Unlocking the Power of Creative Writing

Discover How Creativity Transforms Words into Stories
By Stacy M. Johnson

My grandmother was an avid reader. She passed her love of books to my mother, who in turn passed the love of the written word along to her children. My mother frequently becomes absorbed in a book. My love of books began when I was in the third grade. I remember my mother taking me to the library and applying for a library card for me. I was a very independent child, and my mother took note of that. One day she handed me a written note with a list of books she wanted from the library. She allowed me to walk to the library unaccompanied by an adult to get these books. When I arrived at the library, I handed the note to the Librarian who retrieved the books for me. While there, the Librarian directed me toward the children’s section where I was immediately drawn to the Nancy Drew mysteries. Every time I visited the library, I would check out three Nancy Drew books. Sitting in my room reading these books was the highlight of my summer. To this day, I enjoy a good mystery!

Not only do I have a love of books, but I dabbled at one point in poetry and written one play. In anticipation of your question, the play was not created for Broadway. From there, I wrote five children’s books before publishing my first novel. I was browsing through the bookstore when I came across a resource book written by Walter Mosely titled This Year You Write Your Novel. I was in my office one day thumbing through the book, when I noticed an exercise on flatness in the prose. Three sentences were part of the exercise. The challenge was to take those three sentences and turn them into something engaging, containing emotional depth and dramatic action. The instruction was to write no more than a page. However, I became so engrossed in the exercise that I ended up with two pages of content. Which, in turn, was the start of a short story landing as the novel, Apples and Cinnamon. I am currently working on the sequel, Shades of Freedom.

Creative writing is more than just putting words on a page—it’s an adventure that allows you to explore new worlds, express emotions, and connect with others on a deeper level. Whether you’re scribbling poetry, drafting a novel, or jotting down a short story, creative writing invites you to let your imagination roam free. It’s about turning ordinary thoughts into extraordinary tales, uncovering truths about yourself and the world around you.

One of the best parts of creative writing is how it encourages experimentation. You might play with different points of view, switch up tense, or even invent new words. For example, for all of you who remember Star Trek, Klingon was developed by linguist Marc Okrand for Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. In the movie Avatar, the official language was Na’vi (or Lifya leNa’vi) developed by linguist Dr. Paul Frommer. He used a combination of Polynesian and Persian languages to create a new language specifically for the film.

Linguists are hard to come by in day-to-day life so here are some ways you can get creative with your writing. George R.R. Martin is not a linguist and took the minimalist approach to create a “feel of language” with Dothraki and High Valyrian in his A Song of Ice and Fire book series which was the inspiration for Game of Thrones. The Dothraki language draws inspiration from Russian, Turkish, Estonian, Inuktitut, and Swahili. High Valyrian is based on the Latin and Greek languages. Although invented by Martin, HBO hired David Peterson, a linguist, to expand those phrases into a fully grammatical language. So, let your creative juices flow when it comes to creative writing. There are no strict rules, just guidelines that help shape your voice and narrative. The process can be therapeutic, allowing you to process your feelings or make sense of your experiences in unique ways. When you write creatively, you’re not just sharing a story; you’re sharing a part of yourself.

Given this information, I created an exotic language for a fictional people drawing inspiration from Portuguese, Turkish, Swahili, and Latin languages. I started with one word (war) in Portuguese. Then I looked at the same word in Turkish. Once I decided on a phrase, I researched each word in Turkish, Swahili, and Latin creating the following phrase Watu korku erunt savas! Imagine, if you will, the leader of an army of people in a faraway galaxy standing before the Supreme Leader, Great Mother, Emperor, or Supreme Overlord of this fictional place in the seventh galaxy screaming Watu korku erunt savas! This phrase translates as “The people fear there will be war!”

It is your story, your creativity bringing this story to life. As with Avatar, Star Trek, and other sci-fi movies, it has always been a mixture of English with a sprinkling of a fictional language. So, let your creative juices flow when it comes to creative writing. There are no strict rules, just guidelines that help shape your voice and narrative. The process can be therapeutic, allowing you to process your feelings or make sense of your experiences in unique ways. When you write creatively, you’re not just sharing a story; you’re sharing a part of yourself.

Writing is so rewarding! Just start—perfection isn’t necessary. Start with a prompt or a single line and let your story evolve naturally. Join writing groups, attend writing conferences, read widely, and seek feedback from others. Remember, every writer starts somewhere, and your journey is uniquely yours. So, grab a pen or open a blank document, and let your creativity flow. You never know where your words might take you!

A last thought: Your characters won’t rest until you author their story. Happy writing!