What is creative writing? 7 vital tips for you!

🗔October 16, 2021
🖉Ipsha Mohanty
🗁
- Content Writing

To get the answer to the question, “What is creative writing?” is not facile. Why? Because it encompasses many types of writing. However, few examples and some relevant tips can lead you to be a great content writer ahead. Creative writing, also known as “creating stuff up,” is an important element of the modern community.

Your visit to this blog makes me understand that you are willing to know more about this art of writing and therefore aspire to excel in the craft. We are here to help you out with what is creative writing guide covering all the necessary pointers. By the end of this blog, you will have clarity on what is it all about, types, tips, and few examples.

Creative writing is one of those skills that you can always improve at, but that you often stun at when you first start. Now, we’re not suggesting your writing is poor; rather, if you want to advance in this industry, you’ll need to put in some effort, as literature is more competitive now than it has ever been.

What is creative writing?

The term “creative” can be interpreted in a variety of ways. Take a look at a handful of the many:

The definition of creative- ‘ describing or explaining things in unusual ways, ‘involving imagination to create something, ‘being innovative’, ‘distinguished by uniqueness and expressiveness’.

Creative writing is where creativity is at the forefront. Anything that expresses thoughts, sentiments, or emotions rather than merely conveying information is considered creative writing. It emphasizes character development, narrative, and storyline while infusing its framework with imagination and tale.

This form of writing is very different from academic and technical writing. This art of writing can often be precisely considered as self-expressive and thoughtful. With creative writing, you are free to put across your imagination and thoughts.

The goal of creative writing is to entertain rather than to educate. Its intent is to elicit a response through arousing emotions.

reedsyblog has written a very descreptive blog on Creative Writing 101: Everything You Need to Know

Categories of creative writing

To discover more about what creative writing is, let’s go over the categories that fit under it and those that don’t.

Poetry
Plays
Epics
Novels
Screenplays
Speeches
Songs
Fiction writing(short stories, novel, and novella)
Memoirs
Television scripts
Memoirs

You must be wondering, why did I include personal essays, memoirs, and speeches in this category? You want your audience to connect with you when you write an essay, memoir, or speech.

Personal experiences, thoughts, and imagination are the only things that can accomplish this. Since these sorts are written in the first person, you have complete freedom to express your imagination and life experiences.

Forms of creative writing

Having a basic knowledge of what is the art all about and its categories, we are done with the basics. Now let’s get a little deeper into the fundamentals and be familiar with some creative writing jobs.

Creative writing can take numerous forms and is available to a wide range of writers. Some writers paddle in this field throughout their high school years, while others enroll in creative writing classes to gain certificates. Some people do it as leisure, while others do it to the brim.

Fiction writing- Writing fiction can provide a writer a lot of leeway in terms of creating an original plot full of relatable and three-dimensional fictitious characters.

Creative nonfiction writing- Memoirs and personal essays, for example, use more emotion and place a greater emphasis on plot and tone than more standard nonfiction subgenres.

Screenwriting- To tell a tale, screenwriting knits a storyline into its units of actions and conversation material, setting up entire scenes and frequently adhering to a three-act framework.

Playwriting- Playwriting is a type of creative writing intended to be played on stage in real-time. Plays can be one-act plays or multi-act operas.

Poetry writing- Poetry is a form of language written in a rhythmic pattern that expresses concepts musically. It is possible to write or perform it. It might be a single verse or a collection of verses.

Examples of creative writing

Innovative writing is nothing but a form of entertainment. Want to be more precise on what is creative writing? Glance through the examples below.

Short story example

In order to write a great short story, you need to be all creative throughout. Short stories are restricted and therefore your way of conveying thoughts and emotions needs to be creative and on point.

Short stories can be of any genre, namely: funny, horror, mysterious, historical, etc.

Some notable short stories examples include:

The Gift Of The Magi by O’ Henry
The Garden Of Paradise by Hans Christian Anderson
The Dead by James Joyce
The Veldt by Ray Bradbury
Corduroy by Don Freeman

Read our blogs on What is story writing | 7 useful tips for writing a story

Poetry example

Poems are excellent instances of imaginative writing. They’re virtually entirely emotional and imaginative, in fact.

Rhyming lines and meter, the rhythm and emphasis of a line based on syllabic beats, can be used to structure poetry. Poems can also be freeform, meaning they don’t have a set framework.

Some recommended poems you must read to understand poetry writing are:

The Red Wheelbarrow by William Carlos Williams
The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost
One Art by Elizabeth Bishop
Middle Passage by Robert Hayden
Still I Rise by Maya Angelou

Novels

Novels are unquestionably inventive. Readers enjoy diving into new worlds established in novels, whether they be fantasy or realistic.

Any library, book store, or even a yard sale will provide you with a plethora of novel instances to evaluate. Just like short stories, novels can be of any genre, namely- romance, thriller, crime, revenge, etc.

Here are few examples of novels you should add to your to-be-read list:

The Next Always by Nora Roberts
A second chance by Ellen Wolf
One arranged murder by Chetan Bhagat
The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena
The Unloved by John Saul

Read our blogs on Master novel writing and convey a great story in 2022

Creative writing prompts

To become a writer the most beneficial advice is that if you want to write, write. However, it’s easier said than done, especially when you are not in practice.

The majority of aspiring writers assume that only good literature and fluency in the language can make them great writers. It’s a myth. It’s time you break your illusion bubble and face reality.

Good literature and creativity are important, but alongside, practice will make you better every day. There’s no better option than creative writing prompts that can help you polish your creative writing skills.

Here’s a list of a few writing prompts you can choose from and start practicing daily for at least an hour. There’s no one to judge, therefore write, write and just write using these creative writing prompts.

Set your story at a TV reality show
Writer about a scene in which a character gets abducted
Write about a couple who fall out of love after a long tenure of relationship
A scene depicting eye contact
A short story with the moral- everything we see isn’t true
Begin a story with…. ‘Only if she knew what is awaiting’
Missed connections
Overwrite a character’s daily routine
Depict a burning house scene with 2 inmates inside
Write a story about the environment in a railway station

Read our blogs on What is Writing Prompt ? 20 easy examples you would love!

Essential tips to follow for every creative writer

If you find yourself biting your pen and staring at a blank sheet of paper or staring at a barren laptop screen, try a quick exercise to jumpstart your writing. Don’t think about it too much… simply get started without worrying about the quality of your work.

Here are a few tips and techniques you can use while you start writing and they might help!

Read as much as you can

Be it any genre, read! In fact, reading different types of genres will spark ideas in your mind. Ultimately, this will help you in your writing. The problem of where to start can be easily resolved.

Stick to writing always

Don’t let random ideas that pop into your mind be a waste. Prepare yourself with a notebook for ideas or a notes app on your phone. Later, when you go through these good or bad ideas, you might come out with the best.

Build your POV

Tell a story that engages the audience and connects with them in a way that creates a lasting impression using your own distinctive voice.

Work when your mind is active

We are humans and not machines. It’s just not possible that our minds can be active throughout the day. Therefore, what we suggest is, work at that time of the day when your mind is most active and creative. Whether it is the day, midday, or late night, analyze and get your work right!

Don’t fret it if it’s not perfect

You have an idea, sit and start writing. No editing, no judgments, just write. After you’ve finished the first draft, step away from it for a few days and return with a fresh perspective and a red pen or a grammar checker. If not on your own, take a second opinion.

Proofread and Read it out loud

It’s still not time to revise after you’ve gotten everything out. Read your idea aloud to get a sense of how it sounds. See which scenes pique your interest. Keep in mind which lines of dialogue are very effective.

Imagination is the key to creative writing however you need to rectify the loopholes and edit your writeup to make it a masterpiece.

Read our blog on proofreading here What is proofreading- Focused 15 min read to succeed

Try creative writing classes

Some of you might have by now understood what is creative writing

Conclusion

To summarize, we covered all the necessary points namely, what is creative writing, types, and few tips you can implement in order to achieve excellence in the craft. Since being creative and pretending is a part of being human, a narrative can emerge from almost anything. Think, write and create!