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November 26, 2012
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Creativity and quality; or, 'Twilight' is the most creative book ever

Forums > Art Related > Literature
:iconneurotype:
^neurotype Nov 26, 2012  Hobbyist General Artist
I frequently see creativity equated with being a good writer. Or, rather, the opposite: uncreative is used as a synonym for being a bad writer.

As you may have guessed from the title, I don't hold with that at all. Mostly because it's very easy to substitute creativity for good technical skills. Not to mention creativity isn't the same thing as having an imagination--you can imagine a girl breaking up with her boyfriend because she finds out he's plotting to murder her family, but is that really creative? It could happen.

Before my face gets eaten, I define 'creativity' as the ability to imagine stuff outside reality, and 'imagination' as the ability to see anything happening that hasn't happened in a person's life. At least for the purposes of these thread. Feel free to contribute with your own, better thoughts.
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:iconlartovio:
~Lartovio Nov 28, 2012  Student General Artist
Originality is subject to opinion, therefore, this forum is irrelevant!

But really, I don't think there is one thing about writing, even grammar, that isn't subject to a person's opinion. There are entirely too many "right ways" to do anything. It's actually rather annoying.
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:iconaaloisi:
~AAloisi Nov 27, 2012
Its easy to see how people can get imagination and creativity mixed up. Sometimes the line between the two can be blurred, but the line is always there. You need both to write, but I unless you can use technical skills to make it seem real or legible your just going to end up complete and utter chaos.
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:iconbeth4452:
~beth4452 Nov 27, 2012  Hobbyist Traditional Artist
Creativity (to me) is a form of problem solving. Its finding a way to take whats in your head and turn it into something tangible (not as easy as you'd think). Its looking at things in a different way, and approaching things from a different perspective.
I've never read Twilight, but to me if you can't execute your idea, you're not all that creative. Like you said you may have an active imagination, but you couldn't MAKE it (CREATE) into something. So saying Twilight isn't well written but is creative, to me at least, is an oxymoron.
I don't want to judge a book without reading it but the premise is clichee' to me. But hey I'm
a book snob! Can't help it, just have been reading too much for too long lol. But here's the thing, what we're calling "creative" is really just surface level stuff. The vampires, werewolves, and what not are just a fresh coat of paint on old ideas like a Romeo and Juliet type romance, teen love drama (who will I CHOOSE!?) and etc. Plot and character development have to go deeper than surface level interest.
I DO understand what you're saying though and agree that people call books "good" because they like the IDEA of it, not necesarily the actual execution of it. The writing, plot, and character development might be stale, but they like the idea of what the book is about. Sometimes I think they decide they like it before they ever read it lol.
The other thing I've decided is that alot of popular books have come to serve the purpose, not of introducing you to interesting characters out of the authors head, but rather lettimg YOU insert yourself into the story and imagine "you are the lead character". That kind of escapism is fun, so I don't begrudge anyone who likes a book like Twight, or rant about it to everyone I see. I just don't think of it as something I ever want to read.
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:iconneurotype:
^neurotype Nov 27, 2012  Hobbyist General Artist
So you'd say that technical skill defines part of creativity?

Yeah, escapism seems to have gotten more popular recently. I wonder why.
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:iconbeth4452:
~beth4452 Nov 27, 2012  Hobbyist Traditional Artist
I think it plays a part in it. Most creative people have some degree of talent of some kind. I haven't known a whole lot of people who had big imaginations and DIDN'T also have some creative skills, or at least a "knack" for it.
I just think "create" is in the word "creative", and to create means to make something right? There are some people though, say in business, who come up with solutions and new ideas. They make not be making a physical thing like a painting or a book, but theyre solving real problems and producing tangible results from their ideas. Thats creativity too. A great public speaker knows how to express their points and thoughts in a way that makes people listen, and thats a skill set as well even though its not really making something you can touch and see.
So I guess Im saying yes, but there's different kinds of skills.
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:iconneurotype:
^neurotype Nov 28, 2012  Hobbyist General Artist
Hold on though, technical skills are the non-innate part, right?

That's fair. :nod:
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:iconbeth4452:
~beth4452 Nov 29, 2012  Hobbyist Traditional Artist
Well you aren't born with technical skill, but (I work with kids everyday) it seems like people who have that innate creative "thing" show an interest in artistic activities, so the skill develops naturally.
Not that you have to be artistic to have a big imagination. I just think execution plays a part in creativity.
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:iconneurotype:
^neurotype Nov 29, 2012  Hobbyist General Artist
Yeah, if you can't execute it well the concept doesn't mean much.
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:iconcarusmm:
~carusmm Nov 27, 2012  Student Writer
Twilight is creative, it has made a lot of money because it is creative.
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:iconlartovio:
~Lartovio Nov 28, 2012  Student General Artist
Come on, I left for an entire month and nobody's driven you out yet?

Creativity, like originality --which is something often discussed on these forums--, is subject to an individual's opinion. In MY opinion, Twilight is a poor excuse for a series, books and movies. But I'm sure there are some rabid fans that would beat me within an inch of my life because their opinion is different, right?
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