Writing is one of the most valuable technologies invented by humans. The first written script was used for business documentation such as record-keeping of transactions and accounting. It was a Sumerian script called Cuneiform, which was invented in Mesopotamia between 3400 BC and 3300 BC. Writing is still valuable today as one of the most important forms of communication.
It is a type of verbal communication that uses the letters of a language's alphabet, its punctuation marks, and space to document information in a readable text format. Whether it is done on a clay tablet with a stylus, on paper with a pen, or even typed on a computer, the rich benefits writing offers to mankind in communication span every aspect of life.
There are different genres and sub-genres of writing. In this article, we shall describe two types of writing — academic and creative — and also discuss their writing processes.
What is Academic Writing?
It is a scholastic, non-fictional form of writing that uses clear, factual, and concise statements to describe and explore specific subject matters in an academic field. It is a formal style of writing whose target audience is largely readers in the same academic field who are knowledgeable enough to understand the lingo used by the writer.
In this form of writing, the intertextuality of other scholars' written texts (published or unpublished) that are used to support or oppose an argument in the author's paper or book must be cited as references for the readers to explore if interested in gaining deeper insights into the subject matter.
Examples of academic writing genres include research articles and proposals, conference papers, technical reports, and monographs.
What is Creative Writing?
This is a non-conventional form of writing that draws on the thinking and imaginative power of a writer to craft unique and original content that connects with and arouses its readers’ emotions around a central theme. Unlike academic writing, the texts in creative writing are non-factual, non-informative, and informal.
They are drawn directly from the writer's specific point of view in a structured narrative. Since creative content is expected to be the original artistic work of a writer, this type of writing does not require the use of citations and formatted referencing, as is mostly mandated in academic writing.
Examples of creative contents are poetry, play/scriptwriting, fiction (e.g., novels, novellas, novelettes, short stories, and flash fictions), and creative non-fiction (such as personal essays, memoirs, biographies, lyric essays, and humor writing).
Writing Process and Tips for Academic Writing
Writing an academic paper may seem difficult; however, starting the writing process with an organized, logically structured plan makes it easier. The following steps can be included in your writing plan:
Discovery or investigation
The discovery of an innovative solution can be documented as an academic paper that is made available for other researchers or scholars to investigate. This form of writing can also be done when you need supporting evidence for a thesis. To write effectively as a scholar, you need to start by reading existing information from different sources that is related to your focal area of research.
Prewriting
If you don't already have an assigned topic for your academic writing, you should craft a suitable topic that aligns with your research objectives. Searching the internet to find existing topics that are similar to your writing focus is a good place to start if you find it difficult to decide on a topic.
Make a list of those topics, streamline them until you choose the most suitable one that matches your investigations, and rephrase it in a way that makes yours unique and tailored to your area of research. Thereafter, write an outline containing the introduction, body, and conclusions of your academic paper.
Drafting
The next step is to write the first draft of your academic paper. It should contain the factual details from your investigations or discoveries. Your tone should be formal and impersonal. Your writing should be objective and cautious, and it should be clear and succinct. Sources used in your academic paper should be cited in text and also included in your reference list.
Revising
When you are done with writing your first draft, you need to revise it to ensure that your content is compliant with the rules of academic writing. This implies that the sources cited in your paper or thesis should be properly paraphrased or quoted to avoid plagiarism. You also need to assess the logical flow of each paragraph into one another. This ensures that your content is coherent and helps readers connect with the flow of your content.
Editing and Proofreading
Ensure that you do a thorough review of your academic content and correct all grammatical errors in your writing, such as wrong spelling and punctuation marks, before submitting your paper.
Formatting and Referencing
Each academic institution and career field has its own formatting and referencing style, which should be adopted for writing in-text citations and reference lists. If you intend to publish your content in an academic journal, you need to find out their formatting and referencing style before submitting for publication. Some of the referencing formats used by academic institutions include APA, Harvard, MLA, and Chicago.
Writing Process and Tips for Creative Writing
The writing process for creative writing is very similar to that of academic writing. Creatively written content starts with adequate planning, and the following steps can be adopted to keep you creative and focused all through your content creation.
Expand your horizons
As a creative writer, you need to think outside the box. To develop this skill, you have to read extensively, watch videos that are related to your proposed content, or visit places of interest to gain new insight that will stimulate your creativity. You should also jot down or create a story board where you list all striking ideas that can be included in your content, such as characters from books, magazines, movies, songs, and even live incidents in your community.
Prewrite
You need to choose a catchy, well-defined topic that captures the attention of your target audience and aligns with your proposed content. Thereafter, make an outline that serves as a guide for writing your content. This is where you decide the number of chapters for your book, the number of verses for your poem, the major points to include in your speech, etc.
Drafting
Next, set out to write your first draft. You can decide to free-write all the creative ideas that come to your mind without correcting your grammatical expressions. Include contents from your jottings, but reframe them to make your work unique. Here are a few tips for creative writing: If you're writing a story or play, ensure you write about the main characters, their names, and their roles. Be insightful when creating scenes, add some twist to the story when writing plots, and be artistic in the use of your words for poems so as to ignite your reader's emotion.
Revising
Just like in academic writing, you need to revise your writing. Here, you modify and evaluate your content, keeping your target audience in mind. Assess your content and check if it has the potential to connect with your readers’ emotions, as well as keep them interested in reading till the end. You may need to rewrite, add more content, or delete certain sections of your book or verses of your poem or speech in order to improve the flow of your storyline, its readability, and connections with the intended readers.
Editing and Proofreading
This is where you correct your grammatical expressions, spellings, and punctuation. Ensure your content is error-free before publishing it. To ensure this, get an editor to read through your content; they may spot grammatical errors that you didn't notice.
In conclusion, before you set out to write any content, ensure you know the type of writing and format required, as well as your target audience. To write effectively, create a writing plan and follow the above process for either academic or creative writing.
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Contact us at Lizop Writes Agency if you require assistance with writing your academic or creative content. We write original, error-free, and plagiarism-free content that meets your writing needs and connects with your target audience. We also offer editing and proofreading services for written content.
We specialize in writing Books, Research Papers, Journal Articles, Brochures, Presentation Slides/Decks, Blogs, Landing pages, and many more. We will work within your deadlines and assist you in achieving your objectives.
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