Traditionally, all writing has been classified into two well-defined categories, non-creative writing and creative writing. Non-creative writing generally deals with cold, hard facts. Its purpose is to inform readers and improve their knowledge about a specific fact, situation, product or concept. For example, a book about history, a news article about a recent event, and a technical article about the latest software are examples of non-creative writing.
By contrast, creative writing is inspired writing or writing that comes from within. It may or may not be based on facts. Even when based on facts, the purpose of creative writing is to reveal these facts in a new light, as perceived by the author. A creative writer reflects on the people and things around her, meditates on concepts like love and fidelity, and then puts her own thoughts and feelings on paper. Novels, poems, and short stories are examples of creative writing.
To more clearly understand the difference between creative and non-creative writing, let’s consider a traffic accident. A simple report of what happened in the traffic accident (who was injured, who was driving, etc.) is an example of non-creative writing. However, if the same accident is woven into a story about the injured man, perhaps portraying him as a victim of fate rather than the motor driver, the resulting work would be called creative writing.
As you probably guessed, both writing styles require different skill sets. While a non-creative writer should focus on writing with an analytical and methodical approach, a successful creative writer should be imaginative, philosophical, and to some extent visionary.
The good news is that the traditional dividing line between non-creative and creative writing is blurring. It is not uncommon to find non-creative work written in a highly creative way so that the work not only informs but also inspires the reader. A good example of such work is Sophie’s World, a New York Times bestseller, by Jostein Gaarder. Although Sophie’s World deals with the history of philosophy, something that most readers would find boring, Gaarder treats the subject like a wonderful mystery novel.
