Writing that is imaginative, embellished, or unconventional in its approach to its subject matter is referred to as creative writing. Academic, technical, and news writing, on the other hand, is typically dry and factual. Most people associate creative writing with fiction and poetry, but creative nonfiction is an essential and diverse form of writing that should not be overlooked. In the rest of this series, we'll go over everything there is to know about creative writing, but this post will focus on helping you understand and identify it. Many people will say that they'll recognize creative writing when they see it, but there are some more scientific ways to determine whether something is creative writing.
What Is Creative Writing?
Creative writing encompasses several different genres and styles outside of the more formal scope of technical writing or academic writing. Character development, narrative, and plot are important elements in creative writing, infusing their structure with imagination and story.
What are the Different Types of Creative Writing?
It's no surprise that there are many forms of creative writing, given that it's often experimental and innovative in nature. Let's look at some of the most common examples of this type of writing.
∙ Poetry
Poetry is one of the most diverse forms of creative writing, ranging from haikus and sonnets to sestinas, elegies, and villanelles. Many poets work within structured traditions that make specific demands in rhyme, rhythm, and subject matter, but they also have the freedom to experiment with less rigid forms like prose poetry or free verse. If you weren't aware, poetry is the most likely form to defy punctuation rules or be formatted in unusual ways, such as blackout poetry. The most important thing to remember about poetry is no rules.
∙ Fictions
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Short stories became popular in the 19th century as literary magazines became increasingly popular. Even though it is widely accepted that short stories should be under 7,000 words in length, even shorter stories (also known as flash fiction and microfiction) highlight the simplicity of this narrative even more by telling stories in as few words as possible. These stories, classified as short fiction, are all about compressing and distilling narrative intensity.
∙ Novels
The novel, which is perhaps the most commonly associated with "creative writing," is an ever-popular form that relies on prose to follow a narrative arc — and it also happens to have the most commercial power. Short novels, such as novellas and novelettes, are shorter than short stories in terms of word count and narrative scope.
∙ Screenplays and Plays
Scriptwriting is a type of creative writing that relies heavily on subtext and consists entirely of dialogue and stage directions. In other words, everything the characters don't say, the gaps that appear between what they explicitly say. Furthermore, this type of writing is intended for other storytellers (directors, actors, designers, and so on) to use and interpret in their own creative work rather than for readers. Angels in America by Tony Kushner and Phoebe Waller-Fleabag Bridge by Phoebe Waller-Fleabag Bridge are two well-known examples.
∙ Graphic Novels, Comic Books, and Graphic Narratives
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These visual modes of storytelling, which combine illustrations or visuals with text, rely heavily on dialogue to develop convincing characters, though, unlike scripts, descriptive narration is not prohibited. This category contains many illustration styles and narratives, from superheroes like Batman to YA romances like Alice Oseman's Heartstopper series.
∙ Essays About Yourself
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Personal essays are reflective, narrative-driven pieces of writing that explore a person's thoughts and feelings on a personal topic. Rather than simply recounting the writer's experiences, these essays frequently use an artifact, book, or recent news event as a springboard for expanding the scope of their narrative. These essays include travel and food writing and think pieces that rely heavily on a personal perspective.
∙ Writing Humor
Humor can be considered its own type of creative writing in addition to casually existing within other types of creative writing. In spirit, humor writing is similar to online meme-making or old-school political cartoons. It satirizes and lampoons political structures, current events, and human behavior, with the primary goal of making the reader laugh. These days, this type of writing can be found on humor websites or in popular magazines' humor sections, such as The New Yorker's 'Daily Humor.'
How to Begin a Creative Writing Project?
Start looking into the techniques needed to write creatively once you've decided which type of creative writing you want to pursue. While there are no hard and fast rules, most creative works include at least some of the following elements:
1. Read, Read, and Read Some More
When you don't have any references to draw from, it's much more difficult to master creative writing. Throughout history, famous creative writers have written excellent examples of well-written creative work that aspiring creative writers should read. Read well-known works by great writers in various genres to get a sense of your potential interests.
2. Write All the Time
Don't dismiss the random thoughts that come to mind. Even bad ideas can inspire good ones, and you never know what will spark an idea for something better later. Keep a notepad handy or download a notes app to jot down or record any content that comes to mind—it might come in handy unexpectedly.
3. Have a Distinct Point of View
A story, message, or lesson is frequently shared in fiction writing. A story without a driving force will feel flat, and your audience will be unsure of what your story is about or why they should care. Tell a story that resonates with your audience and connects with them in a way that leaves a lasting impression using your own unique voice.
4. Make Use of Literary Devices
Literary devices aid in vivid writing and imaginative scenes, both of which are essential components of good writing. Metaphors, similes, and other figures of speech conjure up powerful images that can inspire creativity and paint vivid pictures. Alliteration, consonance, and assonance can help your words sound and flow better.
5. Be Aware of Your Target Market
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Is this a story for your creative writing classmates only? Or are you a young adult author trying to break into the academic market? Knowing your audience can help you narrow down the tone and scope of your writing in a way that appeals to your target audience.
6. Get Started Writing
This is especially important for new creative writers. Many beginners are intimidated or embarrassed by their creative work and the places where their imagination leads them. You can improve your writing skills and become a better writer in no time by using free writing, creative writing exercises, writing prompts, and practice.
7. Be Open to Rewriting
Rarely does a writer get it right on the first draught? You may have some content flexibility, but don't be afraid to cut out the fluff, eliminate what doesn't work, or, in some cases, start from scratch. Storytelling and worldbuilding take a lot of time and thought, and the only way to get a version that works is to rewrite it.
8. Consider Attending a Writing Workshop
Writing classes introduce you to a community of writers who can help you with your creative writing process by providing feedback and constructive criticism on various aspects of your writing, such as the story, main characters, setting, and word choice. Writing groups can provide helpful suggestions or inspiration whether you're writing your first book or are an experienced writer suffering from writer's block.
Showcase your Creative Writing Skills with Strikingly
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Simple Blog is a feature on Strikingly that allows you to easily create, edit, and publish blog posts to your Strikingly website. We've listened to your feedback over the years and have been hard at work translating Strikingly's simplicity into a blogging experience.
Simple Blog is a clutter-free blogging platform that lets you focus on what matters most: sharing your stories, showcasing your creative writing tips, and strengthening your relationship with your audience. You can include images, videos, call-to-action buttons and quotes in your inline media. The blog editor's drag and drop functionality also makes it simple to rearrange your content. Each blog post page will feature a large, attractive cover image and a simple layout to facilitate editing and reading. The blog manager has a simple interface that lets you customize the appearance of your blog posts in your new blog section. Strikingly has gone to great lengths to make the blogging experience for new bloggers as simple as possible. For experienced bloggers, Simple Blog also includes social sharing, a commenting system, and search engine optimization features.
Conclusion
For newcomers to creative writing, it can be intimidating. You know you have good creative writing tips, but putting them on paper seems like an impossible task. You can become a creative writer by scheduling time to write every day, brainstorming ideas, and not striving for perfection at first, all while taking advantage of writing exercises and classes.
