There are many different forms of creative writing: poetry, fiction, playwriting and more. Fiction and poetry are the most common forms for amateur writers, as there are less rules and more voices that the writer can "speak" from. Playwriting (as well as screenwriting) have a specific format that one must follow. Overall, creative writing is an excellent way to express one's feelings, enter a land of fantasy--or both.
Time Frame
Many writers give themselves a time frame for which they want to complete a work, especially when dealing with non-fiction works of literature. Creative writing affords the writer time, something which many other writers do not have. All of the different genres within creative writing gives the writer the opportunity to walk away from the work as long as they want, then come back later to either add more or finish the piece. For example, a poet may want to put together a book of their poetry. Rather than sitting down and writing all of their poems in one shot, the poet may write different pieces over several years, then pick and choose what poems to include in his or her anthology. An author penning a novel may write a chapter or two, then stick the manuscript on the shelf and come back to it months later. Unless meeting a deadline, the writer can take his or her time writing.
Most pieces of creative writing are timeless. This is especially the case for poetry. Unless a piece has something putting a time stamp in it, such as a reference to the current President of the United States or a fashion fad, a true work of creative writing should be able to withstand the test of time.
Size
The beauty of creative writing is that there is no specific size a work has to be in order to be considered creative writing. Haiku is a great example of this. A Japanese form of poetry, the traditional Haiku has a beat of 5-7-5, meaning five syllables for the first line, seven syllables for the second line and five syllables for the third line. This is usually no more than 15 words and does not contain any complete sentences.
Works of fiction also do not have a specific guideline for size. From "War and Peace" to a child's 10-page storybook, fiction comes in all shapes and sizes. Some short stories run half a page while others run more than 10 pages. It is completely dependent upon the author.
Playwriting and screenwriting are a little different, as there are industry standards placed on these two genres in order to be successful. Until recently, a screenplay had to run at least 88 pages, as each page translates to 1 minute on screen. With the different genres of screenwriting, such as situation comedies and other episodic works, screenwriting comes in many different lengths acceptable to the respective genre. The same can be said for playwriting. Most straight plays (those without music) usually run 90 pages, or 90 minutes. However, there has been much success with shorter plays in mainstream productions, such as "The Drowsy Chaperone," which lasted just 75 minutes but won many awards while on Broadway.
Effects
The main effect of creative writing is easily identified: it's entertainment. The reader is reading the creative writing to be entertained. The writers complete the work to entertain themselves. However, there may be other effects of creative writing for both the reader and the writer, especially regarding specific types of creative writing.
In the case of fables, the writer conveys a lesson to his audience. Poetry, on the other hand, usually evokes an emotional response from the reader.
Significance
Creative writing has quite an impact on societies around the world. Different works of creative writing are studied from elementary school to Ph.D. programs at colleges and universities. Before TV and radio were invented, people often turned to books, poetry and plays as their sole source of entertainment.
Works of fiction show the readers different aspects of life, a variety of locations around the world and a glimpse into the psyche of different authors and characters. Creative writing broadens the horizons of both readers and writers by encouraging the imagination to step into a world of fantasy, whether situations be plausible or impossible.
There are a plethora of awards for authors of creative writing, including a Nobel Prize. These awards are given in different genres, including Playwriting, Children's Literature, Poetry and more.
Think back to the very first book you read. Was it a work of non-fiction, or a make-believe story? Almost every person will respond that their first book was a story of some sort. That story, however short it may have been, is a work of creative writing.
Type
There are many different types of creative writing. The most common and commercialized forms are fiction, poetry, songs, playwriting and screenwriting. Other types include myths, character sketches, anecdotes, parodies, reminiscences and even jokes.
Writing in general is a creative art, especially when it is something that is completely from the author's imagination. Some find it easy, while others struggle to get even a 3-line haiku written. Regardless of the quality, writing that comes from a place of imagination is creative writing.
