Play this game alone or with a few other people. Write down words associated with a given topic of firsts in your life. For example, write about memories of your first high school prom. Encourage everyone to dig deep and not just recall what kind of outfit they wore or who was their date. Since creative writing involves being open about your feelings, write down all of the words or phrases that bring back that evening for you. Even if you didn't go to prom, write down your emotions about feeling left out or not caring about those kinds of school events. Spontaneous word association in this activity helps improve writing creatively on a global scale.
Playing Aftermath is most effective with a group of three or more. Start out by coming up with a character as a group, then write the character's name on the top of a piece of paper and fold the page down just to cover it. Pass the paper to the next person and have her write the word "met" and then the name of someone the character encountered. She will fold the top of the page down and pass it to the next writer, who dictates the word "at" and the place where the characters met. Fold the paper down after each person contributes. The activity continues once the story has passed around the circle, finishing a conversation of "He said" and "She said." At the end, the entire group comes up with a funny or endearing aftermath or conclusion. Read the whole story with the group to share what you created together. This word game helps spur imagination as members of the exercise play off each other to come up with an emotional culmination. It helps advance your creativity by anticipating another writer's answer.
Creative writing often involves expanding on your true feelings and emotions. Look for crosswords that involve psychological terms to give yourself a more extensive arsenal of sentimental expressions. An alternative to looking for such crosswords is to make up your own. List a series of common emotions you feel, then create your own puzzle and give it to another creative writer for her to complete.
Gather one or two fellow writers and play a classic round of hangman to improve your creative writing skills. Instruct everyone to use emotional words as their terms when it's their turn. It helps to improve your imagination as you get out of your own head and discover the expressive words others commonly use as well.