Writing
Making Connections from Home > Writing
Writing can be a great way to express yourself, whether about your day-to-day activities and thoughts, or something more creative. You may write in various forms: poetry, blog, diary, short story, song lyrics, screen-play, etc.
As well as writing for yourself, it can be rewarding to connect with others who have a similar passion for writing, to share your work and to get feedback. It may also lead to new ideas for your next piece of writing, or help to develop your style.
Here are some places to get lots of writing tips and ideas, and to share your work, both for the beginner and more experienced writers.
If you know of any service that should be on here, please let us know by filling out this form.
Creative Writing | Social Media | Keeping a Diary or Journal | Letter Writing
Creative writing
Creative Writing Now
https://www.creative-writing-now.com/
- Website and free email group
- For inspiration, and sharing tips and ideas for creative writing
- Free and paid-for courses available
Top tips for creative writing
https://www.lexico.com/grammar/top-tips-for-creative-writing
- Some good ideas about where to start
Commaful
- A platform for multimedia storytelling and fiction
- Easily create visuals to complement your story or poem
- Comment and chat about your and others’ work
Wattpad
- Large, social storytelling platform for all genres
- Comment and chat about your and others’ stories
Writers Café
- Online writing community
- For poetry, short stories, novels, scripts and screenplays
- Holds lots of free writing contests
Social Media
There are lots of facebook groups for writing to choose from! Choose one which seems to have the right level of activity for you, and read the group rules and some posts to get a flavour of the contributions before you join. Here are a few suggestions:
- Creative Writing https://www.facebook.com/groups/wherecreativitylives/
- Words Inspire https://www.facebook.com/groups/creativeintuitivewriting/
- Poetry / Writing/Lyrics… Share & Critique https://www.facebook.com/groups/486721968158646/
- Amateur Writers Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/555650141235224/
Instagram and Twitter are also good for posting short poems, in a more public sphere. For Instagram, you’d need to put the writing into a picture first. Try hashtags #micropoetry #poetsofinstagram #poetrycommunity both to tag your posts, and to look up others.
Keeping a Diary or Journal
Keeping a diary or journal can be a great way to channel your thoughts. Many people use diaries to record what they have done each day or how they are feeling, and sometimes more creatively. Journaling can improve mental health, manage stress, help with insomnia, or can just be a place to record your thoughts. You can write as much or as little as you like.
Here are a few ideas to get you started. Diaries are usually not something you would share, so we haven’t suggested any sharing opportunities here.
How to start a Journal – Headspace
https://headspace.org.au/blog/how-to-start-a-journal/
- Ideas for how to start with a diary or journal.
Journaling Helped Me Rebuild My Life
https://www.self.com/story/how-to-start-a-journaling-practice
- A personal story and tips from someone who has found journaling useful
8 Journaling Techniques for better Mental Health
- Some great, creative ideas for different ways to journal.
Ways to fill a Journal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRAJ8yiAHYY&list=PLGzLZeIAjhfOiWX14An4VOrEAnM6yelYZ
- A video showing some creative ideas for what to put in your journal
You may also like to see more Journaling videos on our Crafts & Textiles activities page.
Letter Writing
If you enjoy connecting with others through the written word, you may enjoy letter writing. Our Pen pals page lists online services that connect you with people who would also like to correspond, some matching particular interests or languages.
If you like to write physical pen-to-paper letters, some charities look for volunteers to write letters to the people they help. Here are some suggestions where you could use your writing to brighten someone’s day.
Post pals
- ‘Post a Smile on a Sick Child’s Face’
- Sends cards, letters, or emails to seriously ill children and their siblings.
From Me to You Letters
https://www.frommetoyouletters.co.uk/donate-a-letter
- Letters aiming to reduce loneliness and social isolation of people with cancer.
Prison Fellowship Letter Link
https://prisonfellowship.org.uk/our-work/letter-link/
- Volunteer to correspond with someone who is in prison
- Volunteers are checked and trained first
- A commitment to writing at least one letter a month is requested.
Sensitive and Inclusive Writing
As you write more, you may become more aware of the way you write and the style you use. If writing in a public domain, consider the readers’ potential emotions and experiences: both whether your language could offend people, and whether your writing will encourage interaction. Being sensitive to this can create a safe and inclusive environment for communication, encouraging readers to engage more deeply with the content and feel comfortable sharing their own thoughts and feelings.
Some of the aspects to consider are explained in this article: https://www.websiteplanet.com/blog/sensitive-writing-guide/
