Many creative writers have a difficult time transitioning from storytelling mode to analytical mode. It is very important for a writer to establish, within the first few lines, the kind of work that the reader has taken time to read. First things first, why should you care? If a reader is not shown that the work is creative, they may take it at its face value. That is, they will not search for symbols or subtext; they will simply accept what the author has written as fact. This can be quite problematic. It is extremely dangerous to allow someone to think that a work of fiction is true. This could cause some warped ideas of reality and, more commonly, massive confusion.
The main difference between analytical writing and creative writing is the voice. No, not the show with Blake Shelton and Adam Levine. Rather, the voice that you are hearing in your head while you are reading a passage. For example, this article is intended to have a light-weight yet educational voice. I would like it to be comparable to that one English teacher you had in high school, the one that was nice and helpful but did not give you too much homework.
In an analytical essay, this specific voice would work rather well. It is explanatory, yet concise and educated. On the other hand, a creative written work would have a vastly different voice. Creative works focus on entertainment over education. Therefore, depending on the genre, the voice will change according to the audience’s expectations for that book. A Horror novel would have a voice that could be described as creepy, evil, or sinister. A children’s book, however, may be lighthearted, fun, or humorous. The horror voice would not bode well in a children’s book and vice versa.
The next important aspect is the tone. The tone of a narrator may be harsh. It may also be comforting. The tone of an analytical essay should be strict, but not overbearing. Creative writing holds a vaster field; hence, there are many more options for tone.
It is important to show the clear distinctions between your creative writing voice and your analytical voice. An author should be able to adapt their style into the voice that the work calls for. This does not mean that the author should drop their artfulness in order to conform into the specific rules. On the contrary, actually, the rules should bend to fit the artfulness of the author. However, the audience is one of the biggest factors in writing. So, the works must conform to fit the needs of the audience it is intended for.
