creative writing format sample

What Is Creative Writing? (Ultimate Guide + 20 Examples)

Creative writing begins with a blank page and the courage to fill it with the stories only you can tell.

I face this intimidating blank page daily–and I have for the better part of 20+ years.

In this guide, you’ll learn all the ins and outs of creative writing with tons of examples.

What Is Creative Writing (Long Description)?

Creative Writing is the art of using words to express ideas and emotions in imaginative ways. It encompasses various forms including novels, poetry, and plays, focusing on narrative craft, character development, and the use of literary tropes.

Bright, colorful creative writer's desk with notebook and typewriter -- What Is Creative Writing

Table of Contents

Let’s expand on that definition a bit.

Creative writing is an art form that transcends traditional literature boundaries.

It includes professional, journalistic, academic, and technical writing. This type of writing emphasizes narrative craft, character development, and literary tropes. It also explores poetry and poetics traditions.

In essence, creative writing lets you express ideas and emotions uniquely and imaginatively.

It’s about the freedom to invent worlds, characters, and stories. These creations evoke a spectrum of emotions in readers.

Creative writing covers fiction, poetry, and everything in between.

It allows writers to express inner thoughts and feelings. Often, it reflects human experiences through a fabricated lens.

Types of Creative Writing

There are many types of creative writing that we need to explain.

Some of the most common types:

Short stories
Screenplays
Flash fiction
Creative Nonfiction

Short Stories (The Brief Escape)

Short stories are like narrative treasures.

They are compact but impactful, telling a full story within a limited word count. These tales often focus on a single character or a crucial moment.

Short stories are known for their brevity.

They deliver emotion and insight in a concise yet powerful package. This format is ideal for exploring diverse genres, themes, and characters. It leaves a lasting impression on readers.

Example: Emma discovers an old photo of her smiling grandmother. It’s a rarity. Through flashbacks, Emma learns about her grandmother’s wartime love story. She comes to understand her grandmother’s resilience and the value of joy.

Novels (The Long Journey)

Novels are extensive explorations of character, plot, and setting.

They span thousands of words, giving writers the space to create entire worlds. Novels can weave complex stories across various themes and timelines.

The length of a novel allows for deep narrative and character development.

Readers get an immersive experience.

Example: Across the Divide tells of two siblings separated in childhood. They grow up in different cultures. Their reunion highlights the strength of family bonds, despite distance and differences.

Poetry (The Soul’s Language)

Poetry expresses ideas and emotions through rhythm, sound, and word beauty.

It distills emotions and thoughts into verses. Poetry often uses metaphors, similes, and figurative language to reach the reader’s heart and mind.

Poetry ranges from structured forms, like sonnets, to free verse.

The latter breaks away from traditional formats for more expressive thought.

Example: Whispers of Dawn is a poem collection capturing morning’s quiet moments. “First Light” personifies dawn as a painter. It brings colors of hope and renewal to the world.

Plays (The Dramatic Dialogue)

Plays are meant for performance. They bring characters and conflicts to life through dialogue and action.

This format uniquely explores human relationships and societal issues.

Playwrights face the challenge of conveying setting, emotion, and plot through dialogue and directions.

Example: Echoes of Tomorrow is set in a dystopian future. Memories can be bought and sold. It follows siblings on a quest to retrieve their stolen memories. They learn the cost of living in a world where the past has a price.

Screenplays (Cinema’s Blueprint)

Screenplays outline narratives for films and TV shows.

They require an understanding of visual storytelling, pacing, and dialogue. Screenplays must fit film production constraints.

Example: The Last Light is a screenplay for a sci-fi film. Humanity’s survivors on a dying Earth seek a new planet. The story focuses on spacecraft Argo’s crew as they face mission challenges and internal dynamics.

Memoirs (The Personal Journey)

Memoirs provide insight into an author’s life, focusing on personal experiences and emotional journeys.

They differ from autobiographies by concentrating on specific themes or events.

Memoirs invite readers into the author’s world.

They share lessons learned and hardships overcome.

Example: Under the Mango Tree is a memoir by Maria Gomez. It shares her childhood memories in rural Colombia. The mango tree in their yard symbolizes home, growth, and nostalgia. Maria reflects on her journey to a new life in America.

Flash Fiction (The Quick Twist)

Flash fiction tells stories in under 1,000 words.

It’s about crafting compelling narratives concisely. Each word in flash fiction must count, often leading to a twist.

This format captures life’s vivid moments, delivering quick, impactful insights.

Example: The Last Message features an astronaut’s final Earth message as her spacecraft drifts away. In 500 words, it explores isolation, hope, and the desire to connect against all odds.

Creative Nonfiction (The Factual Tale)

Creative nonfiction combines factual accuracy with creative storytelling.

This genre covers real events, people, and places with a twist. It uses descriptive language and narrative arcs to make true stories engaging.

Creative nonfiction includes biographies, essays, and travelogues.

Example: Echoes of Everest follows the author’s Mount Everest climb. It mixes factual details with personal reflections and the history of past climbers. The narrative captures the climb’s beauty and challenges, offering an immersive experience.

Fantasy (The World Beyond)

Fantasy transports readers to magical and mythical worlds.

It explores themes like good vs. evil and heroism in unreal settings. Fantasy requires careful world-building to create believable yet fantastic realms.

Example: The Crystal of Azmar tells of a young girl destined to save her world from darkness. She learns she’s the last sorceress in a forgotten lineage. Her journey involves mastering powers, forming alliances, and uncovering ancient kingdom myths.

Science Fiction (The Future Imagined)

Science fiction delves into futuristic and scientific themes.

It questions the impact of advancements on society and individuals.

Science fiction ranges from speculative to hard sci-fi, focusing on plausible futures.

Example: When the Stars Whisper is set in a future where humanity communicates with distant galaxies. It centers on a scientist who finds an alien message. This discovery prompts a deep look at humanity’s universe role and interstellar communication.

Watch this great video that explores the question, “What is creative writing?” and “How to get started?”:

What Are the 5 Cs of Creative Writing?

The 5 Cs of creative writing are fundamental pillars.

They guide writers to produce compelling and impactful work. These principles—Clarity, Coherence, Conciseness, Creativity, and Consistency—help craft stories that engage and entertain.

They also resonate deeply with readers. Let’s explore each of these critical components.

Clarity makes your writing understandable and accessible.

It involves choosing the right words and constructing clear sentences. Your narrative should be easy to follow.

In creative writing, clarity means conveying complex ideas in a digestible and enjoyable way.

Coherence ensures your writing flows logically.

It’s crucial for maintaining the reader’s interest. Characters should develop believably, and plots should progress logically. This makes the narrative feel cohesive.

Conciseness

Conciseness is about expressing ideas succinctly.

It’s being economical with words and avoiding redundancy. This principle helps maintain pace and tension, engaging readers throughout the story.

Creativity is the heart of creative writing.

It allows writers to invent new worlds and create memorable characters. Creativity involves originality and imagination. It’s seeing the world in unique ways and sharing that vision.

Consistency

Consistency maintains a uniform tone, style, and voice.

It means being faithful to the world you’ve created. Characters should act true to their development. This builds trust with readers, making your story immersive and believable.

Is Creative Writing Easy?

Creative writing is both rewarding and challenging.

Crafting stories from your imagination involves more than just words on a page. It requires discipline and a deep understanding of language and narrative structure.

Exploring complex characters and themes is also key.

Refining and revising your work is crucial for developing your voice.

The ease of creative writing varies. Some find the freedom of expression liberating.

Others struggle with writer’s block or plot development challenges. However, practice and feedback make creative writing more fulfilling.

What Does a Creative Writer Do?

A creative writer weaves narratives that entertain, enlighten, and inspire.

Writers explore both the world they create and the emotions they wish to evoke. Their tasks are diverse, involving more than just writing.

Creative writers develop ideas, research, and plan their stories.

They create characters and outline plots with attention to detail. Drafting and revising their work is a significant part of their process. They strive for the 5 Cs of compelling writing.

Writers engage with the literary community, seeking feedback and participating in workshops.

They may navigate the publishing world with agents and editors.

Creative writers are storytellers, craftsmen, and artists. They bring narratives to life, enriching our lives and expanding our imaginations.

How to Get Started With Creative Writing?

Embarking on a creative writing journey can feel like standing at the edge of a vast and mysterious forest.

The path is not always clear, but the adventure is calling.

Here’s how to take your first steps into the world of creative writing:

Find a time of day when your mind is most alert and creative.
Create a comfortable writing space free from distractions.
Use prompts to spark your imagination. They can be as simple as a word, a phrase, or an image.
Try writing for 15-20 minutes on a prompt without editing yourself. Let the ideas flow freely.
Reading is fuel for your writing. Explore various genres and styles.
Pay attention to how your favorite authors construct their sentences, develop characters, and build their worlds.
Don’t pressure yourself to write a novel right away. Begin with short stories or poems.
Small projects can help you hone your skills and boost your confidence.
Look for writing groups in your area or online. These communities offer support, feedback, and motivation.
Participating in workshops or classes can also provide valuable insights into your writing.
Understand that your first draft is just the beginning. Revising your work is where the real magic happens.
Be open to feedback and willing to rework your pieces.
Carry a notebook or digital recorder to jot down ideas, observations, and snippets of conversations.
These notes can be gold mines for future writing projects.

Final Thoughts: What Is Creative Writing?

Creative writing is an invitation to explore the unknown, to give voice to the silenced, and to celebrate the human spirit in all its forms.

Check out these creative writing tools (that I highly recommend):

Story Writing Format: How to Format a Short Story + Examples and Templates

by Kelly Hart

Short story manuscript formatting is slightly different from novel and book manuscript formatting , and it’s always a good idea to check submission guidelines for each magazine or anthology you wish to submit to, as they can—and do—differ. Lucky for you, applying industry-standard formatting to your short story manuscript is pretty easy!

Why does short story manuscript formatting matter?

Editors of magazines and anthologies are just as busy as agents and publishers, so it’s important that their first impression of your manuscript is a good one. The best way you can do that is to make sure it looks how they expect it to look —i.e., professionally-formatted.

When an editor recieves a manuscript that’s formatted in a quirky, unusual, or unexpected way, it makes the author look like an amateur. And that’s never the impression you want to give to the person reading and judging your writing. You want to look like a professional writer who knows their way around the industry.

Besides looking amateurish, a short story manuscript that doesn’t follow industry-standard formatting rules makes it harder for the editor to read. The rules are there to make all manuscripts equally legible, so that the editor can quickly read many of them in a day.

How to format a short story manuscript

Here’s a quick summary:

To format a short story manuscript, use 1 inch (2.5cm) margins, 12 point Times New Roman font, double-spaced lines, and half-inch (1.25cm) indents for paragraphs. At the top right of each page put a header with your last name, story title, and page number. A title page isn’t necessary.

Below are the complete formatting rules you need to apply to your short story manuscript:

Set the margins for your manuscript to 1 inch (2.5cm) on all four sides. This is usually the default setting in Word, but check the settings on your computer to be sure.

Align to the left; the right-hand side should remain ragged.

Use 12 point Times New Roman for the entire manuscript. Courier and Arial fonts may also be acceptable—check the submission guidelines of the magazine or anthology.

Black text on white pages only. No other colors are appropriate.

Indent each paragraph by half an inch (1.25cm). Don’t do this by hitting the tab key; instead, set indentation in Word using the Format → Paragraph → Section menu, or see this tutorial.

Lines should be double spaced with no extra spaces between paragraphs.

Single space between sentences, after periods.

Indicate scene breaks with a blank line, and center a hash mark (#) in the center of that line.

The header in the top right corner should contain your name, then a key word from your short story title, followed by the page number. For example, Hart - My Story - 2 . Don’t put this header on the first page.

After the last line in the manuscript, center a hash mark (#) one blank line after the end. Or simply write The End . This assures the editor that no pages are accidentally missing.

Never underline text; use italics when you mean to emphasize or italicize words.

Unlike a book or novel manuscript, a short story manuscript doesn’t require a separate title page. Instead, follow these rules for the first page of the manuscript:

Include your personal details at the upper left. This includes your real name, email address, and other contact information.

Include the approximate word count at the upper right, to the nearest hundred words.

Center the short story title about a third of the way down the first page.

Include your name on the next line after the title. This can be your pen name, and make sure to precede it with by .

Begin your story a few lines below your byline.

If you’ve followed all these steps, you should now have your short story manuscript formatted to the industry standard!

An example of a well-formatted short story manuscript

Remember these tips before you send it in.

Always check the manuscript submission guidelines of the magazine or anthology you’re submitting to! Different markets may have unique formatting requirements, and you should always do as they ask, even if it contradicts the rules we’ve set out here.

Keep a copy of the exact manuscript file you submitted in a special location, in case you update the master manuscript later. It’s always good to know exactly what version of a manuscript you submitted to a market, so you don’t get confused with edits you might have made after submission.

Download a short story formatting template

We’ve prepared this helpful Word document template for a short story manuscript submission that you can use as a base for your own writing. Check it out!

Download the short story formatting template (docx)

Get feedback on your writing today!

Scribophile is a community of hundreds of thousands of writers from all over the world. Meet beta readers, get feedback on your writing, and become a better writer!

Join now for free

Short Story Submissions: How to Publish a Short Story or Poem

What is a Novella-In-Flash? With Ideas and Tips to Write Your Own

Self Publishing vs. Traditional Publishing: Which is Best for Your Book?

Manuscript Format: How to Format a Novel, with Examples

How to Find a Literary Agent

Writing the 100-Word Memoir

12 Creative Writing Templates for Planning Your Novel

It’s that time of year when thousands of writers around the world prepare to type faster than a speeding bullet, drink coffee more powerful than a locomotive, and leap tall deadlines in a single bound. Of course, we’re talking about National Novel Writing Month (also known as NaNoWriMo), and the challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to create a 50,000-word story from scratch in just 30 days, from November 1–30. How’s that for productivity?

We’ve met a lot of writers who use Evernote to plan, brainstorm, and sometimes even draft their novels. But as any fiction writer knows, the hardest part of any new work is figuring out what to write about in the first place: What happens next? What motivates these characters? What’s this story about, anyway?

Only you can answer those questions, but it helps to figure them out early. If you’re going to write a novel in November, the time to plan is now . With that in mind, we’ve created a dozen Evernote templates to help you collect and structure your thoughts. Many of them include questions or prompts to get you started, but you can feel free to replace those with inventions of your own. Start filling them out today; they’ll keep you anchored while writing your 30-day masterpiece.

Power tip: To use any of the note templates mentioned in this article, click the “Get it »” link and then click “Save to Evernote.” The template will be added to your Evernote account in the notebook of your choice (we recommend setting up a new notebook just for templates). You can then copy, move, rename, and edit the note to suit your needs.

Templates for plotting and outlining your novel

Are you the sort of writer who wants a solid plan in place before typing “Chapter 1”/ You’ll need a roadmap that begins with a premise and culminates in an outline. There are a lot of different ways to get there, so we’ve made templates for walking you through several of the most popular plotting methods. You can choose the one that fits your personal style.

1. Story premise worksheet

Your premise is the foundation on which the entire novel is built. With this step-by-step guide, you’ll think about who your protagonist is, what they want, and the problems or conflicts they must overcome. The end product is a concise, two-sentence explanation of what your story is about.

2. Three-act plotting template

Remember learning in school that all stories should have a beginning, middle, and end? This classic, logical method of storytelling takes you from your story’s initial setup and inciting incident through rising action, turning points, and resolution.

3. Story beats template

Adapted from the world of screenwriting, this popular method replaces the concept of acts with a set of milestones that commonly appear in many kinds of stories. Hitting these “beats” gives your story a rhythm while leaving the details open to your imagination.

4. Snowflake method checklist

Maybe you’d rather work from the top down than from the ground up. Inspired by fractal geometry (really!), Randy Ingermanson’s “snowflake method” grows an entire novel from a single sentence. Each step of the process methodically expands upon the one before, filling in details until you have a complete draft.

5. Story timeline tracker

Regardless of your novel plotting method, keeping track of time in your novel is important. Did your hero get that threatening letter on Tuesday or Sunday? Does the next scene happen on a sunny morning or in the dead of night? This template will keep your novel’s clock ticking smoothly.

6. Chapter outline

Once you’re in the writing groove, you may not want to wade through all your plotting notes to remember what comes next. This checklist gives you a scannable view of your plot, chapter by chapter and scene by scene, making it easy to see what you’ve completed and how much lies ahead.

Templates for Building Characters in Your Novel

Even if you aren’t the plotting and outlining type, the more you know about your characters and the world they inhabit, the better your writing will be. The following templates will help you brainstorm and remember the little details that make a story come to life.

7. Character master list

Got a lot of characters? This “quick and dirty” list helps you remember who’s who at a glance. Add names, ages, and notes about your characters. And you can drop in a photo or drawing of each character to help you visualize your story.

8. Character profile worksheet

If you want to go deeper with your characters, you’ll need a full dossier describing their physical appearance, manner of speaking, behavioral traits, and background. This questionnaire covers everything from their hair color to their biggest secret.

9. Character biography

Now that you know who’s who, here’s a template for figuring out how they got to the situation in your novel. When it’s time to write a flashback or refer to a past event, you’ll breathe easier (and save yourself some edits) knowing you can look up the dates in this simple timeline.

10. World-building questionnaire

So far, we’ve been talking about the what and who of your novel, but where and when are just as important. Whether you’re writing about a fantasy world or the town you grew up in, this questionnaire will get you thinking in depth about the setting. Then you can write richer, more realistic scenes that draw the reader into your world.

Pulling it all together: Project trackers

A novel has a lot of moving parts. When you factor in research, articles saved with Web Clipper , and random jottings about who did what to whom, you’ll probably find you have a lot of notes for your writing project. Consider adding a couple more to keep it all straight: a dashboard where you can manage the whole thing and a checklist for bringing your completed opus to the world.

11. Story dashboard note

For a quick overview of your project, use this “dashboard” to track its status. Add it to your shortcuts for easy access, and insert links to related notes to save time on searches. If you’re writing in Microsoft Word or Google Docs, you can paste the file or link into the body of this note and jump into your manuscript with a click.

12. Self-publishing checklist

Planning to publish that novel when it’s done? Here’s a checklist of all the important steps, from writing a blurb to editing, design, and proofing. TIP: If you copy this checklist into your dashboard note, you can easily track your novel from first brainstorm to final publication.

Ready, set, write!

If you’re up to the challenge, sign up for free at nanowrimo.org . Evernote will be posting more tips and strategies to our blog and social media throughout October and November. We invite you to follow along!

Originally published on October 2, 2017. Updated on October 12, 2022.

Eleven templates to start your next creative writing project

As writer Margaret Atwood put it, "If I waited for perfection, I would never write a word." Whether you are feeling stuck starring at a blank page or overwhelmed by hundreds of notes, this collection features novel plans, story maps, and character profiles to serve as your writing companion—from start to finish.

Novel Plan Template

Develop and structure your novel effectively with a comprehensive plan that outlines plot points, character arcs, and key events, providing a roadmap for crafting a compelling story and taking it to print.

Story Brainstorming Template

Unleash your creativity with a brainstorming session. Explore plot twists, characters, and scene details, and walk away with key ideas to start your next novel.

Brainstorming Template, within the Milanote app

Novel Research Template

Conduct thorough research for your novel. Organize and document relevant information, ensuring accuracy and authenticity in your storytelling.

Research Template, within the Milanote app

Story Map Template

Visualize the narrative flow and plot structure of your story with a story map. Outline key events, character interactions, and plot developments for a cohesive and compelling storytelling experience.

Story Outline Template

Outline the key elements of your story, including major plot points, character arcs, and themes, with a comprehensive story outline framework.

Character Profile Template

Dive deep into the personality and background of your character with a character profile, enabling you to craft well-rounded and believable individuals that resonate with readers.

Character Relationship Map Template

Create a visual representation of character relationships and interactions using a character mapping, offer a visual overview of the connections and dynamics between your story's key characters.

Three Act Structure Template

Structure your story effectively using the classic three-act structure, dividing your narrative into setup, confrontation, and resolution for a well-paced and engaging reading experience.

World Building Template

Build rich and immersive fictional worlds for your story, by outlining the geography, history, cultures, and rules of your story's unique universe.

Hero's Journey Template

Embark on the hero's journey with a framework that follows Joseph Campbell's monomyth, create the stages of a hero's transformative adventure and providing a solid foundation for your storytelling.

Novel Moodboard Template

Capture the visual and thematic inspiration for your novel with a moodboard, curate images, colors, textures, and references that evoke the desired mood and atmosphere for your story.

Try Milanote today

Become a Bestseller

Follow our 5-step publishing path.

Fundamentals of Fiction & Story

Bring your story to life with a proven plan.

Market Your Book

Learn how to sell more copies.

Edit Your Book

Get professional editing support.

Author Advantage Accelerator Nonfiction

Grow your business, authority, and income.

Author Advantage Accelerator Fiction

Become a full-time fiction author.

Author Accelerator Elite

Take the fast-track to publishing success.

Take the Quiz

Let us pair you with the right fit.

Free Copy of Published.

Book title generator, nonfiction outline template, writing software quiz, book royalties calculator.

Learn how to write your book

Learn how to edit your book

Learn how to self-publish your book

Learn how to sell more books

Learn how to grow your business

Learn about self-help books

Learn about nonfiction writing

Learn about fiction writing

How to Get An ISBN Number

A Beginner’s Guide to Self-Publishing

How Much Do Self-Published Authors Make on Amazon?

Book Template: 9 Free Layouts

How to Write a Book in 12 Steps

The 15 Best Book Writing Software Tools

Creative Writing Ultimate Guide

POSTED ON Dec 28, 2022

Written by Gloria Russell

I don’t know about you, but when I start learning a new skill, I want to know everything about it right away. How do I get started? What do I need to get started? How could this new skill transform my life?

Being an incessant researcher of new pastimes, I love a good master post. So, I’ve made one today for one of my favorite things in the world: creative writing .

I wrote this for people who are just getting into creative writing, but even if you’ve been writing for a while, stay tuned—some of the tricks and resources in this post will be helpful for you, too.

Need A Fiction Book Outline?

What is creative writing?

Creative writing examples, how to start creative writing, creative writing prompts, creative writing jobs, creative writing degrees, online creative writing courses.

Creative writing is imaginative writing. It’s meant to entertain its readers and get some emotional response from them. You’ll note that I said imaginative , but I didn’t say fictional writing, because while fiction is a subcategory of creative writing, it doesn’t define creative writing. All fiction is creative writing, but not all creative writing is fiction.

While technical, legal, or academic writing might be focused on conveying information in the most efficient and clear manner possible, the goal of creative writing is slightly different. You still want to communicate effectively and clearly, but you also want to put some pep in there. Creative writing uses tools like metaphor and imagery to evoke an image, emotion, or both from the reader.

Another way to look at it: if you were to say what makes creative writing distinct as a form, you could say it’s the artsy one.

Creative writing covers more than just fiction, or even just novels . Here’s a quick rundown of some types of creative writing you might encounter.

Novels (which fall under the ‘fiction’ umbrella) are a type of creative writing where the reader follows a character or characters through a plot. A novel might be a standalone, or it might be part of a series.

Example: Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler

2. Short Stories

Short stories (which also fall under the ‘fiction’ umbrella) follow a character through a plot, like you’d see in a novel, but short stories are, well, shorter. Generally, short stories run between 1,000 and 10,000 words, with works under 1,000 words falling under the subcategory ‘flash fiction.’

Example: The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Poetry is a form of writing which focuses heavily on imagery, metaphor, symbolism, and other figurative tools. It also involves a lot of technical work with form; meter and rhythm are commonly used to enhance meaning. You can generally tell what poems are by looking at them, since they’re usually divided into groups of lines (stanzas) instead of paragraphs, like you might see in other forms of creative writing.

Example: Little Beast by Richard Siken

Related: Where to Publish Poetry

Plays are written for the stage. They include stage direction, brief scene descriptions, and character dialogue, but there’s often not a lot of prose. Plays are intended to be watched by an audience instead of read, so whatever prose exists, it is intended for the people participating in the play.

Example: Hamlet by Shakespeare

Songs are similar to poetry in terms of their structure and use of figurative language, but songs are meant to be performed. People don’t generally read song lyrics without listening to it, and the instrumentation and production often enhance the meaning of a song. Songwriters also use music theory to play with meaning—at a basic level, for example, minor chords generally convey sadness, while major chords generally convey happiness.

Example: Let it Be by the Beatles

6. Memoirs & Personal Essays

Memoirs and personal essays are a form of creative writing where an author draws on their real lived experience to create a narrative. Memoir specifically sometimes plays with chronological order and specific technical fact in favor of symbolic resonance—the author is getting at an emotional truth rather than a literal or objective truth.

Example: Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris

7. Journaling

Not everyone uses journaling as a creative writing exercise—some people want to log their daily activities and be done with it—but if you’ve ever poured your heart out about a breakup to the nonjudgmental pages of a notebook, you’ve probably already done some creative writing!

Want to find more examples? I wrote on this topic for another site, and it includes even more examples of creative writing for you to try.

Now that you know what creative writing looks like, let’s talk about how to get started, even if you’ve never practiced creative writing before.

1. Try stuff on until something fits

Take a look at the list above (or do a Google search for ‘types of creative writing’ and see if there’s anything else you might be interested in—I won’t be offended) and pick one that seems fun. If you want to try, for example, a screenplay, but you’re not sure how to write one, read a bunch. Get a feel for how they work.

Maybe you do that and decide you don't want to write screenplays after all. Okay! Try short stories. Try poetry. Try songwriting. Practicing different forms will make you a more well-rounded writer in the long run, and you might be surprised at what resonates with you.

2. Practice, practice, practice

Once you’ve found a form or a few forms that suit you, your job as a newbie is simple: practice. Write whatever you want as often as you can and, if possible, for your eyes only. Create a relationship between yourself and your craft.

Some say you should start with short stories before jumping into novels so you can practice completing narrative arcs. That might work great! But if you hate writing short stories, just practice with writing novels.

If you have an idea that feels a little too advanced for you, that’s probably what you should be working on, since it’ll teach you a lot about the craft along the way. Don’t be intimidated, and don’t worry about anyone else’s opinions (this includes any fretting about publishing). Your singular goal here is to create, and your secondary goal is to challenge yourself.

3. Join some kind of writerly group

But hold on, you might be thinking. How do I know I’m not getting worse the more I practice? How do I know I’m not just churning out garbage?

At some point, especially if your goal is to publish , you’ll want feedback on your work. And while it’s important to have the support of your loved ones, it’s also important to get feedback from other writers.

I do not recommend sending your very first manuscript to an editor or well-established writer for feedback—their feedback, generally aimed at moderate to advanced writers, is probably going to devastate you at the fledgling stage. I do recommend finding other writers at approximately your skill level to bounce ideas off of and exchange critiques. These other writers can be found online or at local writing circles—check your local public library for creative writing workshops.

Have you picked out a form of creative writing to try, but you just can’t come up with any ideas? Try using a creative writing prompt to get those creative gears turning. These are totally for you to use however is most helpful: use the prompt as-is, tweak it a little, whatever works.

Prompts are a great way to explore different types of tones in writing and hone your own personal style as an author!

Use this FREE tool: Writing Prompts Generator

Looking to make some money with your creative writing endeavors? Here’s a few options to kickstart your job search:

Ghostwriting

As a ghostwriter, your job is to write the story your client assigns you . This might be a fictional novel, or it might be a memoir. The client often has specific requests for content, length, and so on. The catch? Your name is not on the book. You’re not allowed to say that you wrote it—the client’s name or pen name usually goes on the author line. You can find ghostwriting gigs on sites like Upwork or Fiverr.

Marketing does involve some technical elements like copywriting, but creative writers have a place in marketing, too. Brands need catchy slogans, funny commercials, and even social media gurus to run entertaining Twitter accounts. For more ideas on how to market your upcoming book , check out our post on the topic.

Columnist/Blog Writer

You can also look for work as an op-ed columnist or blog writer. This might be something you do for an existing website, or it might be a blog you start from scratch on Wix, SquareSpace, or Tumblr.

You might have heard of people getting creative writing degrees, or at least you might have heard some of the discourse surrounding these degrees. Off the bat, I want to say that you don’t need a creative writing degree to be a writer. It doesn’t make you a ‘real’ writer, and it doesn’t indicate your seriousness toward the craft.

If you do want to get a creative writing degree, though, you’re looking (broadly) at two options:

Undergraduate writing programs

This is your BFA in creative writing. Not all colleges offer them—many (like my alma mater) offer a creative writing concentration or focus as part of an English degree. So you might graduate, hypothetically, for example, with a degree in English with a concentration in creative writing. Some colleges don’t offer a major, but they do offer minors.

Check to see what sorts of courses your college or prospective college offers. Do you have to be an English major to take their creative writing course? Does their creative writing course offer guidance in the type of creative writing you want to pursue? For example, my alma mater offered a creative writing concentration with two tracks, one for fiction and one for poetry. There was also a separate film studies concentration for aspiring screenplay writers and film students.

Graduate writing programs (a.k.a., the MFA)

MFA programs can be extremely competitive and prohibitively expensive, not to mention that you’re obviously not guaranteed to come out of them a better writer. They can be a great tool, but they’re not a necessary one. Look at it this way: are you willing to get this MFA if it means you might come out of it without a successfully published novel? If so, proceed.

If you want to pursue an MFA, do your research. Don’t go straight for the Iowa Writers Workshop application page and hope for the best—investigate the universities that look appealing to you, see if your interests align with theirs, and make that application fee count.

Going to college isn’t the only way to take classes on creative writing! If you’re looking for more cost-friendly options, the Internet is your friend. I’ve linked to a few places loaded with creative writing courses to get you started.

1. Intelligent.com: The Best 10 Online Creative Writing Courses

2. Coursera: Best Creative Writing Courses and Certifications

3. Self-Publishing School: Best Self-Publishing Courses

4. Our Programs: Fiction Write Your Book Program

Are you ready to try an online creative writing course? Are you ready to start some creative writing prompts? Or, are you think you're ready to go for a full creative writing project of your own? Here is a resource to help you get started:

Self-Help, Writing

How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome: 11 Helpful Tips

What is a mind map: 7 steps to making one and using it to write your book.

Business, Writing

How to Use a Book to Get Leads for Your Business

27 Creative Writing Examples To Spark Your Imagination

With all the types of creative writing to choose from, it’s hard enough to focus on just one or two of your favorites.

When it comes to writing your own examples, don’t be hard on yourself if you hit a wall.

We’ve all done it.

Sometimes, all you need is a generous supply of well-crafted and inspirational creative writing examples.

Good thing you’re here!

For starters, let’s get clear on what creative writing is.

What Is Creative Writing?

How to start creative writing , 1. novels and novellas, 2. short stories and flash fiction, 3. twitter stories (140 char), 4. poetry or songs/lyrics, 5. scripts for plays, tv shows, and movies, 6. memoirs / autobiographical narratives, 7. speeches, 9. journalism / newspaper articles, 11. last wills and obituaries, 12. dating profiles and wanted ads, 13. greeting cards.

Knowing how to be a creative writer is impossible if you don’t know the purpose of creative writing and all the types of writing included.

As you’ll see from the categories listed further on, the words “creative writing” contain multitudes:

Novels, novellas, short stories, flash fiction, microfiction, and even nanofiction;
Poetry (traditional and free verse);
Screenplays (for theatrical stage performances, TV shows, and movies)
Blog posts and feature articles in newspapers and magazines
Memoirs and Testimonials
Speeches and Essays
And more—including dating profiles, obituaries, and letters to the editor.

Read on to find some helpful examples of many of these types. Make a note of the ones that interest you most.

Once you have some idea of what you want to write, how do you get started?

Allow us to suggest some ideas that have worked for many of our readers and us:

Keep a daily journal to record and play with your ideas as they come;
Set aside a specific chunk of time every day (even 5 minutes) just for writing;
Use a timer to help you stick to your daily writing habit ;
You can also set word count goals, if you find that more motivating than time limits;
Read as much as you can of the kind of content you want to write;
Publish your work (on a blog), and get feedback from others.

Now that you’ve got some ideas on how to begin let’s move on to our list of examples.

Creative Writing Examples

Read through the following examples to get ideas for your own writing. Make a note of anything that stands out for you.

Inspiring novel-writing examples can come from the first paragraph of a well-loved novel (or novella), from the description on the back cover, or from anywhere in the story.

From Circe by Madeline Miller

““Little by little I began to listen better: to the sap moving in the plants, to the blood in my veins. I learned to understand my own intention, to prune and to add, to feel where the power gathered and speak the right words to draw it to its height. That was the moment I lived for, when it all came clear at last and the spell could sing with its pure note, for me and me alone.”

From The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin:

“‘I’ll make my report as if I told a story, for I was taught as a child on my homeworld that Truth is a matter of the imagination…. ”

The shorter your story, the more vital it is for each word to earn its place. Each sentence or phrase should be be necessary to your story’s message and impact.

From “A Consumer’s Guide to Shopping with PTSD” by Katherine Robb

“‘“Do you know what she said to me at the condo meeting?” I say to the salesman. She said, “Listen, the political climate is so terrible right now I think we all have PTSD. You’re just the only one making such a big deal about it.”

“The salesman nods his jowly face and says, “That Brenda sounds like a real b***h.”’

From Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri (collection of short stories)

“Something happened when the house was dark. They were able to talk to each other again.” (From ‘A Temporary Matter’)

Use the hashtag #VSS to find a generous sampling of short Twitter stories in 140 or fewer characters. Here are a few examples to get you started:

From Chris Stocks on January 3rd, 2022 :

“With the invention of efficient 3D-printable #solar panels & cheap storage batteries, the world was finally able to enjoy the benefits of limitless cheap green energy. Except in the UK. We’re still awaiting the invention of a device to harness the power of light drizzle.” #vss365 (Keyword: solar)

From TinyTalesbyRedsaid1 on January 2nd, 2022 :

“A solar lamp would safely light our shack. But Mom says it’ll lure thieves. I squint at my homework by candlelight, longing for electricity.” #vss #vss365 #solar

If you’re looking for poetry or song-writing inspiration, you’ll find plenty of free examples online—including the two listed here:

From “I’m Nobody! Who are you?” by Emily Dickinson

“I’m Nobody! Who are you?

Are you – Nobody – too?

Then there’s a pair of us!

Don’t tell! they’d advertise – you know!

“How dreary – to be – Somebody!

How public – like a Frog –

To tell one’s name – the livelong June –

To an admiring Bog!

From “Enemy” by Imagine Dragons

“I wake up to the sounds

Of the silence that allows

For my mind to run around

With my ear up to the ground

I’m searching to behold

The stories that are told

When my back is to the world

That was smiling when I turned

Tell you you’re the greatest

But once you turn they hate us….”

If you enjoy writing dialogue and setting a scene, check out the following excerpts from two very different screenplays. Then jot down some notes for a screenplay (or scene) of your own.

From Mean Girls by Tina Fey (Based on the book, Queen Bees and Wannabes” by Rosalind Wiseman

“Karen: ‘So, if you’re from Africa, why are you white?’

“Gretchen: ‘Oh my god, Karen! You can’t just ask people why they’re white!’

“Regina: ‘Cady, could you give us some privacy for, like, one second?’

“Cady: ‘Sure.’

Cady makes eye contact with Janis and Damien as the Plastics confer.

“Regina (breaking huddle): ‘Okay, let me just say that we don’t do this a lot, so you should know that this is, like, a huge deal.’

“Gretchen: ‘We want to invite you to have lunch with us every day for the rest of the week.’

“Cady: ‘Oh, okay…’

“Gretchen: Great. So, we’ll see you tomorrow.’

“Karen: ‘On Tuesdays, we wear pink.’”

#10: From The Matrix by Larry and Andy Wachowski

“NEO: ‘That was you on my computer?’

“NEO: ‘How did you do that?’

“TRINITY: ‘Right now, all I can tell you, is that you are in danger. I brought you here to warn you.’

“NEO: ‘Of what?’

“TRINITY: ‘They’re watching you, Neo.’

“NEO: ‘Who is?’

“TRINITY: ‘Please. Just listen. I know why you’re here, Neo. I know what you’ve been doing. I know why you hardly sleep, why you live alone and why, night after night, you sit at your computer. You’re looking for him.’

“Her body is against his; her lips very close to his ear.

“TRINITY: ‘I know because I was once looking for the same thing, but when he found me he told me I wasn’t really looking for him. I was looking for an answer.’

“There is a hypnotic quality to her voice and Neo feels the words, like a drug, seeping into him.

“TRINITY: ‘It’s the question that drives us, the question that brought you here. You know the question just as I did.’

“NEO: ‘What is the Matrix?’

Sharing stories from your life can be both cathartic for you and inspiring or instructive (or at least entertaining) for your readers.

From The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

“It was in fact the ordinary nature of everything preceding the event that prevented me from truly believing it had happened, absorbing it, incorporating it, getting past it. I recognize now that there was nothing unusual in this: confronted with sudden disaster, we all focus on how unremarkable the circumstances were in which the unthinkable occurred: the clear blue sky from which the plane fell, the routine errand that ended on the shoulder with the car in flames, the swings where the children were playing as usual when the rattlesnake struck from the ivy. ‘He was on his way home from work—happy, successful, healthy—and then, gone,’ I read in the account of the psychiatric nurse whose husband was killed in a highway accident… ”

From Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt:

“When I look back on my childhood I wonder how I managed to survive at all. It was, of course, a miserable childhood: the happy childhood is hardly worth your while. Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood is the miserable Irish childhood, and worse yet is the miserable Irish Catholic childhood.”

From Call the Midwife: A True Story of the East End in the 1950s by Jennifer Worth:

“Nonnatus House was situated in the heart of the London Docklands… The area was densely-populated and most families had lived there for generations, often not moving more than a street or two away from their birthplace. Family life was lived at close-quarters and children were brought up by a widely-extended family of aunts, grandparents, cousins, and older siblings.

The purpose of most speeches is to inform, inspire, or persuade. Think of the last time you gave a speech of your own. How did you hook your listeners?

From “Is Technology Making Us Smarter or Dumber?” by Rob Clowes (Persuasive)

“It is possible to imagine that human nature, the human intellect, emotions and feelings are completely independent of our technologies; that we are essentially ahistorical beings with one constant human nature that has remained the same throughout history or even pre-history? Sometimes evolutionary psychologists—those who believe human nature was fixed on the Pleistocene Savannah—talk this way. I think this is demonstrably wrong…. “

From “Make Good Art” by Neil Gaiman (Keynote Address for the University of Fine Arts, 2012):

“…First of all: When you start out on a career in the arts you have no idea what you are doing.”

“This is great. People who know what they are doing know the rules, and know what is possible and impossible. You do not. And you should not. The rules on what is possible and impossible in the arts were made by people who had not tested the bounds of the possible by going beyond them. And you can.”

“If you don’t know it’s impossible it’s easier to do. And because nobody’s done it before, they haven’t made up rules to stop anyone doing that again, yet.”

13 Creative Writing Portfolio Examples & How to Create Yours

Just as you need inspiration for writing, it also helps with putting together your writing portfolio . We’re here to provide you with exactly that, in the form of 13 creative writing portfolio examples.

They’re portfolio websites from different kinds of creative writers: some do poetry, some scriptwriting, some copywriting… One thing is for sure though: you’ll leave with ideas, excitement, and a clear vision of how to make your ideas come to life in your own portfolio.

Read until the end because we'll also show you how you can build yours easily, in 5 simple steps.

13 creative writing portfolio examples & why they’re excellent

1. macy fidel.

The portfolio website of Macy Fidel, creative non-fiction writer, featuring a brown background and six creative writing samples

Macy used Copyfolio's Premier template and "Cardboard Clip" color palette to create her portfolio

This portfolio is great because...

It has a crystal-clear tagline: you'll know at first glance what Macy does
The projects are upfront: you don't need to search and click around to check out Macy's writing skills and style
The homepage has a great about section with a CTA: you can find out a little more about her and know exactly what to do if you'd like to know more
The bold background color makes it memorable amongst simple white portfolio websites

2. Esa Haddad

The creative writing portfolio of communications and writing professional Esa Haddad

Esa's portfolio was made with Copyfolio's "Wallscape" template

It beautifully shows how a creative writer can do more than just that. He's also a communications professional, doing technical and academic writing next to his creative and poetic endeavors.
With a black background and white text , this site stands out. Having such a canvas makes it easy for bolder headlines and images to pop, leading the eyes nicely along the page.
It has an easy way for you to get in touch. All you need to do is click the LinkedIn icon to visit his profile or navigate to the contact page to find out more.

3. Julia Tula

The portfolio of creative writer Julia Tula, featuring her resume, introduction and seven writing samples

Julia created her portfolio with Copyfolio's "Artboard" template

It has an aesthetic and consistent design. Using simple squares for thumbnails, in colors matching the color palette pulls the whole site's design together.
Julia shows a great variety of creative writing pieces in her projects, including discussions about the theory of creative writing, creative non-fiction short stories, and fiction writing as well.
It showcases Julia's brilliant writing skills with every word she's written on the site. From the tagline, to her about me section, it's all written beautifully.

4. Larissa Vasquez

The writing portfolio website of Larissa Vasquez. The homepage says: I am glad you are here. Welcome. Writer in training.

Larissa created her site with the legacy version of Copyfolio's "Billboard" template .

It sets the mood for her writing portfolio with a white, beige, and brown color scheme.
The homepage features a photo of scraps of paper on the top —very fitting for a writer.
Choosing a photo of herself with similar colors , then creating custom beige and brown project thumbnails really pulled it all together.
It has a simple layout. On the homepage, Larissa added a short introduction, then dove right into her writing samples . This makes it easy for everyone to read her pieces and see her writing skills shine.

5. Andrea Arcia

The portfolio page of writer, editor, and upcoming novelist, Andrea Arcia

Andrea created her portfolio with the legacy version of Copyfolio's "Letterpress" template

Andrea used a constantly changing, but cohesive layout to keep you interested and engaged, even with a lot of text on the page.
She started out with three projects in a portfolio grid but then went on to use columns to display text, adding images every second block. This is a great way if you want to introduce projects or showcase longer stories or poems without overwhelming your visitors.

6. Hannah Rogers

The creative writing portfolio of Hannah Rodgers, introducing her and her writing services and best creative writing samples.

Hannah created her writer website using Copyfolio, and the “Typewriter” template .

You'll know who Hannah is and what she does right away. She's a versatile creative writer and editor, currently sailing with Firmenich.
It's easy to learn about her background too : after finishing her degree in English and Creative Writing, she perfected her skills, now offering copywriting, concept content creation, editing, and more.
Her fields of expertise are also clear : creative writing, brand storytelling, and editing. Displayed with short descriptions for each, it's the perfect way to introduce them.
It has great creative writing project displays . In the title, you can see her role (e.g. writer, creative lead, producer) —then you can check each piece published online if you click through.

Overall, the portfolio flows well, it’s clear at every step where you need to look, and she showcases her expertise wonderfully.

7. Shweta Shreyarthi

Two screenshots of the writing portfolio of creative Shweta Shreyarthi, which has a brilliant structure and clear layout

A brilliant structure and clear layout, if we do say so ourselves. She created it with Copyfolio .

Shweta decided to use a crips white canvas, simple black text, and black and white photos as the base of her site. But to shake it up a little, she’s using an orange accent color, and a pastel but colorful background photo for a few of her sections.
She has an amazing creative writing portfolio page , where she outlines what she does: she’s a creative communicator, using her copywriting and content creation skills in her work.
Her expertise is illustrated with work samples , and supplemented with short explanations. You can explore her work in different categories: social media, executive communications, proposal writing, website copywriting, and more.
The portfolio has a great variety of projects. In each category, she included 2-4 samples for visitors to check: illustrating them with a picture, writing a very brief description (with the client + category), and adding a clear CTA with a link.

8. Magd Elzahed

Two screenshots of Magd Elzahed's creative website.

Magd made her creative writing portfolio with Copyfolio, using the “Typewriter” template .

It has a distinctive and consistent branding , with the black-and-white top section and typewriter-like serif fonts.
Shows Magd's mission upfront. She makes it clear that her aim is “to bring your ideas to life through the power of language.”
an on-brand picture to illustrate it,
a clear title with the name of the client,
a short description of what the project was about,
and a call-to-action button.
Makes it easy to find out even more about each project if you're interested. Clicking on the buttons takes you to a page going into more detail on what exactly the project entailed, what her task was, and how the final results turned out.
It has a lot more information available on additional pages: you can read about her journey, services, references, and more.

9. Charlie Labbett

The portfolio website of Charlie Labbett, featuring four of his creative writing samples as projects

Charlie's portfolio website was made with Copyfolio's "Typewriter" template

The dark background makes it different from most creative writing portfolios. It also helps the lighter text and silver graphics to pop and draw your attention to them.
Has a clear tagline , from which you'll know that Charlie's focus is writing horror, science fiction, and fantasy stories within the realm of creative writing.
It showcases multiple types of writing projects: extracts from longer-form pieces alongside some poetry work. This shows how versatile his writing skills are.

10. Melissa Wade

Screenshot of Melissa Wade's creative writing portfolio website, featuring a banner advertising her writing

This lovely portfolio website was built with Copyfolio, using one of the legacy templates, “Agenda” .

It showcases the many talents Melissa has. She’s an Amazon best-selling author, content creator, brand ambassador, and more.
Right at the start, she grabs readers’ attention with a strong headline. How? By talking not about herself per se —but about what she can provide them .
She also added a nicely designed banner. On it are the things you’d typically write in that tagline: what it is exactly that you do, illustrated with more pictures of her and her book.
The portfolio site uses pictures with harmonizing colors. The pink in her blouse matches the background of the banner and the colorful wall. It helped her create a professional look and stylish design.

11. Lara Ramirez

The portfolio of creative copywriter Lara Ramirez, showcasing five writing projects, with mockups and custom illustrations on their thumbnails

Lara built a fun and creative writing portfolio using Copyfolio’s “Journal” template .

It sticks to one, cohesive color palette. See how she chose just a handful of colors, all matching her site’s palette, and only used them throughout the site? Follow her lead to ensure a great look for your own creative writing portfolio too!
It features fun and unique design elements. Using simple blobs and flower shapes as the background of photos and mockups gives the portfolio a youthful and fun personality.
Lara used mockups in her project thumbnails , which is an amazing way to elevate a portfolio and make it look even more professional.

12. Deeya Sonalkar

Screenshot of the black and white portfolio website of creative writer Deeya Sonalkar

This creative writing portfolio website was made with Copyfolio’s “Journal’ template , combined with the “Charcoal” color palette.

It sets the tone for a true creative writer portfolio with a Hemingway quote: “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”
Deeya builds rapport with a portrait and a short introduction talking about her life-long passion for writing.
It showcases her various projects , with the thumbnails mostly leading to websites and social media profiles she’s worked on. So visitors can see her words live, in action.
The website has a consistent design , only using black-and-white images, and simple black text on a white background.

13. Genie Smith

The author website and creative writing portfolio of Genie Smith.

Genie created her portfolio with one of Copyfolio's legacy templates, "Agenda"

Genie uses images intentionally , to set the mood: hands in black and white, a typewriter, windows, etc.
It has a deeper purpose other than just showcasing creative writing work . Formerly dealing with mental health issues, Genie turned to writing to help her heal herself —and to help others.
The layout leads you along the page, keeping you interested . First, you can learn about the big picture of her life and work, then learn more about her, and in the end, check her writing pieces.

Choose a creative writing portfolio template & create your page easily. Make it happen, it's free.

How to build your creative writing portfolio based on these examples

Checking out examples and getting ideas is an important first step… But then you’ll have to actually get started. Don’t worry, we’ll help you with the building process: we’ll outline how to create a stunning creative writing portfolio in just 5 easy steps.

1. Choose a platform & create an account

The first and maybe most important choice you’ll have to make is choosing a platform to build your portfolio website. Our recommendation is Copyfolio, a portfolio website builder that was designed for writers. It’s incredibly fast and easy to use, giving you all the help you need to create something powerful.

When you sign up, you can pick your profession (e.g. creative writer) and the goal of your site. Based on these, Copyfolio will generate a starter site for you.

The page and types of sections on them will be determined by your goal, while all the content inside the sections will be based on your profession. And yes, the latter applies to newly added sections too!

This will give you lots of ideas about what to write and where. All you'll have to do is personalize the text here and there and upload your own pictures. This leads us to the second step, to...

2. Personalize the content of your pages

You'll have an almost-complete site on your hands, but you still have to make it yours. So go over your pages and personalize their contents.

The most important part will be the top of your homepage. That's what everyone sees at first —and whether they'll keep checking your portfolio will depend on it too.

If you chose a writing portfolio template with a photo at the top, then try to find a nice picture of yourself to upload there. That'll help build rapport with your visitors.

If you're not comfortable putting yourself out there like that, you can choose a template with no picture, or upload a decorative one like Macy or Julia did above.

3. Add your creative writing samples

Once the basics are done, it’s time to add your projects. Creative writing samples give viewers a chance to see your writing skills in action and as such, they’re an essential part of your portfolio.

(Need a little help with writing yours? Check out our writing sample templates !)

Make sure you choose thumbnail images for them that all go together color- and design-wise, and add 4-6 of them for a good variety.

In Copyfolio , you can add 3 types of projects: case study pages, PDF files, or external links. Whichever you choose, we'll add a thumbnail image for you. When someone clicks on it, the project will open, in the case of PDFs and external links, in a new tab.

4. Set a custom portfolio URL

To put the cherry on top of a professional creative writing portfolio website, you should set a custom URL for it.

If you're not a freelancer, you can simply customize the ending of your URL. In that case, it's going to look something like this: https://copyfol.io/v/dorka —that's the link to our writer's own site, actually.

If you have bigger plans for personal branding, expanding your career, or going freelance, it's best you get a proper domain. You can buy one right in Copyfolio that'll be automatically connected to your site. Or if you've bought one already somewhere else, you can easily connect that too.

+1: Customize your extra settings : SEO, favicon, and more

This 5th step is not essential —that's why we named it a +1. But these little things can add a lot to the overall feel and performance of your portfolio. So if you have the time, we recommend you to go through them and customize each to your brand.

Extra things you could do are:

Optimizing your SEO settings. You can write custom meta titles and descriptions for each page + upload a preview image that appears when the page is shared online.
Set a custom favicon. It's the browser icon that appears next to the name of your page and it helps people to recognize your site amongst all the tabs they have open.
Write a blog. All it takes is adding a blog section and clicking the "Add new blog post button" and your blog is ready to go. It's amazing to showcase your writing skills and share your musings with the world.
Finetune your design. In Copyfolio, you can switch up the look of your site in one click, using global palettes and presets. Play around with the colors and fonts to see which one matches your brand the most.

Create your creative writing portfolio with Copyfolio!

Sounds pretty easy, right? And even if you have questions along the way, the blog and the in-app prompts and guiding questions will be there to give a helping hand. The Copyfolio Team is also always just an email away.

Give it a try, create your creative writing portfolio for free with Copyfolio today!

Dorka Kardos-Latif

Digital marketer & portfolio expert, the face behind all content on Copyfolio 👋

21 Social Media Portfolio Examples & The Guide to Build Yours

Check inspiring examples, learn how to navigate projects under NDAs, and find out how to create a social media portfolio quickly and easily with Copyfolio!

18 Marketing Portfolio Examples to Get You Inspired

We collected 18 marketing portfolio examples to give you some inspiration. Not only that, but we’ll walk you through why each of them is great, so you can learn while getting inspired.

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 suggested by our write my college essay experts, 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 story outline is a great bridge between your story idea and a polished work of fiction. When you’re not sure how to start writing a story idea you might have, working on an outline will save you time and frustration, while also generating new ideas.

Some writers balk at the idea of using a story outline, as they think the process constrains their creativity. If you approach story outlining properly, though, it won’t limit your creativity—quite the opposite. Let’s delve into how to write a story outline, and why learning to structure a short story or novel will actually unlock its creative potential.

What is a Story Outline?

A story outline is a way for writers to organize the events of their story before they actually write it. It’s possible to do both short story writing and novel writing without a story outline, but when you’re not sure where to begin or how to continue, outlining your ideas can help you put one word in front of another.

The story outline is a sturdy bridge between your story idea and a polished work of fiction.

Story outlining isn’t something you master right away. Like fiction writing itself, writing an outline is a skill that you master over time. This article will suggest four different ways to outline your story, but these are just suggestions—the best outline will adapt to your writing style and methods.

How to Write a Good Story Outline Step-by-Step

The story outline process is intended to build your story from idea to finished product. This process will help you expand the components of the story into a workable piece of fiction. While these steps are only a guideline, they will almost certainly help you structure a short story or novel.

1. Start With Your Story Premise

A good story outline starts with your story premise . The premise is a 1-3 sentence summary of what happens in the story. Story premises mention the protagonist, the setting, and the conflict, while also highlighting what makes the story interesting.

A great story premise will introduce the central conflict with your characters, while highlighting what makes the story interesting.

Let’s take a story that most people are familiar with: Romeo and Juliet. A great story premise will introduce the central conflict with these characters, while a poor premise offers little in the way of structure and storyline. Here’s an example of a successful premise:

“Two teens, Romeo and Juliet, pursue their forbidden love with each other—to the chagrin of their rival families. When Juliet must choose between her family and her heart, both lovers must find a way to stay united, even if fate won’t allow it.”

This story premise tells us who the characters are, what their conflict is, and that their story explores—the themes of love and fate. The makings of a legendary story are written in these two sentences, ready to take the stage!

2. Flesh Out Your Characters

Once you have a story premise, start thinking about the characters in your story. What are their needs and motivations, how do they dress, what are their backstories, how will they respond to the story’s central conflict?

Most stories are character-driven in one way or another. Your characters advance the plot, explore the story’s themes, and help you reach new conclusions about life and humanity. When you don’t know what to write next in your story, thinking back to your characters’ psychology can often provide the answer. Do the work of fleshing out your characters now, and your story will develop a life and pulse of its own.

3. Build Scenes Around Your Characters

The world of your story should be just as alive as your characters. Whether your premise takes place on Earth or in a distant universe, your next step is to craft the world your characters live in.

When developing your scenes, consider the smallest details to add layers of visual and sensory description. Tell us where the action of the story is happening, then zero in on information to ground the reader. Consider details like the temperature, the color of the sky or the walls, the time of day, etc. Include unique descriptions and objects to make the reader fully present.

The world of your story should be just as alive as your characters.

Most importantly, tell us how the character feels in each scene. These emotional responses help navigate the reader through the world itself, coloring the story and driving the plot forward.

Scene writing helps you move towards structuring a short story or novel. You can order each scene based on your tentative idea for a plot, then start plotting the story itself!

4. Start Writing Your Outline

Once you’ve considered your characters, scenes, and your intent for writing the story, it’s time to start writing the actual outline. We haven’t yet explained how to write a story outline, and that’s because there are many different ways to write one!

Your outline takes all of the above information about your scenes, characters, and ideas, and it organizes that information in a coherent, linear way. The intent of an outline is to generate plot points to refer to as you write your story, but it also helps ground your story idea in a meaningful way.

Your outline will organize your scenes, characters, and ideas in a coherent, linear way.

The following four methods of story outlining are popular ways of jumping from idea to writing, but play around with your own outlines to figure out what works best.

Four Approaches to Writing a Story Outline

Good story outlines come in all shapes and sizes. If you’ve got the ingredients above, but you’re still not sure how to write a story outline that will work for you, here are four approaches you can try. Feel free to mix-and-match, and so on—these are not ironclad rules, but guidelines designed to support you.

1. The Plot-Based Approach

The most common way to outline your story is to create a bulleted or numbered list of plot points. Each bullet details the events that happen in each scene. Let’s use Romeo and Juliet as our example again; the following would be the first few bullet points in a plot-based outline:

Members of the Montague and Capulet families are fighting in the streets.
The Prince interrupts the fighting to warn that the next person who starts a fight will be executed.
Later, the Capulets host a dinner to introduce their daughter, Juliet, to Paris, her arranged husband.
Romeo, a Montague, sneaks into the party to see his current love Rosaline, but ends up falling in love with Juliet.

Each bullet point summarizes a basic plot element that will later be filled in with details. Obviously, Shakespeare’s story is filled with many more details than what the bullet provides, but this way of scaffolding a story allows you to build details around the basic plot.

2. The Scene-Based Approach

The scene-based approach adapts a plot-based outline to focus specifically on the scenes and world-building of the story. This is a great way to structure a short story—or even a novel!—if world-building and setting are central elements of your fiction. This is how you might take a scene-based approach to Romeo and Juliet:

Verona is an independent city-state with its own Prince and monarchy.
Verona emulates certain “Italian” traits like love and passion.
The Capulets are a wealthy family and represent a caring, feminine household.
The Montagues are also wealthy, but much more brash and masculine.

This approach uses world-building details to advance the story, letting Verona take charge of the tale. Of course, Verona is not the focus of Romeo and Juliet, so a scene-based approach probably wouldn’t have helped Shakespeare as much as it might help writers in fantasy, sci-fi, and magical realism.

3. The Themes-Based Approach

To write a short story or novel outline with a themes-based approach, you want to consider how the events of the story advance its ideas and themes . This approach works best if you have an idea of what you want your story to explore, though some writers need to figure it out as they write.

Consider how the events of the story advance its ideas and themes.

Here’s a themes-based approach to Romeo and Juliet:

The story’s preface explores themes of love and fate, insinuating the story’s tragedy of a romance destined to fail.
The tension between the Capulets and Montagues are explored, introducing the story’s masculine/feminine dichotomy.
Romeo and Juliet complicate this dichotomy: Romeo is tender, delicate, and heartfelt, while Juliet is full of banter and says “un-ladylike” things.

This approach is certainly more conceptual and ideas focused, focusing less on the story itself and more on what the story offers. While it might not work for every story, you a themes-based approach will certainly benefit you if you know what you want to say, but not how to say it.

4. Freytag’s Pyramid

A last possible approach to take is to chart the story based on Freytag’s Pyramid . This approach will work best for writers who want a basic structure for their story, but don’t want to feel so confined that they lose their creative edge. All you need to do is write down the basic plot elements that correspond with Freytag’s pyramid, and you’re welcome to use as many or as few details as you like.

A writer can take the five basic elements of a story and craft a heart-wrenching tale of love and disaster.

The following is a simplified pyramid that corresponds to Romeo and Juliet.

Inciting incident : Romeo and Juliet meet at the Capulet’s dinner party.
Romeo and Juliet meet again after Juliet learns she is to marry Paris.
Romeo and Juliet marry in secret.
Juliet must find a way to escape Verona with Romeo before she is betrothed to Paris.
Climax: Romeo kills Paris, and then himself, when he wrongfully believes Juliet to be dead. When Juliet finds that both men have died, she also kills herself.
Falling Action: The two warring families agree to settle their disputes.
Resolution: A brief exploration of the value and hardship of youth, love, and the cruelness of fate.

Freytag’s pyramid is the most summaristic of the above outlining strategies. Romeo and Juliet bears much more complexity than what this outline offers, but a writer can certainty take these basic elements and craft a heart-wrenching tale of love and disaster.

How to Write a Story Outline: Keep Experimenting!

Though you can’t completely write your short story or novel step by step using the frameworks above, you absolutely can set up a strong story by investing the time into creating an effective outline. Just like your writing, your story outlines will improve with practice, so play around with different formats and ideas! What’s important is that you explore the elements of fiction and expand upon your ideas.

Want to learn more about how to write a good story, or how to write a story outline? Take a look at our upcoming fiction courses , and let one of our award-winning instructors guide you through the novel and short story writing process. Reserve your spot in one of our courses today!

Sean Glatch

I will like to know if you offer free online beginning courses

Hi Jessie! We do not offer any free writing courses, but our Writing Tips section has tons of useful advice for beginning writers, and you’re also free to join our Facebook group for community and inspiration. Many thanks, and happy writing!

What kinds of outlines would you recommend for a poem?

I was having great difficulties on understanding what an outline is and how to make a good outline. This has really clarified me. Thank you

This helped me a lot, I was blank on outlines.

I wait to learn about it.

this was great! I have part of my story written, but not sure if its the beginning or the end of the beginning lol. This was a big help! Thank you for making it available for free! Happy Holidays

Creating the outline helped me navigate how I was going to build a story around a point I want to make (purpose of the story).

Templates for every kind of writing

Make your pages pop with a customizable template for you to put your words into. everything from academic and research papers to work assignments to personal writing and journaling can benefit from starting your writing with a template. see which one gets the words flowing for you..

Write your way with a customizable template matched to your project

There are endless ways to write, to get ideas onto the page (or screen). No matter what kind of writing you're going to do, starting with a customizable writing template can help guide your work (or brainstorming). From resumes , and business plans , to school essays, journal writing, and other hobbies , there's a template for you to take advantage of. Dive into keeping a diary or meal planning. Keep a planner with pen and paper. Practice your penmanship—or your typing. However you like to do your writing, there's an easy-to-use, customizable template to help you get started.

What is a Writing Sample?

Written by Alex Dorian

What is a writing sample? A writing sample is any piece of writing work that professional writers submit to editors or prospective employers to showcase their ability to write within a specific domain. It could be a chapter of a book, marketing copy, an article written for a website or blog– or even a piece of technical writing as the situation warrants. Samples might be provided as a single piece of representative work or as part of a broader portfolio that showcases a diversity of writing skills.

The type of writing sample you submit, and the way you format it, depends

entirely on the type of publisher you’re submitting it to and the audience or readership you’ll be writing for. The editor of a publishing house would look for something different than that of a major newspaper, and a marketing content manager will have very different expectations than a technical writing team lead.

What your writing sample actually is depends on your specialty, whether that’s citizen journalism or marketing copy or non-fiction shorts. That specialty will also determine the relationships you’ll have to build to get published or earn a full-time position.

But whether you’re applying for a job as a general assignment reporter at The Boston Globe or looking to secure a freelance writing contract with a marketing agency, you can be sure you’ll be expected to present a few pieces you’ve written along with your initial application.

Here we’ll take a look at the primary types of writing samples writers are most curious about – fiction and non-fiction book authorship, journalism, content marketing, and freelance copywriting. We’ll walk you through the best way to format samples for each, and the professional submission protocols that that will stack the odds in your favor.

Submitting a Sample of Your Fiction or Non-Fiction Work to an Agent Who Can Represent You

Whether you’re a novelist or a nonfiction book writer, unless you plan to just publish independently, getting signed with an agent is a standard first step to getting your work out into the world. Don’t expect Penguin Random House to just accept your writing sample if you’re not represented. Fact is, the big publishing houses won’t even look at submissions unless they come from an agency.

In the world of book authoring, it’s wise to start by getting signed with an agent who can put your work in front of the right publishers.

But once an agent agrees to represent you, they’ll identify publishers that would be a good fit for what you have to offer. They’ll be vested in your success and will make an earnest effort at pitching your work to the right publishers.

Of course, your manuscript should be in top shape when you present it to a prospective agent. Many agents will only request the first two chapters or so, and others may only want the first 10 pages. This gives you a chance to give one final final pass through the pages you know for sure they’ll be reading.

Securing an agent typically starts with a query letter before even submitting your sample. This is where you’ll have a chance to introduce yourself and pitch your book. There are a few rules of thumb you should follow when developing your query letter:

It should be no longer than one page: Somewhere between 200 and 450 words.
Hit the important points: This includes the fiction genre or category of nonfiction work, the word count, and the title.
Describe what your book is about: Give the elevator pitch. Entice the agent. Capture their imagination. Run it by your writer’s circle and ask them: would they want to read the work based on the description alone? If you’re not already a part of a writing circle, join one. Reach out to colleagues from your alma mater or join an online community such as Critique Circle or Scribophile.
Be bold but humble: Agents are some of the most overworked people you’ll ever meet and asking them to take the time to consider your work is common courtesy.

Only send in the writing sample if the agent requests it. If you don’t hear anything within a month of your first query, reach out a second time. If you hear nothing back from then, assume they’ve rejected you. Take it for what it is and move on. Part of being a writer is learning to accept rejection, bouncing back from it quickly, and learning what you can from the process.

Creating something people want to read takes vulnerability. Getting your work in front of readers takes resilience.

How Your Agent Presents Your Writing Sample to a Publisher

Make sure the sample piece stands on its own. This can be tricky if your most enticing piece of the work isn’t in chapter one where you’ve begun establishing the story and characters. You’ll inevitably need to workshop with your agent and those in your writer’s circle who are familiar with the whole manuscript to help you add in the contextual pieces you’ll need to set the stage for the sample you submit.

Most publishers look for samples that are between 8,000 and 12,000 words long, so expect to submit anywhere between 16,000 and 24,000 words of copy including the contextual material. That doesn’t give you any room for dross. Every word needs to pop.

Some Caveats for Textbook Writing Samples

Publishers of nonfiction work considering textbook proposals will look for sample chapters that represent the crux of what you’re writing about. That may not be the introduction and first chapter.

In the world of non-fiction, particular textbook writing, there isn’t usually an expectation that you have a complete manuscript. It’s not uncommon for publishers to sign non-fiction authors on the merit of their expertise and credentials in a given field and on the basis of the samples they submit, and then pay an advance toward the finished work.

Submitting a Writing Sample to a Newspaper

Before Creating “The Wire,” David Simon Walked the Walk Out in the Real World

Becoming an excellent journalist demands years of immersive reporting on whatever slice of the world you’re compelled to investigate.

“If I wanted to hear anything from anyone other than the police, I had to be able to walk into a rowhouse and convince people very quickly that I’m not a cop and I really want to hear what you have to tell me about what happened last night,” Simon told Deggans. “And there were reporters who did not want to open that door.”

Here’s the lesson: A good news article isn’t just about adhering to stringent formatting rules. More than anything, it’s about learning from your sources, and presenting their perspective in a genuine light.

Your commitment to developing engaging, factual stories should shine through in the article you submit to a newspaper. Assuming you’re applying for a full-time staff position or a freelance position as a contributing writer, the editor fielding applications will ask for a couple published examples of the work you’ve done.

What if you don’t have any published work? Plenty of journalists get their start through internships that put them in a position to showcase their talents and grease the skids for a seamless college-to-career transition into journalism. But if that was the case for you, it’s not likely you’d be reading an article about submitting samples. More than likely, this is your first foray into journalism, in which case you have no choice but to start small.

Even local daily papers in your area may not provide much of an inroad to getting your first byline. Often, it’s the grassroots weekly circulars and independent publications with little to lose where you’ll find editors who have the freedom to take a chance and give up-and-coming journalists their first breaks.

Sure, not all publication credits are created equal, but in the end it’s the merit of what you have published that counts. Even editors at mainstream papers know that new talent needs to start at ground level, so if it’s a powerful piece, it could end up being seen by the right people and lead to bigger breaks. There’s irony in the fact that the free local music rag in many major metros have a bigger and more consistent audiences than established papers, even if they only have the budgets to pay a few popular columnists. In the end, you might find that’s the best fit for what you do anyway.

How to Format a Sample Article for a Newspaper

It’s helpful to think of article formatting with a particular story in mind. Suppose you covered a proposal for a 200-unit apartment building in your local city. How would you present the information you gathered about the project? Your piece should contain the following components:

Think of the title as an opener for a conversation. In our example, your title would read something like “Developer Proposes 200-Unit Apartment Building on Danvers Street.” You’re not giving too much away, but you’re disclosing what the article is about.

Lead Sentence

The lead sentence is where you’ll pull the reader in by providing the where, when, who, and what. Your lead sentence about the apartment complex could read like this: “Triton Development submitted a proposal to the Springfield Zoning Board for a 200-unit residential building at 314 Danvers St last Tuesday.” Here, you get the who (Triton Development), when (last Tuesday), what (a 200-unit residential building), and where (314 Danvers St.).

Introduction

The introduction is where you expand on the information within your lead sentence. What other features are included in the development project? Will the developers construct a parking garage to accommodate tenants? What will the apartment building replace at 314 Danvers St.?

Opening Quotation

What do the people involved with the story have to say about it? In your case, you may want to quote the project lead with Triton Development, or a member of the Springfield Zoning Board. The quote should build on the introduction and lead into the heart of your story.

This is where you disclose the details of your story. You provide all the pertinent information from different perspectives. How are residents reacting to the proposal? Were there any concerns from the Zoning Board? What’s the next stage of the process?

Closing Quotation

Capture the essence of this story as told by someone involved in the project. What will be the development’s impact if approved? What is the next major hurdle for the developer? Think of using a quote that will help the reader keep the story in the back of their minds.

Once you’ve nailed these features, review your article to ensure that it adheres to a style guide. Of course, the Associated Press (AP) Style Guide is the go-to for universally recognized copy standards around presentation and formatting. You need to subscribe to access the Style Guide, but at less than $30 a year, it’s a small price to pay for a serious reference guide you’ll use daily.

Submitting a Writing Sample to a Content Marketing Team

It’s a good idea to have a general specialization in product niches that people frequently shop for online. Online shopping these days can be a lengthy process of information gathering and side-by-side comparisons that consumers work through long before being ready to make a buying decision. Marketers are keenly aware of this and tailor their content accordingly. Whether it’s consumer electronics, the automotive industry, insurance or financial products, being able to write competently in a field that requires a solid grounding in subject matter knowledge will increase the value of your work.

Still, few marketing writers become true subject-matter experts in any one field on the same level as technicians and engineers, and few are expected to. That’s a distinction reserved for technical and academic writers. But that doesn’t mean you can’t set yourself apart from other writers by specializing. It can take a considerable amount of time to get there, but it could pay off in the end.

Generally, there are three rules of thumb you should follow when submitting a writing sample to land a position on a content marketing team, whether as a staff writer or freelance contributor.

Keep your audience in mind

Who’s reading your articles? IT managers? Sales executives? Soccer moms? Whom you’re writing for dictates the type of language you use. Is your audience analytical? Do they have advanced degrees? Are they more carefree and laid back? These are all questions you need to answer before writing your content sample.

Keep the marketing funnel in mind

The point of developing a content marketing strategy is to produce information potential customers need when making buying decisions. Some are ready to buy whatever it is you’re selling and just want to know how the options stack up. Others only know they have a problem but aren’t aware of what solutions are being offered in the marketplace. Marketers categorize these stages of readiness into a funnel:

Awareness : This is where a potential customer first encounters a brand. The content should demonstrate the brand’s understanding of common customer problems and resolution strategies. You usually deliver this information in a blog article, step-by-step guide, or infographic.

Consideration : After a prospect consistently engages with a brand’s content (subscribing to an email list, social media account, etc.), marketing teams present them with consideration -level content. This is where it’s safe to assume the prospect is actively looking to solve their problem with the type of product of service you’re selling. You can direct them to customer case studies (success stories), webinars featuring a subject-matter expert discussing a solution, or white papers providing detailed problem-solving tactics using your product.

Conversion : In the final stage, the prospect is actively interested in becoming a customer. They may sign up for a free trial, a product demo, or complete a lead form for a discussion with a sales associate.

Integrate the principles of search engine optimization (SEO)

This applies to the awareness stage of the marketing funnel. SEO is the practice of answering the questions people ask when searching for answers on Google.

When you’re submitting a sample to a company that sells something people often shop for online – anything from car insurance to tooth-whitening products – the hiring manager may give you some basic findings of keyword analysis revealing the queries people enter in the search engines. This will serve as the basis for your writing sample.

How to Format a Marketing Content Writing Sample

Your subject matter expertise, the dynamics of the marketing funnel, and SEO considerations all determine how you would piece together your marketing content writing sample. Generally, you’ll be asked to submit an article that caters to the awareness stage of the marketing funnel.

The hiring manager may not expect you to write an original piece when submitting your sample, but it’s always wise to tailor your submission to the product or industry they’re in. If you’ve written for other clients in that niche, you might have previous work you can submit as a sample. If not, you might find yourself drafting something from scratch.

Now for the nitty gritty. When writing or tailoring your writing sample for any client, apply these best practices:

Use the target keyword you’ve been given in the title: This could be as straightforward as taking the keyword phrase, “most affordable car insurance” and incorporating it in the title as, Top 5 Options for the Most Affordable Car Insurance.
Answer the question at the beginning of the article: Don’t waste time going into lengthy explanations about why people want to save money on car insurance. The reader already knows that part. They want to know about the cost and coverage options available, so get right to it.
Use associative keywords to develop headings and subheadings: In this example, an associative keyword may be “how much liability coverage do I need?” That’s a perfect heading for a section within the article. It’s also a natural tie-in to the crux of the piece.
Headers and subheadings: These features break up your article into digestible sections. Search engines use headers and subheadings to determine the primary focus of the piece and the sections that carry the most weight in supporting your main focus.

Make sure the language you choose is accessible and easy to read – nobody will be impressed with a lot of industry jargon. The key is to present complex topics in a way that anybody can understand. This is a key skill that will help your writing sample stand out.

Submitting a Copywriting Sample

Regardless of what your sample actually is (print advertisement, marketing video, product web page, etc.), the copy should address the following elements:

Is the brand you’re writing for chipper and optimistic or stoic and assertive? Every company has a “personality” of sorts. Apple doesn’t use the same language as Textron Industries. One makes sleek consumer devices that everyone on Earth has in their pockets, and the other is an aviation and defense manufacturer with exclusive clients. Before developing your writing sample, ruminate over how the brand would communicate with its audience.

Target Audience

Your target audience influences the brand’s voice. You wouldn’t use alluring language to entice DoD reps to buy the latest weapons system, as hilarious as that might be. You need to understand how your audience speaks. If you speak the same language they do, your copy will hit the right notes.

What does the brand bring to the table? If it sells fitness products, how would those products help people get in better shape? If the brand makes sales software, how much more business would a company generate by implementing that system? List out the value propositions the brand offers. Read customer testimonials, reviews, and case studies. The key is to highlight the problems your brand solves, whether it does so through products or services.

Before that first keystroke, develop a set of resources that references the elements mentioned above. It’ll minimize digression from the brand’s voice and purpose. Whether you’re developing copy for a professional development firm that offers employee training in JavaScript and other discrete skill, or pumping out listicles on the best universities in the Ivy League offering degrees in accounting, there’s a few things you’ll need to be aware of:

Buyer Persona

Being tuned into the demographic and psychographic profile of the core customer base will help you visualize who you’re writing for. Here’s a small example of what this profile might look like and what it reveals: “Director-level woman in her mid-30s to early 40s. She reads The Atlantic to stay informed, both professionally and personally. Her chief problem is retaining talent. She has a desire to start a professional development program in her organization, but struggles with selling the value proposition to executive-level decision makers.”

Company Mission

What demand is the brand trying to fulfill? How does it wish to impact the world? One part of your company’s mission may state: “Empower companies to develop in-house talent through in-demand training programs.” You can make this as comprehensive as you want. The more details, the better.

Company Persona

Create a list of adjectives to describe the brand. A good exercise is to describe it as a person. “Brand A is ambitious, and passionate about helping organizations build highly-skilled teams. Furthermore, it’s proud to help entry-level workers build skills that lead to promotions and pay raises.

Once you understand your brand and audience, it’s time to work on the sample. How do you format your sample?

How to Format a Copywriting Sample

Copywriting covers myriad formats: video scripts, website pages, Instagram ads, and so forth. At a bird’s eye view, it’s hard to think of a stringent set of formatting standards that applies to each medium. The solution is to present the hiring manager with a list of copywriting samples that adheres to each medium’s best practices. Here are a few examples:

One thing that will help you stand out to employers is if you understand how to write a script. Screenwriters follow stringent formatting rules. They structure scripts with the following elements:

Scene Heading : Where a scene is taking place.
Action : A pithy description of what’s happening.
Character : Who’s speaking.
Dialogue : What the character’s saying.
Transition : How the scene changes.

Software like Celtx or Studio Binder can set the formatting for you. Whatever you do: Don’t describe how the scene should be shot. It’s the mark of an amateur.

Assuming you’re writing a digital advertisement, it’s best to format the copy with two features: a title and subtext. The title should clearly state what the solution is, and the subtext expands on how your offer delivers that solution. Keep the title no longer than 70 characters (even that’s pushing it) and the subtext around 120 characters.

Product Page

SEO aside, the product page should clearly state what it is you’re offering and the problems that the product solves . Follow conventional content marketing format and stick to delivering clear information:

Title : The name of the product or service.
H1 : Should mimic the title and take advantage of additional space with keyword variations.
Subheading : Your elevator pitch for the product or service.
Body : A deeper dive into what the product or service does, and the value it brings to customers.

These are just three examples of the types of copy you may be asked to submit samples for. The key is to stay on brand, convey value, and speak to your audience. Follow those rules, and your sample will shine no matter what it is.

Got any suggestions?

We want to hear from you! Send us a message and help improve Slidesgo

teacher appreciation

9 templates

memorial day

12 templates

pediatrician

27 templates

Creative Writing Workshop

Creative writing workshop presentation, premium google slides theme, powerpoint template, and canva presentation template.

We all know how many book lovers there are in the world. Reading is one of the most satisfying activities for many people. How about you encourage your potential students to enroll in a creative writing workshop to help them explore their storytelling skills and expand their literary horizons. Slidesgo has exactly the template that you need for this, and it’s totally editable!

Grabbing the attention of the audience is never an easy task. To attract people interested in this workshop, we’ve opted for a nice and friendly approach. That’s why we’ve included cheerful illustrations of books and people reading and writing. These illustrations belong to the always trendy flat style, with simple and bold colors. The palette focuses on light orange, which is conveys excitement, and green, without a doubt the color of growth—in this case, as a professional or just a creative writer. Words are key, right? So, regarding the typography, our choice for titles is a pleasant hand-drawn font, whereas a sans serif typeface has been used for body text. You’ll find linear icons to go with the data that you need to explain, as well as charts, a map and infographics. If you have everything ready, grab your notes and start typing the information in this customizable template!

Features of this template

A stylish design with a nature-inspired color palette and flat-styled illustrations
100% editable and easy to modify
22 different slides to impress your audience
Available in five colors: green, yellow, purple, pink, and blue
Contains easy-to-edit graphics and maps
Includes 1000+ icons and Flaticon’s extension for customizing your slides
Designed to be used in Google Slides, Canva, and Microsoft PowerPoint
16:9 widescreen format suitable for all types of screens
Includes information about fonts, colors, and credits of the free and premium resources used

What are the benefits of having a Premium account?

What Premium plans do you have?

What can I do to have unlimited downloads?

Combines with:

This template can be combined with this other one to create the perfect presentation:

Don’t want to attribute Slidesgo?

Gain access to over 23900 templates & presentations with premium from 1.67€/month.

Are you already Premium? Log in

Available colors

Original Color

How to Add, Duplicate, Move, Delete or Hide Slides in Google Slides

How to Change Layouts in PowerPoint

How to Change the Slide Size in Google Slides

Premium template

Unlock this template and gain unlimited access

Register for free and start editing online

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Welcome to the Purdue Online Writing Lab

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

The Online Writing Lab at Purdue University houses writing resources and instructional material, and we provide these as a free service of the Writing Lab at Purdue. Students, members of the community, and users worldwide will find information to assist with many writing projects. Teachers and trainers may use this material for in-class and out-of-class instruction.

The Purdue On-Campus Writing Lab and Purdue Online Writing Lab assist clients in their development as writers—no matter what their skill level—with on-campus consultations, online participation, and community engagement. The Purdue Writing Lab serves the Purdue, West Lafayette, campus and coordinates with local literacy initiatives. The Purdue OWL offers global support through online reference materials and services.

A Message From the Assistant Director of Content Development

The Purdue OWL® is committed to supporting students, instructors, and writers by offering a wide range of resources that are developed and revised with them in mind. To do this, the OWL team is always exploring possibilties for a better design, allowing accessibility and user experience to guide our process. As the OWL undergoes some changes, we welcome your feedback and suggestions by email at any time.

Please don't hesitate to contact us via our contact page if you have any questions or comments.

All the best,

Social Media

Facebook twitter.

14 mins read

25 Writing Portfolio Examples (PDF & Other Formats) + Useful Portfolio Tips

Are you struggling to create the perfect writing portfolio? Here are 25 writing portfolio examples + 7 useful tips to make it happen!

Protim Bhaumik

Director, Content Marketing

Written by Protim Bhaumik , edited by Shreya Bose , reviewed by Eric Hauch .

2. Dec 2022 , updated 8. Feb 2024

Preview image of 25 Writing Portfolio Examples (PDF & Other Formats) + Useful Portfolio Tips

Looking to create a writing portfolio? Curious how to do that without futzing with a website builder for days? We’ve been there.

We know that building a writing portfolio is hard — questions like what you should include, where you should host it, and how to effectively create something that gets you work, need answering! To that end, we've put together a list of 25 writing portfolio examples from our customer base that can inspire you as you make your own and included their tips on how they use Authory. (This is a collection of amazing writers, top journalists, and more.)

I also flagged examples that include PDFs because this type of content is notoriously clunky to upload in some website builders. Some clients and employers ask for PDFs, and building that into a portfolio website can be tricky. So, we'll cover how to do that by showing you 5 PDF writing portfolio examples and then 20 regular writing portfolio examples.

5 Writing portfolio examples in PDF format

When you want to save your writing samples, many people start by downloading a PDF that’s saved in a folder and then sometimes, maybe, once a month/year/panic attack, uploaded to a website. It’s a pain to constantly upload your writing samples, but it’s also risky. There’s always the potential your work is edited or removed before you think to save it.

With that in mind, we built Authory. We search the internet for your content and automatically add it to your website. However, we also make it easy to upload existing PDFs you might have.

Here’s how you can do it:

Here are a few examples of how it looks and advice from our customers on building a smart portfolio.

1. Sarah Sparks

Sarah is an advocate, consultant and writer.

For Sarah, Authory is “easy to use and I like how it aggregates media links before I do sometimes.”

That’s our goal. We automatically collect and back up your work so you don’t have to.

Sarah’s tip: Just make it easy to navigate - one of the reasons I like Authory. One of the easiest ways to do this is by creating collections.

For example, Sarah’s collections include “legal” “social justice” “Indigenous” and “opinion.” Collections make it easy to categorize your content and then send specific collections to editors and publications when you’re asked for writing samples. You can watch a video on creating collections here.

Sarah Sparks' PDF portfolio.

Here are a few additional PDF portfolio examples that you can review.

2. Alex Hargrave

Alex Hargrave's PDF portfolio

You’ll notice that Alex has two collection examples; education and COVID-19.

3. Kevin Johnston

Kevin Johnston's PDF portfolio.

4. Kerry Sunderland

Kerry Sunderland's PDF portfolio.

5. Urvashi Aneja

Urvashi Aneja's PDF portfolio.

20 Writing portfolio examples in other formats

Besides PDF focused portfolios, we pulled examples of other portfolios and tips for how our expert customers are adapting them to make the best use of them.

Authory is a great additional branding tool

For many people, they have an Authory account to collect their work samples in addition to other branding tools.

1. Brian Clegg

Brian is a science writer with over 40 (fourty!) books in print.

Brian’s Authory site isn’t his only site. It works in addition to his other properties and supports his other online properties. When you google Brian, you’ll find all of these properties. Of note, it’s also possible to integrate an Authory portfolio into an existing online portfolio builder like Wix or SquareSpace.

But why bother? Brian uses Authory to “make my online writing easily available to my book readers and to support my book review site www.popularscience.co.uk .” And with our automatic tools, it takes little time to create this additional homebase for readers.

For Brian, Authory also collects his work, saves it, and he distributes it in a newsletter. It automates and does a lot of work quickly.

Brian Clegg's writing portfolio.

2. Brandon Hill

Brandon is a multimedia journalist covering music and culture, public policy, mental health, the labor movement and social inequality.

“Authory is a great resource for freelancer writers in more ways than you would expect. By automatically updating and feeding your work into a newsletter, it both saves the time and frustration of managing a website and makes for more reliable one to one connections with your audience than social media. Also, by creating automatic pdf back-ups of your publications, you’ll never loose a portfolio piece,” he said.

Like many people in this list, he’s thoughtful about his categories and collections.

“Include some pretty specific categories to lesson the time an employers spends looking at content that might not be relevant to them,” he said.

Brandon Hill's writing portfolio.

3. Scott Matthewman

Scott is a theater critic who is frequently writing reviews. It can be quite a pain to keep these recorded and organized.

“I review over 100 theatre shows a year for various online publications. Authory’s automated tools gives me a single URL where all those reviews can live, hassle-free,” Scott said.

You’ll notice that Scott’s profile shares collections.

“[Authory’s] been useful to promote my reviews to a wider audience on social media. At the end of last year I built a dedicated collection of my 20 favourite reviews for 2022, which was so easy to do and then link to from everywhere.”

Scott Matthewman's writing portfolio.

Use Authory and never worry your work will disappear

4. Tabitha Potts

Tabitha is a published writer with several short stories in print anthologies as well as online.

She uses Authory to share her work with “potential employers, literary agents or publishers (my creative writing, book reviews and journalism are all there).”

The big reason she recommends using Authory is to avoid the situation where your content might be lost and because much of the work is done for you automatically.

And of course it makes it easy to showcase your work.

“I share my Authory profile with every new and potential new client so they can sort and view my published work by category,” she told us.

Tabitha Potts' writing portfolio.

5. Diana Rosen

Diana is an essayist, flash fiction writer, and poet. For her, Authory is “an elaborate business card.”

Her advice is simple: When capturing published work, review thoroughly to avoid duplication or (Egads!) errors.

Diana Rosen's writing portfolio.

Create collections to share what’s relevant

When you’re sharing your work, with an editor, employer, or even just another writer, you don’t always want to share all of your work. It’s key to create and categorize your work by niche or category. You can create collections that make this very easy and share only specific pieces of content with certain people.

6. Carrie Cousins

Carrie has 15 years of experience in media, design, and content marketing and is a freelance writer and designer.

We asked her for advice for other portfolio builders.

“Think about ways to group content that showcases specific niches that you work in or want to work in. It can really help make sharing and getting new work a lot easier,” Carrie said.

That’s easy to do with Authory’s collection tools. It’s easy to categorize content, give it a label, and share just this grouping with editors.

Carrie Cousins' writing portfolio.

7. Stephanie Bernaba

Stephanie is a writer, multimedia journalist, and photographer.

This is easy to do with our collections feature. We want to make it easy for you to organize your work and send exactly what you need to editors so you can land the gig.

Stephanie had a bit of advice, too.

“Communicate your passion with your header. Make your headline impactful but succinct. Lastly, arrange your work into easily-searchable categories,” she said.

Stephanie Bernaba's writing portfolio.

8. David Worsfold

David is a journalist and author, specialising in finance and insurance

You’ll notice that his portfolio uses the collection feature, too.

“By making it easy to share my work. The collections help showcase writing on specific topics,” he said.

Of course, be thoughtful with your categories.

“Think about the audiences you want to reach and organise your work accordingly,” he mentioned.

David Worsfold's writing portfolio.

9. Kathy Parker

Kathy Parker's writing portfolio.

10. Geraldine Brook

Geraldine Brook's writing portfolio.

11. Pam Moore

Pam Moore's writing portfolio.

12. Mary Ann Gwinn

Mary Ann Gwinn's writing portfolio.

13. Simon Denyer

Simon Denyer's writing portfolio.

14. Jarrod Kimber

Jarrod Kimber's writing portfolio.

15. Carrie Back

Carrie Back's writing portfolio.

16. Crystal Housman

Crystal Housman's writing portfolio.

17. Steven Levy

Steven Levy's writing portfolio.

18. Carin Marais

Carin Marais' writing portfolio.

19. Rosanne Barrett

Rosanne Barrett's writing portfolio.

20. Dan Rosenbaum

Dan Rosenbaum's writing portfolio.

What your takeaways should be from these writing portfolio examples

What a writer portfolio is, and why you need a writing portfolio.

A writing portfolio is a collection of your best (and possibly all) writing samples put together on a website so that potential clients and employers can make a "buying" decision — in essence, all the information that they may need to engage you for your writing services.

An online writing portfolio can also do wonders for your personal branding if managed well. So, in a word, your portfolio is a single place through which you can source work.

Curating the perfect set of writing samples for your portfolio

It's important to figure out what kind of writer you are and the type of writing work you're looking for. This process will inform the writing samples that you'll highlight in your writing portfolio.

Remember, writers come in all shapes and sizes (literally!), and you could be a content writer, copywriter, novelist, author, non-fiction writer, poet, journalist, and more... the list is practically endless.

With that in mind, it's essential that you curate the content on your writing portfolio with examples that will impress upon readers your specific set (and type) of writing skills so that they can make an informed decision when hiring you.

To that end, if you feel that you don't have a good set of writing samples to upload to your portfolio, then it might be best to get writing!

To help you build out your writing portfolio, I've put together a small set of ideas/resources that I turn to for inspiration, support, and general diversion:

Subreddits like r/writingpromts, r/thedailyprompt, and r/promptoftheday are excellent for trying out amateur storytelling.
Other subreddits like r/writing, r/freelancewriters, r/keepwriting, r/writers, r/selfpublish, r/blogging, r/copywriting, r/technicalwriting, r/wordcount, r/writingmotivation, offer up a plethora of options for3 you to explore as writer.
To find work, subreddits like r/hireawriter, r/forhire, r/b2bforhire, r/writersforhire, r/jobbit, and r/writingopportunities can be a source for work if you're lucky.
What's more in your control is writing for your personal social media accounts to build up that personal brand.
You could also provide your services for free or reduced rates to friends and family who run a business — this can be for their social media accounts or even their websites.
Form a writing group with a friend — I have a weekly writing meetup with a close friend, and this can be an online meetup — my friend is half a planet away!
Write about what you know: everyone knows something and has a lot to offer, even if it's a personal experience. For example, when I am stuck, I write about content marketing and SEO — I don't publish these pieces necessarily, but they're great for getting the juices flowing. That said, I could post them in my writing portfolio.

Seven tips for creating the ideal writing portfolio website based on the writing portfolio examples above

The writing portfolio examples above should give you a great idea of what a writing portfolio must look like, and the various ways other writers choose to exhibit their work.

We've also gone over why you need a writing portfolio and how you can create a few writing samples in case you feel the need to.

Now, let's get down to how you should create a writing portfolio website. We'll go over the best and most efficient ways to go about creating it.

1. Make your website more organized for simpler navigation.

It's vital to organize your online writing portfolio in a way that's easy for your readers to follow. Place your top projects front and center for simple accessibility. Note: what the ideal projects are may differ from client to client. So, suppose you divide your work into carefully curated collections with different URLs. In that case, that specific URL that contains projects pertaining to that particular client can be shared with them.

2. The "correct" number of your projects for easy viewability

The conventional wisdom is that you should limit the number of projects on your online writing portfolio so that a prospective client can make a quick and easy assessment.

I think this is WRONG.

Your portfolio website HAS to have ALL your content. Why? Well, because hiring managers, clients, and employers are looking for both quality AND quantity. Yes, they aren't going to read your entire portfolio website, but they are looking for consistency and experience.

Obviously, if you wrote a terrible article long ago as a young budding freelance writer, don't include it. So, I'll change my caveat to " nearly ALL your content."

Hence, the navigation of your writing portfolio becomes super important. Remember how I spoke about dividing your work into collections? Well, that is a must if you're including a ton of content. Split it by topic, type, publication, etc., and then share the correct URL with your prospect. Let them begin their journey through your writing portfolio from a starting point that you have determined for them.

Place your contact information in an easy-to-find spot so that when a prospect is satisfied with your writing, they can contact you immediately.

3. Imagery for better conversion rates

Human beings positively respond to visual stimuli, especially faces, which means if you're able to include graphics in your writing sample, you have a better chance of converting your readers.

4. Write case studies to exhibit results

If you have the bandwidth to do so, then you should take some time to write case studies for the work that you have done. A simple format to follow for writing case studies is as follows:

Start with the results: usually exhibited in the form of "increase X by Y." So, for example, I could say I increased traffic to the blog by 11X.
Then outline the problems and challenges that the client was facing before you joined the project.
Next, explain how you solved those problems with your writing, your work, and general professionalism.
And finally, round it off by digging into the details of the results you achieved a bit more and touch upon how the client is doing now.

5. Add social proof to lend credibility to your work

Unfortunately, writing is a creative art, and there are always critics. If you can get a past client to vouch for you and your writing, then that social proof can stand you in good stead when soliciting even more work. Add all the social proof (read: testimonials) you can in your writing portfolio to bump up that conversion rate.

If you have done work for friends and family, this would be a great place to begin hunting for testimonials.

6. Present your contact info in an easily accessible place

I've mentioned this before, but it bears repeating because it's so important. The whole point of having a writer's portfolio is to get work. If people cannot contact you or can't find your contact details, that will severely affect your chances of getting new projects. Social media handles will do if you're uncomfortable with sharing your email address or phone number publicly.

7. Use a website builder for writers like Authory to create your portfolio quickly and back up your work

All of the tips here are excellent (if I say so myself!), but that said, creating a writer's portfolio is a lot of work !

So, leaving the best for last: my final piece of advice is to use a portfolio website builder so that you can cut down the time to build one.

A couple of major issues that writers face are:

Updating their writing portfolios when they write new content, especially when creating a portfolio from scratch, takes effort. So, in essence, most writing portfolios are out-of-date.
And writers also lose access to their work when websites go down, and content gets re-bylined, etc.

That's why a service like Authory is perfect for writers worldwide. With Authory, you get a self-updating portfolio plus a full auto-updating backup of ALL your content. It's super simple to set up your Authory portfolio:

Sign up for Authory for free !
Add your sources, i.e., all the places where you've published content on the web. Authory will automatically find your bylined content from these sources and import it into your Authory account.
Build a collection from the collection tab: click "+ Create collection" and follow the instructions.
Then go to the portfolio tab : go to the "Content" tab on the left menu and add the collection you just created.
And then, toggle your portfolio on from the "Portfolio" tab on the left menu, and check out your portfolio!

And now you'll have a self-updating portfolio that also automatically backs up all your content!

To see more writing portfolio examples, check out our other collection :

Content Marketers
Journalists

Protim is a startup founder & marketer with over a decade of experience in content marketing, content writing, SEO, and more. He loves dogs, D&D, and music!

The ultimate guide to creating a successful writing portfolio.

Step-by-step guide to creating your writing portfolio. Tips, examples, and everything you need to make a writing portfolio clients will love!

over 1 year ago

10 Journo Portfolio Alternatives for 2024

A list of alternatives to Journo Portfolio that you can test out before building/upgrading your next incredible portfolio!

Shreya Bose

This executive-turned-journalist has written for 54 different publications — yet keeps his work perfectly organized.

Howard M. Cohen has written for considerably more publications than the average journalist. That’s why finding a solution for how to present and protect his work has been vital for him.

over 3 years ago

Freelance life is a hustle — here’s how journalist Jeanette Beebe learned to handle it

In this interview, healthcare and tech journalist Jeanette Beebe shares how she keeps track of her articles, connects with readers, and puts public interest reporting at the center of her work.

almost 5 years ago

Clippings Portfolio — Pros, Cons & Alternative

Does a Clippings portfolio work for you? Here's a detailed review of Clippings, a look at its pros & cons, and a look at Authory as an alternative.

about 1 year ago

How to Create a Writing Prompt (with Examples)

Smodin Editorial Team
Published: May 9, 2024

Are you staring at a blank page, feeling lost for inspiration? Luckily, there are clever ways to beat writer’s block by using efficient, well-detailed writing prompts, particularly for AI generators like Smodin, Chat GPT or Google Gemini.

Creating writing prompts requires patience and practice, but once you’ve mastered them, your content creation will improve tenfold.

From doing a bit of your own research to defining your target audience and developing personas, creating stories, poems, research papers, or history essays becomes a breeze!

Let’s take a closer look at how to create a writing prompt and why using Smodin’s AI Rewriter is the best solution to humanizing AI-generated content.

What Is a Writing Prompt?

A writing prompt is a tool to jumpstart your imagination and spark creativity. This can be anything from a single word, image, or thought-provoking question. Prompts act as a launching pad for your creative writing, helping you overcome writer’s block, improve your writing skills, and generate fresh ideas.

While writing prompts are common in educational settings like schools and universities, crafting effective prompts for AI generators like Chat GPT has become increasingly popular, especially since its launch at the end of 2022.

When using AI writing tools like Chat GPT or Google Gemini, a good prompt serves as an instruction that guides and “preps” the AI writer in the direction you want to go with your writing. As mentioned, this can be in the form of a question, statement, or even a single keyword.

For instance, if you’re busy with a blog post about the best beaches in Florida, you could use a writing prompt like this: “Write a list of the top five most scenic beaches in Florida, USA, highlighting unique features and attractions.”

This prompt gives Chat GPT specific details and clear direction, which ultimately leads to more focused, relevant results.

The trick is the more specific your prompts are, the better your outcome will be.

Types of Writing Prompts

There are many different types of writing prompts: some narrative and some descriptive. Let’s take a closer look:

Narrative Prompts

These prompts are designed for storytelling. They often include a scenario, a character description, or an opening line. Cue words and phrases often include “tell me about,” “why,” and “write a story on [X].”

Example : Write a story about a robot that discovers it has human emotions.

Descriptive Prompts

These prompts usually hone in on a particular person, place, or thing. They generally include sensory details such as sights, sounds, and feelings.

Example : Describe the feeling of stepping into a haunted house in the middle of the night in Connecticut.

Informational/Expository Prompts

These prompts aim to inform and explain. They are generally more fact-based, with cited evidence to back up claims. Think along the lines of “how-to guides” or “cause and effect” situations.

Example : Write about Google’s March 2024 Core update, which aims to reduce unhelpful content by at least 40% [ 1 ].

Persuasive Prompts

These prompts encourage action or convince readers of your perspective, as you would in product reviews. Cue words often include “how,” “why,” “convince,” or “persuade.”

Example : Write a persuasive argument about why schools should have longer recess times.

How To Create A Writing Prompt: Step-By-Step

You can create writing prompts by providing AI writers with contextual details, developing a persona, and using Smodin’s AI Rewriter tool.

Writing prompts aim to get writers to think outside the box by introducing and focusing on a certain topic. Educators often use prompts to get students to write creatively, whether they’re tackling history essays or an English short story. The purpose of writing prompts is to generate ideas, improve writing skills, and spark creative writing.

A good prompt should include these two components:

Situation – introduces the general topic you need to write about and is intended to spark interest in the writer, such as writing a piece on Florida’s beaches.
Direction – describes how the written piece needs to be executed. For instance, briefly explain what the reader can expect, see, and do at Florida’s top beach spots. It encourages the writer to research the topic and offer their unique viewpoints – and maybe even give the opportunity to sprinkle in their personal experiences.

Do Some Research

Before you start writing prompts, it’s good to start with some research.

It broadens your horizons as to what the topic is about.
Most AI writing tools have a limited knowledge base (ChatGPT goes as far as 2021!).
Helps you produce better prompts.

Let’s say you need to write a blog post on Google’s March 2024 Core Update. Now, seeing this is Google’s latest upgrade, most AI writers won’t have the correct knowledge on the subject. This is where your research becomes invaluable!

Once you’ve got a better idea of the topic, you can prepare prompts for Chat GPT. It’s also a good idea to feed relevant articles, datasets, or research papers into the AI writing tool to give it more context on the subject matter.

Prompt Ideas Include:

Prompt 1: Hi Chat GPT, please review this document [insert respective link] and give me a bullet list summary of what it entails.
Prompt 2: From this summary can you give me a list of technical jargon and explain what they mean in layman’s terms?
Prompt 3: From this attached document, how, in your opinion, is Google’s latest update going to affect future digital content?
Prompt 4: What would be the best strategy for SEO writers to take if they don’t want to be penalized by Google?

As you can see, these informational prompts (and contextual details) assist you with your educational blog post aimed at informing and educating your reader. Carefully crafting prompts to match your intent and providing specific details to the AI writer will get you better results than if you just asked it to tell you about Google’s March 2023 Core Update.

Be Specific

As mentioned, the more specific the prompt, the better the result will be.

AI writing models thrive on clear instructions, so in this case, the more, the merrier!

Clear direction gives Chat GPT a clear roadmap on the topic, as vague prompts often leave AI wandering, unsure of what angle to take.

This also includes telling AI your:

Target Audience : Who is your intended target audience? Provide details about this demographic, such as age, interests, level of knowledge (beginner vs expert), and pain points. Example: I need to write a [beginner’s level] guide about [solar panels] for [first-time homeowners].
Format Style : To write in a specific format (essay vs medical report style). Example: Write about [solar panels] in a [blog post] format.
Tone of Voice: To use a specific tone of voice (TOV), such as formal, casual, or humorous. Example: Explain what [photovoltaic energy] means, using a [informative] tone of voice.
Set Parameters: To write within a certain word count – do you want a short, punchy story or a long, drawn-out explanation?. Example: Explain [how solar panels work] in [100] words.

Recap: Tips for Specific Writing Prompts

Define the format (blog entry/post, how-to guide, medical report, poem, etc).
Define your target audience (beginners, experts, etc) and TOV (formal, casual, etc).
Include your primary keyword that AI must use throughout (solar panels, best beaches in Florida, Google’s March 2024 Core Update, etc).
Set parameters such as word count limits.

Develop a Persona

Similarly to the above, you can get even more specific when you tell AI to take on a particular persona. Chat GPT can be a master storyteller but needs the proper guidance to create engaging content.

And that’s where the concept of a persona comes in.

Personas are essentially a detailed description of a particular writer’s viewpoint you want AI to write from. This provides a blueprint for AI to build upon.

For instance, you need to write about leak detection but haven’t the foggiest clue what it is about or how leak detection specialists converse. You could prompt AI to take on the persona of a professional plumber or leak detection specialist and write from their perspective. Simple.

I want you to imagine you are a leak detection specialist with over 20 years of experience in detecting, finding, and repairing residential leaks. Please explain what procedures you would follow to detect leaks, what equipment is used, and what the main causes of such leaks are.
Please explain how a marathon runner would prepare for a race in the style of Lynn Jennings.

Crafting compelling, detailed characters or personas goes beyond basic prompting. A well-defined persona adds depth and dimension not only to your prompts but to the AI-generated text as well!

Other Personas Include:

A 45-year-old cat-loving woman is living in Kansas with a passion for World War II history.
A whimsical poet with ginger hair and round spectacles who is fascinated by the art of flying.
A twice-divorced American abstract artist living off the land in Alaska.

Refine Prompts

Occasionally, Chat GPT might go off-topic and create fabricated answers.

This is quite normal.

Don’t be afraid to rein it back in, though – and keep Chat GPT on track! This also transcends to editing your initial prompt to explain what you’re looking for.

If or when AI writers are not giving you the desired answer, you can prompt them with:

What evidence supports your answer?
Can you re-explain that in more detail?
How does this answer tie back to [primary keyword]?

It’s a bit of a cat-and-mouse game, to be honest. But with practice and patience, you can shape and mold Chat GPT into (almost) anything you want!

Humanize Your Content

Right. so the researching, prompting, and grooming has been done.

Once Chat GPT has generated the answers you want, following the directions you have given it, it’s time to go through the AI-written work with a fine-toothed comb. This includes:

Tweaking the writing to match the intended TOV.
Remove jargon and replace it with simpler explanations (if applicable).
Sprinkle in personal anecdotes to add a unique touch.
Fact-check your answers. Read that again.
Break down walls of text with bullet lists and white space.
Ensure it has enough details to effectively cover the topic.
Go back and re-edit prompts (if needed).
Ensure the format maintains a logical flow.

Humanizing AI-generated content will prevent it from being flagged on AI detectors, like Copyleaks or GPTZero . These detection tools are particularly used in educational settings to check for plagiarism.

Top tip: Try Smodin’s AI Rewriter to humanize your content in no time!

If you’re still a bit stuck, we’ve put a list of prompts related to specific industries for you – enjoy!

Best Writing Prompt Ideas

Here are a few writing prompt examples that many writers in different industries can use:

Create a 150-character max meta description on [topic].
Give me 5 subheadings for a blog post of [X].
Give me 20 keyword variations for [X].
Craft an outline for [topic] within a 1,500-word count limit.
Create a list of high-authority websites in [industry].
Generate [X] YouTube video ideas for [company] about [topic].
Craft a referral program to incentivize existing customers to refer our [product or service] to their networks.
Craft a catchy slogan for [brand website] using no more than 10 words.
Create a checklist for conducting market research before launching a new product or service.
Create a step-by-step tutorial for [insert material] aimed at [target audience].
Give me 10 marketing ideas on how to sell [product] to [target audience].
Create a follow-up email to a lead who has shown interest in [product/service].
Develop a sequence of cold call emails for nurturing partnerships.
Write a LinkedIn template in [number of words] for reaching out to [target audience] in [industry].
Create a sales strategy playbook for [product] in [country] for the [industry].
Create a 10-line telesales campaign targeting [target audience] to generate leads for our [niche] company.

Mastering the art of writing prompts empowers you to tackle any writing task with confidence.

Imagine effortlessly generating engaging blog posts, crafting captivating stories, or even producing research papers with the help of AI tools. Take your creative writing game up a notch with a few of these handy tips!

By following the tips in this guide, you’ll be well on your way to unlocking this potential and becoming a more productive and versatile writer.

But remember, before you start writing, do a bit of research on the topic to make the most out of your prompting-making skills.

Humanize your content and bypass AI detection tools with Smodin’s AI Rewriter tool today!

TRY OUR FREE APP

Write your book in Reedsy Studio. Try the beloved writing app for free today.

Craft your masterpiece in Reedsy Studio

Plan, write, edit, and format your book in our free app made for authors.

Blog • Perfecting your Craft

Last updated on Feb 03, 2023

Worldbuilding: Create Brave New Worlds [+Template]

Worldbuilding is the stage in the writing process where authors create believable settings for their stories. This may involve crafting a fictional world's history, geography, politics, and economy, as well as religions or powerstructures.

Since creating a fictional universe is a daunting task, you might want a bit of help. Here's how to worldbuild in 7 steps:

1. Define your world’s name and setting

2. create a map of the territory , 3. populate the world with people, 4. elaborate your civilization’s history, 5. create systems of technology and magic, 6. distribute resources with a working economy, 7. determine your world’s power structure.

We’ve also created a template to help you in your process, which you can download for free.

FREE RESOURCE

The Ultimate Worldbuilding Template

130 questions to help create a world readers want to visit again and again.

Broadly speaking, the setting of your story will either be our own world, or an entirely fictional world — what’s known as “second world” fantasy. Before you start work on your backstory, it’s essential to know which of these categories your story will fall under.

Create second worlds from scratch

George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire and Raymond E. Feist’s Riftwar cycle are classic examples of “second world” fantasy: they were able to create worlds untethered by historical paths or laws, which gave them a lot of freedom of choice.

This creative freedom is exciting, but it also requires a lot of world building work to invent a fleshed out and textured fantasy world. A strong starting point in order to define your world as “other” to our own is selecting your world’s name. You can make it as cool as you like; think Discworld, Middle Earth, Zamonia, etc.

Worldbuilding guide: an illustration of Terry Pratchett's Discworld

Set your story in an Earth-like place

Not all fantasy writers, however, wish to create an entirely new world. You can always set your story right here on Earth. For example, the vast majority of literary fiction, mystery, and romance novels are set on a place called Earth that bears a striking resemblance to our own world. This kind of world creation may require less invention on behalf of the author, but may require just as much preparation as they are constrained by historical specifics, technology, and politics.

Within “real world” fantasy, however, you will see two broad subgenres : alternate history fantasy, and historical fantasy.

For historical fantasies, while some amount of historical license is accepted (and encouraged), your readers will notice something’s wrong if your book has Atilla the Hun kidnapping Florence Nightingale without the help of a time machine.

Alternate history fantasy gives you a little more freedom; as the name suggests, you’re inventing an alternate version of history. Still, you’ll want to think carefully about the changes you’re making, and the way they might impact the day-to-day life of your characters.

Once you’ve selected between first and second world settings, you can begin building it in earnest. This is where the fun really begins.

Watch: How to create your worldbuilding bible

Once you’ve named your world, it’s time to fill it. That means having at least a broad sense of its geography and ecology, so that you know what the landscape looks like, and what beasts your characters are likely to encounter.

You can consult our worldbuilding guide for a full list of prompts, but some questions to consider include:

What sort of environment can be found in different areas of your world? (Deserts, oceans, mountains, forests, etc)
What wildlife can be found there?
What is the climate like?
Where are the cities? How large are they? What are they called?

Take inspiration from real countries

You can draw from the real world when imagining these aspects of your fantasy world. For example, Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse takes inspiration from the geography of a number of real-world countries, often at another point in their national history. You can find analogs for Tsarist Russia, the Dutch Republic, China, and Scandinavia in Bardugo’s books.

Worldbuilding guide: a map of Leigh Bardugo's Grishaverse

As well as drawing from the past, another approach could be to imagine a future iteration of our world. NK Jemisin’s Broken Earth trilogy is a masterful example of speculative worldbuilding. The trilogy takes place on a supercontinent called the Stillness, which is wracked by massive climate events every few centuries which reshape the entire world’s geography. Colson Whitehead’s Zone One is set in the familiar but decimated remains of a future New York, a cityscape that has been devastated by a zombie apocalypse.

Maybe set your story in two different places

Another possibility is to create a dual setting, locating your narrative in part in our own physical world, and in part in another. Erin Morgensen’s The Starless Sea tackles this expertly, using the classic “magical door” trope to connect her real-world locations (Vermont and New York) with her fantastical world, the honey-filled Starless Sea and the magical harbors that sit upon it.

Imagine an entirely new environment

You may, of course, wish to create a landscape entirely alien from our own. Frank Herbert’s Dune is set on the desert planet of Arrakis, a world entirely devoid of natural water and inhospitable to most forms of life. Noteworthy exceptions to this are sandworms, giant and dangerous worm-like creatures that Fremen, the planet’s inhabitants, have learned to ride.

Lots of fantasy readers like referring to a physical map when imagining a world that is unlike our own. Maps are not always necessary, but they’re a useful foundation to define a sense of distance and space — and they can help you visualize your world as you’re building it.

Draw a map to help the reader

Worldbuilding guide: an example of a fantasy map by illustrator Leo Hartas

For a personal and expert approach, it's definitely worth hiring a professional illustrator to develop your fantasy map. Here at Reedsy, we have rigorously curated the best freelance illustrators in the publishing business — and they're just a click away from helping your work stand out.

Want to finish a novel in just 3 months? Sign up for our How to Write a Novel course.

NEW REEDSY COURSE

How to Write a Novel

Enroll in our course and become an author in three months.

Now that your physical landscape exists, let’s drop some people into it. To create a textured and believable setting, you’ll want to populate your planet with a variety of races and cultures — which can be either created, or based on real-world cultures.

You may wish to pull species from the rich traditions of high fantasy (elves, dwarves, trolls, etc), but you can also invent entirely new races. Our worldbuilding template will help you nail down the details of your inhabitants.

Be careful with tropes and stereotypes

Make sure to research thoroughly before settling on any attributes or characteristics for your characters. Even in the imagined worlds of fantasy and science fiction, harmful stereotypes can be perpetuated, especially when drawing on real-world cultures.

Worldbuilding guide: Tomi Adeyemi's Children of Blood and Bone

Some research is therefore required to ensure you are handling your source material in a respectful way, and to avoid retrograde stereotypes when portraying the characteristics of imagined races (including “classic” fantasy characters like dwarves, which have long been influenced by antisemitic tropes).

An example of real-world cultures informing fantasy cultures is the setting and characters of Children of Blood and Bone. Author Tomi Adeyemi draws on African mythology and her own Yoruba heritage , setting the story in a fictional version of pre-colonial Nigeria. Her imagined country, Orïsha, is inhabited by two peoples; the magical divîners with distinctive white hair, and their non-magical oppressors, the kosidán.

FREE COURSE

How to Develop Characters

In 10 days, learn to develop complex characters readers will love.

Invent an alien species

Of course, your characters don't need to be human. Octavia Butler’s Xenogensis series is an example of an invented non-human race. In the series’ first installment, Dawn, a human woman Lilith awakens alone in a prison cell, only to learn that she is one of the last survivors of the human race. She has been abducted by the Oankali, a humanoid but thoroughly alien three-gendered species covered in sensory tentacles. The differences between the humans and the Oankali, and the Oankali’s unusual biology and reproduction, form the driving force behind the novel’s plot.

Come up with a new slang or language

When we talk about invented languages in fiction, most of us might imagine devotees of Tolkien whispering Elvish love poems — or Star Trek fans barking threats in Klingon. But language is something that applies to books across the board. Your decisions here will affect how the story develops and can make the difference in whether your book is believable.

Languages can be an interesting and exciting avenue of worldbuilding. The spoken word is a reflection of the cultures that spawned them, and the evolution of the language will often indicate some societal change.

For example, the youths in Anthony Burgess’ 1962 novel A Clockwork Orange speak a dialect called “Nadsat” which mixes Russian and English words. That choice alone implies a lot about the dystopian world of the book, suggesting a future where Soviet culture had spread further West.

Worldbuilding guide: a sample of Tolkein's invented language Tengwar

Our worldbuilding guide will help you develop your ideas about language, but as a start, it's worth considering how many languages are spoken in your world, which language is most prevalent, and any common phrases or greetings which might come up a lot.

If your story is set on Earth, you can play with idioms and slang to create a unique dialect for your characters, that sets your fictional world apart from our own. Writers of historical fiction will also want to pay close attention to dialect, to ensure that any vocabulary being used is authentic.

So while language building isn’t essential, any little details like these that you can add to your worldbuilding will help create a richer and more immersive setting for your story.

Civilizations are defined by their history. That might be a very broad statement — but it contains a kernel of truth. Writers should have a solid grasp on the history of their world, regardless of genre, and should be familiar with the key events that matter to the story they’re telling or the culture they’re exploring. So, how can you go about this?

Once again, a popular way to flesh out the history of your world is to borrow from our own. The line between historical fiction and fantasy is somewhat blurred, and with good reason. A good fantasy world will have a history that’s every bit as interesting as the one we have here on Earth Prime, so why not draw inspiration from it?

Going back to A Song of Ice and Fire , Martin famously patterned his book's central conflict after The War of the Roses. Using a veiled version of English history as his starting point, Martin then fills in the rest of his rich history with dragons, mad kings, and ice zombies. Similarly, RF Kuang’s The Poppy War is a fantastical reinterpretation of 20th-century China, and contains a fantasy drug-driven conflict inspired by the real-world Opium wars.

Speculate on history-altering moments

Let’s say you’re dealing with a futuristic version of our reality: there’s still plenty of work to be done. You need to have some idea of what’s happened between now and the time when you set your book. Start by speculating on developments in technology and society. Then, crucially, figure out how these changes have affected the characters and cultures in your book.

If your book is an “alternate history”, it may stem from a single “what if” question. Think of a single point of divergence: a moment in history that shifted ever-so-slightly, leading to changes that ripple forward through time.

In Philip K. Dick’s The Man in the High Castle , the point of divergence comes with the assassination of President Franklin Roosevelt in the early 1930s. It results in a continuation of the Great Depression and American isolationism, allowing Germany and Japan to win World War II. The book then answers the question: “What would 1960s America be like if the Allies lost the war?”

Perhaps the defining feature of any SFF book is its systems, whether they be magical or technological. It’s important to consider the details of how these things work carefully; just waving your hand and saying “and there’s magic” won’t cut it. You’ll have to define the magical or supernatural elements of your world.

With both science fiction and fantasy worldbuilding, you’re likely to come across the phrases “hard” and “soft” frequently. These labels are a (somewhat arbitrary, but still helpful) way of distinguishing between different types of SFF. Let’s take a look further, so you can decide where your world falls on the spectrum.

Spell out the rules of hard magic

A hard magic system is one defined by its rules, and which has clear and explicit boundaries on when said magic does and doesn’t work, and what the consequences of using magic are.

A great example of this type of magic system is Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn series, set in a world where the primary form of magic is allomancy : a system whereby users swallow different metals, and metabolize them to different effects. Dedicated fans have been able to catalog all the possible variations of allomancy, and have discovered a clear cause-and-effect relationship between the actions of allomancers and their consequences, making for a true hard magic system.

As you can imagine, designing a hard magical system is a pretty significant undertaking that may involve a lot of variables. For that reason, it’s often worth dedicating a good chunk of your worldbuilding time to making sure your system is watertight.

Play with mystery and soft magic

You can choose not to explain how magic works and allow it to retain some of its mystery. After all, as soon as you explain all of magic’s secrets, it almost ceases to be magic.

Worldbuilding guide: Still from Harry Potter

One example of a “soft” magic system, one which doesn’t have hard and fast rules, is the one in Belgariad . The sorcerers in David Eddings’ Belgariad manifest their willpower through a system he calls ‘The Will and the Word’. It doesn’t require any potions or scrolls , and the so-called “rules” are able to be broken. As such, the limits to magical powers in this world are more conceptual than they are practical, and you’d be hard pressed to describe exactly what can and can’t be done.

While the flexibility of a soft magic system may be appealing — after all, you can’t break a rule if you haven’t established it — it certainly isn’t a get-out-of-jail free card. If you have an ‘anything goes’ approach to magic, your characters’ actions may cease to have consequences: you can bring anyone back from the dead, time can be reversed, your hero can escape from danger just by ‘magic.’ Be sparing with your use of soft magic, and don’t use it as a deus ex machina that miraculously solves your plot issues.

Explain how magic impacts the world

As well as defining the rules of your magic system, consider what it means to have magic. What are the consequences on both your world and the people using it? Maybe it takes a physical toll on the user, or perhaps there are emotional, mental, or social implications to exercising magic.

Who can use magic? If your protagonist is the only person with their gift, how does the world around them react to it? Are they revered or reviled for their abilities?

Conversely, what happens if someone who should have powers, doesn’t? For example, in Codex Alera by Jim Butcher, the people of Alera bond in childhood with one or more "furies" — elementals of air, water, fire, earth, wood, or metal. Everyone, save the protagonist Tavi who happens to be the crown prince of Alera. This lack of bond comes to have major consequences as noblemen around him begin to eye his ultra-powerful father’s throne.

Worldbuilding guide: a still from Disney's Encanto

If, as in Codex Alera , magic is widespread, how do people learn how to use it? Trudi Canavan’s Black Magician trilogy has a Magician’s Guild, where people work their way up through a structured hierarchy. Wizards in Harry Potter attend boarding school and end up with soul-crushing jobs in magical middle management. By imagining how magic would function practically in your world, your book will become all the more believable and relatable.

Now that we’ve discussed magical systems, it’s time to turn our attention to science…

Be precise if you use hard science

This is a brand of writing with a particular basis in technological fact. Best known for his work on 2001: A Space Odyssey , Arthur C. Clarke is one of the greatest pioneers in this field, whose fictional inventions bear close resemblance to everyday items in the 21st century.

One great contemporary example of the hard science is Liu Cixin’s The Three-Body Problem , a novel which explores a real-life phenomenon in orbital mechanics, and imagines a three-star system containing a single Earth-like planet which experiences extreme destruction as it passes between the three.

The important point is this: if you choose to write about technical science and technology, you should get your facts right. Many fans of the genre will likely know more about science than you do. If you get the details wrong, they will call you out on it; take for example Larry Niven, who was mercilessly teased by readers for having a character in Ringworld teleport eastward around the Earth to extend his birthday, when doing so would have actually shortened it.

You can always seek advice: the internet is a wellspring of information. If you’re shy about contacting people, Wikipedia is not a terrible place to start your research.

..or give yourself some slack with soft science

We know what you may be thinking — “Dammit, Reedsy, I’m a writer not a physicist!” If you’re not exactly science-minded but still want to write in the genre, you can always take the lead from writers like the late Iain M. Banks. His beloved science fiction novels are about The Culture, a post-scarcity society where all work is automated, and the citizens leave all the big decisions to a benevolent A.I.

Banks’ universe is full of science fiction tropes like droids and spaceships — but he doesn’t really explain how any of it works. It makes perfect sense from a storytelling point of view: novels set in the modern day rarely explain how iPads work. To us, they’re simply a function of everyday living. Banks makes a conscious decision to focus on story and character and he proves that you don’t need to know much science to write great science fiction.

Whether you go hard or soft, it’s important to establish your system ahead of time, so that you can remain consistent and logical throughout your work. Knowing how involved you want your systems to be will also mean you can plan how and when to deploy your exposition to maximum effect.

It may not sound too exciting, but considering something as fundamental as the economics of your world can be extremely helpful in making it a believable one. This isn't essential, but having an understanding of the economy can help you imagine how your characters will move through the world.

Take, for example, Anne McCaffrey’s iconic fantasy series, Pern . While the dragons are probably what most readers come away remembering, those who play close attention to the mechanics of the world are rewarded with a fascinating system to wrap their heads around. In Pern, the wooden tokens used for trade, “marks”, hold no intrinsic value – they don’t correspond to, for instance, a measure of precious metal, but are simply worth what they are traded for. So, your mark may be more or less valuable, depending on simply how well you are able to haggle to trade it.

Worldbuilding guide: Still of Harry Potter

Your economy may also be a speculative one, like the post-scarcity economy in Iain Banks’ Culture series. The series explores the implications of a world where most goods can be produced abundantly with minimal or no human labor, something Banks describes as “space socialism”.

As a minimum, it’s good to consider what the main valuables are in your world, how trade takes place (is it a barter system? Do people trade with money?), what the currency is called if there is one, and where your heroes come in the financial pecking order.

As well as creating the history and economy of your world, you may also want to consider other institutions and power structures, such as religions, governments, or political ideologies. Again, this might be drawn from reality: Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series features a society dominated by the Magisterium, a religious body modeled in part on the real-world Catholic church.

You might also want to borrow from the past, like the feudal system of Dune, or extrapolate into the future, like the theocratic, totalitarian state of Gilead in Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale.

It’s worth reminding ourselves that stories set in other worlds have always actually been about the world we live in. Some of the most enduring works of science fiction and fantasy are profound commentaries on human culture and, in particular, our relationship to power and powerlessness. So even if your story takes place in a galaxy far far away, always remember to ask yourself what are you trying to say about society or the human condition and try your best to be intentional with how you use real-life source materials.

And with that final point, it’s now over to you: remember to download our free worldbuilding guide for tips on how to create your own fantastic lands and customs. We can’t wait to see your brave new world. Qapla'!*

*Klingon for “good luck”

Continue reading

What is Tone in Literature? Definition & Examples

We show you, with supporting examples, how tone in literature influences readers' emotions and perceptions of a text.

Writing Cozy Mysteries: 7 Essential Tips & Tropes

We show you how to write a compelling cozy mystery with advice from published authors and supporting examples from literature.

Man vs Nature: The Most Compelling Conflict in Writing

What is man vs nature? Learn all about this timeless conflict with examples of man vs nature in books, television, and film.

The Redemption Arc: Definition, Examples, and Writing Tips

Learn what it takes to redeem a character with these examples and writing tips.

How Many Sentences Are in a Paragraph?

From fiction to nonfiction works, the length of a paragraph varies depending on its purpose. Here's everything you need to know.

Narrative Structure: Definition, Examples, and Writing Tips

What's the difference between story structure and narrative structure? And how do you choose the right narrative structure for you novel?

Join a community of over 1 million authors

Reedsy is more than just a blog. Become a member today to discover how we can help you publish a beautiful book.

Bring your stories to life

Our free writing app lets you set writing goals and track your progress, so you can finally write that book!

1 million authors trust the professionals on Reedsy. Come meet them.

Enter your email or get started with a social account:

5 Call to Action (CTA) Examples to Inspire Your Campaigns

Time to read: 6 minutes

Facebook logo
Twitter Logo Follow us on Twitter
LinkedIn logo

We’ve all had the experience of being part of something confusing. Maybe you were talking through an exhibit at the art museum and suddenly realized you didn’t know where to go next. Or you might have been trying to register your child for preschool and found that the school’s website was so poorly put together that you couldn't complete the task.

There’s always a desired outcome in situations like these, but a lack of direction slows the progress. If the confusion continues, you might even give up. Rather than seeing the rest of the museum exhibits, you backtrack to the entrance and never return. As for the preschool registration, you’ll probably decide that any school that has such a jumbled website is no place for your child.

You can help avoid these same types of unfortunate situations from occurring within your email marketing campaigns by using clear and compelling calls to action.

What are these call to action examples in writing?

Examples of a call to action include any button or link within an email that highlight a desired action. The wording of a call to action (often referred to simply as a CTA) should be short and sweet, so there’s no confusion about the next step. Good call to action phrases examples include succinct things like “Reserve your spot” or “Register for webinar” or “Update your profile.”

Of course, your call to action is more than just a signpost. It should offer value and be persuasive . If the rest of your email message has done its job, the reader will understand what you’re offering and then be compelled to click when the time comes.

Even if they’re not ready to click, at least they’ll see the point of your email. One of the cardinal sins of email marketing is sending messages that lead to dead ends. Not only does this show a lack of basic communication skills, but it may also leave your customers feeling like you don’t have much to offer.

Where to put your calls to action

A good call to action is positioned where the person reading the message would either be wondering where to go next or be motivated to take an action. Think back to the scenario of registering a child for preschool. The school could send out an email with a headline at the top announcing that registration for the upcoming year is now open.

For parents who already know they want to sign up, there should be a button above the fold proclaiming, “Register now.”

But what about the parents who still need some persuading? Below this initial call to action, the school could add a couple paragraphs promoting the quality of the teachers, the depth of the curriculum, and the unprecedented deliciousness of the snacks.

Excited about these details, additional parents would then be ready to proceed. So a second prominent call to action would be a great way to capitalize on their momentum. If there were another relevant action that the school deemed important, such as their allergy-friendly snack policies, then it could be hyperlinked within the body copy of the email so it wouldn’t compete with the primary call to action.

These examples of call to action placement demonstrate that less is more. If the school were to plaster various buttons throughout the email saying things like “Register now,” “Don’t forget to register,” “Get our snack policy here,” and “Go to registration page,” the reader would likely be overwhelmed and confused. You’ll find that two or three well-placed calls to action will always outperform an overcrowded collage.

5 call to action examples to upgrade your CTAs

Whether you’re talking about social media call to action examples, email call to action examples, or any other format, these best practices will likely apply. Let’s take a closer look at five ways to catch your readers’ eyes and steer them to your desired destination.

1. Make it actionable

It’s a call to action, after all.

Just as it takes money to make money, it usually takes action to spur action. Use verbs in your call to action that explain the process or highlight the benefit. For example, if you were launching a new windshield spray that prevents the glass from cracking when it’s struck by rocks, you might take a couple different routes with the call to action.

First, you could use a classic option like “Order now.” With the headline, photographs, and body copy providing context, that message would hopefully be enough to get conversions.

The other option could focus more on what the customer will get from the transaction. So your call to action might be “Protect my windshield.”

In the CTA example below, the coffee capsule brand Cometeer used this latter approach. And it’s highly effective, because who wouldn’t want to get 15 free cups of coffee?

2. Place it in an obvious spot

Good call to action statement examples are prominently placed so the reader can’t miss them. Give them breathing room so the reader can spot the call to action at first glance, because let’s be honest, that’s all that many readers are going to give your email.

Consider this excellent example from Sling. Following the headline and a quick line of copy, they put a button right where most readers would expect it to be.

3. Get creative with the design

Try using new colors to make your call to action really pop. A dynamic color that contrasts with a more muted background instantly signals importance to the reader. Likewise, you can use larger font sizes and unique button shapes to draw attention.

Your goal is to create something that’s visible even if the person is standing a few feet from a computer screen while reading it. Just remember that even though you’re taking a unique design approach, all your call to action marketing examples should still fall within your brand guidelines.

In the following example, Patagonia takes the unusual step of using a white button with black text. Sounds boring, right? But there’s so much action and detail going on everywhere else that this simple approach was actually the right choice. There’s no missing that button.

4. Make it brief

Writing a phrase that’s compelling and noticeable is a tall order, and your first draft will often contain lots of words. Upon review, look for ways to trim it down. Effective call to action button examples usually contain no more than five words. Beyond that, you’re basically writing a sentence and all punchiness is lost.

If you feel there’s essential (but wordy) information that needs to be included with the call to action, you can always add it above the button. For instance, you could use a subhead above the call to action that informs the reader that the deal you’re promoting ends in just four days. That way the button can be left uncluttered and showcase only the most impactful words.

This example from Wi-Fi technology company eero uses the classic “Shop now.” There’s no wasted space and all readers will understand exactly what it’s prompting.

5. Optimize through testing

Your audience is continually evolving, so your tactics should as well. Use A/B testing to reveal what’s working in your email campaigns and what needs to be improved.

Not only does a test-focused approach help you get better business results, but it keeps your brand vibrant. Customers don’t like when things go stale, whether it’s bread or marketing communications. By evolving your content through testing, you’ll keep people more engaged because they’ll notice its recency and relevance.

Let’s consider another Patagonia example. A one-word call to action of “Explore” might seem ambiguous to a lot of marketers. But Patagonia’s team has undoubtedly tested that button and found that it works, so they feel confident using it in their campaigns.

Maximize your email call to action examples with a trusted email platform

The process of designing emails, writing copy, developing calls to action, sending out the messages, tracking performance , and then testing new options used to take a team of skilled individuals. Thanks to the power of templates and automation, an email platform allows you to work solo and get exceptional results in a fraction of the time.

Twilio SendGrid has a full suite of tools that streamline the process from start to finish. You can choose from a wide selection of professional templates to master the design stage. After completing your emails, automate the sending schedule within our platform and let technology take care of the rest.

You’ll always have access to real-time data that reveals top-performing content and makes A/B testing a breeze. The result? Thriving campaigns that resonate with your audience and deliver stellar results .

Now that we’ve reached the end of this guide, let’s put everything we just learned into practice with a nice call to action:

Create your free account today

Recommended For You

No resources to show

Error: Unable to load resources

Most Popular

Send with confidence.

Partner with the email service trusted by developers and marketers for time-savings, scalability, and delivery expertise.

IMAGES

Creative Writing Formats : What is Creative Writing?
Creative essay writing samples
Creative Writing Samples
Synopsis comprehensive creativewriting
5 examples of creative writing
An Example Of Creative Writing

VIDEO

Creative writing module 1
creative writing design🔥🔥#creative #writing #design #viral #art#shortvideo #ytshorts#trendingshorts
Creative Writing Module 1
Quotation writing
Creative Writing Session 3
ZEPH presents Read Prose Poetry by Anna Zgambo

COMMENTS

What Is Creative Writing? (Ultimate Guide + 20 Examples)
Creative writing is an art form that transcends traditional literature boundaries. It includes professional, journalistic, academic, and technical writing. This type of writing emphasizes narrative craft, character development, and literary tropes. It also explores poetry and poetics traditions.
10 Types of Creative Writing (with Examples You'll Love)
A lot falls under the term 'creative writing': poetry, short fiction, plays, novels, personal essays, and songs, to name just a few. By virtue of the creativity that characterizes it, creative writing is an extremely versatile art. So instead of defining what creative writing is, it may be easier to understand what it does by looking at ...
Creative Writing Examples (20 Types for You to Try)
Authors will often use creative storytelling or creative writing skills to tell engaging, interesting stories, or to convey information in an interesting manner. The Creative Pen by Joanna Penn. The Artist's Road by Patrick Ross. terribleminds by Chuck Wendig.
Book Writing Templates: A Writer's Secret Weapon [Download]
Free Download: Three-Act Structure Template. Effortlessly plot your story with our customizable template. Enter your email, and we'll send it to you right away. By dissecting the story in three parts of equal importance, you'll be able to create a strong narrative that keeps readers hooked from start to finish.
Story Writing Format: How to Format a Short Story + Examples and Templates
Here's a quick summary: To format a short story manuscript, use 1 inch (2.5cm) margins, 12 point Times New Roman font, double-spaced lines, and half-inch (1.25cm) indents for paragraphs. At the top right of each page put a header with your last name, story title, and page number. A title page isn't necessary.
12 Creative Writing Templates for Planning Your Novel
1. Story premise worksheet. Your premise is the foundation on which the entire novel is built. With this step-by-step guide, you'll think about who your protagonist is, what they want, and the problems or conflicts they must overcome. The end product is a concise, two-sentence explanation of what your story is about.
Eleven templates to start your next creative writing project
Eleven templates to start your next creative writing project. As writer Margaret Atwood put it, "If I waited for perfection, I would never write a word." Whether you are feeling stuck starring at a blank page or overwhelmed by hundreds of notes, this collection features novel plans, story maps, and character profiles to serve as your writing ...
Creative Writing Ultimate Guide
Creative writing examples. Creative writing covers more than just fiction, or even just novels. Here's a quick rundown of some types of creative writing you might encounter. 1. Novels. Novels (which fall under the 'fiction' umbrella) are a type of creative writing where the reader follows a character or characters through a plot.
27 Creative Writing Examples
Read through the following examples to get ideas for your own writing. Make a note of anything that stands out for you. 1. Novels and Novellas. Inspiring novel-writing examples can come from the first paragraph of a well-loved novel (or novella), from the description on the back cover, or from anywhere in the story.
8 Tips for Getting Started With Creative Writing
Action: In creative writing, action should occur for a reason—characters' actions should be based on their motivations, their points of view, and their previous choices. A protagonist's actions should always propel them toward their main goal in a way that is related to the plot events at hand. A character's goals affect their character ...
1800+ Creative Writing Prompts To Inspire You Right Now
Here's how our contest works: every Friday, we send out a newsletter containing five creative writing prompts. Each week, the story ideas center around a different theme. Authors then have one week — until the following Friday — to submit a short story based on one of our prompts. A winner is picked each week to win $250 and is highlighted ...
13 Creative Writing Portfolio Examples & How to Create Yours
This creative writing portfolio took 30 minutes in Copyfolio. Create yours now. 13 creative writing portfolio examples & why they're excellent. 1. Macy Fidel. Create a portfolio. Macy used Copyfolio's Premier template and "Cardboard Clip" color palette to create her portfolio. This portfolio is great because...
Creative Essay Writing Tips (With Examples)
This format allows writers to unleash their imagination, incorporating elements of fantasy, surrealism, or speculative fiction. ... 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 ...
How to Write a Story Outline Step-by-Step
Scene writing helps you move towards structuring a short story or novel. You can order each scene based on your tentative idea for a plot, then start plotting the story itself! 4. Start Writing Your Outline. Once you've considered your characters, scenes, and your intent for writing the story, it's time to start writing the actual outline.
Free templates for every kind of writing
Templates for every kind of writing. Make your pages pop with a customizable template for you to put your words into. Everything from academic and research papers to work assignments to personal writing and journaling can benefit from starting your writing with a template. See which one gets the words flowing for you. Category.
Best Writing Templates from Notion
Writing templates. Unleash your literary potential with Notion's Writing templates. Dive into creative realms with character sheets, plot outlines, and writing prompts. Ideal for novelists, screenwriters, and poets, these tools are designed to spark inspiration and organize your storytelling journey. Get Notion free.
What is a Writing Sample?
Samples might be provided as a single piece of representative work or as part of a broader portfolio that showcases a diversity of writing skills. The type of writing sample you submit, and the way you format it, depends. entirely on the type of publisher you're submitting it to and the audience or readership you'll be writing for.
How to Create the Ultimate Character Profile [+ Template]
1. Construct the character's outer appearance. To be able to identify a criminal, detectives build a painstakingly thorough file of said criminal's physical characteristics. That's the goal of this section, which covers the "skin" of your character: everything from their outer appearance to the way that they speak.
Creative Writing Workshop Google Slides and PPT Template
Slidesgo has exactly the template that you need for this, and it's totally editable! Grabbing the attention of the audience is never an easy task. To attract people interested in this workshop, we've opted for a nice and friendly approach. That's why we've included cheerful illustrations of books and people reading and writing.
Welcome to the Purdue Online Writing Lab
Mission. The Purdue On-Campus Writing Lab and Purdue Online Writing Lab assist clients in their development as writers—no matter what their skill level—with on-campus consultations, online participation, and community engagement. The Purdue Writing Lab serves the Purdue, West Lafayette, campus and coordinates with local literacy initiatives.
25 Writing Portfolio Examples (PDF & Other Formats)
5. Urvashi Aneja. Urvashi Aneja's PDF portfolio. Urvashi Aneja's writer portfolio. 20 Writing portfolio examples in other formats. Besides PDF focused portfolios, we pulled examples of other portfolios and tips for how our expert customers are adapting them to make the best use of them. Authory is a great additional branding tool.
How to Create a Writing Prompt (with Examples)
Narrative Prompts. These prompts are designed for storytelling. They often include a scenario, a character description, or an opening line. Cue words and phrases often include "tell me about," "why," and "write a story on [X].". Example: Write a story about a robot that discovers it has human emotions.
Worldbuilding: Create Brave New Worlds [+Template]
Worldbuilding: Create Brave New Worlds [+Template] Worldbuilding is the stage in the writing process where authors create believable settings for their stories. This may involve crafting a fictional world's history, geography, politics, and economy, as well as religions or powerstructures. Since creating a fictional universe is a daunting task ...
5 Call to Action (CTA) Examples to Inspire Your Campaigns
5 call to action examples to upgrade your CTAs. Whether you're talking about social media call to action examples, email call to action examples, or any other format, these best practices will likely apply. Let's take a closer look at five ways to catch your readers' eyes and steer them to your desired destination. 1. Make it actionable
430+ Resume Examples for Any Job or Experience Level
Business. Your business resume should be structured cleanly, use formal colors, and be loaded with professional achievements. The following business resume examples show you how it's done. Human Resources (HR) 6. Entry Level HR Resume. HR Business Partner Resume. HR Coordinator Resume. HR Generalist Resume.