1. How to Apply Creative
Writing Techniques to
Your Business

2. Everybody’s got a story to tell. In fact, there’s an
old saying that everyone has at least one book in
them itching to get out (yes, that means you).
Nowhere is this more apparent than in the
world of business, especially when it comes to
entrepreneurs, freelancers, and small business
owners. The key to their success lies in writing
their own story and hoping for the happiest of
endings.
Even if you aren’t a creative writer, there are
things you can do that can help you find success
when it comes to crafting a business strategy,
creating great produces, and making hiring
decisions. Here are a few ways you can use
creative writing techniques to create a stronger,
better business.
2 | How to Apply Creative Writing Techniques to Your Business
Creative Writing Techniques

3. Big ideas are the keys to a company’s success. Whether
you’re a team of creatives looking to craft a marketing
campaign, or a wedding planning trying to figure out how
to seat 200 people in a 300 capacity room, you need to
think outside the box to impress and dazzle your clients.
Thinking like a creative writer can help you solve problems
and find interesting solutions. Writers hit roadblocks all the
time, and they sometimes get around them through various
writing exercises.
One of the most popular writing exercises is free writing.
It’s where you sit down with a pen and paper, or at your
laptop, and just write for a set amount of time. That’s it. It’s
obviously most helpful if you use your problem as a starting
off point, but from there on out, there are no rules.
Using Creative Writing Prompts
to Kick Off a Brainstorm
3 | How to Apply Creative Writing Techniques to Your Business

4. So for instance, if you’re an art director looking to come
up with a big idea for a travel campaign, start writing
about your feelings on travel. What’s the best hotel you
ever stayed at? How does it feel to be on an airplane?
What do you do while traveling that you don’t do any other
time in your life? Writing about these things that feel only
tangentially related can almost always unlock big ideas
and bring about creative solutions.
Using Creative Writing Prompts
to Kick Off a Brainstorm
4 | How to Apply Creative Writing Techniques to Your Business

5. Novelists know the importance of crafting strong
characters. After all, that’s what people fall in love
with when they read a novel or short story. They’re
generally likeable, have easily recognizable voices and
personalities, and make the audience root for them.
There are so many characters to take into consideration
when you’re an entrepreneur or running a small business.
For instance, you need to establish a brand voice and
personality that will endear you to your customers. You
need to ask yourself questions like: How will my brand talk
to people? What is my brand’s personality? What does my
brand look like? What kind of journey do I want to take my
customers on? The answer to these questions will define
so much about your brand or business, from the look of its
logo, to the tone of your overall marketing messaging.
Everyone (and Everything)
is a Character
5 | How to Apply Creative Writing Techniques to Your Business

6. Everyone (and Everything)
is a Character
6 | How to Apply Creative Writing Techniques to Your Business
If you’re a small business owner, don’t forget that your
employees and prospective employees are characters,
too. You need to be able to read their personalities,
moods, and backgrounds in order to decide how they
fit in with your overall vision. You need to be aware that
the young, hungry college student working at reception
wants to someday become a copywriter; and that the
recent applicant who had nothing but negative things to
say about how past boss and clients is probably not the
best fit for that open position you have.

7. Writers find inspiration and growth through reading.
And the world of literary has classic books - Catcher in
the Rye, Moby Dick, Great Expectations, The Bell Jar -
that make up a foundation that everyone needs to be
aware of.
Similarly, the world of business has books that definite
it and are touchstones of many people in your industry.
Seek these books out, read them, and see how they’ve
informed your industry. Even if the books are outdated, it’s
still important to read them to see your industry’s journey
and be aware of what came before you. Also, be sure to ask
people you respect in your industry what they’re reading
and what books changed their perception of the way
they do work. Almost everyone you meet can recommend
at least one or two books that will apply to what you do
at work.
Writer Read, and You Should, Too
7 | How to Apply Creative Writing Techniques to Your Business

8. Ernest Hemingway, Virginia Woolf,
and Stephen King are all great
writers, but like all great writers they
have a key person who helps them
make great art. This person is their
editor.
In the world of literature, everyone
needs an editor. An editor might be an
early reader who tells you what about a
story is or isn’t working, or they can be
an advocate that helps sell your idea to
other people. In the world of business,
having someone who can act as your
“editor” is crucial.
In the world of business, an “editor”
might be very much like a book editor.
They might read presentations or
emails and give you feedback on what
is and isn’t working. But an editor
might also be a trusted person in
your office that helps you guide your
overall vision. Maybe you’re trying to
think of a new marketing campaign, or
a new product feature that you hope
will attract new customers. Having
someone close to you that will listen
to your ideas and give constructive
feedback is crucial.
And remember, everybody needs an
editor! It doesn’t matter how much of a
genius you are, literary or otherwise, a
fresh perspective can help you harness
your vision and bring it to the masses.
Everybody Needs an Editor
8 | How to Apply Creative Writing Techniques to Your Business

9. Keep Writing
9 | How to Apply Creative Writing Techniques to Your Business
Successful writers become
successful by never giving
up. They all started out as
amateurs in need of growth,
but eventually their hard
work and dedication results
in a book or short story,
sometimes even one that
makes a bit of money.
As a small business owner
or entrepreneur, you have to
do the same thing. Keeping
working at your story and never
let it out of your sight. It may be
a work in progress for a months,
or even years, but when it’s
done, it lives on forever.
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