At its most basic, writing is a system of communication that conveys the thoughts and emotions of the writer through an ordered collection of symbols. In effect, writing is nothing more than putting words down on paper (or digitally).

However, this doesn’t mean that the only way of consuming writing is to read it. Writing can be presented in as many forms, mediums, genres, and styles as you can imagine.

How we think of writing

A lot of the generic terminology we used in creative writing courses will lead you to think that creative writing refers to books (the novel particularly) and its readers. The yen to write a novel is natural and good and should always be encouraged, but not everyone who sets out to write wants to produce the great Australian novel, and even those who do often find their true calling is to write something completely different.

Creative writing is about stories, and stories can be told through as many media and forms as we can imagine. Often the terminology we use reflects the central place books have in the writing world, but the advice in this fundamentals course is in no way limited to one kind of creative writing.

When we use the term ‘publishing’, we’re not necessarily talking about books. Your ‘readers’ may just as easily be listening to your words or watching them performed.