Crafting Your Unique Voice in Creative Writing
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Chapter 1: The Essence of Creative Writing
Creative writing is a passion of mine; it’s the art of crafting words to convey emotions and ideas in innovative ways. This form of writing includes poetry, short stories, novels, and plays. What sets creative writing apart is its emphasis on skilled wordplay, character evolution, narrative design, and literary devices.
Nicolas Cole, an established author, shares insights on creative writing in his Atomic Essay, a part of the Ship 30 for 30 writing challenge. He states, “Most writers are unclear on what ‘creative writing’ truly means. For nearly ten years, I was among them.
The conventional way we are taught about creative writing suggests there are rules established by those more talented than ourselves. Our task is to learn these rules, master them, and try to excel within these parameters, outshining our peers. Success in adhering to these rules earns you the label of 'creative.'
However, true creative writing involves the ability to express what hasn’t been articulated before. This can be achieved in three ways:
- By having a distinct voice (how you say it).
- By presenting it in a unique format (the way it looks).
- By offering different content (what you say).
For instance, if you ask ten writers to pen a piece on establishing an effective morning routine, they will likely echo similar advice: waking up early, drinking water, making coffee, stretching, journaling, reading, meditating, and so forth. While each writer may excel in their craft with impeccable grammar and punctuation, they ultimately sound alike. If you swapped their names, you might struggle to identify who wrote what.
Then, an eleventh writer presents a different viewpoint: “As soon as you wake up, take a shot of tequila.” (Just kidding, editor).
At first glance, this seems humorous and creative, yet the real brilliance lies in its distinctiveness. It diverges from the conventional advice about morning routines. If one achieves this level of originality, then they have truly embraced the essence of creative writing. Conversely, if you merely rephrase common ideas in a clever manner, you aren’t truly creative; you’re just another writer competing in the same arena, seeking to blend in rather than stand out.
My Creative Writing Journey
For me, narrative and character creation come naturally. I enjoy experimenting with synonyms and antonyms. Drawing from my own life experiences—growing up in the South Bronx, living in Southeast Asia, and even a memorable encounter with a movie star—provides ample material for storytelling. I’ve faced danger and had the honor of serving a U.S. President. My life has certainly been intriguing!
My love for words and phrases drives my writing. I predominantly focus on short fiction and non-fiction pieces related to politics and current events, often collecting striking phrases and expressions that resonate with me.
I tend to gather groups of words or phrases that function as cohesive units. These phrases may vary from single words to complete sentences, but I am particularly drawn to five or six-word combinations that evoke vivid imagery and roll off the tongue beautifully, even if they aren’t complete thoughts.
Phrases can carry idiomatic meanings or cultural significance, such as “economical with the truth” or “kick the bucket.” However, the phrases that captivate me don’t necessarily need to have any recognized significance. They may even be unique to the context of the sentences I’ve encountered.
Here are a few examples of phrases I’ve crafted. They may not yet tell a complete story, but they possess a coherent sense:
- As a predictive futurist, he adhered to a manifest-destiny philosophy. “The future is unfolding,” he often remarked, “whether you embrace it or not.”
- He was a radical conservative, encouraging others to “move fast and break things” while possessing an uncanny ability to mend what he shattered.
- She felt like an outlier, a fish out of water, even submerged.
- He embraced both black swan thinking and luck grounded in informed guesses.
- He recalled Mr. Micawber from Charles Dickens: “Something will turn up.”
- His decisions often resembled gambles, yet they tended to yield favorable outcomes. What could he have been thinking? It was unfathomable, but taking such risks in bleak circumstances was akin to wagering everything on a three-legged horse.
He had an uncanny intuition for winning the game, surprising everyone—including himself—when he did.
The Key Takeaway
If you aim to elevate your writing skills, a straightforward exercise is to read exceptional works and jot down notes.
Here are a couple of related articles:
Explore my favorite writing tools and techniques that can enhance your creative process.
Discover various tools and techniques that can help you in your creative writing journey.
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© 2024 by Lewis Harrison. All rights reserved.
Author: Lewis Harrison is a best-selling author of over twenty books and the former host of a talk show on NPR.
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