creative writing journey examples

creative writing journey examples

Creative Writing Journey: Exploring Examples

1. Introduction

What is creative writing and how does it differ from other types of writing? Most importantly, how do we journey through the creative writing experience and produce good writing? The simple answer is that creative writing is any writing that goes outside the bounds of normal professional, journalistic, academic, or technical forms of literature. It is typically identified by an emphasis on narrative craft, character development, and the use of literary tropes or with various traditions of poetry and poetics. Creative writing can technically be considered any writing of original composition. In this sense, creative writing is a more contemporary and process-oriented name for what has been traditionally called literature, including the variety of its genres. When we think of creative writing within the context of educational standard, it is writing on a level with its academic counterpart of fiction or poetry. A less academic environment that does not use the term in this way can still use the various techniques associated with the genre to bring writers together on a more casual level. In this post, I want to outline common and not so common forays of the creative writing genre, and how these can ultimately improve a writer’s craft.

2. The Power of Imagination

Study how a child uses their imagination. Children are often highly creative because they are unafraid to use their imaginations. It’s a power which is at its strongest when we are young but unfortunately, often deteriorates as we grow older. This is partially because people don’t see how they can apply creativity to their everyday tasks, but it is also because creativity often involves diverging from the accepted rules and conventions, and this can be seen as unproductive.

We use our imaginations to think of new ways to carry out a task, maneuver our way around a complicated situation, or phrase a sentence. Creative thinking often involves changing perspective. If we can’t actually take a different point of view on something, thinking about it in a different way is just as effective, and this is done through imagination.

The power of imagination is recognized as being crucial to effective creative thinking. Indeed, the word “imagination” has become almost synonymous with “creative thinking.” Consider how you would write a story with no imaginative involvement, then consider how engaging you want your story to be. The more imagination you put into it, the better it becomes.

3. Crafting Compelling Characters

At the heart of writing fiction is creating compelling characters. Although stories can be driven by events and situations, they only come alive when they are made to happen by people who the reader cares about. Readers must be able to identify with, understand, and have some feeling for the characters who are involved in the story. They do not have to like them, but they must care what happens to them, and why. A reader who is not involved with the characters will not stay with the story, no matter how exciting the plot. Creating characters is an art, not a science, and it is a continuous process of self-discovery. Some writers plan their characters in intricate detail before they begin their story. Others begin writing a story soon as they have a vague idea, and discover their characters as the story progresses. Neither approach is wrong; the important thing is to make characters real and convincing. In the end, if a character comes alive for the writer, it will generally come alive for the reader.

4. Building Engaging Plots

Historical plots can help build depth to a plot by evolving the story around an event in time that has real significance and might be studied in some kind of history. On the other hand, it might be based on a specific period in time through which the author may put their own twist. William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is an example of a plot based around a historical study that takes its own twist. This kind of plot is suitable for historical pieces. By studying an event in history, this will give the author a clear outline for the plot and the events to follow. This ensures the plot develops without becoming stale or stagnant. With a clear outline, the author is able to gauge where the characters will develop and how the original problem of the story is going to evolve. This will further improve the reader’s interest in the plot and the final event that led to the end of the plot.

Begin with a problem that needs to be solved. This problem is the cause of the plot, and the story will revolve around the possible solutions and the development of the characters while trying to solve this problem. An example of this kind of plot is in J.R.R Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. The problem is the threat to the existence of Middle Earth due to the One Ring falling into the hands of the Dark Lord Sauron. The plot revolves around the attempt to prevent Sauron from using the ring to take over Middle Earth. This is tried by various characters, each with differing ideas that lead to conflict between each other. This develops both the characters and the original problem, giving this plot great depth. This helps readers to get engaged and interested; they will keep reading to find out the solution in hope that it’s a happy ending. A plot about solving a mystery has a similar effect. This kind of plot is common in many genres, whether it be fantasy, crime, horror, or mystery. This is the cause of the plot and the driving force behind the actions of the characters. Always keep reminding yourself what the cause of the plot is and if the story is still relevant to it.

Creating engaging and compelling plot leads to overwhelming interest in your story and captivates the readers’ interest. There are many ways to construct a plot and you might find yourself confused or lost as to where you should start. Here are a few examples:

5. The Art of Effective Storytelling

We can all remember going to a good film and coming out feeling great. It is that state of well-being that comes from an emotionally moving and engaging story, well told. If we all turned the clock back, we would no doubt acknowledge the fact that stories were part and parcel of the curriculum at some point in our past. Traditionally, the art of storytelling was passed on to pupils in the English classroom. Today, however, the emphasis has shifted from the oral tradition, with pupils asked to investigate aspects of language through the study of texts. Analysis of language in this way is, however, a dead process. It is only its application via the crafting of original writing that is far from dry. The power to write an engaging story might appear a gift, but that is neither here nor there. This article aims to equip you with the knowledge and understanding of what makes a good story tick. We shall start by posing the simple question: what is a story?