Creative writing is something which has always been a hobby of mine. When I was younger, I would write short stories and poems to entertain myself. When I got a bit older, I began to realise the value of my writing and decided to make it my full-time job. Over the years, I have developed a broad knowledge of creative writing and can now teach others about the subject.
Creative writing can take many forms and can include a variety of skills such as researching, plotting, and drafting. It can also include a significant amount of editing and polishing before publication. Because of this, it is very important that you understand what types of creative writing there are and what skills you need to become a successful writer.
Narrative
Narrative creative writing is probably the most popular and most recognised type of creative writing. Essentially, a narrative is a story which you are telling in the third person. This can also be referred to as ‘storytelling’ or ‘narrativism’.
Usually, a narrative will include a dramatic story arc which follows a consistent pattern. This pattern can either be straightforward and follow the ‘rules’ of classical storytelling or it can be complex and follow the ‘rules’ of modern narrative. The important thing to remember about a narrative is that it is focused on telling a story rather than expressing your opinions or presenting information – as in an informative article. For this reason, narrative writing is a great choice for new writers as it provides them with valuable experience in an area where they can improve a lot.
The first step to becoming a successful writer of narratives is to develop a deep understanding of what makes a story interesting. This can be more difficult than it seems because there are unlimited ways to tell a story and most of them are interesting – it just depends on the reader. An easy way to improve your storytelling skills is to watch good storytellers in action. You can also attend storytelling events in person or online and listen to other people’s stories.
Personal Essay
An important type of creative writing to understand is the personal essay. An essay is a piece of writing which explores a single topic in-depth. Personal essays can be written for a variety of purposes including school, university, and work. However, they are most often used for a more individual purpose – to express your thoughts and feelings on a particular topic.
In order to be considered a personal essay, an area of study must be included along with the exploration of that area. For example, if you were writing about your experiences as a gay man in London, you would need to include both London and being gay as separate focuses within your essay. This is a crucial part of defining a personal essay as it means that you are responsible for ensuring that your reader is completely immersed in your thoughts. You cannot write a successful essay about something you did not think about in-depth first.
A good personal essay is detailed, well-researched, and well-written. You should develop the skill to be able to write a good personal essay in your own words and not simply copy the thoughts of others. The most important thing to keep in mind is that a personal essay is about you and your experience so make sure that you include enough content about yourself. This will make your essay personal and more importantly, unique to you as a writer.
Creative Nonfiction
Creative nonfiction is a type of writing which combines facts with fiction. In other words, you are telling an ‘improbable story’ based on real events. Creative nonfiction can use real events as inspiration for an imaginative story but you are not presenting it as fact.
For example, you may want to write about how your summer internship led you to re-assess your life-long career plans. In this case, you would want to include details about your internship such as when it happened and what you did. You would also want to present a story arc which follows a logical pattern and is internally consistent. When writing creative nonfiction, it is very important to remember that your readers will be primarily interested in how you came up with the ideas for your story rather than just the story itself.
The first step to creating a successful piece of creative nonfiction is to develop a clear idea of what you are trying to achieve. You need to have a clear purpose for your story other than just using real events as a jumping off point for an imaginative narrative.
Dramatic
Dramatic creative writing is similar to narrative creative writing in the sense that it is focused on creating a story. However, the main difference is that the events of the story will be presented in a way that is intended to make the reader think and feel. Essentially, a dramatic story will engage the audience through their emotions – which is why it is often used in films and other forms of media. The most important thing to keep in mind about dramatic writing is that the goal is for the reader to be emotionally moved by the story. This is why it is considered ‘literary’; it is meant to evoke an emotional response in the reader which can lead to them taking an action or making a decision based on the information presented.
An example of a dramatic piece would be The Crucible, a play written by William Shakespeare. In this play, the events are shown through the eyes of various characters. Since it is a dramatic piece, the events are presented in a way which evokes strong emotions in the audience. One of the most significant events in the play is the infamous trial of Arthur Kincaid where he is accused of witchcraft. The important thing to keep in mind about this story is that it is meant to evoke an emotional response in the reader so that they can better understand the concept of ‘witchcraft’ and how it was treated back then.
Literary
Literary creative writing explores how language can be used to evoke an emotion or response in the reader. Instead of focusing on showing what happened, literary stories present their language choices and how these choices influence the mood of the story. This is why literary stories are often ‘thought-provoking’ or ‘involving’ – the language is meant to provoke an emotional reaction in the reader.
An example of a literary story would be Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilyich. In this story, the author presents the language that is used to describe the inevitability of death. The style of the story is strongly influenced by the Russian author Anton Chekhov who was a master of this genre. What makes this story different from other traditional death stories is that it explores the idea that death is not only inevitable but it can also be a good thing – at least, for the individual concerned.
One of the most famous examples of a literary story is Dicken’s The Pickwick Papers, an early work of literature in English which was first published in 1836. In this story, the language is used to great effect and can still be considered one of the great masterpieces of English literature.
Scientific
Finally, we have scientific creative writing which explores how scientific laws and theories are reflected in the phenomenal world around us. Essentially, a scientific story is going to present the results of significant research in an entertaining way. For example, if you were writing about geology, you would want to include details about the types of rocks which are found in different regions of the world. You would want to include information about the different types of fossils which have been unearthed and what these fossils tell us about the evolution of life on our planet. A good scientific story should be both well-written and well-researched.
The first step to becoming a successful writer of scientific stories is to familiarise yourself with the fields which you will be exploring. It is not enough to just write about it – you need to understand it. It would also be beneficial to join a club or society involved with the area which you are studying. Attending scientific conferences in person or online can also be a great way to improve your writing skills and make valuable connections which can help with your future career.
How To Become A Successful Creative Writer
Now that you are equipped with an understanding of what types of creative writing there are, you can start to think about the steps which you will need to take to become a successful writer. Of course, this is all assuming that you want to write – if that is not the case, then you should probably find a different hobby.