Is creative writing art?

By Richach · May 28, 2019 · 564 · 3

Is creative writing art? If so should it be rationalised?

For the sake of debate lets say we are talking fiction here.

I am interested to know your views on these questions. The reason I ask is, from what I can see there are two influencing dynamics when writing. There is a conflict between the creative process and the rational process.

As we all appreciate, there is always a compromise to be made and it seems to me, that creativity yeilds everytime when faced with the rational of SPAG, editing and the rigorous process of improving our work.

Are we dismissing brilliant stories as they dont make the academic grade?

With the rise of self publishing and the internet is the quality of writing under threat?

Why do we ask writers to explain better? Is it that we are more demanding or we lack imagination as readers?

I find the necessary compromise that we make between creativity and the all important technical side of writing fascinating.

I wonder if writers are more academic than creative some times. Do you agree?
Does the rationalising of a story damage the purity of the creativity?

Just some questions, that may encourage us to discuss.
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Some Guy likes this.

Comments

Art is an expression that produces a reaction. That's all I remember from my Art 101 class in college.
So, fiction is art.
I too am frustrated with the academic process of producing that reaction. It seems to rub against our nearly genetic oral tradition. Telling a story was a performance, an experience shared with the audience. They could see your face, gestures, and hear intonations. The storyteller enjoyed the interaction. In writing, that is lost. Try singing a song in writing. Lost. You can convey reactions and emotions, but you'll never hear music.
Even if your writing succeeds in producing a reaction, you rarely know it other than sales or reviews. Most of us never get that far.
Sometimes, it seems like all we have is each other, yet each other seems more of a guild than a platform. "In order to be recognized, you must be one of us." Our cry for attention is answered by a litany of hoops to jump through.
Then we come to the Interwebs, the kindergarten playground. A battlefield, the soul-crushing grinder of our pleas and dreams, for the entertainment of the cruel and brutal.
But what about the story? How do we know if our idea is worthy of attention before we jump through the hoops and turn our souls over to the Guild?
What about the story?

Some Guy, May 30, 2019
Yes some guy, just look at ballet for example. The story is usually thin and uncomplicted. It is all about the interpretation. Compared to Dickens they are worlds apart. I love both by the way.

The thing is that everybody is looking for something different from a story, book or whatever. Some people like to submerge themselves in a rich ocean of heavy text. Whilst others are happy reading light and meaningless text. As long as people are reading that is a good thing.

You can not please everybody so you have to please yourself. I am enclined to agree, if the story is good enough I am in.

Whilst I do struggle if it is written very badly, I also struggle if the text is so jam packed with with "literary goodies" that the story never gets told.

Richach, May 30, 2019
I don't know the answers but I've read stories even on this very website that are good enough they transcend any SPaG errors - I am engrossed in the story so much I simply don't care about them.

Maverick_nc, Jun 13, 2019

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Is creative writing art?

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