Tag: creative writing

Creative Writing vs. Technical WritingCreative Writing vs. Technical Writing

May 4, 2010May 4, 2010| Idrees PatelIdrees Patel| 3:02 PM

What is the difference between creative writing and technical writing?

Today, after learning what creative writing is and how to get started in it, we’re going to compare the two of them.

There are writers all over the world in the two categories – and it boggles the mind to hear that millions have been made from both creative writing and technical writing. Some have made fortunes. While some have not made anything.

Enjoyment can be gained from both types, but it’s fair to say that they both serve different purposes. They both have their own do’s and don’ts and they both have their own rules. Both are governed by grammar and style. Both appear everywhere. So what’s the difference?
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How to Get Started in Creative Writing in Just Three StepsHow to Get Started in Creative Writing in Just Three Steps

May 3, 2010May 3, 2010| Idrees PatelIdrees Patel| 6:11 PM

You’ve gone to the next step: you now know what creative writing is. You’d like to get started in it. The inevitable question is… how?

For reference, look at Daily Writing Tips’ awesome article Creative Writing 101. There are quite a few steps given there. I will be adding my own touches to them.

So, without any further ado, here are the three steps for you to climb and emerge as victor (sorry, couldn’t resist it).
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An Introduction to Creative WritingAn Introduction to Creative Writing

May 3, 2010May 3, 2010| Idrees PatelIdrees Patel| 2:14 PM

What is creative writing? Is there a correct definition anywhere? That is what I hoped to find when I Googled the term “creative writing” a while back. But the answers were disappointing for me as a pure beginner, and puzzling. Here’s what is written as a definition for creative writing in Wikipedia:

“Creative writing is considered to be any writing, fiction, poetry, or non-fiction, that goes outside the bounds of normal professional, journalistic, academic, and technical forms of literature. Works which fall into this category include novels, epics, short stories, and poems. Writing for the screen and stage, screenwriting and playwriting respectively, typically have their own programs of study, but fit under the creative writing category as well.

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Compelling Opening Chapters Written — Then What?Compelling Opening Chapters Written — Then What?

December 11, 2009December 11, 2009| Idrees PatelIdrees Patel| 9:20 PM

Today we’re wrapping up the series on Writing Compelling Opening Chapters. So far, we know:

  1. Why exactly we should write a great opening chapter
  2. The best way of beginning a compelling opening chapter
  3. What should be and told and shown in that chapter
  4. … and dos and don’ts of writing it exactly.

Now of course all we need to have is a stunning plot, superb characters, real conflict, solid architecture, mind-blowing theme and all that.

Yes… sounds hard right?
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Dos and Don’ts of Writing a Compelling Opening ChapterDos and Don’ts of Writing a Compelling Opening Chapter

December 9, 2009December 9, 2009| Idrees PatelIdrees Patel| 9:41 PM

Now we’ve learned why we should write a compelling opening chapter, my best way of beginning a compelling opening chapter, and what should be told and shown in the compelling opening chapter. Today, let’s learn the Dos and Don’ts of Writing a Compelling Opening Chapter.

All too often, writers have great content, but fail to perfect their craft, by putting a load of trash in the opening chapter. This is a sign to editors that you can write well, but you need to write tighter. How? Today we’ll look into that.

First, let’s imagine that you are an editor for a moment. A typical over-loaded, irritable editor. Two manuscripts have reached to you, along with many others. Somehow, you read these two first. You start reading the opening chapter of the first manuscript. Ten minutes later, you put it down with a cold rejection letter for the writer. Why? Because you weren’t impressed by the story. And that was because of various matters…
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What Should Be Told and Shown in the Opening Chapter?What Should Be Told and Shown in the Opening Chapter?

December 1, 2009December 1, 2009| Idrees PatelIdrees Patel| 10:16 PM

An ideal first chapter tells the reader only what’s necessary. After all you can’t finish a story in a chapter can’t you? (Well you can with short stories… but that’s another story.) You must tell the reader the main parts, not the subsidiary parts. The things which are important must be in the front in the opening chapter. Very visible. The subsidiary parts should have the backseat.

Now, you may ask, “what the heck are the main and subsidiary parts? Didn’t we learn all things are important as architecture for a novel?”

Yes, we did learn it. But there are some things called subplots. These things are important – they add depth and reality to a story – but for that reason, they must be given secondary importance. Plots come first, subplots come second. All the loose ends come third.

Which leads to the question… “so what exactly are the main parts? What exactly should be told and shown in the opening chapter?”
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