Creative Writing Vs Copywriting: Between the Art and Science 

Abstract: Initially, I viewed content writing as akin to creative writing, but team discussions stressed SEO-friendly language over linguistic flourish. Reader Response theory, suggesting varied interpretations based on context, blurred these boundaries. While content writing's SEO constraints may seem limiting, traditional poetic forms with strict rules show that structured creativity isn't new. Ultimately, creativity transcends words; it's about cognitive engagement, making the finesse of writing, not the medium, the true measure of creativity.

 

A few years back, when I joined my first position as a Content Writer while pursuing a Postgraduate degree in English Literature, I was confident that "Content Writing" was simply the art of weaving words from our mastery of language, much like writing poetry or prose, which I had already been doing. I aimed to be as creative as possible, but during team meetings, the discussions often revolved around the idea that "Creativity isn't a matter of utmost priority; rather, creativity should be palatable to a global audience." This was a common topic whenever I used rare words in regular social media posts that might not be optimal for SEO. In a nutshell, content writers must "Be Shakespeare but write textbooks.

My journey of defining and differentiating Content Writing from Creative Writing started there. Is there a difference? If so, how? If not, why?

The Reader Response theory in English Literary Criticism posits that "Every reading is a misreading." It depends on the context in which the reader finds themselves. It suggests that the same sentence can be understood in various ways. For example, if a highly influential person gets on stage before an enlightened crowd and says, "Nobody can bring change. We have to bring it ourselves," it becomes a moment of motivation for the audience. However, if the same words were spoken by a ticket conductor on a local bus, the meaning would be different. The textual gaps that readers interpret matter. According to this theory, there can be no universally accepted explanation of any sentence in a "Public discourse." Therefore, whether a sentence falls under "Creative Writing" or "Content Writing," the central core is essentially deconstructed.

I don't understand why people believe that "Content Writing" should not be creative. This notion might stem from the idea that being creative in language means using flowery language. Does creativity necessarily mean that? For me, it doesn't. If there's a discussion titled "What is creativity?" I doubt there would be a decisive answer. To be honest, textbooks which take this as their heading really do not answer it beacuse 'Creativity is something that cannot be taught' and ofcourse something that cannot be taught is hard to define. 

I think modern copywriting differentiates itself from Creative Writing due to the technical obligations imposed on it. The emphasis on keyword research and SEO requirements often places copywriting at an upper hand but makes it seem less creative. Is writing poetry different from copywriting? When we look back at traditional poetic forms where certain meters gauge creativity and prosody is a matter of concern, we see that this notion isn't new. Even Indian languages like Telugu have the concept of "Chandassu" and "avadaanam," which set certain rules for content creators (linguistic experts?) to follow. Aren't these similar to keywords derived from research? If that's the case, should sonnets be considered copywriting instead of creative writing?

It's time to associate creativity with cognitive abilities rather than physical attributes (of a language). Words alone do not determine whether something is creative or not.

People often say there's a thin line between Creative Writing and Copywriting, but I believe there isn't. The main difference is that Creative Writing aims to create different interpretations for different audiences, whereas Copywriting strives to create a common interpretation for public discourse, which doesn't always succeed.

So, the finer one's writing, the more creative it is.

- Pity Parker

25/5/24