Creative Writing vs. Content Writing: 7 Elements of Each Type of Writing

Here are some of the elements of creative writing that transcend various media:

1. 1. Creative writing allows for artistic freedom. Creative writing can be fiction, nonfiction, or lyrical.
2. 2. Creative writing has the capacity to entertain. Often, creative writing serves entertainment purposes, such as in fiction or creative nonfiction texts.
3. 3. Creative writing has the potential to inform. Creative writing can be informative, like biographies and memoirs.
4. 4. Creative writing can build on the creative work that came before it. With creative writing, you might adapt or repurpose previous works of creative writing—most obvious in movie sequels or serialized comics.
5. 5. Creative writing can incorporate varied points of view. Creative writing employs a variety of narrative voices, from first-person to second-person to third-person omniscient.
6. 6. Creative writing is an art form. Often, creative writing is evaluated on some combination of an author’s mastery of language, storytelling, character development, and use of literary devices (such as metaphor, figure of speech, and foreshadowing), and worldbuilding.
7. 7. Creative writing can explore deep themes. Creative writing often presents a strong underlying theme—either explicitly stated (in nonfiction) or via the trials of a main character (in fiction).

Creative writers use a wide array of media to get their work out. Here are some of the most common within the English language:

1. 1. Novels
2. 2. Novellas and short stories
3. 3. Screenplays, teleplays, and theatre scripts
4. 4. Newspaper columns, letters to the editor, and other persuasive essay writing
5. 5. Biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs
6. 6. Travel guides and travelogues
7. 7. Self-help and instruction books—like cookbooks and how-to books, but not instruction manuals
8. 8. Nonfiction accounts of both hard sciences like biology and social sciences like political science and economics
9. 9. Humor books and comedic essays
10. 10. Personal essays
11. 11. Journalism, including news and feature stories
12. 12. Radio and podcast scripts
13. 13. Lyrical content including poetry anthologies, verse-based theater, and song lyrics

Compared to creative writing, content writing is far more transactional. It tends to fall into two categories: Marketing and branding-based writing, particularly for the Internet; and technical writing that explains how to do something. Content writing is not an expression of the author’s personal voice; it is about conveying information for a specific purpose. Some fiction writers also double as successful content writers, but ultimately it requires a somewhat different skill set. To succeed as a high-quality content writer, consider the following elements of content writing:

1. 1. Content writing is often a marketing tool. You’ll need to be able to write for a business’s target audience.
2. 2. Content writing may require a high output. It’s important to have an efficient writing process.
3. 3. Content writing may require a quick turnaround. Be prepared to meet tight deadlines.
4. 4. Content writing should be engaging. Have a knack for readability and holding a reader’s attention
5. 5. Content writing will likely involve a degree of research. Be fluent in rapid online research, including targeted searches and keyword research.
6. 6. Content writing typically aligns with a brand. Learn to assimilate to a brand’s content strategy and marketing strategy into your writing.
7. 7. Content writing relies on creativity. Be able to work creatively within the narrow boundaries of an assignment (this skill is sometimes called creative content writing).

If you’re a freelancer interested in paid content creation, here are the types of content assignments you can expect to come your way:

1. 1. Content marketing, including short advertising copy and longer-form blogging
2. 2. Product descriptions
3. 3. Website creation for small business and corporate clients, including landing pages, company blogs, and digital storefronts
4. 4. Web content, especially informative articles designed for search engine optimization (SEO)
5. 5. Repurposing SEO content for digital marketing and social media posts
6. 6. Incorporating keyword phrases into sales copy or website copy
7. 7. Drafting technical manuals

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