Kids see the world honestly through an unbiased, unfiltered lens. Without a lifetime of experience, they lack the frame of reference to understand or apply what they see. However, by learning to express themselves through creative writing, students can turn their thoughts and ideas into stories and prose full of creativity and understanding. All it takes is some basic language skills for even the most hesitant of writers to communicate, entertain and inform through imaginative, creative writing.

What is Creative Writing?

Simply put, creative writing is a type of free-form composition composed of imagination or invention. 

This type of writing includes:

✅Short Stories

✅Novels

✅Poetry

✅Plays

✅Songs

✅Movie or TV Scripts

Unlike professional or journalistic-style writing, creative writing doesn’t require youngsters to use formal, standardized language. Instead, it puts the power of creativity in children’s hands, allowing them to personalize their own fun writing style and express themselves in any way they’d like. 

With a pencil or computer in hand, kids can use language skills to transform what’s in their head into entertaining, informative or engaging stories that’re fun to share with others. Through creative writing, they can relate something unique, funny, mysterious or imaginative – all in their own words!

If your child hasn’t experienced the freedom and ingenuity of writing for fun, they’ll love learning creative writing. Read on to find out the top six reasons why.

The Top 6 Benefits of Creative Writing

Students should learn creative writing for many reasons. We’ve compiled a top-six list to help you discuss the topic with your children. Afterward, you can decide together whether a creative writing course might benefit one or more of your kids.

Benefit #1: Broadens Language Skills

Storytelling requires language and vocabulary. As children learn to write creatively, they search for just the right words to convey their ideas. Then, they learn to connect those new words to what they already know. This process forges new paths in their brains that open them up to learning even more language. Therefore, literacy actually becomes easier when kids use creative writing skills, and actually improves their ability to think.

Benefit #2: Promotes Creativity & Imagination

Developing their ideas into working stories requires youngsters to get creative. They may want to develop their story in a certain way but can’t quite figure out how to make it work. That’s where some training in the creative writing process comes in handy. First, kids learn how to start with a plausible idea, and second, use various language skills to develop it. Sometimes the least likely plot with the most imaginative concepts works best, turning something basic into something truly remarkable.

Benefit #3: Offers Kids a Voice

Being given the freedom to write about whatever they want thrills many children. After sitting in school all day being told what and how to think, it’s exciting using their brains to express themselves uniquely. Creative writing allows young people to convey ideas in their own words. It also gives them a medium for self-expression, which allows them to write as they wish. This encourages independent thinking that benefits them throughout school and life.

Benefit #4: Develops Communication & Persuasion Skills

Writing creatively, kids learn to communicate messages more clearly. Using language skills like vocabulary, imagery and symbolism, they reveal their thoughts to the reader. Oftentimes, characters’ actions, interactions and dialogue demonstrate hidden motivations or desires. As a result, students can use communication skills to offer observers different perspectives, or to persuade others into doing or believing something. The power of persuasion becomes a mighty tool in the toolbox of creative writers.

Benefit #5: Teaches Kids to Problem-Solve & Analyze

Creative writing exercises kids’ problem-solving skills. As difficulties arise within story plots, child authors must find ways to overcome them. As problems arise without answers, they must use work-arounds to find solutions. They must also help characters analyze events and come to a workable conclusion that makes sense to the reader. Skills like these carry over into their own lives, making writers better problem solvers. 

Benefit #6: Increases Self-Confidence

Practicing anything makes us better at it. And as skill grows in a particular area, self-confidence also increases. In the same way, children who express themselves through creative writing grow more self-assured and confident in their abilities. They learn to take their time writing, bounce ideas off others and focus on one thing at a time. They feel a sense of accomplishment from working at something they actually enjoy. 

Putting Language Skills to Work

Many kids find using language skills to describe the world, share new ideas, and inform or entertain others liberating. Additionally, it makes the world a better place when young people innovate and express themselves creatively.

Open up a world of opportunities for your children. Give them the advantage of well-developed language skills – and many additional benefits – with an after-school program by KidzToPros. We’ll turn them into innovative, savvy writers full of imagination and great ideas! 

Check out our writing course now!