Creativity refers to the act of creating something new, something that hadn’t existed before until you put it together. However, creative writing refers to the form of writing, where creativity is at the forefront of its purpose. Creative writing uses imagination, innovation, and creativity to tell a story using strong written visuals with an emotional impact. This could be in the form of a poem short story, novel, and more (learn about the rise of English novel).
Creative writing, which is often seen as the opposite of academic or journalistic writing, is also referred to as writing that imaginatively expresses thoughts and ideas. It uses senses and emotions to create a strong visual in the reader’s mind.
(Looking for an excellent writing service!)
Elements Of Creative Writing
To be able to be better at creative writing, you need to understand the elements that make up creative writing and why each is just as important as the other. The elements are as follows.
- Plot
Creative writing is different from other forms of writing because it always has a plot of some sort. You can’t have a story if you don’t have a plot.
- Characters
Another important element of creative writing is the characters. There is no way you can tell a story without developing characters. Developing character is important for creative writing; it simply means revealing who a character is and how they change throughout your story.
- Theme
Creative writing usually has an underlying theme or message, whether intended or not.
- Visual Description
Visual description is essential in creative writing so the reader can understand what the characters’ surroundings look like.
- Point of View
As a writer, there are several points of view you can write in. However, only two of these points of view are most common in creative writing (Secrets to writing like a pro). They are first-person and third person.
- Dialogue
Creative writing usually requires dialogue to support the story. Characters in your creative writing should interact with one another to further the plot.
- Imaginative Language
Creative writing usually uses metaphors, anecdotes, figures of speech, and other comparisons to paint a vivid image in the reader’s mind. The way you choose to craft the vision in your mind is what makes creative writing creative.
- Emotional Appeal
The entire goal of creative writing is to have an emotional appeal. The main aim is to make people feel how you want them to by telling a story.
Steps To Creative Writing
To achieve more creativity in your writing, all you need to do is to follow these steps
- Gather The Material
To engage in creative writing, you will need to gather the materials you will be needing. When gathering the materials, you will need to do the following.
-
- Come up with a plot
- Decide on your characters
- Have a detailed character questionnaires
- Write the synopsis of your story
- Create an outline
- Remember to use a timeline
- Detail characters’ flaws and traits
- Research your setting
- Maul It Over
The next step is to think about everything you have learned so far. Ask as many questions as possible and think about what will happen when you put the plot, setting, and character together.
- Take A Step Back
You need to take a step back from what you are working on, stop thinking about it. Make sure you do something else that has nothing to do with what you are working on. This is an essential step in creative writing, but it only works when you have done the first two steps.
- Wait For It
While taking a step away from your work, you will begin to realize that your ideas are coming back on their own. Most times, they come in better shape than the original ones you had. At this stage, you may want you to write the story in another way.
- Write The Story
The last step is to test the idea by writing the story. At this stage, you should be bursting with energy and creativity since you have so much material in reserve. At the end of the day, the ultimate test will be the response you get to the finished product.
2