Creative writing, also known as creative non-fiction, is any writing which goes beyond the boundaries of ordinary professional, editorial, academic, or journalistic forms of writing, usually marked by a strong emphasis on story craft, narrative development, and the use of different genres or literary norms of poetry or prose. Creative writing can be described in many ways, but often they fall into three main categories, each more appropriate for certain types of work. One of the best places to begin when learning about creative writing is by understanding what it is and how it works.
In the traditional form, which we all know, the writer is essentially the character who is the narrator and the story’s point of view. Sometimes though, this is not enough. The writer has to have the skill to evoke emotion and create a scene, place, or object that will make an impression upon the reader.
Novel writing, or “how you think you are seeing the world” as James Joyce called it, is the art of writing from within, writing about and through experiences and events which you already know about, in and of themselves. You might write about the love between you and your mother; you might write about your childhood, but you might also write about your own childhood and the experiences of your youth. In this form of writing, it is important that you allow yourself to become a part of your characters’ experience, to let your own personality shine through. In order to do this, you need to have at least some idea of the character’s thoughts and feelings.
Journalistic writing, sometimes referred to as reporting or writing in the third person, is often characterized by its lack of emotional involvement. Most journalists write in the first person and give their readers only the facts. Their goal is to provide information that readers will want to know, but that they cannot know for themselves. They may provide factual information, but they are almost always using a source outside of the story itself as a means of explaining something else.
Fiction writing, also sometimes referred to as the “storytelling” what you know” genre, is the art of creating stories that don’t necessarily follow a plot, but which tell the reader the whole story in a way that allows the reader to experience a feeling of a life lived in the story. It can also be described as “fiction” because the writer tells the story as if it’s a poem or book instead of a work of literature. or a film.
Poetry writing, or “poetry” is a kind of writing that has its origins in the first person and that uses language as the main point of distinction. As such, it tends to be less “narrative” in nature and focuses on the creation of beauty.
Novel writing, although the most difficult form of writing, is often considered the most rewarding. For some writers it is considered the art of crafting a “good novel,” but in fact, there are many examples of extremely poor novels and books. These are often called bad novels because they lack the ability of the first or second type of writing to provide true emotional impact. The writer of a good, if not perfect, book has to be able to draw the reader in so that they feel like they are in the story; to feel that the writer cares and is part of the story. This creates the ultimate sense of connection, one that cannot be created by writing in other forms.
Many people think that creative writing, by definition, means “creative” and not “literary.” That is not necessarily true, however, because a lot of truly “literary” work is indeed “creative.” A work of art or a story, for instance, by Picasso is considered “literary” simply because it has the ability to communicate to us in an artistic fashion the emotions of an emotion. A book written by Shakespeare is considered “literary” simply because it conveys the message of what we think or feel. In short, the creativity and quality of any work of art and the quality of any work of literature is based largely on the creative spirit of the creator of the work.