CREATIVE WRITING?

What is creative writing?

 Creative writing, as the name implies, is a type of writing that deviates from the norms of conventional, professional, academic, or technical writing.

Instead, it comprises a variety of genres and styles seen in both fiction and nonfiction writing, including storytelling, playwriting, poetry, prose, journalism, and more.

Though the term can be a little hazy, creative writing is generally defined as any sort of writing that is unique and self-expression. A concentration on narrative craft, focusing on elements such as character development, narrative, and plot, infusing its framework with imagination, invention, and tale, is typically recognizable.

In this sense, creative writing can be defined as any work of modern, original composition that is free of established conventions and employs a wide range of techniques.

In an academic setting, creative writing classes are usually divided into fiction, poetry, or scriptwriting, with an emphasis on writing in an original style that is not defined by pre-existing structures and genres.

What are the different types of creative writing?

Creative writing comes in many forms, encompassing a number of genres and styles. There are lots of different types of creative writing, which can be categorized as fiction or non-fiction. Some of the most popular are:

-Biographies 

-Fiction: novels, novellas, short stories, etc. 

-Speeches

-Poetry and spoken word

-Playwriting/scriptwriting

-Personal essays

-Speeches

What makes a good piece of creative writing?

Know your audience – All great stories begin with a target audience in mind – because it’s exactly what you need to know in order to really tailor your writing and connect with them. Therefore, any creative writer should begin their writing by plotting out exactly who they want to read their work. Once you have this in mind, your writing will naturally begin to take direction and flow in a way that seems appropriate to your audience.

Write what you know – Quite often, the best stories are those which we can connect to and relate in one or another way to our own lives. Or, they’re stories that seem so authentic that you could imagine it to be about the writer’s own life. Now, this doesn’t mean that you quite literally have to write about your life but drawing on the knowledge you have about different elements of our lives to give your story some authenticity and more believability.

Creativity is key – Creativity is one of the most important elements of creative writing. It’s what sets you apart from other pieces of writing in your genre. Of course, this doesn’t demand that you write a tale about a totally fantastical and mythical world with unique creatures – but simply use your creativity to think a little outside the box and put a unique twist on things; using literary devices like metaphors, alliteration, and varied sentence structure to make your work unique and interesting.

Push your imagination – One of the great things about creative writing is that there is no definition or rules on ‘how’ to write. It’s a much more subjective genre and one which relies heavily on your own interpretations. Therefore, you should push your imagination to the limits to see what the end result could be. Some of the most interesting pieces of literature are thought-provoking or make us question the writing or world around us – where could your story take us?

Plot a loose story arc – Despite the loose bounds of creative writing, it is still advisable to plot a loose story arc for any piece of literature you create. Story arcs are critical at giving your writing direction and purpose, helping you to write the whole piece at a good pace, without writing any superfluous content or ‘waffle.’ Follow your story arc, and your writing will have a strong structure, pace, and direction – keeping your readers more engaged.