Creative writing is any form of writing that is meant to educate and entertain. It places emphasis on character development and narrative. If the work conveys not just information, but also emotions and thoughts, then it is creative in nature. For this reason, creative writing can be fictional or non-fictional.
Categories and Examples of Creative Writing
Poetry writing: Creative writing can be presented in the form of poems that can tackle real life issues or fictional characters. Since many songs are usually poetical in nature, song writing may also fall under this category.
Fictional writing: Written works such as novels, short stories, and screenplays fall under this category.
Non-fictional writing: Written works such as feature articles, personal essays, and biographies are all creatively written articles.
Creative Writing Elements
Three major elements are used in most creatively written pieces. These include setting, character, and plot. Other writing elements that can be used include theme, dialogue, point of view and style.
1. Plot
A plot of a story refers to the storyline. The flow of the story, how different events occur in relation to one another in a cause-effect manner is what the plot is all about.
Without the plot, your creative writing attempts will not achieve any emotional effect on your readers. All you will have is a collection of sentences and paragraphs that do not make any sense whatsoever.
For example, a woman who becomes a murderer and a woman whose child was killed are two different things altogether. However, if you can base your story on how a woman became a serial killer because her child was murdered, you will have the bare bones of your plot. Your work should then focus on tying everything together.
2. Character
A character refers to a person or even animal, with a personality that is important to the development of a creatively written work.
You must take the time to define characters whose personalities are consistent throughout the story. Some of the details you should add for each character include appearance, family background, mannerisms, age, belief system, speech, job description, and marital status among other things. Your characters must be multifaceted and believable to your readers.
3. Setting
The setting refers to the location in which the story takes place. It also refers to the period during which the story takes place.
The setting of a story is an important aspect of creative writing. It affects the mannerisms of the characters as well as the overall mood of the story. The plot should therefore be consistent with the setting.
If you are writing about life in the Middle Ages for example, there is no way you can write about people driving vehicles. Cars did not exist during those times. Writing otherwise will only work if an element of fantasy and time travel exists in your story.
4. Narration
Narration refers to the techniques that authors use to present the story from start to finish. It covers the point of view (1st, 2nd, 3rd person points of view), the voice, and period. It should be consistent throughout the story based on the audience you intend to reach.
5. Dialogue
Dialogue is used to refer to verbal exchanges between one or more characters. It should be consistent with the character depending on the established personality, action, and situation.
Creative writing is a skill that you should master if you want to educate and entertain readers. It provides you with the best way to communicate your thoughts and emotions.
