Creative writing: Forms and Elements

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Creative writing

There are many ways of writing any work, and any written piece can be manipulated and creatively delivered by an creative author. Regardless of the genre (novel, poetry, travel guide, magazine feature, e.t.c), the writer may combine several writing forms to achieve his, her purpose.

All forms of writing can be creative. Creative writing is more about how the writer uses words and manipulates ideas to evoke specific emotions. This means even informative writing can be turned into creative work. The major differentiating factor for creative work is its emphasis. The primary aim of such writing is more to evoke emotions and less to tell. There are, however, times when confusion arises where informative work is creative and creative work is educational, or they weigh the same. But then, consider the elements of creative writing (character, plot, setting, point of view, style, themes, and literary devices.

Forms in creative writing

For a student of creative writing, it is vital to learn different writing forms as well as elements or creating such work. It does not matter the genre; all writing forms can be creatively employed and altered by a creative writer to meet their expectations. The most common creative writing forms include the following:

Reflection

One of the characteristics of creative writing is that they present the ideas of the creative writer to the audience. By so doing, the writer engages the readers in his beliefs about a specific aspect of life. In most cases, the writer uses their own or the experience of others to present their ideas. This process is called reflection. The writer looks back at their experiences or another person to build their story.

Exposition or reporting

This is a form that covers almost all genres of writing. It involves exposing or showing the events of a story to the reader. It can be seen mostly in textbooks, magazine articles, and news stories. For the case of creative writing, exposition comes out when a character takes and informing role. Writers use description to achieve this form of writing.

Description

When reporting on specific information, the writer seeks to convey a vital impression of a specific place or the object. They want to tell how they feel about the thing, more than just telling facts. An author can include a description in a small part of a narrative or a significant part of the whole work. Many travel writing use description to attract readers, and sometimes good fiction requires it too.

Explanation

An explanation is quite straightforward. It is mostly used in writings like product descriptions and similar pieces of work. It involves helping another person understand or perceive something by informing or reasoning rather than using persuasive language. Explanation work includes instruction, rules/guidelines, argument, and analysis.

Argument

An argument is a form of explanation that aims to change the viewpoint or attitude of the reader about a specific idea or situation. It follows a rhetoric line, persuading through emotion while employing the basis of logic or reason. Consider political statements; for instance, many are rhetoric. In an argument, there are always two points of view present with the writer building a case for one, to either refute or defeat the other.

Narration

Human beings are said to be natural storytellers. This is why narration is the most used form of expression. Narrative involves the direct telling of stories or events that happened over a specific period. Narration brings the reader to draw images of the event in their minds. Most creative writing works employ this approach.

Elements of creative writing 

The most significant confusion is on how much each element in creative writing should be used. For learning purposes, it is important knowing them and how to apply when a case arises. They are as discussed below:

Character

The entire story is based on what the characters do or say. At the very least, they should start from the plot of the story. Characters may be anything from human beings, animals to animated objects, which readers identify with, even in fictional worlds.

When the reader is on a story, and they are enjoying it, it is normal for a special kind of suspension of disbelief to hit their minds. This is why it vital for writers to have great skills in using what is known as verisimilitude (believability). Unless a reader is convinced somehow by the validity of a character, it is difficult for them to enter a state of suspension and disbelief.

The plot

This is a short account of what happens in the story. It is the first thing a writer will be exposed to through different cultures before they begin writing a particular story. All plots follow a generally simple arc, and they are essential for genres such as books, movies, and songs. A plot carries the underlying skeleton of everything in the work they represent.

Setting

Simply put, the setting is where the story happens. It might not be one in the entire story; different works have different needs. It can be ample space, as in “Until I Find You,” in which two European cities appear as characters or a room in your house. When picking your setting, consider how it will affect the general themes in your story.

Point-of-view

Generally, tales grow taller the more they are told. Therefore presents or absence of reliability in point-of-view is a vital aspect. When picking the point-of-view, consider whose story you are describing. If it is personal, the first point-of-view is automatic. And if telling another’s account, you either use second or third person point-of-view.

Style

Many people get confused with what style is because it is comprised of thin, blurred ephemeral parts, hard to grasp. A simple take could be that it is the signature inside your story as described by your vocabulary, syntax, rhythm, voice, and mood.

Theme

Works of fiction can be based on a variety of ideas. The theme is simply the “lesson of your story.” It can also be more significant ideas, including murder, betrayal, honesty, and compassion.

Literary devices

There are many literary devices in creative forms. The first was called dues ex machine that explained a god who was lowered with ropes to an area where a hero needs some form of spiritual intervention. The terms no mean a manner of cheesy, contrived plot resolutions. Other literacy devices include allusion, diction, epigraph euphemism, foreshadowing, imagery, metaphor/style, personificationCreative writing, and many more.

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Apr 01, 2020

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