What is Creative Writing and how is it used?

 

Any writing that goes outside the bounds of normal professional, journalistic, academic, or technical forms of literature, is creative writing. Typically, this type of writing puts emphasis on narrative craft and can be identified through the use of character development, literary tropes or various traditions of poetry and poetics. It can be found pretty much everywhere:

• Fiction (of every genre, from sci-fi to historical dramas to romances)
• Film and television scripts
• Songs
• Poetry
• Plays
• Vignettes

But creative writing doesn’t have to be limited to fictitious content. It can also include:

• Personal essays
• Memoirs
• Journals and diaries
• Letters

As can be seen from this list, both fictional and non-fictional works fall into this category, including such forms as novels, biographies, short stories, and poems. Most people are misguided by the word ‘creative’, thinking that the writing needs to have some fabulous, fantastical story with unicorns and in-depth description of the scenery, but really, it just requires a bit of storytelling through more imaginative techniques. The purpose is to express something, whether it be feelings, thoughts, or emotions.

 

 

Techniques used in Creative Writing

 

• Dialogue – including conversations between characters can help bring them to life, while also moving the plot along without relying solely on the narrator.
• Metaphors and Similies – writers can choose to pack their prose with imaginative language, offering the reader vivid descriptions to evoke emotion. This is typical in many forms of creative writing, and it is often achieved through literary devices, like similes and metaphors.
• Point of View – deciding what point of view the story is told on is an essential step, as it determines the story’s voice.
• Anecdotes – small stories within the big story. When used in creative writing, they offer readers a chance to learn more about a character without simply stating it directly. They can be used to evoke empathy, to entertain, to teach a lesson, or simply to reveal other dimensions of a character.

 

Example

 

Here, I have taken a poem written by e.h, a very well-known poet, especially on creative platforms like Pinterest and Instagram. I think that this is an excellent example of creative writing because of the theme of mankind and nature, and the imagery that is painted through the metaphors used.

 

 

How it can be Applied

 

Creative writing is a versatile technique of storytelling, and I have already begun to use it for my fantasy brief. To explain my idea, I have gone into depth, writing about the fantasy world in which the story takes place, the characters, their emotions and story. I think writing creatively is the best option in this case, in order to communicate what kind of people my characters are and to really paint a picture about the world and the creatures living in it. Creative writing helps to describe, with the added purpose of evoking emotion, and it is perfect for telling a story, especially fictional, that resonates with the reader. I will also be using it in my character profiles, in order to illustrate their personalities and reactions to parts of the story and their lives. I think that this method is beautiful and far more interesting to read and I include it whenever I can into my writing.