Your initial discussion thread is due to respond to your classmates. Your grade will reflect both the quality of your initial post and the depth of your responses. Reference the Discussion Forum for guidance on how your discussion will be evaluated.

Academic Writing v. Creative Writing

While we have been focusing on public and business writing in this class, college-level writing includes a wide-range of writing strategies and options including descriptive, argumentative, and expository writing. In most college classes, there is a decided emphasis in most classes on writing essays that either explain or inform or essays that use persuasive research-as is the case in this class. Yet, it is important to recognize the role of creative writing in connecting with an intended audience.

Creative writing is most often considered in the context of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, personal journals, or diaries. Yet, the foundation of this mode is not vague or abstract or open to endless interpretation. Creative writing pays very close attention to language: how it sounds, what it says, what it implies. Creative writing investigates the power of words to create meaning and sensations. Like music-language may have a finite alphabet but an infinite ability to create new realities.

Option One: Describe a favorite creative work and explain what attracts you to it. Be specific about the creative elements of the piece such as language, story or plot, theme, characters. Be sure to include specific title, author, and publication information on which creative work you chose.

Option Two: Is there ever a place for creative writing or creative thinking in a professional setting? How might you use creative writing effectively in a business setting? If you choose this option, think about the different modes of writing we have explored over the course of this term. Is creativity ever appropriate in a business email? What about a business proposal? Have fun with this assignment!