CRW101 - FAQ's

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Question: How is Creative writing different from other forms of Writing?
Answer: Creative writing is written to entertain and educate people. We enjoy reading because we get a certain pleasure which we can’t get from reading technical writing. Technical writing is written to inform and sometimes to motivate or convince the reader about something in particular. Academic or scholarly writing on the other hand is more standardized. It is more organized and formatted, and the evidence used as support must come from concrete sources. The writer needs to prove that whatever is being stated is factual and correct. The sources should be properly cited. In academic writing, questions must be answered and Ideas need to be explained.

Question: What kind of skills will you gain from this course?
Answer: The course will provide competency in writing different forms of Creative Writing. Tips and techniques will be shared to enable the students to successfully complete writing assignments.

Question: What kind of jobs will I be able to do after taking this course?
Answer: After completing the course you will be able to apply for any writing jobs. The most popular are journalism, technical writing, magazine writing, ghost writing, editing, online media content writing, blogging, website content writing, report writing, research assistants and editors.

Question: Is Creative Writing a Reliable and Consistent Profession?
Answer: As we become more and more reliant on technology, the written word is becoming more and more important and consequently there is a growing need for writers. Creative writing is a profitable job and also allows the flexibility of working from home as a freelancer.

Question: On which platforms I can apply as a creative writing freelancer?
Answer: The most popular freelance platforms for writers are guru.com, upwork.com, fiverr.com, freelancer.com, demand studios, problogger jobs, online writing jobs, writer bay, freelance writing gigs, workana.com, and more.

Question: Will I be able to find writing-related assignments on freelancing websites according to my interests?
Answer: Absolutely, there are so many tasks for which clients need writers. These include: writing song lyrics, story through text message dialogue, Wikipedia page, obituary, shoppable lists, scripts, proposals, editing or reviewing a book manuscript, writing a novel, to name a few. The topics range from IT, business, travel, medicine, health and fitness, to parenting, personal experience etc. However, it is good to step out of your comfort zone a little and take up assignments that you need to research and learn for, instead of waiting for jobs that you can easily complete.

Question: Is creativity something you are born with? I am not sure if I am a creative person or not.
Answer: Everyone is born with creativity and then we forget to be creative. There are sessions in this course which have been designed to teach you simple and fuss-free ways to get back in touch with your creativity. There are simple practice exercises that you can do in your routine life to get in the habit of observing life around you, processing the information you collect in imaginative ways to produce interesting content for readers.

Question: To be a good writer, is it important to know the names and definitions of parts of speech?
Answer: The course teaches practical tips to improve your writing by looking at the building blocks of writing, i.e. words and parts of speech. It is not important to remember the names and definitions of nouns, adjectives etc. as long as you know their functions and their use. Effective writers need to know the effect of using these differently so they can choose these words smartly.

Question: Is good command over language specifically grammar essential for our writing?
Answer: You can seek help from apps recommended in the course to improve the grammar in your text. While you can make your own blog even if your grammar is not perfect, you will need to have strong grammar in order to work for an online client. Weak grammar will affect your credibility with your audience. It will also stop people from fully enjoying your content. Start writing but continue to work on improving your grammar as well. Correct grammar has a subtle, silent impact on your writing.

Question: How can we define “Creative Writing”?
Answer: Creative writing is any type of writing that goes outside the bounds of normal professional, journalistic, academic, or technical forms of writing.

Question: What is the difference between Creative and Business writing?
Answer: Both kinds of writing are different from each other. Creative writing is any writing that goes outside the bounds of normal professional, journalistic, academic, or technical forms of writing. On the other hand, business writing is fact-based, predictable and usually includes ask or action at the end. Business writing is less formal and can use any point of view. Letters, memos, business email, press releases, executive summaries, and resume writing are examples of business writing.

Question: What is the difference between Comedy, Satire and Sarcasm?
Answer: Comedy is an expression that is funny or comic. The expression might be vocal or visual. There are a lot of styles and a lot of them have volatile boundaries and overlap each other. Sarcasm is also one such form. The intention is to deliver a punch without the receiver feeling it instantly, or make the receiver feel insulted without precisely insulting him/her. Comedy is not dependent on sarcasm but sarcasm needs some comedy in it. Satire is a genre of literature, and sometimes graphic and performing arts, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, corporations, government, or society itself into improvement.

Question: What is a Syllable?
Answer: A Syllable is a part of a word that contains a single vowel sound and that is pronounced as a unit. So, for example, the word “Geography” is composed of three syllables: ‘geo’, ‘gra’, and ‘phy’. Similarly the word “Handkerchief” is also composed of 3 syllables: ‘hand’, ‘ker’, and ‘chief’.

Question: What is Iambic Pentameter; Stressed and Unstressed?
Answer: Lambic Pentameter is a type of metric line used in traditional English poetry. The term describes the rhythm, or meter, established by the words in that line; rhythm is measured in small groups of syllables called “feet”. It is a line of verse with five metrical feet, each consisting of one short (or unstressed) syllable followed by one long (or stressed) syllable, for example Two households, both alike in dignity.

Question: What is the difference between Biography and Autobiography?
Answer: The main difference between an autobiography and a biography is that the biography is written by a person that studied a lot about another and an autobiography is written by himself/herself. You can check further differences online.

Question: What is a Bias?
Answer: Bias means inclination or prejudice for or against one person or group, especially in a way considered to be unfair.

Question: What is the difference between Interview and Viva?
Answer: The difference between interview and viva is that the interview is an official face-to-face meeting of important figures while viva is an oral examination, typically for an academic qualification.

Question: How can I create my portfolio as a Creative Writer?
Answer: You can start building your writing portfolio as soon as you will get your first writing assignment from the client. If you are just beginner, you can start writing on any topic. After completing, save your written draft to showcase it as a portfolio. On the other hand, you can also write for various kinds of websites which accept various kinds of writing assignments for free. Or, you can write for your own blog. But remember, try to read twice and edit where necessary before putting it on your profile as it’s your first impression to show the world that you have the ability to write effective and compelling content.

Question: How can I improve my vocabulary? Can you please share online source for reference?
Answer: If you want to improve your vocabulary, we recommend you to try to follow the below mentioned practices. - Use New Words. - Read Every Day. - Learn Roots. - Use a Thesaurus. - Develop Practical Vocabulary. - Learn New Words Every Day. - Look up Words You Don’t Know. - Keep a Journal. - Make Synonym Word Lists - Take a writing course - Edit your own writing - Carry a Dictionary and Thesaurus with You There are many sources and books available online to improve vocabulary. Check the following links where you will get the most useful online sources in this regard. https://wordcounter.net/blog/2014/01/22/1027_25-ways-to-improve-your-writing-vocabulary.html https://zapier.com/blog/improve-vocabulary-apps/

Question: What is the difference between Column, Essay, and Article?
Answer: An article is any write-up which can be contributed by any writer in a newspaper. Columns are articles written by some people who have expertise in a particular field like economics, social science, politics etc. An essay, on the other hand, is a piece of writing that comes usually from an author’s personal point of view. Essays are non-fictional but often subjective; while expository, they can also include narrative.

Question: What is Copywriting and who is a Copywriter?
Answer: Copywriting is the act of writing text for the purpose of advertising or other forms of marketing. The product, called copy, is written content that aims to increase brand awareness. A copywriter is a person who writes the copy for promotional or sales purposes.

Question: What is a Blog, and what is the purpose of making a blog?
Answer: The term “blog” is short for “weblog,” which refers to an online journal. Blogs began as personal mini sites that people used to record their opinions, stories, and other writings as well as photos and videos. In today’s world, there are mainly two types of blogs. One is Personal Blog, and second is Business Blog. Purpose of Personal Blog: When you write a blog post with purpose, your readers know it. It shines through in your writing. You are able to meet your readers on a personal level. This is important as it helps to strengthen trust, which is an essential part of any blog. Purpose of Business Blog: A blog is meant to generate awareness about you and your brand. It’s best used as a tool to establish authority and make people trust you. Blogging is a great way to help market or promote yourself or your business, product, or service. There are millions of businesses online that generate a massive income through blogging.

Question: Can you suggest websites from where I can download free E-books?
Answer: Following is a list of places where you can find free e-books. - Google eBook store - Open Library - Internet Archive - ManyBooks.net - Free eBooks - LibriVox - PDF Books World - Smashwords - Scribd - Bookish

Question: What is the basic difference between a Resume and a CV?
Answer: The major differences between CVs and resumes are the length, the purpose, and the layout. A resume is a brief summary of your skills and experience over one or two pages. On the other hand, a CV is more detailed and can stretch well beyond two pages.

Question: How I can improve my English pronunciation?
Answer: For improvement in your English language pronunciation, try to adopt the following practices. - Learn to listen. - Notice how your mouth and lips move. - Pay attention to your tongue. - Break words down into sounds. - Add stress to sounds and words. - Use pronunciation podcasts and videos. - Record yourself. - Practice with a buddy.

Question: What is the difference between a Website and a Blog?
Answer: Blogs are a type of website. The only real difference between a blog and other types of website is that blogs are regularly updated with new content displayed in a reversed chronological order (newer posts first). Typical websites are static in nature where content is organized in pages, and they are not updated frequently. Whereas a blog is dynamic, and it is usually updated more frequently. Some bloggers publish multiple new articles a day.