Creative Communication: The Process of Creative Writing - Term Paper Example

Creative Writing Task Expressive writing generates comfort in the mind by creating original habits that make a person to overcome the fear of writing and reduces the prejudice of context. People are then able to tap into their newly discovered abilities and thus more knowledge is passed on from generation to generation. Thoughts and solutions to problems we encounter as a society are addressed and solutions created all in a bid to improve the environment we live in and the world as a whole. This report outlines the process of creative writing by giving the details of all the ideas and process of wring a report. Introduction Creative writing, similar to art is subjective thus has different definitions. In the past, it has been called literature. Creative writing is considered imaginative and original. It is also work of fiction and mostly considered not to be true. It is an art of making or coming up with stories that are made-up. This writing does not have to be academic or official. However, this work has to be convincing, precise, attractive and entertaining in all ways possible. Some creative writing can be based on true stories or actual events as a source if inspiration. One of the factors that define creative writing is how captivating a story is. Personal involvement of the writer with his work is a common element, and events are not ‘objective’ as is common with news articles or factual writing. It is easy to read a poem and classify it as creative yet read through a legal document and identify it as factual writing. Types of creative writing include plays (live or recorded), poetry, films and scripts, novels and short stories that are fictional, songs and narratives, speeches, memoirs, personal compositions and also screenwriting. There are several theories about creative writing. The most deployed theory is that of composition writing that allows the transmission of ideas that are later shared through conferences, talks, and inter-class discussions. Understanding this theory gives writers a context in their work. Creative writers write about craft in ways that are quite accessible to readers thus are able to pass on the knowledge and the imaginative sense of other generations. This leads to improving skills and empowering others to heighten their levels of imagination. Composition theory enhances invention, designing, problem-solving arts and also entrepreneurial initiatives. The Creative Process It consists of six processes. In creative writing, these processes should not follow any order although should be experienced several times. These are inspiration, explanation, refinement, perspiration, assessment and incubation. Inspiration involves producing different ideas. It is the stage where ideas are put together spontaneously and instinctively without perception. Creative writers do not sieve their ideas when they appear to them whether good or wrong (Faust & Kieffer, 2008). This stage allows writing down ideas in their raw context and without any analysis of any sort. Deep feelings like sympathy, religious affiliations and strong self-finding are unearthed here. Ideas at this stage should be freely flowing without any significant concern for virtues, rhyme, quality, and positivity. If these ideas happen to be candid and ‘workable’, not enough risk was taken by the subject that is the concept guiding this stage. Second stage is explanation or better yet, clarification where one focuses on the goals that lead him or her. Here, ways of working out and exploiting the ideas brought through and where these ideas would lead or make of the subject are addressed. One can understand what they are trying to say and achieve and gets a rough view of how his/ her finished work would be like. In the case of ideas brought forth a problem is identified, this is the stage where solutions are considered. The primary objective is to give purpose and an objective to the work in question. Explanation paves a clear sense of purpose in cases where an artist is torn between two or more equally striking approaches. In this phase, it is essential that one focuses on the end product and how it will be presented (Faust & Kieffer, 2008). Refinement is whereby through the many generated ideas, one narrows to the ones that will work. Ideas brought forth in the first stage are separated, filtrated and evaluated according to the findings of the explanation stage. The best ideas are developed and put together to form improved and enhanced ideas. It is a sensitive stage and requires sober analysis and significant conclusions that are not spontaneous. Nevertheless, productivity should not be entirely applied here as the ideas are still of a young nature, and even the solutions are not complete. Perspiration is a stage that involves working single-mindedly on the best ideas. Here, determination and perseverance are required so as to remain focused on the primary approach of the idea. Assessment is where one reviews his work and examines it for any improvement or alterations of any sort that contribute to making the idea viable. One might have to go through this stage severally since it is hard to get it perfect the first time. Perspiration and assessment stages tend to form a cycle. This phase requires habitual revising of work as this phase can be quite rewarding, and any valuable work has to pass through this point. Incubation is a process where one abandons the work and thinks about it critically time and again. Many ideas come about in strange circumstances or bizarre circumstances. Distancing oneself from these ideas gives one a better chance to evaluate them and consequently improve on them. If one encounters a problem, it is imperative that the incubation stage follow the inspiration or the perspiration phase (Faust & Kieffer, 2008). All these stages are quite helpful in the development of ideas when it comes to creative writing and could be encountered severally without a particular order to follow but help in focusing on the objective. It is also advisable to switch stages if stuck in trying to depict an idea at a particular stage. The creative person needs to be flexible to change between these phases with ease and not lose touch with the original idea. It becomes challenging to come up with original ideas when one is too careful or critical, and it becomes impossible to clarify the purpose and objective effectively. Creative Thinking in Relationship to Creative Learning Literature enhances development of ideas and also enables us to appreciate the relationship between good thinking and good writing. John Bean (2008) pp19 states that assignments that are well written and reasoned generate a conversation with different voices. This handiwork unifies us, and we get to appreciate each other as equal yet different human beings. Through creative writing and thinking, knowledge is brought out as more than small bits of information that is to be read and stored away. Writers enable readers to think critically about the world and evaluate the knowledge they take in and thus affecting their perceptions and choices in life. We currently live in an information-saturated society. It is by reading that one discerns this information and finds meaning in the knowledge so as to apply it in situations and circumstances that they face in their daily activities. Putting into writing what one learnt is critical thinking in a basic form. Letter writing, an entry in a diary or even a journal is an example of the writing to depict a hypothesis once the writer is able to discover what he thinks he is writing as he writes it. Creative Writing as a Result of Creative Thinking Everyone is attracted to things that pose to be of interest to them. It is the foundation of creative writing according to Bean (2008). He maintains that writing should start with a personal interest and rather not from coercion. The curiosity to know produces creative writing and writing to learn. Writing is a process and not a technical task that is focused on the end product being perfect. What began as a personal diary or journal with the correct approach and revision could end up being a creative piece of art. This could then be published and better yet inspire people who never knew that creative writing had many seeds. Effects of technology on Creative Writing Taking information not only from one’s mind but also from other sources and transforming it into useful knowledge has become quite successful thanks to technology. People no longer memorize chunks of information yet it is available at the pressing of a button. This has, without doubt, brought challenges as well as simplified the art of creative writing. In the past, writers could be seen jotting away notes with a pen and a piece of paper. That has changed remarkably as one can find them on a computer or more recently, typing away on a tablet while engaging with the wider writing fraternity through the internet. The Internet as a Source of Writing Material The internet creates many opportunities for a writer as there is the convenience of accessing information whenever and wherever. It enables them to improve and sharpen their writing skills and also improve their content and ideas. Many websites have been created to develop amateur’s skills of writing and also encourage them to come up with more articles irrespective of how their previous ones turned out or were received. Initiatives such as online writing courses and interactive avenues for writing sessions allow upcoming authors to work together with established authors and other professionals in this field. These professionals get to mentor them irrespective of place, time or maybe even language barriers. Writers can be susceptible and apprehensive about sharing their work, whether complete or not, with other writers and the world as a whole. The internet paves a ‘soft’ landing for them as the scrutiny is not so profound. While doing research in the past, writers had to go through libraries and archives of materials which required quoting facts or to be used later for citation or referencing. The internet has simplified this task and accessibility is no longer an issue. Competitions, magazines, and even publishers are advertised on the internet making it easier to nurture a talent and enhance continuation and networking of good work. Challenges Posed by Advanced Technology Professional writing has become a business and the internet is used as a platform for writers to market their materials and services. The publishing of books electronically has made it too easy for frauds to publish materials and even sell them. Writers can publish their work online within minutes. They can set their prices thus taking a significant percentage of the profit while the approval of the book remains questionable as to how authentic it is. People can order copies online and even buy books online without any question (Bloom et al. 2006). The quality control which is usually standard with approved agents, editors and publishers become a major issue facing writers and all those who are fond of reading books and articles. This is a two-edged sword as for other writers who are challenged in sales and marketing are hardly able to sell or attract customers to them. This works as a down side as these writers are not recognized therefore limiting their writing, as good as it might be. Collapsed bookshops leading to publishers getting minimal profit is also a negative impact of the internet. However, an initiative to publish books both electronically and on paper has been implemented so as to benefit the publishers and at the same time provide choice and convenience to the buyer or consumer. Apart from internet related issues, new writers are posed with a challenge of discerning the good from the bad, what the world needs to hear and what it wants to hear. Some writers write to please their readers instead of creativity that is untainted. Time has become a very precious commodity to writers who amidst writing have to reply to personal emails and update their conversation on social sites. Recommendations Writing is an art that, in whatever form, has to be embraced since it is a source of knowledge and information. A training program should be established to not only vet time wasters and business people out, but to create a platform for talented writers to nurture their talents and improve their abilities. This enables them to remain original and give good quality work. The internet should also be controlled since once information goes viral; its impact stays felt for generations and generations on end. Conclusion When people are more conscious of the many decisions they make in an effort to improve their writing, they acknowledge the processes and stages they need to pass through to not only enhance their writing but to modify it. Writers tend to make it attractive so that people are encouraged to read and also share with others. When writers see their work inspiring others and enabling them to better their lifestyles, it is an achievement on the writers’ part. Knowledge and information improves individuals on a personal, religious, and spiritual level. Their work becomes a chain of information and ideas that only gets better as it is passed on thus engaging the trail of people in the kind of thinking of writers. Commitment, critical thinking, and self-assessment are quite mandatory in educating people about our world. Bibliography Bean, J. (2008). ‘Engaging ideas.’ San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers. Bloom, B.S. (Ed.), Engelhart, M.D., Furst, E.J., Hill, W.H., & Krathwohl, D.R. (2006). ‘Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classification of educational goals.’Handbook 1: Cognitive domain. New York: David McKay. Faust, M. & Kieffer, R. (2008). Challenging expectations:’ Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy’, 41, 540-547. Read More