creative writing styles

creative writing styles

The Power of Creative Writing Styles

1. Introduction

Creative writing is one of the most open-minded and free-spirited writing prompts that a student will face in either high school or college. This essay falls into the category of narrative essays, since it gives students the freedom of self-expression and trains them to stretch their imagination. In other words, this would be the antonym of an analytical or persuasive essay because it does not use technicalities. This essay type can be used to discuss either real-world events or fictional events. But one may ask, what is the purpose of this essay? The goal of a creative writing essay is to captivate an audience and it usually, but not always, has a plot involved with it. In terms of poetry, it’s an art that has been suffering in today’s technological world. This genre of writing has succumbed to the technological age and is at a near brink of death. Lesser and lesser people study the art of poetry, a demanding and apt form of writing, as it can be very difficult to interpret and understand. This typically consists of newspaper articles, reports, essays, and other informative writing. Such assignments are to test how well you can critically think and implement what you have learned about a specific subject, and it usually involves some sort of research. This type of writing is more common in graduate or doctoral studies, but some students still accomplish this feat at the undergraduate level. Do not be mistaken with the academic and informative content, this catch-all category is still a form of free writing, which means it is still a creative form of content.

2. Exploring Different Writing Styles

Descriptive writing is often found in fiction, though it can make an appearance in nonfiction as well (for example, to describe an event that the author witnessed). This writing style is used to paint a picture of the things the author is describing. It’s a very poetic and creative way to emphasize a point, express an emotion, or bring an idea to life. Good descriptive writing creates an impression in the reader’s mind of an event, a place, a person, or a thing. The writing will be fully developed and tends to involve multiple senses to really bring the written word to life in the mind of the reader. Descriptive writing is found in all genres of literature, from the memoirs to the short stories, plays, and poems.

Descriptive writing

There are many different types of writing styles that are used in everyday literature; in books and magazine articles, scholarly and academic journals, newspapers, and online. While talking to someone, writing styles often reveal the personality and the mood of the writer in literature. One may be descriptive, reflective, emotive, informative and much more. As mentioned earlier, a literary work should begin to create a certain mood and hold it throughout, can characters within the story be more effective or misunderstood in a certain writing style.

An overview of writing styles

3. Benefits of Using Creative Writing Styles

Poetry Poetry is a very emotive form of writing. The poet has a relatively small space in which to convey a large message, so they are forced to be economical with their use of language. This means that it is important to choose the right words and arrange them in the right order to deliver the intended message. For this reason, poetry is an excellent tool for any writer. Writing poetry can help develop the use of metaphor and simile, two important tools in any writer’s arsenal. Writing succinctly in poetry form can also help to develop good prose writing. Consider the following example.

There are a number of reasons why writers might want to choose one of the many different forms of creative writing for their next project. It is important to realise that writing in a particular form is not a measure of worth; it is possible to write a great book in almost any form. It is simply a matter of the writer choosing the form that will best convey his or her intended message. Here we look at various forms of creative writing and sample some work to explain their advantages.

4. Techniques to Enhance Your Writing Style

Use Personification Personification is when you give a thing or abstractions human-like features or characteristics. Personification can be used to make abstract ideas easier to understand because you are translating them into a form that is easier to relate to. It can also add an element of wit or charm to the writing and is often used in stories or to create a persuasive effect. Personification is a very flexible and useful technique that can add depth and layers to your work.

Example: Simile: The water welling from the ground was as cold as ice. Metaphor: He was a volcano about to erupt.

Similes and Metaphors Similes and metaphors are both forms of comparison that use figurative language to make a direct comparison. They can be incredibly powerful tools to communicate complex ideas in a subtle and concise way. A simile is a comparison that uses “like” or “as” e.g. ‘fresh as a daisy’, whereas a metaphor is a direct comparison between two things. Different uses of similes and metaphors will create different effects that can convey an idea with more impact and clarity.

Example: Vague: The child ran through the park. Vivid: The small, towheaded toddler in his tiny red shorts ran squealing to his mother across the crowded park, dodging couples lying on the lawn, the smell of hot dogs wafting from a nearby stand.

Imagery Imagery is the use of words to create a strong picture in the reader’s mind. The more detailed and specific the word, the more the reader will be able to create a clear picture of what you are describing. It’s important that your imagery is vivid and appeals to all the reader’s senses. The best imagery creates a visual representation, but the reader can also feel, hear, taste, or see what you are trying to show them.

Example: Abstract: It was a beautiful view. Concrete: The sunset cast a warm, pink glow on the mountain.

Use Concrete Words It’s important to always use concrete words and phrases when writing. This is because concrete words are words which describe things using the senses i.e. things we can see, hear, touch, taste or smell. Concrete words help the reader understand exactly what you are trying to say. This means that you should avoid using abstract words, which refer to ideas and concepts that cannot easily be pictured e.g. love, honour, truth. Abstract words can be interpreted in many different ways and are often harder to pin down with an exact meaning. Concrete words and phrases on the other hand, will bring to mind a clear picture of what you are talking about.

5. Conclusion

The words “mode” and “style” may have been used interchangeably by most readers, and even by this writer, but the fact remains they are quite different. All writing is tied to either a spoken or written language. Language is universal and is a mode of communication. Style is completely different. It is tied to an individual, and it is through writing that style is expressed. Whether the written work is a simple text, a scholarly article, an opinion, or even creative writing, it is a window to an author’s unique consciousness. It is the means by which an author arranges words, and it is through word arrangement that an author is able to demonstrate his ideas and thoughts. What an author can and cannot accomplish with his writing is very much tied to his linguistic abilities and his knowledge of grammar, but there is no correct way to express one’s ideas. As language is a mode of communication, writing is a mode of expression, and thus it is possible to write creatively in any form or genre.

Throughout the course of this written experience, the reader has been exposed to various attributes of the human mind and its artistic tendencies. All of the prose, poetry, and fiction included within has been created with creative intentions and themes. These intentions and themes are the result of perception and thought, both clear and vague. The reader should make no mistake about the true nature of the written works included within; they are the results of ideas and half-ideas. An idea – no matter how complex or simple – is the end result of mental process. These processes may be carried out in a dream-like state of mind or in a fully conscious manner. The process may be one of profound and logical thought, or it may be one of emotions and no thought. All ideas and the subsequent mental processes are derived from an individual’s experiences and thus a memory of some kind. This memory, be it conscious or unconscious, is the determining factor in all modes and styles of writing.