I think we can all agree that writing is an essential skill for young people these days. It sets them apart from the rest of the class and gives them an opportunity to shine. However, coming away with a nice piece of prose can be rather challenging for some students. This is because they are not prepared for what a creative writing class is actually like. Hopefully, this article will clear up some of the misunderstandings surrounding creative writing and introduce you to the world of expository writing. I will begin by defining the two terms and explaining the basic difference between them.
Expository Writing and Creative Writing
You might be familiar with the term expository writing. This is a type of writing that aims to explain or describe something to the reader. For example, let’s say you are writing a history paper and you want to explain the significance of the Renaissance in the development of Western Civilization. You are most likely going to write some form of an expository piece explaining the historical developments that led to the Renaissance. This kind of writing can be rather dry and often times uninspired. That is why it is essential to have a teacher who can bring some life and creativity to this otherwise dull task. In a nutshell, you can think of expository writing as the textbook writing that you have to do in order to graduate. On the other hand, creative writing is all about expressing yourself through writing. It is about venturing beyond the written word and into the wonderful world of audio, movie, and TV productions.
The great thing about creative writing is that it can be quite empowering for young people. Think about it, if you can come up with a character that you know will appeal to the reader, you can put yourself in that character’s shoes and experience what it is like to be them. Moreover, you get to explore different situations and scenarios that you can incorporate into your story. Plus, there is always the possibility of embellishment. You can make your story more interesting by providing additional details that can change the entire tenor of your narrative. Essentially, by taking a creative writing course you are giving yourself the opportunity to become a better writer. To quote the great John Steinbeck, “A writer is someone who brings stories to life.”
The Difference In Motivation
You’ve probably heard the saying “a little bit of knowledge can be a dangerous thing.” This adage definitely applies to writing. If you are not careful, a little bit of knowledge can blind you to what is good and useful for yourself and your writing. This is where you can get tripped up, especially if you are taking a class where the teacher is less experienced and doesn’t offer much in the way of feedback. If you are looking to get a piece of writing done and do not have much experience, you might be tempted to fall back on what you know. After all, it should be easy enough to just copy what you have already done and submitted before. This is a mistake. It is not beneficial to rely on what you know because, in all likelihood, what you know is not what is useful to you as a creative writer. If you want to be a good writer, you need to forget about what you know and start from scratch. This is going to be challenging, especially if what you know is heavily ingrained in your personality and how you see the world. If you want to be successful as a creative writer, you have to be willing to put in the work and be proactive about expanding your knowledge.
The Importance Of Revision
One of the most vital things that you need to do if you are writing an expository piece is to go through it multiple times. Revision is a hugely important process. This is because you are giving your work to someone else at some point and you do not want them to hate it. Revision helps you identify things that you could have done better and ensures that your work is up to par. Even the greats like Virginia Woolf would go through extensive revision before their work was accepted. For the first few drafts, it is a good idea to leave your writing alone for a while and come back to it with a fresh set of eyes. This will help you identify any errors that you might have made and give you a chance to make any necessary changes. Even if you think that your work is perfect, it is a good idea to leave it alone for a while and come back to it with fresh eyes. This is how you can guarantee that it is flawless. The more you revise, the better you will become. The key to successful revision is to make sure that you are taking it seriously and are using a quality copy. Moreover, it is vital that you are using a notebook or a journal to jot down all of your ideas and notes. This is so you can return to them at a later date. In addition, there are certain software programs like Anjora Write that can help with the process of writing and revising by generating a comprehensive outline for you.
How To Approach A Creative Writing Class
If you are looking to take a creative writing course, then the first thing that you need to do is to sign up for a class. Most universities and colleges offer these kinds of courses and you should not be afraid to look for one. Moreover, make sure that you work hard in advance and do your best to complete all of the assignments. This is going to be challenging enough as it is without you having additional anxiety about whether or not your work is good enough. Even if you think that you have written something amazing, the possibility of it not being accepted still exists. You need to take this into consideration and prepare yourself for the possibility of failure.
Once you have completed your assignments and handed in your work, you should consider yourself to be officially a writing expert. All that you need now is to find a publisher who is willing to take a chance on you. This may be something that you need to do in collaboration with an agent or a lawyer. Once you have been profiled, you can approach different publishers with offers and see which one is willing to take a chance on you.
Keep in mind that this process is rather time-consuming. However, you are not discouraged from continuing to seek out publishers. Moreover, you are free to keep on working at it even after you have finished your studies. More often than not, creative writing courses are more about expanding your mind than they are about coming away with a particular piece of writing. What this means is that even if you do not end up being published, you will have learned a lot and will have had the opportunity to grow as a writer. Many people get discouraged when they do not see immediate results. This should not be the case. Instead, you should see this process as a means to an end. Many great writers did not become so overnight. They took their time and worked at it.