Most people who dream of being writers imagine themselves as novelists, or, if they have the confidence, as filmmakers or screenwriters. While books are, and will always be, the most traditional form of storytelling, there are a number of mediums in which a writer can create. Some authors even take a multimedia approach, using two or more of these types to form one story. Many authors use multimedia to connect side stories or in between adventures to the central plot, with a prime example being Star Wars. It’s use of films, comic books, video games, and television shows allows those comfortable with differing mediums to have access to the world. It should be noted that all of these mediums are for fiction writers, and those looking to tell a story. Categories like copy writing or blogging belong in another blog.
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This post will be divided into two parts. For those daunted by the idea of writing a novel, or who are eager to experiment, here are 6 types of creative writing you can do:
1) Short Stories
Some might argue that short stories are just mini novels, and certain types of books may fall in between. A novella is an example of something that’s too long to be a short story, but too brief to be counted as a full fledged novel. However, for the purposes of this discussion, we’re sticking to short stories, or those tales anyone can read in a single sitting.
While novels and other mediums, such as film, are the most popular, with series taking precedent, this wasn’t always the case. In the early days of literature, short stories were once the dominant literary category. The best authors of the time earned their income by submitting short stories to the local papers and magazines, and needed to continue writing in order to keep paying their bills.
Authors known for their short stories include Hans Christian Anderson, Edgar Allen Poe, and H. P. Lovecraft. Most of their stories were short and to the point, making them accessible and easy to distribute. This wasn’t to say novels weren’t also in vogue, but writing short stories was a quick way to publication—if you were lucky enough to be accepted.
Nowadays, short stories are harder to market, especially for newbie authors. Saying that, they remain an invaluable tool for winning writing contests, pushing your name into top magazines, and dipping your toes into the writing world without overwhelming yourself with a novel. For writers who might be intimidated by a full length book, but who want to give literature a shot, short stories are an excellent starting point, and as a medium are distinct from novels.
A modern example of an author who writes short stories now is Stephen King. Though he’s best known for his novels, he has a number of short story collections. For those serious about delving into short stories, bundling them into a collection, under a unified theme, may be the best way to go.
2) Novels
This goes without saying, but novels are one of the most popular mediums for creative writing. They might take longer to write than short stories, but they allow for a depth that other mediums, such as film, can’t achieve. Novels can be the most fun, giving authors the chance to flesh out characters, world build, create sub-plots, and sub-plots for those sub-plots. This isn’t to say such techniques can’t be employed in other genres.
Writers who wish to world build could do so through short stories, such as in the case of H. P. Lovecraft. Most of his stories belonged to the same world, building on each other and setting up a world. However, this is the exception, rather than the rule, and those looking to develop a complex world would likely prefer to do so through novels.
Authors are also recommended to write series, as it gives prospective buyers something to become invested in. Somebody who purchased one of your books and enjoyed it isn’t guaranteed to purchase another. However, if somebody bought the first book of a series, and loved it, they are going to be looking for the sequels. Writing standalone novels for a living, while not impossible, can be more challenging, and those excelling at it are, again, those who are famous enough to break the rules—such as Stephen King, and even he has a series.
There are exceptions, but ultimately it’s up to the writer to weigh the pros and cons of each choice.
3) Web Serials
This is a relatively new medium, and something of a niche category. While many web serials are technically novels in their length and story structure, the way in which they are presented is different. These stories are wholly digital, unless the author chooses to convert them into solid books down the road, and are read in installments by readers. Chapters may even be referred to as episodes, or acts, depending on the author’s fancy, and many writers may even encourage their fans to participate in suggesting character names, plot points, and so on.
Web serials can be much more interactive, allowing writers to connect directly with readers. People can comment on episodes, and have conversations with the author. The website which promotes this medium is Tapas.
Tapas won’t make you the next Stephen King. However, writers can build fan bases around their works, and earn money through ad revenue once they reach 100 subscribers. Readers can leave comments, and writers can speak with people. In this sense, web serials are like the marriage between novels and a YouTube like system of communication and fan building.
More daring writers could devote their own website to a work, though it’s rare. The most popular web serial is Homestuck, which boasts a lengthy number of episodes, a multimedia approach that included mini games, and a devoted fan base. Few other serials have achieved such status, but the popularity of the series shows there are few limits to the way a writer can approach a story. If you want to skip the publishing process and write directly to people, with pictures and more included, that option exists.
4) Manga & Graphic Novels
Manga and graphic novels could be taken as separate categories, and manga certainly comes with it’s own expectations. However, for the purposes of this discussion, I’ve lumped them together as being apart of the visual brand of storytelling. Both feature speech bubbles, comic strips, and panels. Each will generally have a self contained story or episode, though a manga can run for an exceptionally long time, with up to hundreds of volumes being devoted to a single series. Manga books also tend to come in black and white, while graphic novels can be black and white, or all in colour.
For those who love watching films and writing novels, graphic novels present a happy blend. They can be as intricate as books, but as beautiful to look at as movies; they offer the best of both worlds, and can be marketed to all ages and for all genres. Science fiction and fantasy work especially well, allowing the reader to see the fantastic worlds the writer has crafted.
The best graphic novels can give the reader the sense they are watching a film. With close ups, shadowed lightning, pauses, and sound effects, graphic novels employ much of what makes films so great.
Many manga series are also adapted into anime television shows, closely following the character designs and plots introduced in the books. Due to their visual nature, and long running structure, the stories are often left mostly the same, even as they are adapted to the screen.
Some popular novels may also be given the graphic novel treatment. Twilight received a couple of graphic novel iterations—though the full series was never completed.
5) Visual Novels
This category may sound the same as the last but, like web serials, visual novels are wholly digital. They are a hybrid medium, combining novels or comic books with video games. While some visual novels will keep you within the margins of the stories they want to tell, others act like video games, allowing you to name or even customize your character, choose events, and make choices which influence the direction of the narrative. They feature sprites which are often, but not always, in the anime style, and large quantities of dialogue.
There is often a great emphasis on character development and slice of life elements, such as spending time with friends, seeing family, or going to school. Even in more supernatural settings, readers of visual novels should expect to dig deep into the characters and their relationships. In more realistic novels, plot points will cover subjects such as divorce, learning to drive, and otherwise more everyday subjects.
Visual novels can be attractive to writers who have some interest in video games, but who can’t code to save their lives and would rather focus on the actual writing of the project. They exist in a comfortable in between, giving players just enough to feel like they’re gaming, and writers just enough to share the narrative they want.
Even those anime style dating games you’ve seen can fall under this category; the best are well written, with branching plots and love interests who shine, not only because of their looks, but because of how developed they are as characters. For writers who are more interested in characters than plot, who enjoy slice of life, or who have some interest in gaming, visual novels can be a fun and unique way to tell a story. Once completed, these projects can even be sold as games on platforms like Steam or itch.io.
6) Screenwriting
Anyone can sit down and write a script. The challenge comes in actually making the project. After all, unless you’re J. K. Rowling, nobody is going to buy the script in book form from you, and read it. Scripts are meant to be turned into films, which makes this medium both the most collaborative and the most expensive. Writers who aren’t sure if they’re committed can use the free program, Celtx, to write their stories. Celtx and it’s expensive cousin, Final Draft, assure your movie will be formatted correctly, though you’ll still have to learn formatting on your own.
Along with novels, no medium is more widely consumed than that of the feature film. Everyone has watched a movie on TV, and most have been to a movie theater. It’s a medium that’s barely been around for one hundred years, and it’s only growing.
Writers have the option to write standalone films, or to create series, with the MCU being the most intricate and lengthy of any franchise. An MCU binge makes even a Lord of the Rings marathon look like child’s play.
More options also exist for independent film makers, and those on the indie scene, if they’re lucky enough to get their films made, opt to submit them to film festivals, with Sundance being the golden ticket of them all. Getting into film festivals is also expensive, but can garner a writer awards and a following within the community.
Screenwriters face limits other writers don’t. A novelist has few constraints but their imaginations. Screenwriters, conversely, are beholden to their budgets. Even if a dragon fight would be the best choice for the plot, the writer may ultimately have to cut it, or sacrifice that lavish palace they were going to include. This forces screenwriters to start out small, even in their plots. A new writer can’t do a story featuring three kings and an epic war between kingdoms. Instead, they may have to write a story about three witches who are trapped in a forest. The story will naturally be more niche, because these witches won’t be able to cast magic (after all, special effects are expensive). They also can’t leave the forest, because then you’d need to hire a location scout.
Films are much more complicated to create in their entirety, though having creative limits can push writers to tell a story that’s more unique. We’ve all seen the tales of corrupt kings and epic wars. A story about three lost witches who have lost their power, and lost their way, could be more memorable.
Plus, for those lucky enough to have a skilled animator on their team, special effects aren’t completely off the table. Triangle Films created an independent film following the adventures of Voldemort. While not praised for it’s writing, the special effects were impressive. As the independent writer, the actual quality of the narrative will always be in your hands.
In Conclusion
At a fundamental level, all stories, regardless of their medium, follow basic rules. A strong tale needs to have compelling characters, an engaging plot, and an interesting world. The world can be as simple as a beach town, the characters ordinary and in the roles of chefs or teachers. Whatever the writer chooses, the story comes first, and not all mediums will be ideal for each story.
For those who don’t feel a novel matches their vision, or who are frightened by the requirement to write 80, 000 words, other mediums offer a chance to experiment. Short stories allow writers to test ideas they may not be committed to; visual novels allow for an emphasis on characters, and on stories with a slower pace; graphic novels offer a film like approach without the expense of an actual film; and web serials allow writers to be more social, and otherwise more involved with their communities, than typical novelists.
All have their pros and cons, and all can be fun for writers, new or old, looking to experiment or have fun. Part 2 of this post will come next week, where I’ll be sharing 5 more types of writing storytellers can try.
What’s your favourite type of story? Do you consume any of these categories on a regular basis? What stories would you recommend in your favoured genres? Let me know.