UNIT-V
WRITING FOR MEDIA AND CREATIVE WRITING
Also known as 'the art of making things up,' creative writing is a vital part of modern society.
This lesson will explore what makes writing creative and use famous examples to show you what
makes creative writing successful.
Defining Creative Writing
You might have heard it called different things. Traditionally referred to as literature, creative
writing is an art of sorts - the art of making things up. It's writing done in a way that is not
academic or technical but still attracts an audience. Though the definition is rather loose, creative
writing can for the most part be considered any writing that is original and self-expressive. A
news article, for example, cannot be considered creative writing because its main goal is to
present facts and not to express the feelings of the writer. While a news article can be
entertaining, its main purpose is to present the facts.
Creative writing is any writing that goes outside the bounds of normal professional, journalistic,
academic, or technical forms of literature, typically identified by an emphasis on narrative craft,
character development, and the use of literary tropes or with various traditions of poetry and
poetics. Due to the looseness of the definition, it is possible for writing such as feature stories to
be considered creative writing, even though they fall under journalism, because the content of
features is specifically focused on narrative and character development. Both fictional and nonfictional works fall into this category, including such forms as novels, biographies, short stories,
and poems. In the academic setting, creative writing is typically separated into fiction and poetry
classes, with a focus on writing in an original style, as opposed to imitating pre-existing genres
such as crime or horror. Writing for the screen and stage—screenwriting and playwrighting—are
often taught separately, but fit under the creative writing category as well.
Creative writing can technically be considered any writing of original composition. In this sense,
creative writing is a more contemporary and process-oriented name for what has been
traditionally called literature, including the variety of its genres. In her work, Foundations of
Creativity, Mary Lee Marksberry references Paul Witty and Lou LaBrant’s Teaching the
People's Language to define creative writing. Marksberry notes:
It is a composition of any type of writing at any time primarily in the service of such needs
as
1. the need for keeping records of significant experience,
2. the need for sharing experience with an interested group, and
3. the need for free individual expression which contributes to mental and physical
health
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. If you'd
like to try your hand at creative writing, just keep in mind that whether you are trying to express
a feeling or a thought, the first step is to use your imagination.
Types of creative writing include:
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Poetry
Plays
Movie and television scripts
Fiction (novels, novellas, and short stories)
Songs
Speeches
Memoirs
Personal essays
As you can see, some nonfiction types of writing can also be considered creative writing.
Memoirs and personal essays, for example, can be written creatively to inform your readers
about your life in an expressive way. Because these types are written in first person, it's easier for
them to be creative.
Techniques used in creative writing include:
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Character development
Plot development
Vivid setting
Underlying theme
Point of view
Dialogue
Anecdotes
Metaphors and similes
Figures of speech
Imaginative language
Emotional appeal
Heavy description
Examples of Creative Writing
Poetry and Songs
A poem or a song tends to be more elusive, or mysterious, because it has limited space. Because
of its spatial limitations, however, it can make leaps in subject and time, and it doesn't have to
rely on narrative structure. In poetry and songs, literary devices, like similes and metaphors, can
be used to take the readers to surprising places. A good example of this is the opening of the
poem 'A Life' by Sylvia Plath:
'Touch it: it won't shrink like an eyeball,
This egg-shaped bailiwick, clear as a tear.
Here's yesterday, last year --Palm-spear and lily distinct as flora in the vast
Windless threadwork of a tapestry.'
Note how shocking the comparison is; how it immediately captures the reader's attention. The
goal of this poem's image is to build from this idea of life as an eyeball and makes the reader
really try to visualize it.
Fiction and Plays
A novel or a play, on the other hand, has plenty of time to unfold. Therefore, fiction usually
contains plot and character development. As a creative writer, you want your story to captivate
readers. You also want to create a relationship between the readers and the characters. This
requires both physical and emotional details so that readers will empathize with the action and
whatever pain or pleasure the characters undergo. To use as an example, read the following
excerpt from the novel Great Expectations by Charles Dickens:
Principles of Creative Writing in Content Strategy
Storytelling has earned its stripes in the complex, abstract and often misrepresented world of
Content Strategy. Rather than being simply deemed as a poetic take on content creation and
communication, storytelling and its associated features have come to play a very functional and
insightful role in content strategy.
Creative writing is often perceived as frivolous, imagination-driven entertainment as opposed to
the highly structured, highly focused writing it is. Plot, pace and characterisation are
meticulously detailed tools, and are features just as relevant to the world of content strategy as
say playwriting.
Long live the brand story.
Many of the principles of creative writing can be adapted and utilised to plan, create and
communicate meaning via content. User experience and the emotional design are moving up the
ranks when it comes to website planning, so it only makes sense to consider the role of content in
this.
Creative writing gifts the world of content strategy a host of tools and frameworks that can
enhance and develop new practices and forms of content for use across the board.
Social media, marketing campaigns and website content can benefit in the long-term from a
content strategy that is rooted in meaning, relevant to audiences and that invests in the
importance of brand story and user interaction.
Plot – Mapping Meaning.
You don’t have to have a brand story full of drama, disruption and against all odds success.
The word ‘plot’ is in itself associated with dramatic connotations, but I see plot as examining
what I want to say and when to say it.
It magnifies;
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Your objectives – Do you want to inspire, educate, demand?
Your vehicles for meaning – This could be language, images or even CEO lifestories.
Timing – When to make what info available at what points. How do you want to map out
the customer journey, do you want them to interact with you on Twitter or respond to a
CTA?
Gaps are your friends, if you see one, so will your audience. A good ‘plotting’ can help you test
the stealth of your current strategy and perhaps influence necessary change.
This storytelling principle can help you develop a narrative with the audience at its centre, as
opposed to giving them the afterthought treatment.
A good narrative typically revolves around a customer problem followed by presentation of
different solutions, topped off with the benefits of its eventual resolution.
Quest Narratives are an engaging yet highly functional way of tracking multiple boxes at once.
Pace – Slowly slowly, Catchy customers.
Pace and timing really do go hand in hand. Presenting milestones for meaning and directing the
audience to such is a fine art, dependant on well constructed content and experiences.
The romance of engagement takes the typical structure of boy/girl meets content, boy/girl follow
and fall in love with content. And the same rules of attraction and trust apply.
It’s a delicate balance; too keen, slow or boring and you lose that connection that moves
customers from A to B to C.
Much the same as ‘Plotting’, using content to sculpt a pace and pattern of subtle timings can be
the difference between success and failure. A great way to align content with this pace and
timing is to create an Experience Map.
A combination of an UX strategy and editorial calendar, this Experience Map outlines the roles
that content plays in these experiences, setting mini-goals in the journeys laid at the feet of the
user.
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Back and forth dialogues – Creating content that sparks questions, guides curiosity and
offers reassurance.
Develop relationships via digital and real world connections.
Predict and build opportunities for interactions and their responses – Script content that
meets business and customer aims.
Character – Create a brand hallmark.
The best brand stories are the ones that integrate history, values and audience.
Characters are the perfect way of embodying all of the above without making business objectives
too obvious or impersonal.
These characters transcend medium and have the ability to become bigger than the brand itself.
Look at Old Spice. I bet even as you read this you have ‘that’ advert in your head.
Yep, the Old Spice ‘The man your man could smell like’ advert showcased their new poster boy.
Targeting women, this new brand character went viral and become as synonymous with the
brand as its classic white bottle is.
Sharability and social media friendliness were non-existent factors 20 years ago, but now these
probably top the list. Creating a character that targets your market, holds attention and
encompasses brand values is worth its weight in gold.
Character doesn’t have to be a person or solo representative. Your company can become a
character in itself. Some brands instill their content with such honesty and sincerity that their
brand or product is sold merely on its history.
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Condense your ethos into a handful of headlines, or brand statements – Do you have a
USP or definitive identity?
Gauge your tone – How should you speak, what language will you use?
Are there people, symbols or points of origin that represent the above?
Make Stories last.
Developing a long-term story arc that includes plot, pace and characterisation is a commitment.
The best brand stories are the result of consistency, original delivery and honesty. As like all
good stories, the most memorable one are the ones we adopt and share.
Of course, sharing it what determines the future of many a brand.
Brand stories have little resemblance to their traditional siblings. The need to be concentrated,
flexible and less open to varied interpretation. Although still very much the emotional heart of a
brand, its story needs to perform and stand the test of not only time, but medium too.
This is where the tricks and tools of the creative writing trade preserve the human engagement of
a story while meeting the practical, business-driven aims of a company.
This is a guest post by Nic Evans. Nic is a freelance copywriter based in Glasgow; she believes
that no matter what the medium, brief or platform, using the perfect words in the best possible
way can create a story, a natural communication between people, their ideas and the rest of the
world.
Different types of publications and products, include
Newsletters, Journals, Bulletins, Fact Sheets, Reports, Summaries, Portable Guides, and
Videotapes.
NEWSPAPER
A printed publication (usually issued daily or weekly) consisting of folded unstapled sheets and
containing news, articles, advertisements, and correspondence.
ewspapers belong to the oldest methods of getting information to the public and keeping people
well-informed on important events. They can cover more news in greater detail than other media
and reporters have more time to get the facts straight.
Producing a newspaper requires speed and good organisation. Reporters, editors and
photographers always face deadlines. Many other workers are also involved in making a paper:
advertising salespeople, artists, printing press operators and truck drivers.
Format of newspapers
Standard papers are large papers that can have a size of up to 55 cm by 33 cm. Generally, these
newspapers are more serious and present more facts than tabloids.
Tabloids are smaller papers with a size of up to 37 cm by 25 cm. They concentrate on
sensational stories and often publish gossip combined with big pictures.
Types of newspapers
Newspapers can be divided into three basic types:
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dailies
weeklies
special interest newspapers
In addition , many newspapers have their own online edition which provides news over the
Internet.
Daily newspapers print world, national and local news. Many of them also have a section about
events that happen in the area in which the reader lives. Most dailies are distributed in the
morning, but in some large cities newspapers have an afternoon or evening edition that comes
out when people travel home from work.
Sunday newspapers have additional features and more pages than weekday editions. Topics
like entertainment, finance or travel are included in separate sections, which sometimes make
Sunday papers so large that they are difficult to handle.
Weekly papers are distributed in a much smaller area and have news that is more local and
personal. In small communities people know each other and are often interested in activities of
their friends and neighbours.
Special interest papers are newspapers for a special part of the population, like Hispanics in
America. Some of them also focuson certain topics like sports or business.
MAGAZINES
Magazine is a publication that is issued periodically, usually bound in a paper cover, and
typically contains essays, stories, poems, etc., by many writers, and often photographs and
drawings, frequently specializing in a particular subject or area, as hobbies, news, or sports.
1. Also called newsmagazine. a regularly scheduled news program consisting of several
short segments in which various subjects of current interest are examined, usually in
greater detail than on a regular newscast.
2. A program with a varied format that combines interviews, commentary, entertainment,
etc.
Newsletter
A newsletter is a regularly distributed publication that is generally about one main topic of
interest to its subscribers. Newspapers and leaflets are types of newsletters.[1] For example,
newsletters are distributed at schools to inform parents about things that happen in that school.
Newsletters are published by clubs, churches, societies, associations, and businesses—especially
companies—to provide information of interest to members, customers, or employees. A
newsletter may be considered "grey literature". Newsletters delivered electronically via email (eNewsletters) have gained rapid acceptance for the same reasons email in general has gained
popularity over printed correspondence.
Some newsletters are created as money-making ventures and sold directly to subscribers.
Sending newsletters to customers and prospects is a common marketing strategy, which can have
benefits and drawbacks. Public organizations emit newsletters in order to improve or maintain
their reputation in the society. General attributes of newsletters include news and upcoming
events of the related organization, as well as contact information.
In email marketing web bugs are frequently used as a way of determining which recipients
opened the newsletter.
How to Write a Good Newsletter
Although images and layout are important, the written content is the biggest factor in whether or not
your newsletter is successful. However, writing a newsletter requires more than just a good grasp of
proper English grammar and extensive vocabulary. You need to be interesting, relevant, and easy to be
read. Here are some simple steps you can take to write a good newsletter.
1. Consider your audience. Before deciding on what content you need for your newsletter
printing, take a moment to define your audience; gather demographics, and decide what topics
will interest them. For instance, an audience of mostly middle-aged women probably won't be
interested in a detailed article explaining a product. Instead, choose a topic that will connect with
them--specifically on a personal level.
2.Choose your topic. Include a variety of topics and sections that will make your newsletter
more interesting to a variety of audience. Just as a newspaper contains different sections, your
newsletter should incorporate similar sections such as a response section, letters to the editor,
industry news, and featured articles. Include tips or customer reviews within boxes to break up
the layout
3.Ask questions. Keep all information accurate. Use the six questions to give your newsletter a
versatility: who, what, when, where, why and how. The best articles incorporate all six of these
questions and answers, if applicable. This may require some research such as interviewing, but it
is worth it if you want to make an effective newsletter with your audience's opinions expressed.
4. Research your topic. Writing subjectively can severely harm your credibility. Without
proper research, you risk presenting incorrect or inaccurate information, which may offend or
confuse your audience. Provide information such as statistics, expert opinions, and quotes to
prove the validity of your research. Make sure to give the source (e.g., magazine, website, book)
credit where credit is due. If you are writing a newsletter on behalf of a company or organization,
you should attend important meetings to stay informed about news or updates that are relevant to
your audience. For example, customers might be interested in a new product feature, while
donors to a non-profit organization probably want to know how successful your latest campaign
was.
5.Make it understandable. Use concise and comprehensible vocabulary to ensure readability.
Avoid verbose language. For instance, rather than using an adverb/verb combo, use a verb that
denotes the same meaning.
6.USe interesting headlines. Write dynamic headlines by using action verbs that evokes
curiosity. Without an interesting headline, readers may skim over your articles, because they find
it uninteresting. Headlines are one of the keys to creating loyal readers, since a well-written
headline means a well-read article means a well-read newsletter. Also, if any of your articles are
more than a few paragraphs long, use subheadings to break up the text.
7. Proofread. After writing your articles, proofread for typos and then edit all articles for
consistency of tone and voice. Never leave proofreading to your spell and grammar check tools.
They are great for preliminary editing but poor substitutes for manual editing. Have someone
else look over your newsletter for typos, since you can easily skip over them after staring at the
text too long. And don't forget that you can't edit enough. Once you've thought you edited
enough, go over it one more time. Even just a few typos will annoy readers enough for them to
disregard you as a professional.