Projects
This page is a curated collection of well-written, step-by-step guides for learning Creative Writing through hands-on, project-based practice.
What I cannot create, I do not understand — Richard Feynman.
These projects are meant to support learning throughout the curriculum, not only at the end.
By building, writing, creating, or reconstructing real artifacts in the field, learners develop practical understanding alongside theoretical study.
Tutorials
- Short Story
- Novel
- Poem
- Screenplay
- Stage Play
- Memoir
- Personal Essay
- Flash Fiction
- Novella
- Graphic Narrative
- Song Lyrics
- Experimental Fiction
- Hybrid Form
- Literary Nonfiction
- Epistolary Work
Tutorials
Write your own short story
- How to Write a Short Story in 8 Simple Steps (Reedsy guide)
- How to Write a Short Story: 9 Proven Steps (Jerry Jenkins tutorial)
- How to Write a Short Story (LitReactor walkthrough)
Write your own novel
- How to Write a Novel: A Bestselling Author's Guide (Reedsy step-by-step)
- The Snowflake Method For Designing A Novel (Randy Ingermanson multi-step method)
- How to Write a Novel: My Proven 12-Step Process (Jerry Jenkins guide)
Compose your own poem
- How to Write a Poem: A Step-by-Step Guide (Grammarly tutorial)
- How to Write a Poem (The Creative Independent guide)
- How To Write A Poem: A Step By Step Guide (Jericho Writers walkthrough)
Write your own screenplay
- How to Write a Screenplay: The Complete Guide (Final Draft guide)
- How to Write a Screenplay (StudioBinder step-by-step)
- How to Write a Script (Step-By-Step Guide) (Boords tutorial)
Write your own stage play
- How to Write a Play in 9 Steps (MasterClass guide)
- How To Write A Stage Play (JotterPad walkthrough)
Write your own memoir
- How to Write a Memoir: Examples and a Step-by-Step Guide (Writers.com 7-step guide)
- How to Write Your Memoir with Fun, Easy Lists (Jane Friedman process)
- Crafting your memoir: a guide to storytelling, reflection and connection (NCW steps)
Write your own personal essay
- How to Write a Personal Essay: 6 Tips for Writing Personal Essays (MasterClass guide) — provides clear procedural tips and structure for crafting personal essays
- Crafting the Personal Essay: A Guide for Writing and Publishing Creative Non-Fiction (book by Dinty W. Moore) — offers practical methods and examples for essay construction
Write your own flash fiction
- Writing Flash Fiction: A Complete Guide (Jericho Writers tutorial) — explains essential elements and techniques for concise storytelling
- For Your Flash-Writing Toolkit: Six Writers Offer Advice (New Flash Fiction Review) — craft insights and revision strategies from practitioners
Write your own novella
- How to Write a Novella: 7 Tips From an Expert (Reedsy guide) — focused advice on conflict, character, and scope suitable for novella length
- Novella Writing - A Quick & Complete Guide for Writers (EA Deverell resource) — covers types, plotting, pacing, and adaptation processes
Create your own graphic narrative
- How to Write a Graphic Novel in 8 Action-Packed Steps (Reedsy guide) — outlines scripting, collaboration, and visual storytelling workflow
- Design and Create a Graphic Novel: 5 Steps (Instructables tutorial) — hands-on steps from brainstorming to digital creation
Write your own song lyrics
- How to Write Song Lyrics: An Expert's Simple 9 Step Guide (American Songwriter) — step-oriented process emphasizing practice and structure
- How to Write Song Lyrics (Berklee Online) — foundational tips on intent, form, and revision
Create your own experimental fiction
- 6 Tips for Writing Experimental Fiction (Unsolicited Manuscript) — practical techniques for form play and anchoring innovation
- Experimental Writing: A Writer's Guide and Anthology (book) — explores methods and practices across genres with examples
Create your own hybrid form
- The Lab: Experiments in Writing Across Genre (book with exercises) — prompts and guidance for blending fiction, memoir, and poetry
- Using Hybrid Genres in Your Writing (Writing Cooperative article) — strategies for balancing narrative with form experimentation
Write your own literary nonfiction
- A Complete Guide to Writing Creative Nonfiction (MasterClass) — techniques for narrative truth, perspective, and literary devices
- To Show and to Tell: The Craft of Literary Nonfiction (book by Phillip Lopate) — essays modeling craft and process in the genre
Write your own epistolary work
- A Beginner's Guide to Epistolary Writing (Mythcreants) — advice on structure, voice, and narrative flow in document form
- How to Write an Epistolary Novel (MasterClass guide) — tips on form choices, realism, and storytelling through letters/documents
Final Project
This culminating phase synthesizes all prior learning through a major independent project. It demonstrates mastery and prepares for real-world application, such as submission to journals or agents.
| Subject | Why study? | Book | Online Course |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capstone Project Development | Guides the creation of a substantial work (e.g., novel draft, poetry collection, screenplay) with emphasis on planning, execution, and synthesis of skills. | The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles |
Project Options (aligned with tracks):
- Fiction: 50–100 page novel excerpt or short story collection.
- Poetry: 20–30 poem chapbook.
- Screenwriting: Full-length screenplay (90–120 pages).
- Literary Translation: Translated work (e.g., short story or poem series) with commentary.
- Hybrid: Portfolio blending genres, if no single track chosen.