Want to be a creative writer? Check out the following 10 tips, guaranteed to work!
For some people, writing is only a basic human ability in terms of education. Writing is like reading and counting. However, in today’s era of technological and marketing developments, writing can be one of the profitable things. You must have heard the term “creative writing” which has recently been sought after in several business sectors.
So, what exactly is meant by creative writing? Check out the following reviews and tips.
Definition of creative writing
Creative writing is a form of writing that goes beyond the traditional realms of normal, professional, academic, or technical writing. Creative writing encompasses several genres and styles of writing, both in fiction and non-fiction. Creative writing is also considered a type of original expressive writing from a writer. Generally, creative writing can be identified from narrative, focus, structure, imagination, and nature of writing.
By definition, creative writing falls within the realm of contemporary writing and original composition that is not bound by standard conventions. In an academic setting, creative writing typically includes areas of fiction, poetry, script, and original writing or is not defined by a pre-existing structure or genre.
According to the Creative Writing module of Duke University’s Thompson Writing Program, creative writing is defined simply as a form of conveying artistic expression using imagination to convey meaning through the use of imagination and narrative in writing.
Types of results from creative writing
As mentioned above, creative writing consists of several types, both in the realm of fiction and non-fiction. The following are some of the types of results from creative writing that we are familiar with reading around us.
1. Poetry
Reported by the encyclopedia Britannica , poetry means a technical verse or other way of using language. Poetry has a great dependence on line and word composition with certain figure of speech. Poetry is a product of creative writing by highlighting the density of meaning and the beauty of diction or choice of words. Writing poetry requires inspiration and a rich vocabulary to beautifully build a poem of various genres.
The following is an example of an excerpt from Thomas Wolfe’s prose poem that he wrote at the beginning of his greatest novel “ Look Homeward, Angel ”(1929).
…a stone, a leaf, an unfound door; of a stone, a leaf, a door. And of all the forgotten faces.
Naked and alone we came into exile. In her dark womb we did not know our mother’s face; from the prison of her flesh have we come into the unspeakable and incommunicable prison of this earth
In this famous prose, Thomas Wolfe pours out words with the presupposition and use of metaphorical figures of speech in magical things. Creative writing in the realm of poetry can be used as a form of effort to “turn on” inanimate objects and “turn off” living things.
Therefore, poetry is often referred to as the power of words in enlivening the spirit, airing words, and various things that a word cannot do on a piece of paper in general.
The following is an example of a poem by the legendary Indonesian poet, Chairil Anwar, entitled “ Sia-Sia ” (1943).
The last time you came
Bringing coral flowers
Red roses and white jasmine
Blood and holy
You spread in front of me
And a sure look: for you.Then we both stunned and
asked each other: what is this?
Love? We both don’t understandOne day we are together. Not even close.
Ah! My heart that doesn’t want to give
You will be torn apart by silence.
Chairil Anwar is a ’45 poet who often makes words like thunder with struggle poems and sends words as smooth as the heart when he is rhyming about romance.
From the examples of the poems by Thomas Wolfe and Chairil Anwar, we can see that creative writing in the realm of poetry means questioning the simplification of the use of words but with a strong and deep meaning.
2. Novel
Still according to the encyclopedia Britannica , the novel is defined as a prose narrative that is created with a certain length and imaginative complexity. Generally, novels contain the imagination of human experience which is strung together through a series of events in a broad framework.
Novel is a type of creative writing with discussion and use of long words to build a story along with the ups and downs of conflict in it. The novel itself also has various genres such as romance, realist, historical, and various other genres.
Meanwhile, the novel itself is also a part of fiction in the form of an arrangement of words to represent human life. Even so, in certain genres such as fables, novels are written by bringing creatures other than humans to life, such as animals and others.
One of the most famous fable novels is the novel “ Animal Farm “ by George Orwell published in 1945. Or in the realm of historical novels, Indonesia has writer Leila S. Chudori with her novel “ Pulang “ which was published in 2013. And also don’t forget the great Indonesian writer, Pramoedya Ananta Toer who also produced various historical novels such as “ Arok Dedes “, “ Panggil Aku Kartini Saja “, and his greatest work, the Tetralogi Buru.
3. Song lyrics
Almost like poetry, song lyrics are written as rhymes with repetition or repetition so that they are easily adapted to the tone or pronunciation of vocals. Song lyrics also have a genre similar to poetry because they do not necessarily take the form of short lyrical poems, but also long lyrics such as ballad songs. Some songwriters or singers have their own way of using song lyrics that suit their musical genre.
In Indonesia, we have two legendary singers for the type of ballad lyricist such as Iwan Fals and also Ebiet G. Ade. Ballad song lyrics generally have continuity or storytelling that flows in the lyrics, so the lyrics of this type of song generally tell something briefly. Iwan Fals ‘ song “ Ujung Aspal Pondok Gede “ and Ebiet G. Ade’s “ Titip Rindu Buat Ayah “ are two examples of creative writing in ballad song lyrics.
Meanwhile, for the poetic lyrics in Indonesian songs, we have Guruh Soekarnoputra and Yockie Suryo Prayogo. Both are legendary songwriters who are behind the success of many singers, especially Chrisye whose songs are very lyrical and poetic. The song “ Kau Seputih Melati “ by Yockie and the song “ Melati Suci “ by Guruh are songs with the inclusion of the nation’s puspa that are creatively and timeless in poetry.
4. Movie script
One of the creative writing products that is also commonly known is film scripts. This type of creative writing generally also has to do with adapting novels into films. Film script writing is done like writing a novel but with more emphasis on dialogue between characters. One of the film script books that has been written and has not yet been written is the book “ Aku “ written by Sjuman Djaya, an Indonesian director and scriptwriter.
Sjuman Djaya is the director of the film “ Si Doel Anak Betawi “ (1972) who has aspirations to film the life story of Chairil Anwar through a film entitled “ Aku“. But unfortunately, the film was never made until the end of Sjuman Sjaya’s life. Then, the film script was published as a book and was very popular when it was made one of the subjects in the film “ Ada Apa Dengan Cinta “ (2002).
Film scripts are creative writing products that are not confined to only one genre of writing. Film scripts in general can include elements of fiction and non-fiction in one work with the aim of showing it on the silver screen.
5. Article
Articles are the most common creative writing products found on the internet. This is due to the development of various online media that contain articles, both popular and scientific. Articles are generally included in the realm of non-fiction writing because they are based on real events or a response to an actual incident or news.
Articles can be found in newspapers, magazines, zines , popular media sites, and even on social media. Articles can also be used as one of the spearheads of marketing for various products for promotion or filling content on the product site.
10 Tips for creative writing
To be able to write creatively and continue to develop writing skills, one needs some effective and efficient tips. Writing does sound like a trivial thing because it is a basic ability of human education, but writing is actually not that easy.
The 10 creative writing tips that a writer can refer to include the following.
1. Don’t underestimate the reader
Before we start writing creatively, the first step that needs to be done is to instill a mindset so that we don’t underestimate the reader. This means that we need to keep the writing neat and tight and not waste space for detailed descriptions that seem to patronize the reader.
Creative writing is about generating the reader’s imagination and letting them turn the reading into a paradigm source with a personal perspective. Creative writing is not in the form of writing in detail like long-winded and unnecessary textbooks. Give space to the imagination of the reader.
2. Write about what you know and don’t know
Creative writing needs to start by writing about things the writer knows. This will make the writer more free and focus on his writing and can write it validly. Besides that, creative writing also opens up space for writers to write about things they don’t know. This type of writing really opens up space for creativity because the author will try to explain about a new world or new things in his writing. Here, the writer’s imagination will work harder and the resulting writing will hopefully be more interesting.
3. Read more
One of the main capitals of creative writing is reading. Undoubtedly, reading and enriching reading material will strengthen the foundation of a creative writing.
Creative writing is very dependent on references and enrichment of the author’s perspective. Writers who often read various books with various backgrounds will automatically have broader knowledge than writers who are based on one book or only have creativity. Reading lots of books also allows creative writing to be more varied and not monotonous.
4. Engage your readers
Creative writing is writing that is flexible and friendly to readers. Every now and then, you need to greet him or seem to gently invite him into your writing. Creative writing is not a rigid scientific journal, it is more smooth and flowing so that there is no boundary between the reader and what he reads.
Some creative writers use creative greetings like “Did you know?” or various things that bring the reader familiar with the writing. Some great writers such as George Orwell also use this inducement in his greatest novel “1984” which opens with the sentence.
“It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen”
Orwell made this sentence as if he was telling the second party that they were in the same place.
Creative writing is a method in which the writer does not distance himself too far from the reader, so that the reader feels included in the writing and feels comfortable to linger there. Try to compare it with scientific journal writing that is rigid and makes it difficult for readers to survive for a long time.
5. Short description
Creative writing is not technical writing about descriptions or telling others details. Creative writing doesn’t require a lot of descriptions, adjectives, and adverbs. All of these things can slow down the narrative and cause the reader to lose interest.
Creative writing is about how the writing is made to flow and to the point so that readers have an interest to continue to be interested in what is at the end of the article. Show everything in creative writing with flowing narrative, rather than textbook explanations.
6. Have a point of view
Creative writing requires a sharp knife called point of view. The author’s point of view determines where this paper will lead. A narrative without a point of view will only spill over and have no clear purpose.
Therefore, point of view is important for someone in creative writing. With this point of view, the reader can understand the essence of the writing and how to respond to the direction of the writing.
7. Know your audience
Before writing creatively, one needs to know the audience or readers. Rarely is there writing that can attract all demographics of readers, so we must know the segmentation of readers towards our writing.
If someone writes creatively with the aim of young people, then he needs to know how relevant and the criteria for writing that young people like. Creative writing is a matter of adjusting to taste and as much as possible closing the gap between generations of readers.
8. Start writing
If you have understood the seven tips above, the next step is to start writing. Creative writing cannot be developed or evaluated if someone never writes. By starting to write, one can see how the writing is going and see the response of readers to the writing.
9. Evaluate and develop writing
The evaluation process is the main thing in creative writing. After completing a writing, a writer needs to evaluate himself and his writing based on input or feedback from readers. The results of this evaluation will later become the basis for developing future writings.
10. Keep polishing your writing and take a chance
Never stop writing! Those are the last tips that will keep you writing creatively. By continuing to polish your writing, you will have the opportunity to look for patterns and future writing developments. Creative writing also needs to be developed by taking various opportunities such as sending articles to popular media or releasing personal mailing lists through personal blogs .
Creative writing will continue to foster creativity with the help of other people’s feedback. Of course, never get discouraged if you get criticism from readers.
Those were various things about creative writing that you can develop individually. Creative writing can hone your memory and creativity in developing ideas. Therefore, it never hurts to learn creative writing anytime and anywhere. https://www.haris.eu.org/