Creative writing is all about using your imagination and creativity to express

ideas and thoughts in a way which is personal to you. Quite simply, it’s about
adding your own ‘flair’ to writing, going beyond the traditional boundaries of
academic or other technical forms of literature.
What is creative writing?
As the name suggests, creative writing is a form of writing that goes beyond the
traditional realms of normal, professional, academic or technical forms of writing. 
Instead, it encompasses a number of different genres and styles across a whole range
of fields of both fictional and non-fiction writing; storytelling, playwriting, poetry,
prose, journalistic, and more. 
Though the definition can be quite vague, creative writing can, for the most part, be
considered as any type of writing that is original and expressive of oneself. Typically,
it can be identified by an emphasis on narrative craft, focusing on elements such as
character development, narrative and plot, infusing its structure with imagination,
invention and story. 
In this sense, creative writing can technically be considered any writing of
contemporary, original composition – it’s bound by no standard conventions and uses
a whole range of elements in its craft.
In an academic setting, creative writing is typically divided into fiction, poetry, or
scriptwriting classes, with a focus on writing in an original style, not defined by pre-
existing structures and genres. 
 

What are the different types of creative writing?

Creative writing comes in many forms, encompassing a number of genres and styles.
There are lots of different types of creative writing, which can be categorized as
fiction or non-fiction. Some of the most popular being:
 Biographies 
 Fiction: novels, novellas, short stories, etc. 
 Speeches
 Poetry and spoken word
 Playwriting/scriptwriting
 Personal essays
What makes a good piece of creative writing?
First and foremost, it’s important to note that there is no pre-defined description of
what it means to create a ‘good’ piece of creative writing. As the very name suggests,
creative writing is an imaginative process, created by the individual with all their
quirks and personalities.
Creative writing doesn’t fit one set type and therefore there will never be an umbrella
definition to describe the ‘perfect’ piece. Just think about a Gothic short story and
then compare it to the features of a great Romantic poem – the two are so very
different – it wouldn’t be unfair to judge them together. 
However, with that being said, there are a few general principles that you can follow
to make your creative writing as strong as it can be – by making it as authentic and
true to you as possible:
 Know your audience – All great stories begin with a target audience in
mind – because it’s exactly what you need to know in order to really tailor
your writing and connect with them. Therefore, any creative writer should
begin their writing by plotting out exactly who they want to read their
work. Once you have this in mind, your writing will naturally begin to
take direction and flow in a way that seems appropriate to your
audience.
 Write what you know – Quite often, the best stories are those which we
can connect to and relate in one or another way to our own lives. Or,
they’re stories which seem so authentic that you could imagine it to be about
the writer’s own life. Now, this doesn’t mean that you quite literally have
to write about your life, but drawing on knowledge you have about
different elements of our lives to give your story some authenticity and
more believability.
 Creativity is key – Creativity is one of the most important elements of
creative writing. It’s what sets you apart from other pieces of writing in
your genre. Of course, this doesn’t demand that you write a tale about a
totally fantastical and mythical world with unique creatures – but simply use
your creativity to think a little outside the box and put a unique twist on
things; using literary devices like metaphors, alliteration, and varied
sentence structure to make your work unique and interesting.
 Push your imagination – One of the great things about creative writing is
that there is no definition or rules on ‘how’ to write. It’s a much more
subjective genre, and one which relies heavily on your own
interpretations. Therefore, you should push your imagination to the limits to
see what the end result could be. Some of the most interesting pieces of
literature are thought-provoking or make us question the writing or world
around us – where could your story take us?
 Plot a loose story arc – Despite the loose bounds of creative writing, it is
still advisable to plot a loose story arc for any piece of literature you create.
Story arcs are critical at giving your writing direction and purpose, helping
you to write the whole piece at a good pace, without writing any
superfluous content or ‘nonsense.’ Follow your story arc, and your writing
will have a strong structure, pace and direction – keeping your readers
more engaged.
 
What are some techniques used in creative writing?
To make their writing stand out, writers often employ several creative writing
techniques and literary devices, including:
 Character development – The process of creating a well-rounded, realistic
character with depth, personality, and clear goals or motivations.
 Plot development – The story of your piece of writing – how it develops,
unfolds, and moves along in time.
 Point of view – The perspective from which a narrative is told. It indicates
who is telling the story and how the information is conveyed to the
reader. Quite often writers will play with the point of view of the central
character or protagonist to trick the reader and twist their perspective. 
 Dialogue – Refers to the speech and conversations characters use to speak to
one another. Dialogue and the language choices a character makes can be
pivotal in helping define their personality.
 Literary devices – Such as metaphors (direct comparison) similes and
alliteration to make creative writing more imaginative and descriptive. These
are used in a countless of ways by writers to make their writing more vivid,
interesting and engaging.
 

Can creative writing be taught?

Of course! 
Those who pursue the subject of Creative Writing will typically study a variety of
texts from different periods of time to learn more about the different genres of writing
within the field. They’ll become familiar with some of the leading creative writers
from generations past to present, as well as some lesser-known and emerging writers
in the industry.
Inspired by what they’ve learnt in the classroom, it’s not uncommon for Creative
Writing students to also participate in regular workshops and scratch sessions, where
they bring a piece of their writing along to class and have it read by other students and
the tutor. They’ll leave with constructive feedback on how to improve their writing, or
recommendations of other works which they may want to read to take influence from. 
 

How to start creative writing

If you’re interested in getting those creative juices flowing and improving your
writing craft, read some of our tips below on how to start creative writing:
 Read as much as you can – For creative writers, inspiration comes from a
whole range of sources, but most commonly, from other writers. There
are some excellent examples of creative writing throughout history that all
 writers should be inspired by. Read a variety of genres by different authors
to get a real feel for what type of writing you may want to do. 
 Start journaling – Starting a journal can really help to unleash your inner
creativity. Getting into the habit of writing each day about
literally anything that’s preoccupied you that day will help you practice
the art of writing. The more regular you journal, the more you’ll build your
confidence. You never know, you could even find your next great idea from
something you’ve journaled about!
 Attend a Creative Writing summer course – If you’re just starting out as a
creative writer and looking to collaborate, share ideas with others and
workshop your writing, then joining a creative writing summer school could
be a great option. 
 Practice using literary devices – Literary devices, such as metaphors,
similes and rhyme can really help you write more vividly and create really
descriptive, imaginative scenes. Practice using them regularly and you’ll
soon watch your own creative writing start to flourish. Need some ideas to
help you get practicing? Look around your house and pick a random object.
Then, practice using 5 literary devices to describe that same object – see
where your creativity can take you!
 Write, write, write! – When it comes to how to start creative writing, one of
the biggest pieces of advice we can offer is to pick up your pen or laptop,
and start writing. Whether you have a single conversation starter for a
character, or a complete narrative arc, you will only begin your creative
writing journey when you physically do it. Even if you have no idea on what
to write – look for writing prompt inspiration from all around you. The more
you practice unleashing your creativity, the easier it will be to write over
longer periods of time.
 

Summary
Creative writing is an expressive form of literature; one which demands you to use
your own creativity, imagination and story to portray a particular message, emotion,
or plot. It defies the traditional bounds of other forms of writing and is completely
subjective to our own preferences and experiences.
For those looking to get started with creative writing, it’s important to really immerse
yourself in the world of literature, reading and writing as much as you can – and even
workshopping your work where possible. Creative writing summer schools and
evening classes are a great way to meet other like-minded students, share knowledge
and feedback, and really upskill yourself.