Understanding Creative Writing
As a writer you will often hear the term “creative writing”. It usually refers to novels and short stories, as opposed to academic or journalistic writing. Creative writing is writing to add ‘colour’, where characters, place, events, and plot are expressed to create interest beyond the story. It employs play and imagination. Creative writing not only entertains but also reveals truth, stirs emotion, and offers fresh perspectives. This artful approach to storytelling enriches the reader’s imagination and deepens engagement with the narrative.
Study the Masters of Creative Expression
Throughout these posts there will be many examples of creative writing, from dozens of authors, enough for you to gain a good appreciation of what the term means. Don’t just read them – study them. Study them and apply all the skills that this blog offers. It is safe enough to say, to be a master, you must study the masters! I hope these geniuses that I have selected inspire you as much as they inspire me. By immersing yourself in the techniques and voices of experienced writers, you develop your own craft and begin to unlock your unique creative expression.
The Wisdom of Li Sen on Writing Style
Chinese writer/poet, Li Sen in his book Drifting Skandhas says:
“At the same time, great writers find it necessary to formulate concepts to enable expression of the grand ideas that swell in the human heart. Not liable to set rules, a good piece of writing moves on freely and smoothly like floating clouds or flowing water. Clouds drift and form new skyscapes every other day; a good writer develops the best fitting style for different purposes. Water shapes its course according to the nature of the ground over which it flows; a good writer works out his excellence in relation to the material about which he is writing. Thus, is created the natural unity and coherence of writing with rich spontaneous creativity.”
Conclusion
I love that. As writers, we are not bound by fixed rules but are encouraged to create with movement and grace, just like clouds in the sky or rivers on the earth. Let these examples and reflections empower you to write boldly, freely, and creatively.
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