You might have heard creative writing called many unique things. Traditionally described as ‘literature’, creative writing is an art – the art of ‘making stuff up’. It is writing performed in such a way that is not academic or technical but still draws an audience.
Although the explanation is somewhat loose, creative writing can, for the most part, be considered as any writing which is original and self-expressive. A news article, for instance, cannot be considered to be creative writing as its primary goal is to introduce facts and not to express the thoughts of the writer.
The different purposes of writing
While a news article could be entertaining, its primary purpose is to present the facts. The purpose of a creative writing piece is to both entertain as well as share human experiences, such as love or loss. Creative writers attempt to get at a truth about humanity through poetics and storytelling.
The creative writing principles are:
- Developing your writing style
- Creating realistic characters
- Writing convincing dialogue
Let’s explore these in more detail now.