I am going to focus on creative fiction (mainly short stories and novels) for this post, but poetry, (auto)biography, and creative nonfiction are all other forms of creative writing. Creative writing is an expressive form of literature; it requires that you draw upon your own creativity, imagination, and stories in order to depict a specific message, emotion, or storyline. Creative writing is any writing which goes beyond the boundaries of normal professional, journalistic, scholarly, or technical forms of literature, usually identified with a focus on narrative craft, character development, and use of literary tropes, or with different traditions of poetry and poetry. Typically, it can be identified by an emphasis on narrative craft, with a focus on elements like character development, narration, and plot, imbuing its structure with imagination, invention, and narrative.
In this sense, creative writing technically could be considered any contemporary, original piece of composition–it is bound by no standard conventions, and employs an extensive array of elements in its craft. Creative writing is the writing style in which creativity is the focus, using imagination, invention, and innovation in order to tell a story with powerful written imagery that has emotional impact, such as poetry, short-story writing, novel writing, etc. Other elements of creative writing include dialogue, which fiction writers frequently explore in order to develop their characters and to probe for valuable information within a storyline. Creative writing uses sensory inputs and emotions in order to build strong imagery in the readers mind, while other forms of writing usually leave the reader with facts and information alone, rather than an emotional intrigue.
Whether tension comes from a coming realization or comes in the form of cliffhanger when a criminals criminal identity is about to be revealed, having tension means that a writer has managed to write something that has a high stakes, with the reader feeling invested either emotionally or intellectually.
Even if you are writing in first-person (he or she, not i), most readers expect that you are sticking with the feelings and thoughts of a single character — do not suddenly let us into another characters head. While you can certainly creatively write a book using the second-person perspective (which I cover below), you will still need to develop characters in order to tell a story. You could write the same topic differently, but a creative writer would take advantage of poetic license and narrative tools in order to make a story come alive.
Creative nonfiction writers strive for accuracy of facts, but also employ creative writing techniques to flesh out the story and make it more engaging to readers. Because of the leniency of the definition, writing like a short story can be considered creative writing, although they are classified under the category of journalistic fiction, since a stories content is devoted primarily to narrative and character development. More importantly, a screenplay is written, not for a reader, but for other narrative artists (directors, actors, designers, and so forth) to use and play off of other storytellers creative works (directors).
Looking at the shape of something, for instance, is generally a stronger indicator, but paying attention to storytelling elements such as narration, point of view, and characters may also indicate something falls within a creators own creative sphere. In narrative-based fiction (including literary fiction, film, graphic novels, creative nonfiction, and many video games), a subject is a central means by which a piece of writing conveys itself. Perhaps the main one that people associate with creative writing, the novel is a perennially popular form based on following a narrative arc using prose – it also happens to be the one that has the greatest market power.
Thoughtful, reflective pieces of writing that usually follow a narrative arc, personal essays explore an individuals thoughts and feelings about personal issues. Diaries and journals provide another personal outlet for creative expression, as individuals record their insights into events in their lives.
The purpose of this activity is to help you cultivate your ability to write meaning, not just meaning, but being creative and unique. This writing exercise really helps you to think creatively about what most of the world knows.
I will talk about that truth more fully in just a little while, but any writer needs a few writing tips that can get them better. I read lots of websites and blogs written by authors, and they provide some true (sometimes hard) insights on what it is like to write professionally.
Your job is to rewrite those experiences as uniquely as possible, using imagery that you would not typically see written down. Of course, that does not require that you write a story of an entirely fantasy, mythical world featuring unique creatures — just use your creative mind to think slightly outside of the box and give things a unique spin; using literary devices such as metaphors, alliteration, and different sentence structures to make your piece unique and exciting.
Paul Vitti and LaBrant…[say] creative writing is composing of any kind of writing, any time, principally to serve needs such as the need for recording meaningful experiences, the need for sharing experiences with a concerned group, and the need for a kind of individual free expression which promotes mental and physical health. Blogs–Blogs themselves are not literary genres–are platforms which enable writers to share various types of creative work–poetry, short stories, or multi-media projects combining words and images–with audiences online. Creative writing expresses the authors unique voice, style, thoughts, and ideas in a compelling, imaginative way, says Christopher Sullivan, MFA, adjunct professor at Southern New Hampshire Universitys (SNHU) Creative Writing & English Program. Creative Writing & English Program at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU).