Express your thoughts about a topic that hurts you.
• Imagine that you became invisible for one day. What would you do?
• What would your reaction be if one day you woke up in someone else's body

Naturally, you can create one that is completely unique to you and the ideas that you form. These creative writing topics are here to get you started on the right path towards a brilliant story.

Creative College Essay Topics

Now that our coursework writers guided your curiosity through different creative writing tips and writing structure, you might fancy some topics for creative nonfiction essay to give you a more clear idea. Let us walk you through some inspirational creative essay titles:

• 'Being My True-Self in Solitude' - Describe when you were completely alone and what lessons you took from it. Here you can examine the notion of isolation and how it may inspire your creativity. You can also discuss a solo excursion you undertook, a moment when you felt abandoned, or a period when you deliberately sought solitude to contemplate and refresh.
• 'My Life's Soundtrack' - Talk about your favorite song or a piece of music that sums up your character or reflects your life. Your essay might examine a specific line of lyrics that speaks to your life experience. You can also describe how the beats and rhythm highlight a particular memory or challenge you overcame.
• 'Dear Future Me' - In this essay letter, you can converse with your future self in 10 years. First, talk about your present self, what you're grateful for, and what you wish would go differently in the future. Ask your older self questions about how things have changed over these years, and reflect upon your main aspirations.
• 'My Perfect Imperfections' - Recall a moment when you acknowledge your weaknesses or flaws. Appreciate the thought that imperfections are a normal and lovely aspect of human existence. You may also discuss overcoming self-doubt or a physical trait you used to detest but have come to adore.

Need Some Creative Writing Help?

Choose your personal paper writer on our service and check it out!

Example of a Creative Essay

Aldrine was already hitting his mid-30’s and the pressure from parents and peers was building up fast. While he admitted that marriage was an essential rite of passage, he was also keen not to marry an entirely incompatible partner with whom he would struggle all through adulthood. The father was already losing patience and several of his peers had been sent with threats that he would eventually be ostracized.

Did you like it? You can also buy essays online from us, and our authors will write it flawlessly and within the stipulated time frame. You can also read an article about book review format , there you will also find useful information.

Wrapping Up

As we come to an end, we hope you gained a clear insight into what is creative essay and how to write it. Some people will always find it simpler to write creative essays than others. Yet, by putting the tips above into practice, you should be in a strong position to generate work that you're happy with.

You could be left-brained, more comfortable with analytical thought processes than with eloquent language. In this case, you may embark on a journey with the help of our qualified paper writer team, who has produced a ton of creative college essay topics. We know that every creative essay is different, and each of our writers can vividly depict a scene that will astound you. Have some doubts? Buy essays online today and be assured of our promise!

Are You Short on Creative Writing Topics?

Whether you need a compelling personal statement, a thought-provoking argumentative essay, or a captivating narrative, we've got you covered.

FAQs on Creative Essay Writing

If you feel like some questions were left unanswered, don't you feel disappointed just yet! Our dissertation writers for hire compiled the most frequently asked question on creative essay writing, so take a look for additional information:

What Are the 7 Types of Creative Writing?

What are the 5 c's of creative writing, is creative writing a skill, related articles.

How to Write a Creative Essay: Useful Tips and Examples

Essay creative writing is not always seen as fun by most students, but the realm of creative essays can offer an enjoyable twist. The inherent freedom in choosing a topic and expressing your thoughts makes this type of paper a creative playground. Engaging in composing a creative essay provides an opportunity to flex your creative muscles. Yet, if you're new to crafting compositions, it can pose a challenge. This article guides you through the steps to write an impressive creative essay, helping you navigate the process seamlessly. In a hurry? Our writing service is there for you 24/7, with guidance and practical help.

What Is a Creative Essay

A creative essay is a form of writing that goes beyond traditional academic structures, allowing the author to express themselves more imaginatively and artistically. Unlike formal essays, creative ones emphasize storytelling, personal reflection, and the exploration of emotions. They often incorporate literary elements such as vivid descriptions, dialogue, and poetic language to engage readers on a more emotional and sensory level. Follow our creative essay tips to experiment with style and structure, offering a unique platform to convey ideas, experiences, or perspectives in a captivating and inventive way.

To answer the question what does creative writing mean, it’s necessary to point out that it departs from traditional academic writing, offering a canvas for artistic expression and storytelling. It diverges from the rigid structure of formal writings, providing a platform for writers to infuse their work with imagination and emotion. In this genre, literary elements such as vivid descriptions and poetic language take center stage, fostering a more engaging and personal connection with the reader.

Unlike a poem analysis essay , this form of writing prioritizes narrative and self-expression, allowing authors to delve into their experiences and perspectives uniquely. It's a departure from the conventional rules, encouraging experimentation with style and structure. Creative essays offer a distinct avenue for individuals to convey ideas and emotions, weaving a tapestry that captivates and resonates with readers on a deeper, more sensory level.

Creative Writing Essay Outline Explained From A to Z

Moving on, let's delve into how to write a creative writing essay from s structural perspective. Despite the focus on creativity and imagination, a robust structure remains essential. Consider your favorite novel – does it not follow a well-defined beginning, middle, and end? So does your article. Before diving in, invest some time crafting a solid plan for your creative writing essay.

Creative Essay Introduction

In creative essay writing, the introduction demands setting the scene effectively. Begin with a concise portrayal of the surroundings, the time of day, and the historical context of the present scenario. This initial backdrop holds significant weight, shaping the atmosphere and trajectory of the entire storyline. Ensure a vivid depiction, employing explicit descriptions, poetic devices, analogies, and symbols to alter the text's tone promptly.

Creative Essay Body

The body sections serve as the engine to propel the storyline and convey the intended message. Yet, they can also be leveraged to introduce shifts in motion and emotion. For example, as creative writers, injecting conflict right away can be a powerful move if the plot unfolds slowly. This unexpected twist startles the reader, fundamentally altering the narrative's tone and pace. Additionally, orchestrating a fabricated conflict can keep the audience on edge, adding an extra layer of intrigue.

Creative Essay Conclusion

Typically, creative writers conclude the narrative towards the end. Introduce a conflict and then provide its resolution to tie up the discourse neatly. While the conclusion often doesn't lead to the story's climax, skilled writers frequently deploy cliffhangers. By employing these writing techniques, the reader is left in suspense, eagerly anticipating the fate of the characters without a premature revelation.

Creative Writing Tips

Every student possesses a distinct mindset, individual way of thinking, and unique ideas. However, considering the academic nature of creative writing essays, it is essential to incorporate characteristics commonly expected in such works, such as:

• Select a topic that sparks your interest or explores unique perspectives. A captivating subject sets the stage for an engaging paper.
• Begin with a vivid and attention-grabbing introduction. Use descriptive language, anecdotes, or thought-provoking questions to draw in your readers from the start.
• Clearly articulate the main idea or theme of your essay in a concise thesis statement. This provides a roadmap for your readers and keeps your writing focused.
• Use descriptive language to create a sensory experience for your readers. Appeal to sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell to enhance the imagery.
• Play with the structure of your content. Consider nonlinear narratives, flashbacks, or unconventional timelines to add an element of surprise and creativity.
• If applicable, develop well-rounded and relatable characters. Provide details that breathe life into your characters and make them memorable to the reader.
• Establish a vivid and immersive setting for your narrative. The environment should contribute to the overall mood and tone.
• Blend dialogue and narration effectively. Dialogue adds authenticity and allows characters to express themselves, while narration provides context and insight.
• Revisit your essay for revisions. Pay attention to the flow, coherence, and pacing. Edit for clarity and refine your language to ensure every word serves a purpose.
• Share your creative writing article with others and welcome constructive feedback. Fresh perspectives can help you identify areas for improvement and refine your storytelling.
• Maintain an authentic voice throughout your essay. Let your unique style and perspective shine through, creating a genuine connection with your audience.
• Craft a memorable conclusion that leaves a lasting impression. Summarize key points, evoke emotions, or pose thought-provoking questions to resonate with your readers.

Types of Creative Writing Essays

A creative writing essay may come in various forms, each offering a unique approach to storytelling and self-expression. Some common types include:

• Reflects the author's personal experiences, emotions, and insights, often weaving in anecdotes and reflections.

Descriptive 

• Focuses on creating a vivid and sensory-rich portrayal of a scene, person, or event through detailed descriptions.
• Tells a compelling story with a clear plot, characters, and often a central theme or message.

Reflective 

• Encourages introspection and thoughtful examination of personal experiences, revealing personal growth and lessons learned.

Expository 

• Explores and explains a particular topic, idea, or concept creatively and engagingly.

Persuasive 

• Utilizes creative elements to persuade the reader to adopt a particular viewpoint or take a specific action.

Imaginative 

• These creative writing papers allow for the free expression of imagination, often incorporating elements of fantasy, surrealism, or speculative fiction.

Literary Analysis

• Learning how to write a creative writing essay, analyze and interpret a piece of literature, and incorporate creativity to explore deeper meanings and connections.
• Blends personal experiences with travel narratives, offering insights into different cultures, places, and adventures.
• Focuses on creating a detailed and engaging portrait of a person, exploring their character, experiences, and impact on others.

Experimental 

• Pushes the boundaries of traditional essay structures, experimenting with form, style, and narrative techniques.
• Combines elements from different essay types, allowing for a flexible and creative approach to storytelling.

As you can see, there are many types of creative compositions, so we recommend that you study how to write an academic essay with the help of our extensive guide.

How to Start a Creative Writing Essay

Starting a creative writing essay involves capturing the reader's attention and setting the tone for the narrative. Here are some effective ways to begin:

• Pose a thought-provoking question that intrigues the reader and encourages them to contemplate the topic.
• Begin with a short anecdote or a brief storytelling snippet that introduces the central theme or idea of your essay.
• Paint a vivid picture of the setting using descriptive language, setting the stage for the events or emotions to unfold.
• Open with a compelling dialogue that sparks interest or introduces key characters, immediately engaging the reader in the conversation.
• Incorporate a relevant quotation or epigraph that sets the mood or provides insight into the essay's theme.
• Begin with a bold or intriguing statement that captivates the reader's attention, encouraging them to delve further into your essay.
• Present a contradiction or unexpected scenario that creates a sense of curiosity and compels the reader to explore the resolution.
• Employ a striking metaphor or simile that immediately draws connections and conveys the essence of your creative essay.
• Start by directly addressing the reader, creating a sense of intimacy and involvement right from the beginning.
• Establish the mood or atmosphere of your essay by describing the emotions, sounds, or surroundings relevant to the narrative.
• Present a dilemma or conflict that hints at the central tension of your essay, enticing the reader to discover the resolution.
• Start in the middle of the action, dropping the reader into a pivotal moment that sparks curiosity about what happened before and what will unfold.

Choose an approach to how to write a creative essay that aligns with your tone and theme, ensuring a captivating and memorable introduction.

Creative Essay Formats

Working on a creative writing essay offers a canvas for writers to express themselves in various formats, each contributing a unique flavor to the storytelling. One prevalent format is personal writing, where writers delve into their own experiences, emotions, and reflections, creating a deeply personal narrative that resonates with readers. Through anecdotes, insights, and introspection, personal essays provide a window into the author's inner world, fostering a connection through shared vulnerabilities and authentic storytelling.

Another captivating format is the narrative, which unfolds like a traditional story with characters, a plot, and a clear arc. Writers craft a compelling narrative, often with a central theme or message, engaging readers in a journey of discovery. Through vivid descriptions and well-developed characters, narrative articles allow for the exploration of universal truths within the context of a captivating storyline, leaving a lasting impression on the audience.

For those who seek to blend fact and fiction, the imaginative format opens the door to vivid exploration. This format allows writers to unleash their imagination, incorporating elements of fantasy, surrealism, or speculative fiction. By bending reality and weaving imaginative threads into the narrative, writers can transport readers to otherworldly realms or offer fresh perspectives on familiar themes. The imaginative essay format invites readers to embrace the unexpected, challenging conventional boundaries and stimulating creativity in both the writer and the audience. Check out our poetry analysis essay guide to learn more about the freedom of creativity learners can adopt while working on assignments. 

Creative Essay Topics and Ideas

As you become familiar with creative writing tips, we’d like to share several amazing topic examples that might help you get out of writer’s block:

• The enchanted garden tells a tale of blooms and whispers.
• Lost in time, a journey through historical echoes unfolds.
• Whispering winds unravel the secrets of nature.
• The silent symphony explores the soul of music.
• Portraits of the invisible capture the essence of emotions.
• Beyond the horizon is a cosmic adventure in stardust.
• Can dreams shape reality? An exploration of the power of imagination.
• The forgotten key unlocks doors to the past.
• Ripples in the void, an exploration of cosmic mysteries.
• Echoes of eternity are stories written in the stars.
• In the shadow of giants, unveils the unsung heroes.
• Can words paint pictures? An exploration of the artistry of literary expression.
• Whispers of the deep explore the ocean's hidden stories.
• Threads of time weave lives through generations.
• Do colors hold emotions? A journey of painting the canvas of feelings.
• The quantum quandary navigates the world of subatomic particles.
• Reflections in a mirror unmask the layers of identity.
• The art of silence crafts narratives without words.
• The ethereal dance explores movement beyond the visible.
• Can shadows speak? Unveiling stories cast in darkness.

Examples of Creative Writing Essays

We've added a couple of brief creative writing essays examples for your reference and inspiration.

Creative Writing Example 1: Admission Essay

Creative writing example 2: narrative essay.

What Are the Types of Creative Writing Essays?

What is a creative writing essay, how to start a creative writing essay, what are some creative writing tips.

• Plagiarism Report
• Unlimited Revisions
• 24/7 Support

The Art of Crafting Engaging and Unique Creative Essays

Hello there, dear reader! Are you ready to embark on a creative journey? In this article, we will explore the fascinating world of crafting engaging and unique creative essays. Writing essays doesn\’t have to be a dull and monotonous task; it can be an opportunity to unleash your creativity and express yourself in a distinctive way. Whether you\’re a student, a writer, or simply someone interested in sharpening your writing skills, you\’ll discover valuable insights and practical tips to help you create compelling and memorable essays. So, let\’s dive in and unlock the art of crafting essays that stand out!

Introduction to Creative Essays

Creative essays are a unique form of writing that allows you to express your thoughts, ideas, and emotions in an imaginative and artistic way. Unlike other types of essays, creative essays give you the freedom to explore different writing styles, experiment with language, and engage your readers through storytelling.

Understanding Creative Essays

Creative essays, also known as narrative essays, are personal and expressive pieces of writing. They often revolve around a specific experience, event, or story that the writer wants to share. The purpose of a creative essay is to captivate the reader\’s attention and evoke emotions through vivid descriptions, engaging dialogues, and well-developed characters.

Unlike academic essays that focus on analyzing or arguing a specific topic, creative essays aim to entertain, inspire, and connect with the reader on an emotional level. They allow you to delve into your inner world and explore your thoughts and feelings through imaginative storytelling.

The Importance of Creativity

Creativity is a fundamental aspect of writing creative essays. It enables you to bring your unique voice and perspective to your writing, making it more engaging and memorable. Creativity allows you to break free from conventional writing rules and experiment with different styles, techniques, and narrative approaches.

When writing a creative essay, creativity helps you to create vibrant and rich descriptions that transport the reader to a different time, place, or experience. It allows you to play with words, use figurative language, and paint vivid mental images in the reader\’s mind. By infusing your writing with creativity, you can make your essay come alive and leave a lasting impression on your readers.

Choosing a Topic

Choosing an engaging and unique topic is crucial to the success of your creative essay. A well-selected topic can spark your creativity and inspire you to write passionately. Here are some tips and techniques to help you choose a topic for your creative essay:

• Personal experiences: Reflect on significant moments, challenges, or achievements in your life that have had a profound impact on you. These personal experiences can serve as a great starting point for a creative essay.
• Imagination and daydreaming: Let your imagination run wild and explore the realms of your daydreams. Imagine fantastical scenarios, intriguing characters, or extraordinary settings that could become the foundation of your creative essay.
• Observation and curiosity: Pay attention to the world around you and be curious about the people, places, and things that capture your interest. Observe the small details, unusual occurrences, or unique interactions that could inspire a captivating story.
• Emotional exploration: Explore your emotions and delve into your deepest thoughts and feelings. Identify topics or themes that resonate with you on a personal level and that you feel passionate about sharing with others.

Remember, the key to choosing a topic for your creative essay is to select something that excites you and allows you to express yourself authentically. By choosing a topic that resonates with you, you will be more motivated and invested in writing your essay, leading to a more engaging and impactful piece of work.

The Writing Process

When it comes to writing creative essays, having a solid writing process in place is crucial. This not only helps you stay organized but also allows you to fully unleash your creativity. In this section, we will delve into the different aspects of the writing process that will guide you towards crafting an outstanding creative essay.

Brainstorming Ideas

Before diving into the actual writing, it\’s important to spend some time brainstorming ideas. This step helps you generate a plethora of ideas that you can later develop into a captivating essay. To effectively brainstorm, find a quiet and comfortable space where you can let your thoughts flow freely.

There are numerous strategies you can employ to get those creative juices flowing. One strategy is freewriting, where you write continuously for a set amount of time without worrying about grammar, spelling, or punctuation. This helps bypass your inner critic and allows you to explore different ideas without hesitation.

Another useful strategy is mind mapping. Start by writing your central idea or theme in the center of a blank page, and then branch out with related ideas, characters, or settings. This visual representation can help you see connections between different elements and guide your essay\’s direction.

Furthermore, seeking inspiration from various sources can be highly beneficial. Read books, watch movies or documentaries, listen to music, or observe people in real life. You never know what might trigger an idea or spark your imagination.

Structuring Your Essay

Once you have a pool of ideas to draw from, it\’s time to structure your essay. This step involves organizing your thoughts in a logical and coherent manner. A well-structured essay not only makes it easier for your readers to follow but also enhances the impact of your story.

Start by outlining the key points or events you want to include in your essay. This can be in the form of a traditional outline or a more visual representation, such as a flowchart. Consider the order in which you want to present your ideas and how they connect with one another.

Introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion are the essential parts of any essay structure. In the introduction, grab your readers\’ attention with a captivating hook and provide a brief overview of what they can expect from your essay. The body paragraphs should further develop your ideas and provide supporting evidence or examples. Finally, in the conclusion, summarize your main points and leave readers with a lasting impression.

Remember to use smooth transitions between paragraphs to ensure a seamless flow of ideas. This will make your essay easy to read and understand.

Developing Characters and Settings

In a creative essay, characters and settings play a crucial role in engaging your readers\’ imagination and emotions. Developing well-rounded characters and vivid settings can breathe life into your essay and make it truly unforgettable.

To create compelling characters, think about their personalities, motivations, and background stories. Which experiences have shaped them, and how do they respond to the challenges they face in your essay? Give them unique traits and make their actions and dialogue authentic.

Additionally, settings provide a backdrop for your characters to come alive. Whether it\’s a bustling cityscape, a serene countryside, or a mysterious fantasy realm, your setting should be rich in detail. Describe the sights, sounds, smells, and sensations to transport your readers to the world you have crafted.

Researching real-life locations or drawing inspiration from other fictional worlds can help you create believable and immersive settings. Build a strong sense of place so that your readers can visualize themselves within the surroundings of your essay.

By focusing on these aspects, you can develop characters and settings that captivate your readers and make your creative essay truly come to life.

Writing Techniques

When it comes to writing creative essays, mastering the art of using various writing techniques is essential. These techniques can elevate your essay from ordinary to extraordinary, captivating your readers and leaving a lasting impression. In this section, we will delve into three important techniques: using vivid imagery, creating dialogue, and building suspense and tension.

Using Vivid Imagery

One of the most powerful tools in a writer\’s arsenal is the use of vivid imagery. By incorporating descriptive language, you can paint a picture in the minds of your readers, transporting them to the world you have created within your essay. To effectively use vivid imagery, consider the following tips:

• Show, don\’t tell: Instead of stating that the sky is beautiful, describe the hues of orange and pink as the sun sets behind the distant mountains, casting a warm glow across the horizon.
• Appeal to the senses: Engage your readers by appealing to their senses. Describe the scent of freshly baked bread, the sound of crashing waves, or the feeling of soft, warm sand between their toes.
• Use metaphor and simile: Comparing two seemingly unrelated things can evoke powerful imagery. For example, \”Her laughter was like a melody, filling the room with joy.\”

By employing these techniques, you can create a vibrant and immersive experience for your readers, making your essay come alive.

Creating Dialogue

Dialogue plays a crucial role in bringing characters to life and moving the plot forward. When done effectively, it adds authenticity and depth to your creative essay. To master the art of creating engaging and realistic dialogue, consider the following tips:

• Make it sound natural: Dialogue should flow naturally, reflecting how people speak in real life. Avoid lengthy monologues and focus on concise exchanges that reveal important information or develop characters.
• Show character through dialogue: Dialogue is an excellent tool for revealing character traits, desires, and conflicts. Each character should have a distinct voice and use language that matches their personality.
• Utilize subtext: Often, what is left unsaid can be just as important as what is said. Subtext adds depth and complexity to your characters\’ interactions, as they navigate hidden motives or unspoken tensions.

By implementing these techniques, you can create dialogue that is authentic, engaging, and propels your creative essay forward.

Building Suspense and Tension

No creative essay is complete without a healthy dose of suspense and tension. These elements keep your readers on the edge of their seats, eagerly flipping through the pages to discover what happens next. To master the art of building suspense and tension, consider the following techniques:

• Establish a ticking clock: Create a sense of urgency by setting a deadline or impending event. This will heighten the suspense and keep your readers hooked, wondering if the protagonist will succeed in their race against time.
• Reveal information gradually: Instead of unveiling everything at once, drip-feed information to your readers, leaving breadcrumbs of clues along the way. This builds anticipation and keeps them guessing.
• Create unexpected twists and turns: Surprise your readers with unexpected plot twists, betrayals, or revelations. This injects excitement into your essay and keeps your readers engaged and invested.

By employing these techniques, you can create a gripping and suspenseful narrative that will captivate your readers from start to finish.

Mastering these writing techniques will undoubtedly elevate your creative essays, showcasing your skills as a storyteller. By using vivid imagery, creating engaging dialogue, and building suspense and tension, you can bring your ideas to life and leave a lasting impression on your readers.

Editing and Revising

Proofreading for Errors

One crucial step in the writing process is to carefully proofread your creative essay. This involves examining your work to identify and correct any grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors that may detract from the quality of your piece. No matter how brilliant your ideas may be, such errors can make your writing appear unprofessional and distract your readers from fully engaging with your content.

When proofreading, it is essential to pay attention to details and review every sentence and paragraph. Start by checking for grammatical errors. Look for subject-verb agreement issues, inconsistent verb tenses, and incorrect word usage. Ensure that each sentence is structured correctly and contributes to the overall flow and meaning of your essay.

Spelling mistakes can also diminish the impact of your creative writing. Make sure to review your work for commonly misspelled words or typos. It can be helpful to use tools like grammar and spell-checkers to catch any errors that may have slipped through your own review.

Punctuation plays a vital role in conveying your ideas effectively. Take the time to examine your essay for correct punctuation usage. Ensure that you have used commas, periods, question marks, exclamation marks, and quotation marks appropriately. Proofread for consistency in your punctuation style and ensure that it aligns with the standard rules of English grammar.

Refining Your Language

Refining your language is another crucial aspect of editing your creative essay. By incorporating more sophisticated and clear language, you can enhance the overall quality of your writing.

First, consider the clarity of your ideas. Are your thoughts conveyed in a concise and understandable manner? Review your sentences and paragraphs to ensure they are clear and logical. Remove any unnecessary or confusing phrases that might hinder the flow of your writing. Aim for coherence and coherence and coherence coherence and coherence coherence coherence and coherence coherence and coherence.

Additionally, develop your vocabulary to add depth and nuance to your essay. Use a thesaurus to find synonyms for common words and expand your range of expression. However, be cautious not to overly rely on uncommon or technical terms if they disrupt the flow or comprehension of your writing. Strike a balance between using vivid and precise language and maintaining the overall accessibility of your essay.

Beyond clarity and vocabulary, consider the overall tone and style of your creative essay. Does it match the intended mood and atmosphere? Experiment with different sentence structures, figurative language, and descriptive techniques to create a unique and engaging piece. Make sure your writing reflects your creative vision and effectively communicates the emotions and ideas you want to convey.

Seeking Feedback

Feedback is invaluable when it comes to improving your creative essay. Seeking input from others can provide fresh perspectives and constructive criticism that can help enhance your writing.

Consider sharing your essay with trusted friends, peers, or instructors, and ask for their honest feedback. Be open to their suggestions and actively listen to their impressions. Keep in mind that feedback is subjective, so don\’t feel compelled to incorporate every single comment you receive. Instead, consider the different viewpoints and decide which changes align with your creative vision.

When seeking feedback, ask specific questions to guide the reviewers. For example, you might inquire about the clarity of your ideas, the effectiveness of your language, or the overall impact of your essay. By providing specific areas for evaluation, you can receive more targeted and helpful feedback to refine your work.

Incorporating feedback into your revision process is essential. Analyze the comments and suggestions you receive and implement the changes that align with your vision for the essay. However, be cautious not to lose your unique voice in the process. Strive to maintain the elements that make your creative essay distinct while incorporating improvements suggested by others.

By following these editing and revising techniques, you can polish your creative essay, ensuring it is free from errors, effectively conveys your ideas, and resonates with your readers. So, put your editing hat on and transform your writing into a masterpiece!

In this ultimate guide on writing creative essays, we have delved into the essential elements that will elevate your writing skills. By understanding the fundamentals and implementing various strategies, you can create exceptional and captivating essays that will hook your readers from the very beginning. So, let\’s recap the key points we have covered so far.

1. Understanding the Basics

The first step towards writing a creative essay is to understand the basics. This includes familiarizing yourself with the structure and components of an essay, such as the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Additionally, having a clear understanding of the essay prompt and identifying the main theme or message you want to convey is crucial.

Furthermore, it is essential to conduct thorough research on the topic to gather relevant information that will support your arguments and enhance the overall quality of your essay. This will enable you to provide accurate and well-informed ideas that engage your readers.

2. Developing a Compelling Narrative

A key aspect of writing a creative essay is the development of a compelling narrative. This involves creating a unique storyline or plot that will captivate your readers\’ attention and keep them engaged throughout the essay. You can achieve this by incorporating elements such as conflict, suspense, or unexpected twists and turns.

Furthermore, developing well-rounded and relatable characters is crucial in bringing your narrative to life. By giving your characters depth and complexity, you allow your readers to connect with them on a deeper level and become emotionally invested in the story.

Remember to use descriptive language and vivid imagery to enhance your narrative and create a sensory experience for your readers. This will enable them to visualize the setting and events of your essay, making it more memorable and impactful.

3. Refining your Language

In order to write a creative essay that stands out, you must pay attention to your language and writing style. Use figurative language, such as metaphors and similes, to add depth and richness to your writing. This will make your essay more engaging and allow you to express complex ideas in a creative and imaginative way.

Furthermore, vary your sentence structure and length to create rhythm and flow in your writing. This will prevent your essay from becoming monotonous and tedious to read. Experiment with different sentence types, such as simple, compound, and complex sentences, to add variety and express different ideas effectively.

4. Seeking Feedback

One of the most important steps in crafting a creative essay is seeking feedback from others. Share your essay with trusted individuals, such as teachers, peers, or writing groups, who can provide constructive criticism and suggestions for improvement.

Be open to feedback and consider different perspectives. This will help you identify areas where your essay can be strengthened and refined. Revise and edit your essay based on the feedback you receive, ensuring that your ideas are clear, coherent, and effectively communicated.

5. Embracing Your Creativity

Lastly, embrace your creativity and let your imagination soar as you write your creative essay. Don\’t be afraid to take risks and think outside the box. Experiment with different ideas, perspectives, and writing techniques to create a truly unique and captivating piece of writing.

Remember that writing is a process, and it takes time and practice to develop your creative skills. Don\’t be discouraged by initial setbacks or challenges; instead, view them as opportunities for growth and improvement. With dedication and persistence, you can unleash your fullest potential as a creative writer.

In conclusion, this ultimate guide has provided you with the tools and strategies necessary to write exceptional creative essays. By understanding the basics, developing a compelling narrative, refining your language, seeking feedback, and embracing your creativity, you will be able to create essays that engage and captivate your readers. So, embark on this journey of creative writing, and let your imagination run wild.

Related posts:

• When to Use Second-Person Point of View in Writing
• When to Utilize Multiple Points of view in Writing and Creativity
• Using Symbolism in Your Writing: When and How?
• Crafting Captivating Travel Tales: A Guide to Engaging Travel Writing

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Break the Mindset

Discover your full potential with 'Break the Mindset.' Our blog is your guide to personal growth and transformation. Break free from limiting beliefs, overcome challenges, and create a life of purpose and fulfillment. Join us on this journey of self-discovery.

Important Link

• Privacy Policy

Bookings Open for Online Summer Courses

Showcasing Personal Voice and Style

When writing your creative essay, try to showcase your unique voice by being authentic and as original as you can. It can also be fun to experiment with style. 

Change up your sentence structures! 

Use new and bold words, and create exciting rhythms! 

If you have a distinct personal voice, your work will be sure to stand out.

“Incorporating some dialogue can also be a good way to draw readers in.” 

“You should try to use varying sentence lengths as well.” 

“Definitely!”

Overall, the most important thing to showcase when writing a creative essay is allowing your individuality to shine through. Write in a way that is bold and different, and show the reader what makes you stand out as a writer.

Editing and Revising

Once you’ve finished writing your creative essay, your work isn’t finished! Editing and revising are both really important elements of the creative process. Try reading your piece aloud to gain a new perspective on the flow of your sentences, and seek feedback from others. Don’t forget to also check for any grammar and spelling errors that you may have missed during the writing process.

Multiple rounds of revision can help to refine the essay and enhance its overall impact. This means that you don’t have to be nitpicky or pedantic when you write your first draft; you’re free to express your ideas creatively and messily. Then you can put on your editing hat. Reread, rewrite and correct as much as you can until you are left with your masterpiece! 

Writing creative essays should be fun and enjoyable. It’s a great way to embrace your creativity and experiment with different writing techniques. If you want to practise your essay-writing skills, you can take part in the OxBright essay competition to showcase your skills!

Looking to improve your creative writing?

Recommended articles

OxBright Tutors Share Their Top Tips for High School Graduates

Finishing high school can be a really intimidating juncture – you’re leaving the security of a routine you’ve followed for five plus years, and you’re faced with more options and less structure than ever before. Oh, and your decisions now can shape your future in a...

Which Career Is the Best Fit for Me?

Choosing your career path is one of the first big steps you’ll take as a young adult, so it can often be a daunting prospect. However, the possibilities are endless, and as long as you base your choices on your personal preferences, passions and interests, your...

How to Make a Study Schedule That Actually Works

Studying can sometimes feel like a daunting task, no matter how old you are or what level you’re studying at. You might be left thinking: How can I balance academics with my other commitments?  How do I stay consistent with a study schedule?  Is there a “good” or...

• Essay Guides
• Basics of Essay Writing

How to Write a Creative Essay: Super Creative Guide for A+ Result

• Speech Topics
• Essay Topics
• Other Essays
• Main Academic Essays
• Research Paper Topics
• Basics of Research Paper Writing
• Miscellaneous
• Chicago/ Turabian
• Data & Statistics
• Methodology
• Admission Writing Tips
• Admission Advice
• Other Guides
• Student Life
• Studying Tips
• Understanding Plagiarism
• Academic Writing Tips
• Basics of Dissertation & Thesis Writing

• Research Paper Guides
• Formatting Guides
• Basics of Research Process
• Admission Guides
• Dissertation & Thesis Guides

Table of contents

Use our free Readability checker

A creative essay is a type of writing where students express their imagination and artistic style. It involves creative storytelling techniques, not just stating mere facts. The aim is to engage the reader, often exploring emotions, personal experiences, or fictional narratives. Creative writing can be found in various types of papers, including narrative essays or descriptive essays. 

Continue readng our guide to learn how to write a creative essay like a professional writer. 

What Is a Creative Essay

As we said before, the creative essay should deal with forcing students to think creatively and broader. Creative nonfiction essays are about creating a story and telling it most interestingly and entertainingly. The ending should be unexpected. The plot should be interesting and engaging. And if you want to do creative writing essays, you love the fact that there are no restrictions on the topic. All you need to do is to be creative in your own way and style to stand out.

General Tips on How to Write a Creative Essay

How to write a creative essay if you used to those tight restrictions and borders of standard prompts? It is easier than it seems. You should keep in mind that this task is the most liberated from all you can be ever assigned with in college. Here are some steps you should consider if there is a desire to learn how to write creative writing essays.

• Start with the topic Before any other step in your writing process, you need to come up with the main idea. You are free to write about anything you want.
• Research If you have decided to write about something that is close to your heart, you need to get as many details as you can. You can be totally into the topic, but there always is something more to find out.
• Make a plan Think of the questions which your topic can answer on. Try to set your story to make it engaging and informative from the start.
• Note all ideas Start taking notes about your story and even creative essay titles from the very beginning. Not even a half of those ideas will take place in your essay, but it is better if you have a selection to choose from.
• Create a raw draft This part will give you an opportunity to try out different styles and methods of writing . The more diversity of both you have in your essay, the better it is. Work with your raw draft, make it logical, and after that, begin creating the final version.

Your final step is to make revision . It is the last and crucial part of every essay writing.

Creative College Essay Topics and Ideas

Let’s talk more directly about the creative college essay topics. You can’t start working before you choose your topic. It should be interesting both to you and your audience. It is the only way to succeed in all directions. Here are few suggestions to your creative nonfiction essays you can use a starting mark:

• Describe an exciting event that turned your world upside-down.
• Think of tendencies that can cause the end of the world.
• Get a love story covered with some absolutely unrelated event.
• Tell a story of a man who has succeeded fighting for human rights.
• Describe a society controlled by Artificial Intelligence .
• Tell about your favorite things and those aspects you can’t imagine your life without.
• What would you do if you became absolutely invisible for some period of time?
• What would you do if you could live in somebody else’s body?

As you see, the diversity of creative nonfiction essays topics can be absolutely huge. There are no limits, and you should get a positive effect out of it. should you experience any difficulties with topic selection or writing process, contact our  essay writers for expert assistance. StudyCrumb is always there for you to provide magnificent results. 

How to Write Creative Essay Titles

Creating a title for your creative nonfiction essays is not the next stage after coming out with the topic idea. You can get a title at any stage of your writing creative essay titles and preparing process. Here are some tips for your creative essay title generator to improve:

• It should be catchy – it may seem obvious, but it is a big deal. Not all students are aware how to create catchy titles and even how important it is. But you need to use every aspect of your article to catch reader’s attention.
• Try to summarize the entire story you have in just three words. Include those three striking and descriptive words and expand with a short phrase.
• You may use a quote that describes or relates to the topic of your essay. It is not important who said those words, but its power and catchiness.
• The main idea can become your title as well. But note that it should be still interesting to your readers.

Creative Writing Essays Tips to Polish Your Paper

You need to understand that breaks are very important in your working process. It is necessary to get a perfect balance between resting and writing. Your mental effectiveness is limited to some mark, and you should not cross that line too often. It is dangerous enough to do that as you are risking getting exhausted and bored. Then after finishing your essay do these three things to make it complete and polished.

• Read your essay aloud for few times This trick works great to check the tempo and structure of an essay . It should sound and read with the same tempo and flow through the entire article with no too obvious picks and delays. You just need to realize how it sounds to other people and how the entire flow goes.
• Check the grammar and other problematic moments Grammar is essential to your paper’s success. No one needs a great story that is written with lots of mistakes that completely break the whole flow. Use a free grammar checker by StudyCrumb, thesaurus or default checker on your computer. Try to bring more descriptive moments to the game to make your essay shine and be diverse. Ask anyone who is into grammar great to check your paper too.

Creative Nonfiction Essays Tip from Our Experts

Most students love writing creative essays. But some of us got so used to all those restrictions and limits that come to creativity, we just can’t think outside of the box. Our writing experts recommend trying a special technique called “jam write.” It works perfectly to get rid of writer's block and expand your imagination. Just sit down and describe your topic with non-stop writing for at least five minutes. You may also ask our experts to help you out. Just place your order to get a professional help anytime you need.

Daniel Howard is an Essay Writing guru. He helps students create essays that will strike a chord with the readers.

You may also like

• Link to facebook
• Link to linkedin
• Link to twitter
• Link to youtube
• Writing Tips

How to Write an Excellent Essay Introduction

3-minute read

• 27th September 2022

Love it or hate it, essay writing is a big part of student life. Writing a great essay might seem like a daunting task, especially when you’re staring at a blank document, but there are formulas you can follow to make sure your paper hits the mark.

When you plan your essays , don’t neglect your introduction! It might seem like a trivial part of the paper, but it can make it or break it. A badly written introduction can leave your reader feeling confused about the topic and what to expect from your essay.

To help your writing reach its full potential, we’ve put together a guide to writing an excellent essay introduction.

How to Write an Essay Introduction

An essay introduction has four main steps:

●  Hook your reader

●  Provide context

●  Present your thesis statement

●  Map your essay

Hook Your Reader

The first part of your introduction should be the hook. This is where you introduce the reader to the topic of the essay. A great hook should be clear, concise, and catchy. It doesn’t need to be long; a hook can be just one sentence.

Provide Context

In this section, introduce your reader to key definitions, ideas, and background information to help them understand your argument.

Present Your Thesis Statement

A thesis statement tells the reader the main point or argument of the essay. This can be just one sentence, or it can be a few sentences.

Map Your Essay

Before you wrap up your essay introduction, map it! This means signposting sections of your essay. The key here is to be concise. The purpose of this part of the introduction is to give your reader a sense of direction.

Here’s an example of an essay introduction:

Hook: Suspense is key for dramatic stories, and Shakespeare is well-known and celebrated for writing suspenseful plays.

Context: While there are many ways in which Shakespeare created suspension for his viewers, two techniques he used effectively were foreshadowing and dramatic irony. Foreshadowing is a literary device that hints at an event or situation that is yet to happen. Dramatic irony is a literary technique, originally used in Greek tragedy, by which the full significance of a character’s words or actions is clear to the audience or reader, although it is unknown to the character.

Find this useful?

Subscribe to our newsletter and get writing tips from our editors straight to your inbox.

Thesis statement: Foreshadowing and dramatic irony are two powerful techniques that Shakespeare used to create suspense in literature. These methods have been used to keep the reader intrigued, excited, or nervous about what is to come in many of his celebrated works.

Essay mapping: In this essay, I will be detailing how Shakespeare uses foreshadowing and dramatic irony to create suspense, with examples from Romeo and Juliet and Othello.

Pro tip: Essays take twists and turns. We recommend changing your introduction as necessary while you write the main text to make sure it fully aligns with your final draft.

Proofread and Editing

Proofreading is an essential part of delivering a great essay. We offer a proofreading and editing service for students and academics that will provide you with expert editors to check your work for any issues with:

●  Grammar

●  Spelling

●  Formatting

●  Tone

●  Audience

●  Consistency

●  Accuracy

●  Clarity

Want 500 words of your work proofread completely free of charge?

Share this article:

Post A New Comment

Got content that needs a quick turnaround? Let us polish your work. Explore our editorial business services.

2-minute read

How to Cite the CDC in APA

If you’re writing about health issues, you might need to reference the Centers for Disease...

5-minute read

Six Product Description Generator Tools for Your Product Copy

Introduction If you’re involved with ecommerce, you’re likely familiar with the often painstaking process of...

What Is a Content Editor?

Are you interested in learning more about the role of a content editor and the...

4-minute read

The Benefits of Using an Online Proofreading Service

Proofreading is important to ensure your writing is clear and concise for your readers. Whether...

6 Online AI Presentation Maker Tools

Creating presentations can be time-consuming and frustrating. Trying to construct a visually appealing and informative...

What Is Market Research?

No matter your industry, conducting market research helps you keep up to date with shifting...

Make sure your writing is the best it can be with our expert English proofreading and editing.

How to Begin an Essay: 13 Engaging Strategies

ThoughtCo / Hugo Lin

• Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
• M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
• B.A., English, State University of New York

An effective introductory paragraph both informs and motivates. It lets readers know what your essay is about and it encourages them to keep reading.

There are countless ways to begin an essay effectively. As a start, here are 13 introductory strategies accompanied by examples from a wide range of professional writers.

State Your Thesis Briefly and Directly

But avoid making your thesis a bald announcement, such as "This essay is about...". 

"It is time, at last, to speak the truth about Thanksgiving, and the truth is this. Thanksgiving is really not such a terrific holiday...." (Michael J. Arlen, "Ode to Thanksgiving." The Camera Age: Essays on Television . Penguin, 1982)

Pose a Question Related to Your Subject

Follow up the question with an answer, or an invitation for your readers to answer the question.

"What is the charm of necklaces? Why would anyone put something extra around their neck and then invest it with special significance? A necklace doesn't afford warmth in cold weather, like a scarf, or protection in combat, like chain mail; it only decorates. We might say, it borrows meaning from what it surrounds and sets off, the head with its supremely important material contents, and the face, that register of the soul. When photographers discuss the way in which a photograph reduces the reality it represents, they mention not only the passage from three dimensions to two, but also the selection of a point de vue that favors the top of the body rather than the bottom, and the front rather than the back. The face is the jewel in the crown of the body, and so we give it a setting." (Emily R. Grosholz, "On Necklaces." Prairie Schooner , Summer 2007)

State an Interesting Fact About Your Subject

" The peregrine falcon was brought back from the brink of extinction by a ban on DDT, but also by a peregrine falcon mating hat invented by an ornithologist at Cornell University. If you cannot buy this, Google it. Female falcons had grown dangerously scarce. A few wistful males nevertheless maintained a sort of sexual loitering ground. The hat was imagined, constructed, and then forthrightly worn by the ornithologist as he patrolled this loitering ground, singing, Chee-up! Chee-up! and bowing like an overpolite Japanese Buddhist trying to tell somebody goodbye...." (David James Duncan, "Cherish This Ecstasy." The Sun , July 2008)

Present Your Thesis as a Recent Discovery or Revelation

"I've finally figured out the difference between neat people and sloppy people. The distinction is, as always, moral. Neat people are lazier and meaner than sloppy people." (Suzanne Britt Jordan, "Neat People vs. Sloppy People." Show and Tell . Morning Owl Press, 1983)

Briefly Describe the Primary Setting of Your Essay

"It was in Burma, a sodden morning of the rains. A sickly light, like yellow tinfoil, was slanting over the high walls into the jail yard. We were waiting outside the condemned cells, a row of sheds fronted with double bars, like small animal cages. Each cell measured about ten feet by ten and was quite bare within except for a plank bed and a pot of drinking water. In some of them brown silent men were squatting at the inner bars, with their blankets draped round them. These were the condemned men, due to be hanged within the next week or two." (George Orwell, "A Hanging," 1931)

Recount an Incident That Dramatizes Your Subject

"One October afternoon three years ago while I was visiting my parents, my mother made a request I dreaded and longed to fulfill. She had just poured me a cup of Earl Grey from her Japanese iron teapot, shaped like a little pumpkin; outside, two cardinals splashed in the birdbath in the weak Connecticut sunlight. Her white hair was gathered at the nape of her neck, and her voice was low. “Please help me get Jeff’s pacemaker turned off,” she said, using my father’s first name. I nodded, and my heart knocked." (Katy Butler, "What Broke My Father's Heart." The New York Times Magazine , June 18, 2010)

Use the Narrative Strategy of Delay

The narrative strategy of delay allows you to put off identifying your subject just long enough to pique your readers' interest without frustrating them. 

"They woof. Though I have photographed them before, I have never heard them speak, for they are mostly silent birds. Lacking a syrinx, the avian equivalent of the human larynx, they are incapable of song. According to field guides the only sounds they make are grunts and hisses, though the Hawk Conservancy in the United Kingdom reports that adults may utter a croaking coo and that young black vultures, when annoyed, emit a kind of immature snarl...." (Lee Zacharias, "Buzzards." Southern Humanities Review , 2007)

Use the Historical Present Tense

An effective method of beginning an essay is to use historical present tense to relate an incident from the past as if it were happening now. 

"Ben and I are sitting side by side in the very back of his mother’s station wagon. We face glowing white headlights of cars following us, our sneakers pressed against the back hatch door. This is our joy—his and mine—to sit turned away from our moms and dads in this place that feels like a secret, as though they are not even in the car with us. They have just taken us out to dinner, and now we are driving home. Years from this evening, I won’t actually be sure that this boy sitting beside me is named Ben. But that doesn’t matter tonight. What I know for certain right now is that I love him, and I need to tell him this fact before we return to our separate houses, next door to each other. We are both five." (Ryan Van Meter, "First." The Gettysburg Review , Winter 2008)

Briefly Describe a Process That Leads Into Your Subject

"I like to take my time when I pronounce someone dead. The bare-minimum requirement is one minute with a stethoscope pressed to someone’s chest, listening for a sound that is not there; with my fingers bearing down on the side of someone’s neck, feeling for an absent pulse; with a flashlight beamed into someone’s fixed and dilated pupils, waiting for the constriction that will not come. If I’m in a hurry, I can do all of these in sixty seconds, but when I have the time, I like to take a minute with each task." (Jane Churchon, "The Dead Book." The Sun , February 2009)

Reveal a Secret or Make a Candid Observation

"I spy on my patients. Ought not a doctor to observe his patients by any means and from any stance, that he might the more fully assemble evidence? So I stand in doorways of hospital rooms and gaze. Oh, it is not all that furtive an act. Those in bed need only look up to discover me. But they never do." ( Richard Selzer , "The Discus Thrower." Confessions of a Knife . Simon & Schuster, 1979)

Open with a Riddle, Joke, or Humorous Quotation

You can use a riddle , joke, or humorous quotation to reveal something about your subject. 

" Q: What did Eve say to Adam on being expelled from the Garden of Eden? A: 'I think we're in a time of transition.' The irony of this joke is not lost as we begin a new century and anxieties about social change seem rife. The implication of this message, covering the first of many periods of transition, is that change is normal; there is, in fact, no era or society in which change is not a permanent feature of the social landscape...." (Betty G. Farrell, Family: The Making of an Idea, an Institution, and a Controversy in American Culture . Westview Press, 1999)

Offer a Contrast Between Past and Present

"As a child, I was made to look out the window of a moving car and appreciate the beautiful scenery, with the result that now I don't care much for nature. I prefer parks, ones with radios going chuckawaka chuckawaka and the delicious whiff of bratwurst and cigarette smoke." (Garrison Keillor, "Walking Down The Canyon." Time , July 31, 2000)

Offer a Contrast Between Image and Reality

A compelling essay can begin with a contrast between a common misconception and the opposing truth. 

"They aren’t what most people think they are. Human eyes, touted as ethereal objects by poets and novelists throughout history, are nothing more than white spheres, somewhat larger than your average marble, covered by a leather-like tissue known as sclera and filled with nature’s facsimile of Jell-O. Your beloved’s eyes may pierce your heart, but in all likelihood they closely resemble the eyes of every other person on the planet. At least I hope they do, for otherwise he or she suffers from severe myopia (near-sightedness), hyperopia (far-sightedness), or worse...." (John Gamel, "The Elegant Eye." Alaska Quarterly Review , 2009)

• 'Whack at Your Reader at Once': Eight Great Opening Lines
• What Is a Compelling Introduction?
• How to Structure an Essay
• Writing a Descriptive Essay
• Hookers vs. Chasers: How Not to Begin an Essay
• Development in Composition: Building an Essay
• Examples of Great Introductory Paragraphs
• How To Write an Essay
• How to Write a Good Thesis Statement
• How to Write a Great Essay for the TOEFL or TOEIC
• Write an Attention-Grabbing Opening Sentence for an Essay
• How to Develop and Organize a Classification Essay
• Contrast Composition and Rhetoric
• 6 Steps to Writing the Perfect Personal Essay
• A Guide to Using Quotations in Essays
• What Is Expository Writing?

• Features for Creative Writers
• Features for Work
• Features for Higher Education
• Features for Teachers
• Features for Non-Native Speakers
• Learn Blog Grammar Guide Community Events FAQ
• Grammar Guide

A Complete Guide to Writing Amazing Essay Introductions

Krystal N. Craiker

First impressions matter, especially in writing. The introduction of your essay is vitally important, but it’s also one of the hardest things for most people to write.

Introductions serve as a roadmap for your essay . They serve several purposes:

• Hooking your reader
• Providing background information
• Stating your thesis
• Forming a cohesive essay

Your introduction tells the reader what they will be reading about. It has to be engaging, so that they will keep reading. It should provide enough background information that the body of the essay makes sense. It also serves as a guide to keep your paper focused on the topic.

That’s a difficult balance to maintain. Don’t worry! We’re here to help you write an amazing introduction.

Structure of an Essay Introduction

Write your thesis first, craft a strong thesis statement, provide context, hook your reader, final tips for amazing introductions.

There are three main parts to an introduction.

First, you must have a hook . This is your opening sentence or two, and it should be engaging.

Second, you need to provide context for your paper. Usually, the background information is not one of your main points and should not be a body paragraph. You’ll need to provide enough context for your reader to understand your essay’s argument.

Finally, you need a thesis statement . This is the sentence that tells what the rest of your essay will be about.

We’ll cover each of these in more detail below.

You don’t have to write your essay in any particular order. In fact, writing from start to finish can actually be harder. Your essay might lack cohesion or coherence if so. To stay focused and make the rest of the writing process easier, write your thesis first.

The thesis is the most important part of your essay. Think of your thesis as a one or two sentence answer to the entire essay prompt. If you had no room to elaborate, your thesis is how you would answer the question.

The thesis is also the guide for your entire essay. It outlines your major points, which will become your body paragraphs. For this reason, the thesis should be the first thing you write, even before you complete an outline for your paper ! It will help you make sure all points in your essay relate back to the thesis statement.

But the last thing an amazing introduction needs is a weak thesis statement. You don’t want to start a thesis with something like, “In this essay, I will explain…”

The first thing you need to know to write a strong thesis is what question you are answering. If your paper came with an essay prompt, this is the question you must answer in your paper. If not, write your own research question. What are you trying to answer or address in your paper?

Take a look at the wording of the question. Your thesis should not restate word-for-word what the question says; however, you should use similar wording. Make sure you fully understand what the prompt is asking, or else you will end up with an off-topic paper. Ask your teacher for clarification if necessary.

Then you must decide what the major points are in your essay. A good rule of thumb is to have three major points to support your argument, but this is not a hard and fast rule. You might have only two very strong arguments, or you might have five or six.

You can list your points in a comma series in your thesis, but it’s not required, especially if you have more than three points. You should also pay attention to the style of your essay. An expository thesis will use different wording than argumentative and analysis essays.

Here are some examples of strong thesis statements:

• The New Deal established several programs that affect the political, social, and economic institutions in modern-day America.
• F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is a moral warning about the deleterious effects of materialism and extreme wealth on individuals and society at large.
• The Civil Rights movement gave way to major cultural shifts, which are seen through books, movies, and music spanning from the 1950s to today.

Reading Shakespeare through a feminist lens allows readers to understand the ways in which women exerted their agency in Elizabethan England.

Aim to have as concise of a thesis as possible. This will likely be one sentence with two main clauses, like the examples above, although you can also use two short sentences.

Your introduction should provide some context about your topic. The context part of your introduction comes before your thesis. You should provide pertinent information about the who , what , when , where , and why in this section.

Don’t go overboard. Provide only the most necessary details. This part of your introduction can range anywhere from one to four sentences. Any more than that, and your readers will get bored. Remember, they want to get to the meat of the essay.

Make sure that all the context you provide relates to your overall essay topic. Keep a narrow focus. If you’re writing about pop culture in the Civil Rights movement, you don’t need information on specific court cases from this era. If you’re writing about the moral message of The Great Gatsby , don’t include details about Fitzgerald’s life.

We’ve worked backward through writing an introduction because the thesis is the most important and the hook is the hardest to write.

A hook should engage your reader, but it shouldn’t read like clickbait! Here are some ways you might open your essay:

• a rhetorical question
• an interesting fact
• an anecdote

These are all great ways to start an essay, but there are some things that you should keep in mind. You need to make sure that whatever your hook is, it fits with your essay. It shouldn’t be too broad of a statement. Taking our "pop culture during the Civil Rights movement" example, don’t use a broad quote about equality. Find an excerpt from a song or a quote about poetry during this era.

You should also avoid generalizations like, “Humans are materialistic by nature” or “Someone once said ‘money is the root of all evil.’” The narrower your hook’s focus, the better.

The introduction can be the hardest part to write. Although you should write your thesis first, you can write the rest of your introduction last. This can help you make sure it stays related to your entire essay.

Introductions don’t have to be long, but the length depends on the overall length of your essay. At minimum, an introduction should be three sentences to provide a hook, context, and a thesis statement. For an average-length essay for most high school and college students, four to seven sentences is a good estimator. Again, this isn’t a hard rule. As long it flows well and addresses what you need to, it’s probably a good length.

After you write your essay , read through the entire thing. Make sure the introduction flows nicely with the rest of the paper.

What’s the hardest part of an essay for you to write? Let us know in the comments below.

Whether you are writing a novel, essay, article or email, good writing is an essential part of communicating your ideas.

This guide contains the 20 most important writing tips and techniques from a wide range of professional writers..

Be confident about grammar

Check every email, essay, or story for grammar mistakes. Fix them before you press send.

Krystal N. Craiker is the Writing Pirate, an indie romance author and blog manager at ProWritingAid. She sails the seven internet seas, breaking tropes and bending genres. She has a background in anthropology and education, which brings fresh perspectives to her romance novels. When she’s not daydreaming about her next book or article, you can find her cooking gourmet gluten-free cuisine, laughing at memes, and playing board games. Krystal lives in Dallas, Texas with her husband, child, and basset hound.

Get started with ProWritingAid

Drop us a line or let's stay in touch via :

How to Write a Creative Essay: Tips, Topics, and Techniques

What is a creative essay, if not the way to express yourself? Crafting such a paper is a task that allows you to communicate your opinion and tell a story. However, even using your imagination to a great extent doesn’t free you from following academic writing rules. Don’t even get us started about other components of papers. With tools like research paper title page generators available, it only proves to be a serious business.

Our specialists will write a custom essay specially for you!

Confused yet?

No need to be! Creativity can be worked into many different types of essays. You just have to know how to write a creative essay deftly, thus:

• paying attention to your reader;
• using an essay structure;
• incorporating details and metaphors;
• don’t be afraid to speak your mind!

Turn to our writers when in doubt or read the rest of the article for more recommendations.

🎨 Types of Creative Essays

🧩 creative essay format, 🖌️ how to write a creative essay, 📜 creative essay topics.

Where analysis ends, creativity begins!

You can include creative expression in an essay or paper you write. Yet, some pieces are designed specifically to allow you to be creative. You can choose a topic that will set your imagination free.

Just in 1 hour! We will write you a plagiarism-free paper in hardly more than 1 hour

Here are a few types of creative essays you can embrace:

• Narrative Essay :

The narrative essay is much like novel writing. This essay type can be used to discuss either real or imaginary events. The key in this type is that you have to show, not tell. For you to accomplish this, your essay will need a plot, many descriptive details, and well-written prose.

• Admission Essay :

The admission essay is becoming increasingly popular. When it is well-written, it allows you to stand out among thousands of students who are vying for admission to a particular program. The admission essay is a way for you to talk about yourself and why you would make a great addition to a program. Essentially, you are advertising yourself to show that you are the best choice.

• Personal Essay :

The personal essay is similar to the admission essay but less aggressive. This form of essay is used to talk about yourself and your experiences, trying to persuade the reader that a particular event or aspect of your personal life is significant in some way. Consider this form of creative writing essay a self-portrait that you paint with words.

• Descriptive Essay :

You can choose any topic you wish for the descriptive essay. The key is that the central idea should be of interest to or affect the reader. Once you select one, describe it throughout your essay, stating why it is crucial to you.

Receive a plagiarism-free paper tailored to your instructions. Cut 20% off your first order!

• Lyric Essay:

This is very much like the descriptive essay, except that it makes greater use of imagery and description.

• Americanism Essay :

The Americanism essay is popular with scholarship committees. This is the “why I am proud to be an American” essay.

• Reflection Essay:

The reflection essay offers you a way to provide feedback on an event or other topic with which you are not happy, or it bothers you in some way.

Victor Valley College and the University of Vermont offer some great advice on writing creative essays. Now let’s look at some techniques that will help you write creatively.

Creative essays usually follow the three-act story structure . It is a classic writing technique commonly used in storytelling, screenwriting, and drama. It divides a story into three parts: the setup , confrontation , and resolution . The three-act story structure allows for the effective development of characters and conflicts, which leads to more compelling writing.

Get an originally-written paper according to your instructions!

Check out the creative essay format below.

The stage is set in this initial part of the story where the main characters, setting, and central conflict are introduced. Readers are given a glimpse into the story’s world and get to know the characters and their motivations. The setup establishes the foundation for the narrative, laying out the groundwork for the conflicts that will unfold.

Confrontation

Confrontation is where the story’s central conflict develops and the tension rises. Obstacles and complications that arise during that stage are meant to test the characters, pushing them to their limits. The confrontation is filled with rising action as the characters face increasingly difficult challenges.

The story reaches its climax, and the conflicts are brought to a head. The tension built up in the previous stage comes to its peak as the characters confront their challenges head-on. The resolution provides closure to the story, ties up loose ends, and resolves the central conflict.

The Oxford Royale Academy offers useful creative writing tips that can easily be applied to creative nonfiction.

The key is:

Creative writing is not solely about putting words on a page in a way that presents imaginative prose. You need to consider your writing in a certain way and structure it properly if you want to pull off an excellent creative essay.

Here are some tips and techniques for any creative nonfiction writing you do:

• Consider the reader: As with any other form of writing, you must consider the reader above all else. You have to have a deep understanding of who your audience is so you can pique their interest and hold it throughout the paper.
• Start it off right: You need to start your paper off with a bang! That means you have to have an opening to your essay or paper that will grab the attention of whoever reads it. This could be a bold phrase, the description of something that happened, or some profound or persuasive words. Your opening needs to scream, “Keep reading!”
• Use the traditional creative structure: Traditionally, creative essays are divided into three acts: the setup, the confrontation, and the resolution. In the first one, you will introduce the leading players and the situation. The confrontation will allow you to shift into the main issue. The resolution is the climax, during which the issue is resolved.
• Use metaphors: A metaphor is effective in any form of writing. In a creative essay writing, use an analogy to help provide the reader with a clear image. It should make them understand a concept you are explaining at a deeper level.
• Provide details: Details are everything when writing creatively as they tug at the readers’ emotions. Without them, your essay can be stale and boring, providing only one fact. Detail spruces it up and makes it come alive in the readers’ minds.
• Edit, edit, edit: Make sure to edit your work after you have written it. A writer rarely gets it right the first time.
• Think out of the box: Finally, here it comes—the piece of advice that every successful assignment demands. Try to approach the issue from an unusual angle!

The Oxford Royale Academy also has some great information on general essay writing that is sure to help!

Now, let’s take a look at some creative writing topics you might be able to use.

The goal behind any writing assignment that calls for creativity is simple. You have to express your feelings and opinions on a particular topic so that it captivates the reader. These creative papers and essays are not dry and boring the way most of us imagine academic works.

But what should you write about? You need some creative essay ideas. Whether the topic is assigned or you choose it yourself, you’ll have to decide how to approach it. If you pick an issue yourself, the options might be overwhelming.

With that in mind:

Let’s start on a journey to find fun essay topics! You can:

• Choose something you are interested in by making a list of issues or problems that matter to you.
• Narrow down a broader issue.
• Find inspiration from materials and records to which you have access or from your coursework.

There are plenty of topics for narrative essays and other creative writing essays on the Internet. Here are some great ideas for nonfiction writing topics to get your imagination moving:

• Describing thoughts inspired by a picture.
• Are art and nature vital parts of human life?
• Creativity can change the world.
• What is pride?
• The desire to travel lives in every person.
• My visit to Rio de Janeiro .
• Is it a good idea to be a stay-at-home mother ?
• Various feelings about cheating .
• Is early marriage a good or a bad thing?
• The importance of the Era of Good Feelings for American history.
• What will your future be in five years ?
• Family fitness night is a great way to unite a family.
• Bachata as a music genre .
• How do you understand love ?
• The role of money issues in strong relationships.
• What person can be a true friend ?
• The definition of jealousy .
• Is creativity a panacea from depression?
• Emotional intelligence is crucial for healthy relationships.
• Postmodernist and experimental dance forms.
• How I trained my dog at home.
• Poetry as a way to express emotions .
• What makes a strong marriage ?
• Photography as a professional art and creative hobby.
• Problems in the neighborhood and how to deal them.
• Why do Carolina dogs make great pets?
• Feeling of joy and its value for people .
• How emotional intelligence can help me to become a great leader.
• The role of conservatism in preservation of traditional American culture.
• What can a freelancer do to stay creative ?
• A memorable event from my past.
• Peculiarities of friendship in the age of media .
• Interconnection between emotions and memories .
• Is consumerism a part of American culture?
• Different understanding of art .
• What can do to save lakes and oceans wildlife ?
• Examples of the emotion of sadness in art.
• The creative way to organize a workplace at home .
• Emotions that paintings stir in people.
• Why Dresden is a great place to travel.
• How to fight the feeling of powerlessness .
• Personal experience adopting a pet from Humane Society .
• Is it possible for computers to have independent feeling ?

That’s it! When it comes to creative writing, you can do it! For more help on writing essays, check out this video.

If you still feel the task is too much to handle, you can turn to a custom writing service. Share the article with those who may need our advice and happy writing!

• Essays: Creative Nonfiction
• Overview of Creative Nonfiction: Purdue Online Writing Lab, College of Liberal Arts, Purdue University
• A Complete Guide to Writing Creative Nonfiction: MasterClass
• Share to Facebook
• Share to Twitter
• Share to LinkedIn
• Share to email

A compare and contrast essay — what is it? In this type of paper, you compare two different things or ideas, highlighting what is similar between the two, and you also contrast them, highlighting what is different. The two things might be events, people, books, points of view, lifestyles, or...

What is an expository essay? This type of writing aims to inform the reader about the subject clearly, concisely, and objectively. The keyword here is “inform”. You are not trying to persuade your reader to think a certain way or let your own opinions and emotions cloud your work. Just stick to the...

Have you ever tried to write a story analysis but ended up being completely confused and lost? Well, the task might be challenging if you don’t know the essential rules for literary analysis creation. But don’t get frustrated! We know how to write a short story analysis, and we are...

Have you ever tried to get somebody round to your way of thinking? Then you should know how daunting the task is. Still, if your persuasion is successful, the result is emotionally rewarding. A persuasive essay is a type of writing that uses facts and logic to argument and substantiate...

One of the most critical skills that students gain during their college years is assignment writing. Composing impressive essays and research papers can be quite challenging, especially for ESL students. Nonetheless, before learning the art of academic writing, you may make numerous common essay mistakes. Such involuntary errors appear in:...

You’re probably thinking: I’m no Mahatma Gandhi or Steve Jobs—what could I possibly write in my memoir? I don’t even know how to start an autobiography, let alone write the whole thing. But don’t worry: essay writing can be easy, and this autobiography example for students is here to show...

Some people know which profession to choose from childhood, while others decide much later in life. However, and whenever you come to it, you may have to elaborate on it in your personal statement or cover letter. This is widely known as “Why I Want to Be a Teacher” essay.

Assigned with an essay about friendship? Congrats! It’s one of the best tasks you could get. Digging through your memories and finding strong arguments for this paper can be an enjoyable experience. I bet you will cope with this task effortlessly as we can help you with the assignment. Just...

When you are assigned an autobiography to write, tens, and even hundreds of questions start buzzing in your head. How to write autobiography essay parts? What to include? How to make your autobiography writing flow? Don’t worry about all this and use the following three simple principles and 15 creative...

“Where is your thesis statement?” asks your teacher in a dramatic tone. “Where is my what?” you want to reply, but instead, you quickly point your finger at a random sentence in your paper, saying, “Here it is…” To avoid this sad situation (which is usually followed by a bad...

A life experience essay combines the elements of narration, description, and self-reflection. Such a paper has to focus on a single event that had a significant impact on a person’s worldview and values. Writing an essay about life experience prompts students to do the following: evaluate their behavior in specific...

Who has made a significant impact in your life and why? Essay on the topic might be challenging to write. One is usually asked to write such a text as a college admission essay. A topic for this paper can be of your choice or pre-established by the institution. Either...

it was fascinating….but still you need to add more..tackle more on the format of a creative essay

Thank you for your detailed comment. Our team will take it into account.

I apprepriate this article and video. That’s worthy for all teachers and learners. This article and video are very useful and effective for all learners and teachers who wants to start creative writing .

Thank you! We really appreciate your opinion!

Many, many creative writing topics! Thanks so much for giving yourself the trouble to share these topics! They are a real salvation for me!

Moscow City Guides and Media

Nightlife, arts and culture listings for moscow.

The Moscow Times english-language newspaper publishes a weekly listing of events, also available on their website: www.themoscowtimes.com/arts_n_ideas/calendar/

Another good English-language resource is A-A-AH  – www.a-a-ah.com/events-in-moscow – which has a good clubs listings and publishes interesting cultural events.

Your best way, though, is to go on Facebook pages of the places we recommend in our Moscow Guide and check out what's on there. We post the most interesting events on our Way to Russia Facebook Page as well, so check it out occasionally!

A great listing of public lectures, seminars, workshops and conferences happening in Moscow is available on Theory and Practice portal – www.tandp.ru – even though it's in Russian you can find really interesting talks on Russian cinema, software development, literary studies and anything else you want on there.

Among the Russian listings, Afisha (www. afisha.ru ) magazine is the most popular one.  While being slightly pretentious, it provides a lot of information and has good nightlife and art listings.

Another interesting newspaper is Bolshoy Gorod – www.bg.ru – which is distributed for free and has extensive listings. They also have a blog for each area of Moscow (in Russian).

Finally, Look At Me - www.lookatme.ru – is a sure source to find some party or exhibition you like.

Newspapers & Magazines

In english language,   in russian language.

The weekly Komsomolka is the local version of the UK Sun, but intelligentsia (smart people) prefer the free Bolshoy Gorod, which is a bit like the local version of The Village Voice, but not as big.

The "mainstream" fashion is determined by bi-weekly Afisha ( www.afisha.ru ) magazine.

The weekly Expert ( www.expert.ru ) and Itogi ( www.itogi.ru ) magazines provide comprehensive business, finance, and politics analysis.

The monthly magazines are anything from Playboy to Forbes, and from Cosmopolitan to The Rolling Stone.

Foreign Press

You can buy foreign magazines and newspapers in Moscow. Usually, they are sold in 5-star hotels, but the prices there are much too high. Also, you can try some newstands in the city (especially on Tverskaya St.), but the prices are high also, and the selection is poor.

However, there's a couple of places in Moscow, where you can get almost any magazine or newspaper, in English and in other languages. 1. Maxim's News Stand. They have everything, if they don't -- you can order. Prices are lower than on the cover. Also, they sell books and movies in English. Metro: Savyolovskaya (grey line, north center), Address: Nizhnyaya Maslovska, #2 (an underground pass near Savyolovskaya metro). Open hours: Mon-Sat 11.00 to 19.30 2. Arbat Supermarket. Just next to the entrance they sell some English-language magazines and fresh newspapers. Metro: Arbatskaya. Address: Novy Arbat st, Novoarbatsky supermarket - grocery store (there's only one, the entrance is on the street side). 3. Bookberry. The new Moscow book supermarket has an extensive section of foreign magazines and newspapers at moderate prices. Metro: Arbatskaya, Tverskaya (blue, purple line). Address: Boulevard Ring (walk from Novy Arbat towards Pushkinskaya square along Zubovsky boulevard and the shop will be to your left). Open hours: Mon-Sun 10.00-20.00

4. Gorbushka. The famous Moscow pirate CD, DVD, Software and official electronics market specializes in foreign music and DJ magazines. Address: metro Bagrationovskaya (Moscow west), a large building outside the exit - the crowds walks in its direction. Open hours: Mon-Sun 10.00-20.00 If for some reason you can't buy the thing you need in any of the shops above, try to go to some European or American medical or dental center - they have a great selection of magazines in their reception areas.    

Moscow City Guides

• Park Live Festival (July 12-14)
• Picnic Afisha Festival (August 3)
• Sokolniki Camping for Tents and Motorhomes in Moscow

Comments, Questions, Feedback?

Most recent articles:.

2018 Primetime Emmy & James Beard Award Winner

R&K Insider

Join our newsletter to get exclusives on where our correspondents travel, what they eat, where they stay. Free to sign up.

A History of Moscow in 13 Dishes

Featured city guides.

Reimagining Design with Nature: ecological urbanism in Moscow

• Reflective Essay
• Published: 10 September 2019
• Volume 1 , pages 233–247, ( 2019 )

Cite this article

• Brian Mark Evans   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-1420-1682 1  

977 Accesses

2 Citations

Explore all metrics

The twenty-first century is the era when populations of cities will exceed rural communities for the first time in human history. The population growth of cities in many countries, including those in transition from planned to market economies, is putting considerable strain on ecological and natural resources. This paper examines four central issues: (a) the challenges and opportunities presented through working in jurisdictions where there are no official or established methods in place to guide regional, ecological and landscape planning and design; (b) the experience of the author’s practice—Gillespies LLP—in addressing these challenges using techniques and methods inspired by McHarg in Design with Nature in the Russian Federation in the first decade of the twenty-first century; (c) the augmentation of methods derived from Design with Nature in reference to innovations in technology since its publication and the contribution that the art of landscape painters can make to landscape analysis and interpretation; and (d) the application of this experience to the international competition and colloquium for the expansion of Moscow. The text concludes with a comment on how the application of this learning and methodological development to landscape and ecological planning and design was judged to be a central tenant of the winning design. Finally, a concluding section reflects on lessons learned and conclusions drawn.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price includes VAT (Russian Federation)

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Rent this article via DeepDyve

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Principles for public space design, planning to do better

Matthew Carmona

Principles for urban nature-based solutions

Nadja Kabisch, Niki Frantzeskaki & Rieke Hansen

Acknowledgements

The landscape team from Gillespies Glasgow Studio (Steve Nelson, Graeme Pert, Joanne Walker, Rory Wilson and Chris Swan) led by the author and all our collaborators in the Capital Cities Planning Group.

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Mackintosh School of Architecture, The Glasgow School of Art, 167 Renfrew Street, Glasgow, G3 6BY, UK

Brian Mark Evans

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Brian Mark Evans .

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Evans, B.M. Reimagining Design with Nature: ecological urbanism in Moscow. Socio Ecol Pract Res 1 , 233–247 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42532-019-00031-5

Download citation

Received : 17 March 2019

Accepted : 13 August 2019

Published : 10 September 2019

Issue Date : October 2019

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s42532-019-00031-5

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Design With Nature
• Find a journal
• Publish with us
• Track your research

• Ethics & Leadership
• Fact-Checking
• Media Literacy
• The Craig Newmark Center
• Reporting & Editing
• Ethics & Trust
• Tech & Tools
• Business & Work
• Educators & Students
• Training Catalog
• Custom Teaching
• For ACES Members
• All Categories
• Broadcast & Visual Journalism
• Fact-Checking & Media Literacy
• In-newsroom
• Memphis, Tenn.
• Minneapolis, Minn.
• St. Petersburg, Fla.
• Washington, D.C.
• Poynter ACES Introductory Certificate in Editing
• Poynter ACES Intermediate Certificate in Editing
• Ethics & Trust Articles
• Get Ethics Advice
• Fact-Checking Articles
• International Fact-Checking Day
• Teen Fact-Checking Network
• International
• Media Literacy Training
• MediaWise Resources
• Ambassadors
• MediaWise in the News

Support responsible news and fact-based information today!

• Newsletters

Opinion | An NPR editor is now a former NPR editor after his resignation

Uri berliner, an npr business editor who wrote a scathing essay about his organization in another publication, no longer works at npr..

This is how I led my newsletter on Tuesday:

When a senior editor at NPR recently wrote a 3,500-word essay for another outlet, blasting where he works and saying that NPR had “lost America’s trust,” my first thought, quite frankly, was, “ … and he still works there?”

We now have an answer to that question. No, Uri Berliner, the business editor who wrote the scathing essay, no longer works at NPR.

But he wasn’t fired. He quit.

On Wednesday, one day after it was learned he was serving a five-day suspension, Berliner released this statement : “I am resigning from NPR, a great American institution where I have worked for 25 years. I don’t support calls to defund NPR. I respect the integrity of my colleagues and wish for NPR to thrive and do important journalism. But I cannot work in a newsroom where I am disparaged by a new CEO whose divisive views confirm the very problems at NPR that I cite in my Free Press essay.”

Berliner is talking about Katherine Maher, a former tech executive who took over as NPR’s CEO in January. In the past, well before she joined NPR, Maher criticized Donald Trump and embraced what could be viewed as progressive causes on social media. It should be noted that the CEO at NPR is not involved in editorial decisions at the network.

Last week, after Berliner’s essay appeared in The Free Press, Maher wrote to staff (in a memo that was then published online ), “Asking a question about whether we’re living up to our mission should always be fair game: after all, journalism is nothing if not hard questions. Questioning whether our people are serving our mission with integrity, based on little more than the recognition of their identity, is profoundly disrespectful, hurtful, and demeaning.”

After Berliner’s essay appeared, NPR chief news executive Edith Chapin responded by telling staff, “We’re proud to stand behind the exceptional work that our desks and shows do to cover a wide range of challenging stories. We believe that inclusion — among our staff, with our sourcing, and in our overall coverage — is critical to telling the nuanced stories of this country and our world.”

Berliner’s essay is being embraced and amplified by many on the right, including former President Donald Trump and conservative activist Christopher Rufo. Meanwhile, much of NPR’s staff was outraged by their colleague’s essay.

The New York Times’ Benjamin Mullin wrote , “Mr. Berliner’s essay stirred up a hornet’s nest of criticism of NPR and made Mr. Berliner something of a pariah within the network. Several employees told The New York Times that they no longer wished to work with him, and his essay was denounced by Edith Chapin, the network’s top editor.”

Steve Inskeep, co-host of NPR’s “Morning Edition,” wrote on Substack , “This article needed a better editor. I don’t know who, if anyone, edited Uri’s story, but they let him publish an article that discredited itself. … A careful read of the article shows many sweeping statements for which the writer is unable to offer evidence.”

“Morning Edition” host Leila Fadel told The Washington Post’s Elahe Izadi , “Many feel this was a bad faith effort to undermine and endanger our reporters around the country and the world, rather than make us a stronger and more powerful news organization. He wrote what I think was a factually inaccurate take on our work that was filled with omissions to back his arguments.”

Mullin reported that “about 50” NPR employees signed a letter written to Maher and Chapin calling for a public rebuke of the “factual inaccuracies and elisions” in Berliner’s essay.

Then came Berliner’s resignation.

Mullin wrote, “In an interview, Mr. Berliner said his decision to resign from NPR coalesced early this week after an email exchange with Ms. Maher. He said in the interview that he could infer from one of her emails that a memo she had sent to employees last week about workplace integrity was referring to him even though he had not been mentioned by name. In the email, which was sent to Mr. Berliner on Monday, Ms. Maher said her memo ‘stands for itself in reflecting my perspective on our organization.’”

Berliner told Mullin, “Everything completely changed for me on Monday afternoon.”

Actually, it seemed as if everything changed when he wrote his essay for The Free Press.

Remembering a great journalist

Kim Christensen, a former Los Angeles Times investigative reporter who was a part of three Pulitzer Prize-winning projects, has died from cancer. He was 71.

Christensen was a part of two teams that won Pulitzers in the prestigious Public Service category while at the Los Angeles Times in 2011 and The Oregonian in 2001. He helped The Orange County Register win a 1996 Pulitzer for Investigative Reporting.

The Los Angeles Times’ Doug Smith described Christensen as a “dogged reporter beloved by colleagues for his wry humor, collegiality, graceful writing and incisive mind, but above all his humility.”

Tampa Bay Times executive editor Mark Katches told me, “Anyone who worked with him knew that he was incredibly gifted. I worked with Kim at the OC Register and teaming with him as a reporter was among the highlights of my career. He was funny, smart and as talented as they come.”

Katches told me he worked with Christensen on a project that ended with some shady charity players going to prison. Katches added, “He made everything and everyone around him better.”

Check out Smith’s story for more details on Christensen’s life and career.

The Academy Awards were more than a month ago and former President Donald Trump is still riled up over host Jimmy Kimmel. You might recall that Kimmel closed the Oscars ceremony by reading a post that Trump wrote about him. It got a big laugh from the celebrity crowd, especially when Kimmel said, “Well, thank you, President Trump. Thank you for watching, I’m surprised you’re still — isn’t it past your jail time?”

On his late-night show on ABC, Kimmel has continued to roast Trump over his legal issues and did so again Tuesday night. That led Trump to unleash a rant on Truth Social at 8:18 a.m. Wednesday.

Trump called him “Stupid Jimmy Kimmel” and criticized his performance as the Oscars host. Trump then bizarrely wrote, “… he stumbled through announcing the biggest award of all, ‘Picture of the Year.’ It was a CLASSIC CHOKE, one of the biggest ever in show business, and to top it off, he forgot to say the famous and mandatory line, ‘AND THE WINNER IS.’ Instead he stammered around as he opened the envelope.”

Actually, it wasn’t Kimmel who did that. It was actor Al Pacino who didn’t list the nominees and went straight to announcing “Oppenheimer” as Best Picture. Clearly, Trump was confused.

Although again, Kimmel got the last laugh, retweeting Trump’s rant and writing , “In fairness to our former President, many stable geniuses confuse me with Al Pacino….”

Hugh Grant agrees to settlement

Actor Hugh Grant, shown here last December. (Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)

Actor Hugh Grant says he has settled his lawsuit against the U.K. tabloid The Sun for what he calls “an enormous sum of money.” Grant accused The Sun, which is part of Rupert Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers, of snooping on him by unlawfully tapping his phone, bugging his car and breaking into his home.

Grant wrote on X that he didn’t want to settle, saying, “I would love to see all the allegations that they deny tested in court. But the rules around civil litigation mean that if I proceed to trial and the court awards me damages that are even a penny less than the settlement offer, I would have to pay the legal costs of both sides. My lawyers tell me that that is exactly what would most likely happen here. Rupert Murdoch’s lawyers are very expensive. So even if every allegation is proven in court, I would still be liable for something approaching £10 million in costs. I’m afraid I am shying at that fence.”

The Associated Press reported , “Grant is among several celebrities, including actress Sienna Miller, soccer star Paul Gascoigne and Spice Girl Melanie Chisholm who have settled claims against the publisher.”

Media tidbits

• My Poynter colleague Kelly McBride, who is NPR’s public editor, with “The relentless focus on Gaza.”
• The Associated Press’ David Bauder with “Trump trial: Why can’t Americans see or hear what is going on inside the courtroom?”
• The New York Times’ Steven Kurutz with “From a Tiny Island in Maine, He Serves Up Fresh Media Gossip.”
• Los Angeles Times business columnist Michael Hiltzik with “With his Truth Social stock, Trump may be laughing all the way to the bank — but his investors have reason to weep.”
• Bloomberg’s Jamie Tarabay with “A Mansion, Two Dogs and a Wall: Inside The Conflict Between a Utah Billionaire And His Neighbors.”
• Los Angeles Times columnist Gustavo Arellano with “L.A.’s ultimate heartbreak industry isn’t Hollywood. It’s local journalism.”
• In an op-ed for the San Francisco Chronicle, Matt Pearce with “A new bill could help save California journalism. Google wants it dead.”
• Noah Eagle, one of the bright young sports broadcasters in the business, has been tapped by NBC to be the play-by-play voice for Team USA men’s and women’s basketball games, as well as the medal round, at this summer’s Paris Olympics. Eagle, 26, is the son of Ian Eagle, a prolific announcer who calls NFL, NBA and college basketball for CBS and Turner Sports. Ian Eagle recently called the men’s Final Four. Noah is already an announcing veteran with his most high-profile work being the play-by-play announcer on NBC’s Big Ten college football broadcasts.
• Some of ESPN’s very best — Don Van Natta Jr., Seth Wickersham and Jeremy Fowler — with “’Voted off the island’: Inside Bill Belichick’s failed job hunt.”

More resources for journalists

• Webinar today: Covering transgender issues with authority and accuracy .
• Applications for Poynter Producer Project close tomorrow!
• Editorial Integrity and Leadership Initiative is a fellowship for public media journalists. Applications due April 22.
• Delve more deeply into your editing skills with Poynter ACES Intermediate Certificate in Editing .

Have feedback or a tip? Email Poynter senior media writer Tom Jones at [email protected] .

The Poynter Report is our daily media newsletter. To have it delivered to your inbox Monday-Friday, sign up here .

Topography of a news ecosystem: A first-of-its-kind study diagnoses the local news crisis in a single state

Media scholars at the University of Maryland documented the spread of local news dead spots — and unexpected vibrant areas — in that state.

$12 million Global Fact Check Fund opens applications for second year of grants

A partnership between Poynter’s International Fact-Checking Network and Google and YouTube continues to support fact-checking initiatives worldwide

Opinion | A columnist made a controversial introduction to Caitlin Clark

IndyStar sports columnist Gregg Doyel has been crushed online and accused of being creepy, sexist and worse. He’s since apologized multiple times

‘Satanic rituals’ at Taylor Swift shows? That’s false. And experts say the attack isn’t new.

Experts say musicians have been accused of performing satanic rituals for decades

How a longtime film critic’s death represents the great dissolve of local film criticism

Bryan VanCampen of The Ithaca Times was an institution in the central New York college town of 32,000. He might have been the last of his kind.

You must be logged in to post a comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Start your day informed and inspired.

Get the Poynter newsletter that's right for you.