creative writing cheat sheet pdf

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Free Creative Writing Worksheet with 5 Warm-up Exercises

• by Domestika @domestika

Download these free writing exercises to challenge your creativity and come to the blank page filled with inspiration

Writing a unique and engaging book that readers simply can’t put down often means finding ways to put a twist on well-known tropes and writing habits. Prompts are a great way to open your mind by introducing new ideas and rules to experiment with .

Emily Barr ( @emily_barr ) is an award-winning novelist and Domestika teacher who combines a love for travel with her talent for writing addictive thrillers to take readers on a journey. Here, she shares five warm-up prompts that will help you stretch your writing muscles in a downloadable PDF worksheet.

How to get started with writing prompts

“It’s much easier to not write a book, than to write a book!” Emily explains. As the author of several adult and young adult thrillers in the UK, and horror and sci-fi in the US, she needs to stay motivated and engaged with her projects through lots of drafting and editing.

While reading Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way , Emily was introduced to the practice of morning pages , where you begin a writing day by filling three pages by hand. This can help “unstick” your mind.

And if you’re struggling to think of things to write about, writing prompts are your best friend. They might be a single word or image you can bounce off, or they might be a whole scene waiting to be explored.

Benefits of using writing prompts

1. You can discover new ideas and themes you want to explore in your main project.

2. It’s easier to get started on a slower writing day.

3. You can experiment with styles or genres you don’t usually write.

4. They give your brain a break from writing the same thing every day.

5. It’s liberating to write something completely silly, that you don’t have to share with anyone!

Download the free PDF worksheet with five writing warm-up exercises

After clicking on the download button below, you’ll find a PDF file titled Creative Writing Warm-up Worksheet by Emily Barr in your Downloads folder.

Inside, you can learn more about Emily’s course, and also discover the prompts she recommends to stimulate your creativity before you work on your novel. They will push you to think about a range of aspects in your writing, from dialogue to description—and even challenge you to write a story with every letter of the alphabet!

Join for Free and download

EN download-20230825T091752Z-001.zip

Sign up for Emily’s course, Writing a Psychological Thriller . There, you’ll write the opening of your own book, a 25-word synopsis, and plan the rest of your plot with an experienced novelist as your guide.

Discover more writing resources

1. Try these two additional writing exercises to overcome creative block.

2. Learn the difference between a novel and a short story , so you can make the right choice for your narrative.

3. Watch these six free creative writing tutorials for all levels.

4. Go from the blank page to a daily writing practice with this course by Aniko Villalba.

5. Develop your first novel idea with this course by Shaun Levin.

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Cheat Sheet for Grading Creative Writing

A cheat sheet for grading creative writing can be a useful tool for teachers and instructors who are looking for a quick and easy way to assess the quality of their students’ writing. By providing a set of guidelines and criteria to follow, a cheat sheet can help instructors quickly and consistently evaluate the creativity, organization, and overall effectiveness of a piece of writing. This then allows them to provide constructive feedback and support to their students as they work to improve their skills.

Why is Grading Creative Writing so Difficult?

Grading creative writing can be challenging for instructors. It’s often very personal and subjective, which makes it hard to assess using traditional grading systems. Plus, creative writing can be complex. It can involve a lot of emotions, which can be difficult to capture in writing. Additionally, the field is constantly changing, making it hard for instructors to stay on top of new styles and techniques. Overall, grading creative writing requires a careful and sensitive approach.

Cheat Sheet for Grading

Here are six quick and easy tips to keep in mind when grading your students’ creative writing.

Tip 1: Focus on the Overall Structure and Organization

• Does it have a clear beginning, middle, and end?
• Does the plot flow smoothly from one event to the next?
• Does it pull you along, or do you lose track of what’s happening?

Tip 2: Pay Attention to the Characters.

• Are they well-developed and believable?
• Do they have distinct personalities and motivations?
• Does the protagonist have any flaws or are they perfect?
• Does the antagonist have any redeeming qualities?

Tip 3: Look for Strong Descriptions and Sensory Details.

• Does the writer use vivid language to bring the scene to life?
• Does the writer use more senses in descriptions than just sight?
• Do the setting descriptions help set up a mood for the writing?

Tip 4: Consider the Use of Dialogue.

• Does it sound natural and add to the story?
• Does it give insight into the personality traits of the characters?
• Is it written correctly, following punctuation and paragraphing norms?

Tip 5: Evaluate the Writer’s Style and Voice.

• Does the writing have a unique and engaging tone?
• Could you tell which student wrote the piece just by reading it?

Tip 6: Look for Creativity and Originality

• Does the writer have fresh ideas?
• Is there anything unique about this writing from that of other students?

Final Thoughts and Freebie

Overall, the key is to provide constructive feedback that will help the writer improve and grow. It’s important to remember that creative writing is a form of self-expression, and everyone has their own unique voice and style. As a grader, your job is to help the writer hone their craft and develop their skills.

If you have any advice for grading creative writing, please put it in the comments below. Also, here is a free checklist to help you have a grade for each student’s creative work. It’s available in both an editable PowerPoint and a quick print PDF.

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Introduction to Academic Writing Cheat Sheet by skullpride

english for academic and professional purposes

Non-Ac­ademic Text / Creative Compos­itions

Purposes of academic texts, general structure of an academic text, academic language, features of academic writing, three types of academic vocabulary, language used in academic texts, things to avoid in academic writing, examples of academic text, conven­tions, how's your readability.

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• Published: 12th December, 2023

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The Ultimate Grammar Cheat Sheet for Writers (Infographic)

Writers Write is a comprehensive resource for writers. In this infographic, we share the ultimate grammar cheat sheet for writers .

“Do you find yourself living in fear of the grammar sticklers? Find yourself reading and re-reading your work to make sure they’re error-free…and then still find you’ve made a mistake?

Grammar doesn’t come easily to everyone. It can be tricky even for the most confident of writers. Those people who seem like they’re grammar naturals are not in possession of some magical power that others don’t have. They’ve just learned a few simple tricks that help them write fluently and accurately.

Want to join them? The infographic below by The Expert Editor can be your go-to guide whenever you get stuck in a grammar rut. English isn’t always the simplest or most logical of languages, but it can be mastered when you know how.

Learn to avoid common mistakes

English grammar’s quirks and unusual rules lead to confusion. That confusion can be banished by spending a little time learning basic grammar rules that will help you express yourself clearly and concisely.

Broaden your vocabulary

Once you’ve become more confident using English grammar, improve further by learning new and varied ways to describe people, places, things and feelings. English is a vibrant, ever-changing language: use it to the maximum.

Brush up your proofreading skills

Even the best writers sometimes make mistakes. Good writers know that proofreading is an essential part of the writing process, not an optional extra.”

[Top Tip: If you need practical help with your grammar, buy The Complete Grammar Workbook .]

The Ultimate Grammar Cheat Sheet for Writers

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Source: The Expert Editor

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Creative Writing Cheat Sheet

Subject: English

Age range: 14-16

Resource type: Assessment and revision

Last updated

5 September 2021

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A range of tips to apply to the creative writing section of the GCSE English Language exams with examples.

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