In elementary school, my sixth grade teacher asked us to create sentences using certain vocabulary words. Right then and there was when I found my passion for creative writing. The teacher called on me and I realized that I was proud of what I had written. I genuinely enjoy writing, or at least, creative writing in which I could string together a bunch of words and transform them into something more than print on a page. Something that I can express my thoughts and feelings into, and something that has life.
There’s something so magical about putting pen to paper, thoughts to words, and words to stories that no other art form can compare to. Creative writing isn’t just one comparative skill, but there are many elements that all weave together so effortlessly to carefully craft a world so intricate that it makes people feel as if they’ve jumped into the pages themselves.
I think that creative writing exceeds all other types of writing, because of how versatile it is. It can range from prose to poetry, and the best part is that it emerges from the writer’s imagination. Dr. Seuss said it himself, “Oh the things you can think up if only you try,” what better way to create a world than by thinking it into existence?
The thing about imagination and writing is that everyone’s imagination is different, which makes their writing unique and like no other. Each and every story is unique and reflective of its writer, much like the snowflakes that flutter to the ground in the winter.
All the books that you’ve read are a creation of that author’s imagination, because they wanted to tell the world a story that no one else has heard before. A story that they poured all their time, energy, and thought into. A story that is a little piece of themselves as well.
Perhaps my favorite part of the writing itself is that I can put a little bit of myself in all of my stories, like little Easter eggs about my life. This is most closely reflected through my characters as their dialogue and mannerisms are something that I myself would say/do in real life. I think this is really fun because while getting to know my characters, readers can also get to know me, as the writer, more.
Another thing about creative writing that I absolutely love is that I get to make others happy. I would often be too scared to share my writing with others because it’s so personal to me. But when I finally did, I was met with praise and newfound confidence in my writing. When people tell me that they genuinely enjoyed reading my stories, it left me beaming that I was the cause of their happiness. Seeing others so into something that I’ve created is honestly one of the best feelings in the world, that it makes me want to write more.
The more that I write, the more skills I develop and the more I hone my craft. Of course, it’s not just me who grows my writing, but the community. Among all other types of writing, creative writing allows feedback and constructive criticism from both your readers and other writers. I have gotten some amazing tips that I still use to this very day, that both motivate me to keep writing and to help improve my writing.
So in the end, what’s so special about creative writing? From the joy of creating a new fantastical world that is so full of life, to the joy of sharing that unique craft with others, I can say from the bottom of my heart that it is everything.
