Creative Writing vs Technical Writing Creative Writing is

  • Slides: 20
Download presentation
Creative Writing vs Technical Writing

Creative Writing vs Technical Writing

Creative Writing -is any writing that goes outside the bounds of normal professional, journalistic,

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. Creative Writing 1

It is possible for writing such as feature stories to be considered creative writing,

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 non-fictional works fall into this category, including such forms as novels, biographies, short stories, and poems. Creative Writing 2

According to Paul Witty and Lou La. Brant’s Teaching the People's Language: Creative writing

According to Paul Witty and Lou La. Brant’s Teaching the People's Language: Creative writing is a composition of any type of writing at any time primarily in the service of such needs as • the need for keeping records of significant experience, • the need for sharing experience with an interested group, and • the need for free individual expression which contributes to mental and physical health. Creative Writing 3

Forms of creative writing • • Autobiography/Memoir Non-fiction (Personal & Journalistic Essays) Epic Novel

Forms of creative writing • • Autobiography/Memoir Non-fiction (Personal & Journalistic Essays) Epic Novel Playwriting/Dramatic Writing Poetry Screenwriting Creative Writing 4

Technical Writing -a specialized and structured form of writing that presents technical information to

Technical Writing -a specialized and structured form of writing that presents technical information to readers in such a way that it is adapted to their needs and understanding level helps to perform a specific task or solve a specific problem. Technical Writing 5

-is a communication written for and about business and industry, focusing on products and

-is a communication written for and about business and industry, focusing on products and services. It must be understood easily and quickly, it includes: Letters, Reports, Instructions, Brochures and Newsletters, fliers, powerpoint presentations, and graphics. Technical Writing 6

Characteristics of Technical Writing: 1. Clarity 2. Conciseness 3. Correctness and Accuracy 4. Comprehensiveness

Characteristics of Technical Writing: 1. Clarity 2. Conciseness 3. Correctness and Accuracy 4. Comprehensiveness 5. Accessibility Technical Writing 7

Creative Writing vs Technical Writing

Creative Writing vs Technical Writing

100% 1 100% A further look into technical writing • Technical writing conveys specific

100% 1 100% A further look into technical writing • Technical writing conveys specific information about a technical subject to a specific audience for a specific purpose. • Technical writing is wholly written to inform and sometimes to trigger the person reading into making an action beneficial to the one of the writer. • Technical writing is not written to entertain. It has its own set of rules, conventions, do’s and don’ts, masterpieces and pieces of rubbish. Creative Writing v s Technical Writing

90% 2 90% A further look into creative writing • Creative writing is fiction—poetry,

90% 2 90% A further look into creative writing • Creative writing is fiction—poetry, short stories, plays, and novels—and is most different from technical writing. • Creative writing is written to entertain and educate. • It sometimes follows a given set of rules, and sometimes throws caution to the winds and breaks all of them. • Skills and talent both make up creative writing Creative Writing v s Technical Writing

3 80% Technical Writing Creative Writing Content Factual, straight forward Imaginative, Metaphoric or Symbolic

3 80% Technical Writing Creative Writing Content Factual, straight forward Imaginative, Metaphoric or Symbolic Audience Specific General Purpose Tone Inform, instruct, persuade Formal, standard, academic Objective Entertain, Provoke, Captivate Informal, Artistic, Figurative Subjective Vocabulary Specialized General, Evocative Organization Sequential, Systematic Arbitrary, Artistic Style Creative Writing v s Technical Writing

70% 4 70% Technical Writing Example User manual: i. Phone user manual Help topics:

70% 4 70% Technical Writing Example User manual: i. Phone user manual Help topics: Word 2007 help online White paper: Windows Vista SP 1 Beta Whitepaper System requirements: Drupal system requirements Creative Writing v s Technical Writing

60% 5 60% Creative Writing Example Here’s the beginning of A Movable Feast by

60% 5 60% Creative Writing Example Here’s the beginning of A Movable Feast by Ernest Hemingway: “Then there was the bad weather. It would come in one day when the fall was over. We would have to shut the windows in the night against the rain and the cold wind would strip the leaves from the trees in the Place Contrescarpe. The leaves lay sodden in the rain and the wind drove the rain against the big green autobus at the terminal and the café des amateurs was crowded and the windows misted over from the heat and the smoke inside. ” Creative Writing v s Technical Writing

Responsibilities of a Writer 1. Do the Best Possible Job Writers grow with ever

Responsibilities of a Writer 1. Do the Best Possible Job Writers grow with ever story they tell. As authors grow, so does their storytelling ability. We get better the more we practice at anything, and writing is a kin to 1 Responsibilities of a Writer

2. Spellcheck, Spellcheck The worst thing an author can do is put something out

2. Spellcheck, Spellcheck The worst thing an author can do is put something out there that hasn’t been thoroughly cleaned up and polished. Responsibilities of a Writer 2

3. Make Things Clear for the Reader • Writers need to ensure that they

3. Make Things Clear for the Reader • Writers need to ensure that they aren’t leaving too much out of descriptions, character building, development of clues, world building and more. Not too much description, not too little description, but description that’s 3 R e s p just o n s i b i lright. ities of a Writer

4. Learn to Take a GOOD Critique • Writing takes time and effort, and

4. Learn to Take a GOOD Critique • Writing takes time and effort, and neither of those things are to be taken lightly. Listen to what they have to say. Learn from it and make your revisions better. Responsibilities of a Writer 4

5. Learn the Rules Before You Try to Break Them • The more you

5. Learn the Rules Before You Try to Break Them • The more you know, the more you can decide what works for you and what works against you. Then you can set out getting around the rules– or flat breaking them–in a way that reassures the reader that you know what’s what and R e s pyou’re o n s i b i l i t i econsciously s of a Writer choosing to do 5

6. Tell the Best Story You Can • Authors need to ensure that they’ve

6. Tell the Best Story You Can • Authors need to ensure that they’ve thought the story out well, filled in plot holes, created threedimensional characters and written a story that respects the reader’s time. Do the very best you can from first word to last. Responsibilities of a Writer 6