We all understand that creative writing is produced by creative people. We mean that people with the right kind of minds and the right interests can write interesting poems, stories and plays. Many of us enjoy reading that kind of writing, and some of us even play at writing it. We don't expect creative writing to solve real world problems.

An analytical approach to writing suggest that maybe writing does not require creativity; instead, writing is a remarkably effective way to make ourselves more creative. Words are cheap - we no longer even have to pay for paper and pens (just a tiny bit of electricity). They work when we use them correctly and sometimes, surprisingly, they work even when we use them by mistake. There is no downside risk to writing your way through a problem.

Here are five simple ways that you can use words to allow you to become more creative: to see new possibilities in existing situations; to create models that demonstrate the effects of change before they happen; and to discover common ground with others even where none existed before.

Part 2: creative writing story