Creative writing has existed for centuries, and it has been around long enough to know that it is not a single style or technique that can be applied to any situation. Today, creative writing is more important than ever before because of the many different platforms that can be used to express yourself creatively and through literature. With so many different types of software and applications that can be used to create, it is essential to have some sort of skill in this field; otherwise, it can be difficult to find employment once you graduate.
For centuries, creative writing has been used as a tool to express yourself. From the novelists of old to modern-day writers such as Hemingway and Steinbeck, creative writing has been used to inspire, educate, and entertain. Although the field has changed a lot over the years, the importance of creative writing has not diminished one bit.
The Many Different Aspects Of Creative Writing
When you get right down to it, creative writing is actually very broad. It incorporates a variety of different techniques and styles that can be applied to a variety of different situations. Depending on what you are trying to develop as an artist, you might want to consider which type of creative writing you should be focusing on.
There are many different aspects to creative writing, and each one is valuable in some way. For instance, you might want to consider what is the most efficient way to express yourself, determine your narrative voice, practice creative spelling, or develop your character’s personalities.
Narrative Writing
When you write a story or novel, you are technically following a certain format. This is known as the structural foundation of the narrative. The structural foundation of the narrative includes things like introducing your characters, setting the scene, and establishing the time period in which your story or novel takes place. The most basic of these elements are the who, what, when, and where.
In traditional narrative writing, the what is usually described in a series of descriptive sentences that paint a vivid picture in the reader’s mind. These sentences, known as exposition, are what makes up most of the first part of your narrative. After the story has been set up, you then proceed to tell the reader what happens next in the form of a series of events, or dialogue. At this point, a narrative usually turns into a descriptive piece of writing that may include some dialogue but is still largely built upon the writer’s imagination.
If you are a more visual person, you can utilize the storyboard to literally draw up a roadmap of events that you want to see unfold in your narrative. This not only helps you to follow the exact order in which the story should take place, but it also gives you a better understanding of the story’s progression as you write it.
Narrative writing can be valuable in many different ways. First off, it is a great way to organize your thoughts. If you want to tell a coherent story with a beginning, middle, and end, you will need to find a way to keep track of what happens in your narrative. Secondly, it is a great way to practice your writing. Even if you are writing for yourself, you can always go back and read what you wrote to get a better idea of how the story is going, or to find any inconsistencies. Thirdly, it is a fantastic way to develop your character’s personalities. In order to fully understand what is going on in your story or novel, you will need to establish the characters’ personalities and how they interact with each other. Fourthly, it is a great way to learn how to write a compelling story. Stories that are well-crafted will always pull the reader into the narrative and make them want to learn more about the characters and learn what happens next in the story. Finally, narrative writing is important because it teaches you how to write a coherent story with a beginning, middle, and end, how to develop and use a voice for your writing, and how to make your writing more interesting. All of these are valuable lessons that you will need to know if you want to become a good writer.
Descriptive Writing
When you write a detailed description of someone or something, you are technically following a certain format. This format, which can be found in most English grammar books, is called the ‘active-passive’ format. In this format, you will list a series of actions that someone (usually a person) performs, followed by a series of adjectives or adverbs that describe these actions. For example, if you want to write about a character dancing, you would start with the character performing the action of dancing, and then you would list a series of adjectives or adverbs that describe this action of dancing.
In order to provide your reader with a clear picture of what is going on in your narrative, you will need to learn how to effectively use descriptive language. If you are the type of person who enjoys vivid descriptions of places and things, you can take a trip to the library and get a whole book on travel writing. The more you know about the topic, the better you will be able to craft a descriptive narrative. Remember, there is no precise formula for how to write a good descriptive piece of literature. Rather, you will need to find your own voice, use your own experiences to create a narrative that is as unique as you are.
Experimental Writing
As mentioned before, traditional narrative writing has been around for centuries, and it has been largely unchanged in terms of structure and format. However, over the past couple of decades or so, there has been a radical shift in the way we read and write. Thanks to things like the rise of the blogosphere and social media, traditional narrative has been thrown out the window, and many new ‘genres’ have risen to replace it.
If you are the creative type, you can take advantage of this change by experimenting with different forms and structures, or taking your narrative in a new direction altogether. It is an excellent way to develop your writing skills, break out of your creative shell, and try something new. If you want to write for a living, this is exactly what you should be doing.
Creative Nonfiction
Creative nonfiction is a bit of a catchall term when it comes to writing. Essentially, it embodies all the aspects of creative writing, as well as some additional ones. Therefore, it can represent any of the aspects or elements of creative writing, or a combination thereof. Basically, creative nonfiction is used to describe any piece of writing that is non-fiction but uses an element of creative writing in some way.
What makes creative nonfiction special is that it allows the writer to take an aspect of real life and use it to create something wholly unique. The writer can be either a professional or an amateur, and it can be used for a variety of purposes. Some types of creative nonfiction include letters and diary entries that are written by famous historical figures, or it can be used to tell the story of a writer’s journey and the development of his or her voice as an artist through the written word.
Mixed Writing
If you consider yourself to be a bit of a jack of all trades, you can take advantage of this by using mixed writing. Essentially, this is a form of hybrid writing that incorporates different aspects of the above genres. For instance, you might want to write a short story about a character’s journey, but you will need to incorporate aspects of both descriptive and narrative writing in order to do so.
Revision
Finally, we will leave you with a bit of a challenge. If you want to write a professional quality piece of literature that will hold up for many years to come, you will need to consider how you are going to revise it. Even if you write the perfect piece of narrative that is free of any errors, there is still a chance that it will not be perfect the first time around. In these cases, you will need to return to the draft, make necessary changes, and write it from scratch. This is an essential step in the writing process, and it will help you bring your creative writing skills to the next level.