CREATIVE
WRITING
14 Types of Creative Writing
FREE WRITING AND JOURNALS
Free writing: Open a notebook or an electronic document and just start
writing. Let strange words and images find their way to the page. Anything goes! It’s
the pinnacle of creative writing.
Journals: A journal is any written log. You could keep a gratitude journal, a
memory journal, a dream journal, or a goals journal. Many writers keep idea
journals or all-purpose journals that can be used for everything from daily
freewrites to brainstorming and project planning.
DIARIES AND LETTERS
Diaries: A diary is a type of journal in which you write about your daily life. Some
diaries are written in letter format (“Dear Diary…”). If you ever want to write a
memoir, it would be a good idea to start keeping a diary.
Letters: Because the ability to communicate effectively is increasingly valuable, letter
writing is a useful skill. There is a long tradition of publishing letters, so take extra care
with those emails you’re shooting off to friends, family, and business associates. In fact,
one way to get published if you don’t have a lot of clips and credits is to write letters to
the editor of a news publication.
MEMOIR AND ESSAYS
Memoir: Memoirs are books that contain personal accounts (or stories) that
focus on specific experiences. For example, one might write a travel memoir.
Essays. Essay’s are often associated with academic writing, but there are
many types of essays, including personal essays, descriptive essays, and
persuasive essays, all of which can be quite creative (and not especially
academic).
JOURNALISM AND POETRY
Journalism: Some forms of journalism are more creative than others.
Traditionally, journalism was objective reporting on facts, people, and events.
Today, journalists often infuse their writing with opinion and storytelling to make
their pieces more compelling or convincing.
Poetry: Poetry is a popular but under-appreciated type of writing, and it’s
easily the most artistic, creative form of writing. You can write form poetry, free-
form poetry, and prose poetry. Or try writing a story in rhyme (perfect for kids).
SONG LYRICS AND SCRIPT
Song lyrics: Song lyrics combine the craft of writing with the artistry of
music. Composing lyrics is similar to writing poetry, and this is an ideal type of
writing for anyone who can play a musical instrument.
Scripts: Hit the screen or the stage by writing scripts for film, television,
theater, or video games. Beware: scripts are a director’s medium, not a writer’s
medium, but they have the potential to reach a non-reading audience.
STORY TELLING AND SPEECHES
Storytelling: Storytelling is the most popular form of creative writing and is
found in the realms of both fiction and nonfiction writing. Popular forms of
fiction include flash fiction, short stories, novellas, and full-length novels
Speeches: Whether persuasive, inspirational, or informative, speech writing
can lead to interesting career opportunities in almost any career field.
VIGNETTES AND BLOGS
Vignettes: A vignette is defined as “a brief evocative description, account, or
episode.” Vignettes can be poems, stories, descriptions, personal accounts…anything
goes really. The key is that a vignette is extremely short — just a quick snippet.
Blogs. A blog is not a type of writing; it’s a publishing platform — a piece of
technology that displays content on the web or an electronic device. A blog can be
used to publish any type of writing. Most blogs feature articles and essays, but you
can also find blogs that contain diaries or journals, poetry, journalism, and more.
