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Imaginative or Creative writing

The true definition of creative writing is "writing that expresses ideas and thoughts in an imaginative way." It's the "art of making things up" or putting a creative splash on history, as in creative nonfiction.

In both instances, creative writing is an art form because you have to step out of reality and into a new realm, inspired by your mental meanderings. In this capacity, you're able to express feelings and emotions instead of cold, hard facts, as we do in academic writing. Let's keep our creativity caps on and explore this vast universe some more.

Examples of Creative Writing

What is creative writing? At its core, it's a form of entertainment. It's also a form of art that abounds in all our favorite TV sitcoms, movies, books, poems, and more. Let's explore a few forms:

Poetry

Poems provide great examples of creative writing. In fact, they're almost exclusively "from the heart" and fanciful. Here's an excerpt from Lewis Carroll's "The Walrus and the Carpenter":

If seven maids with seven mops

Swept it for half a year,

Do you suppose,' the Walrus said,

That they could get it clear?'

I doubt it,' said the Carpenter,

And shed a bitter tear.

Short Stories

Short stories can be narrative, funny, mysterious, satirical, fantasy, or historical. Oftentimes, stories include a lesson for the reader. Here's an excerpt from Margaret Barrington's "Village Without Men," from The Glass Shore: Short Stories by Women Writers from the North of Ireland by Sinead Gleeson:

Weary and distraught, the women listened to the storm as it raged around the houses. The wind screamed and howled. It drove suddenly against the doors with heavy lurchings. It tore at the straw ropes that anchored the thatched roofs to the ground. It rattled and shook the small windows. It sent the rain in narrow streams under the door, through the piled-up sacks, to form large puddles on the hard, stamped, earthen floors.

Novels

Novels are certainly creative. That's why we crack open a new book or fire up our e-readers. We look forward to dipping in and out of new worlds, be they fanciful or relatable. Here's an excerpt from Dark Witch, written by famed romance writer Nora Roberts:

The cold carved bone deep, fueled by the lash of the wind, iced by the drowning rain gushing from a bruised, bloated sky. Such was Iona Sheehan's welcome to Ireland. She loved it. How could she not? she asked herself as she hugged her arms to her chest and drank in the wild, soggy view from her window. She was standing in a castle. She'd sleep in a castle that night. An honest-to-God Irish castle in the heart of the west.

Story Starters

Eager to test your own creative writing skills? With a quick Google search, you'll find yourself knee-deep in writing prompts. They're usually just a few lines. But, they can serve as the tipping point to a truly remarkable story. Here are some of our favorites:

• You're sitting at your desk staring blankly at the computer screen. Just then, a piece of paper floats down and lands in front of you. It says, "Tomorrow will be your last day."
• It's May 30th. She knows what that means. Every year, on this date, she wakes up and relives the day her mother died. Perhaps this time, she'll be able to do something different.
• She entered her parents home to clear out their possessions. What was she going to do with all their belongings? When she got to their safe, she keyed in the code, opened it up, and saw the most disturbing picture inside.
• A young retiree walks into his new home. The house is empty, save for some patio furniture the previous owners left behind. He sets his suitcase down on the kitchen floor and hears a loud thump from the bedroom.
• She got off the plane with only her tattered Louis Vuitton tote and one small suitcase. She had enough cash to start her new life in Edinburgh but absolutely no idea where to go once she left the airport.
• She gathered all her savings, moved to an island, and gave herself six months to write a book. When she arrived at her Airbnb, she wandered around a little. As she stepped out on her balcony, she saw...
• When he awoke, everyone in the apartment complex was gone. The parking lot was empty. The front gates were open. As a matter of fact, the typically busy roads were completely abandoned and eerily silent.
• She couldn't believe it. Her flight was so delayed it would've been faster to drive to Florida. She got up, prepared to stomp her way to the bathroom, and bumped into...
• She knew she was drowning. The waves kept crashing on her head. With one final push, she filled her lungs with air, screamed for help, and desperately struggled for the shoreline.
• He liked his solitude. It didn't matter that others called him a recluse and a hermit. But, when he saw her move in across the hall, he couldn't help but wander over to say hello. When he saw her face, he was astonished. She looked just like...
• He sat alone in his office, long after everyone had gone home for the night. He hated his boss. His entire team resented him. Yet, he'd moved his wife and daughter across the globe to start a new life here. He picked up a pen and pad and started to hatch a plan.
• In the middle of her junior year of high school, her parents moved her to a new city. She hated them for it. When she heard the school bus pull up, she ignored her father's, "Have a good day, honey," got on the bus, sat in her usual seat, and put on her headphones.
• She whistled into the wind to call up her dragon. When he arrived, she hopped up on the balcony railing, saddled her ride, and set sail for...

Function of Imaginative/Creative Writing

The purpose of creative writing is to both entertain and share human experience, like love or loss. Writers attempt to get at a truth about humanity through poetics and storytelling.

Definition of Technical Writing

Technical writing is a type of 

writing where the author is 

writing about a particular subject 

that requires direction, 

instruction, or explanation. 

This style of writing

 has a very different 

purpose and different 

characteristics than other writing 

styles such as creative writing, 

academic writing 

or business writing.

Some examples of technical 

writing include:

Instruction manuals

Policy manuals

Process manuals

User manuals

Reports of analysis

Instructions for assembling 

a product

A summarization of a and product

long report that highlights 

and shortens the most important 

elements

Function of Technical Writing

Technical writing is straightforward, easy to understand explanations and/or instructions dealing with a particular subject. It is an efficient and clear way of explaining something and how it works.

The subject of technical writing can either be:

• Tangible - Something that can be seen or touched, such as a computer or software program, or information on how to assemble a piece of furniture.
• Abstract - Something that involved a series of steps that aren't related to a tangible object. One example of this might be steps required to complete an office process.

Definition of Academic Writing
A simple definition of academic writing is hard to come by because it refers to writing done for several reasons. Also, academic writing is used in many different forms. Following are characteristics, explanations, examples, and a list of works where academic writing is used.

Examples of Academic Writing

• Books and book reports
• Translations
• Essays
• Research paper or research article
• Conference paper
• Academic journal
• Dissertation and Thesis - These are written to obtaining an advanced degree at a college or university.
• Abstract - This is a short summary of a long document.
• Explication - This is a work which explains part of a particular work.

Function of Academic writing 

Academic writing serves as a tool of communication that conveys acquired knowledge in a specific field of study. Writing academically will help students analyse, convey understanding, think critically and focus on technique and style.