ten categories for creative writing

This post will delve deeply into the realm of imagination and creativity by examining the various forms of creative writing, such as scripts and poetry. You ought to know more about what creative writing is by the time you finish reading this guide and decide whatever genre you want to focus on.

What is creative writing?

Artistic expression can be achieved through creative writing. It encourages authors to employ their creativity to infuse their writing with oodles of personality and flair.

It exhibits creativity and inventiveness rather than merely concentrating on more conventional, technical writing styles like academic and journalistic writing. It gives authors a stage on which to express themselves and concentrate on things like plots, storytelling, and character development.

You can let your imagination run wild and break free from the constraints of traditional writing when it comes to creative writing. You can specialize in a wide variety of genres and styles, which we’ll go into great length about below.

Ten categories for creative writing

You can choose from a wide variety of creative writing styles. We’ll look at the top ten categories of creative writing here so you can choose which one to devote all of your time and energy to.

1. Poetry

One of the more common creative writing specialties is poetry as an artistic profession. Poetry comes in a wide variety of forms, such as limericks, sonnets, haiku, free verse, and more.

Poetry is a fantastic place to start if you’re just starting off with creative writing. You can customize your work to fit your preferred style by deciding on the length, complexity, and writing style of your poems.

It also invites you to experiment with other literary devices, such as simile, imagery, alliteration, and irony. Poetry is the ideal starting point for learning when and how to employ literary elements.

Regardless of your preference for lengthy prose or succinct, rhymed rhymes, it’s a fantastic way to connect with others.

2. Song lyrics

If you’re interested in poetry, you’ll probably appreciate creating music lyrics as well. Lyrics can be a great way to get started in the world of creative writing, especially if you have a musical bent.

As much fun as it can be, syncing your lyrics to music can sometimes be incredibly difficult. In addition to the textual aspect of creating lyrics, you’ll also need to consider the musical genre you’re writing for.

With friends, it may also be a fantastic group activity. especially if you want to hear how your lyrics sound when performed and aren’t very musical.

Learn how to write your first song with this University of Sheffield course, and get your song on the charts.

3. Journals and diaries

Journal and diary entries, which are written records of an individual’s experiences and emotions, are excellent means of self-expression and life documentation. If you’re concentrating more on emotions and storytelling than just recording events, then this counts as a form of creative writing.

It is totally up to you whether you decide to publish or keep your work secret. In any case, keeping a journal can help you develop your writing abilities and try out various strategies including imagery, foreshadowing, and flashbacks.

Maintaining a journal or diary can also be very beneficial to your mental health since it allows you to write down your feelings without having to say them out loud.

4. Plays and screenplays

Plays and screenplays are great methods to put your creative writing talents to the test if you’ve always wanted to work in the dramatic arts. Plays continue to be a very popular kind of art even after being composed for centuries.

Making a play is a great way to get your tale told and characters seen if you want your writing to be brought to life and performed on a stage near you.

Writing screenplays pushes you to be creative by combining stage directions, setting concepts, and character dialogue.

With a little assistance from classes like the University of East Anglia’s An Introduction to screenplay, you may become the next Spike Lee or Quentin Tarantino in terms of screenplay.

5. Personal essays

A personal essay is a type of creative non-fiction that focuses on the lives and experiences of the writer and functions nearly like an autobiography.

A personal essay tells the writer’s story from their own experience and is centered around a message or theme. The story must, however, have its essential components be genuine in order for it to avoid becoming short fiction.

Personal essays serve as the ideal entry point into creative writing and can assist you in getting your message heard if you have a personal narrative you would like to tell.

6. Short fiction

Short stories are ideal if you lack the time to write a novel but have a ton of fantastic, creative ideas that you would like to compile into a work of fiction. You can write a piece of work that is both captivating and quick for the reader to read through by employing bite-sized storylines.

Short tales are a fantastic substitute for novels in today’s constantly changing world of hectic schedules and time constraints. They are also rapidly gaining popularity.

If you actually want to write a novel, this is a great place to start because it will help you improve your storytelling skills, write more effectively, and master literary devices like foreshadowing and imagery.
Read More:7 Important Impacts of EdTech on Student Creativity

7. Letters

Journal and diary entries are not the same as letters because letters are addressed directly to a particular reader. Once more, this is a fantastic illustration of creative writing in which you may create a first-person narrative about a specific incident or go more into a couple’s relationship.

With letters, you can artistically convey the dynamic between the sender and recipient by utilizing hyperbole, flashbacks, and motif; this can make for a compelling novel on its own.

Many well-known authors have had their letters published since it gives them the chance to showcase a different aspect of themselves and try out an entirely new writing style.

8. Novels

Writing novels is frequently the first thing that comes to mind when someone considers creative writing. Novels, one of the most often used genres of creative writing, challenge you to utilize storytelling in an original way to connect with your audience.

Novels are lengthy works of creative writing that require dedication and time to do perfect. They are typically separated into chapters. Writing a novel from start to finish will require a lot of perseverance and motivation.

Because writing a book can be so fulfilling, so many creative writers choose to embark on this first difficult endeavor. Additionally, it gives you the freedom to employ a wide range of literary elements, such as personification, metaphors, imagery, and symbolism.

Imagine yourself the next

9. Free writing

When someone thinks of creative writing, they usually think of writing novels first. One of the most popular creative writing genres, novels, push you to use storytelling in a fresh way to engage your reader.

Novels are extensive pieces of creative writing that take time and effort to complete perfectly. Usually, they are divided into chapters. Composing a novel from beginning to end will take a great deal of persistence and drive.

For this reason, a great deal of creative writers decide to take on this first challenging project of creating a book. It also allows you to use a variety of literary devices, including personification, metaphors, imagery, and symbolism.

Consider yourself the following

10. Speeches

Anyone who reads this will instantly remember a famous speech. Though they can be exceedingly difficult to deliver, well-written speeches are remembered for ever. Speeches provide you the chance to interact with an audience and express yourself, whether they are motivational, enlightening, or persuading.

Proficient speech writers are consistently in high demand, be it for official functions, weddings, award ceremonies, or any other public gathering. Speech writing can therefore be a very useful skill that is worthwhile to acquire.

Since the ultimate goal of a speech is to uplift and encourage an audience, you can tackle most other types of creative writing after you’ve mastered speech writing.

Creative writing exercises

It’s time to put some of your newly acquired information to the test now that you understand what creative writing is and the various forms you can try.

Writing creatively is a fantastic method to hone your craft and set the tone for producing content of the highest caliber.

Why not begin by implementing a few of these exercise suggestions?

Brainstorm some ten categories for creative writing

Take out a blank sheet of paper and begin recording all of your ideas and thoughts. Don’t overthink it; this can serve as a writing prompt for a stream-of-consciousness exercise. This should not only encourage you to think creatively, but it should also provide you with a ton of solid ideas.

Create writing prompts

Using a writing prompt to launch into an unplanned story is a fantastic approach to get your writing going. To spark your imagination, pick a sentence, a paragraph, or an image. The main goal of this creative writing assignment is to spark original thought.

Borrow someone else’s story

Why not put that wonderful story your family member or friend told you down in writing and start experimenting with it? You may even write the narrative as though it were your own. Another strategy might be to write yourself into a scene from a well-known novel, such as The Hobbit.

Start a blog

If you want to improve your writing and get your work into the public realm for free, blogging is a terrific practice to do. Before attempting any of the creative writing genres we’ve covered in this article, this is a great method to get feedback on your writing and hone your craft.

Describe your surroundings

Look around you and use your imagination to best explain what you observe. Even if you’re just sitting in your home office, try to notice items you can see right away to inspire you. You can always embellish and over-exaggerate the reality to make your story more intriguing.

Visit this informative site for additional tips on how to get better at writing.

Online creative writing courses on FutureLearn

Hopefully, you share our sense of inspiration and readiness to tackle the world of creative writing. The good news is that FutureLearn offers some incredible courses that can assist you if you’re prepared to improve your creative writing abilities and immerse yourself in a fresh educational experience.

We provide a course that is specifically designed to meet your needs, whether you want to try your hand at poetry or creating your first power ballad. Thus, why do you delay? Now grab a pen and get started on your creative writing project.