Are you looking to enter the world of freelance writing, but aren’t quite sure where to start? Do you need a little bit of help differentiating between technical writing and creative writing?
In case you’re wondering, writing is a form of communication that allows people to share their thoughts and opinions with the world. In general, creative writing refers to the use of literary techniques to create works of art that are more memorable than typical works of non-fiction. A technical writer, on the other hand, is a writer who specializes in describing and explaining the operation of devices and systems.
The fields of technical writing and creative writing can overlap quite a bit, which is why it’s important to know the differences rather than simply assume that one is interchangeable with the other. For example, you might write a section on customer service for a technology-related publication, and the article could end up being a combination of both technical writing and creative writing. In such cases, you’d want to make sure that you followed the rules and conventions of the particular type of writing you were doing.
Creative Writing Is Artistic
The focus of creative writing is on the writing process itself, rather than the end product. This means that you might not always end up with a finished product at the end of your writing process, but it’s more important that you feel comfortable following your intuition and exploring new ideas. In many cases, the structure, content, and language used in creative writing end up being more important than the final product. Your work might not always be polished and perfect, but that’s part of the fun.
It’s also important to note here that there is often overlap between the end product and the writing process. For instance, if you are writing a novel, the content of your work (i.e. the chapters you write) will end up being the end product. However, the process of creating the narrative, planning out the story, and engaging with the characters can be considered parts of the creative writing process itself. If you are writing a non-fiction book, your end product might be a review or an analysis of some kind, but the process of putting the research and writing together can be considered part of the creative writing process.
Technical Writing Is Objective
In contrast to creative writing, technical writing is all about the facts. This can range from simply writing down how to perform a certain task to researching the precise specs for a particular device or appliance to being an in-depth review of a certain product or service. While the content itself might not always be objective, the end goal of technical writing is to provide an objective point of view on whatever topic the writer is discussing. This usually means that the writing is structured in such a way that it avoids opinion and instead presents information clearly and concisely.
In many cases, technical writing is considered a form of journalism, and it shares a lot of the same ethics and standards. In addition, it often requires the same amount of research as traditional journalism, although the focus of this research is usually on a particular subject matter rather than general knowledge. If you’re new to technical writing, getting published isn’t the end goal; it’s simply getting your work out there so that you can start building a portfolio. Eventually, you might decide to specialize in a certain area and become an in-demand writer in your industry. For now, though, you’re simply supporting yourself with your writing.
Creative Writing Is Versatile
With creative writing, the sky is the limit. This is a form of writing that is as free as the imagination of the writer can be, so long as they stay within the boundaries of good taste. Creative writing can cover a variety of topics, including both fiction and non-fiction, and it can serve a variety of purposes, ranging from technical documentation to establishing a point of view to expressing feelings. In many cases, creative writing is considered a “gateway drug” to other genres of writing, such as journalism and advertising. If you are considering a career in writing, but don’t really know where to start, consider trying out creative writing first.