The true definition of creative writing is "writing that expresses ideas and thoughts in an imaginative way." It's the "art of making things up" or putting a creative splash on history, as in creative nonfiction.

In both instances, creative writing is an art form because you have to step out of reality and into a new realm, inspired by your mental meanderings. In this capacity, you're able to express feelings and emotions instead of cold, hard facts, as we do in academic writing. Let's keep our creativity caps on and explore this vast universe some more.

Creative Writing Types and Categories
The best way to define creative writing is to give a list of things that are and are not considered creative writing. Here are things that do fall within this category:

novels

poems

epics

short stories

screenplays

songs

television scripts

Forms of writing that are not considered creative writing include:

academic writing

textbooks

journalism

technical writing

Imaginations start to flow when we engage in creative writing. The majority of writing, by far, is creative. Not only can it be a creative outlet, it can also be therapeutic. Many psychologists recommend creative writing as a way to express our feelings. With it, you can pretend anything you want and help a potential reader do the same.

Creative Writing Techniques
If you feel you have a story inside you, you probably do. Why not try to let it out? It's as simple as sitting down, pulling up a blank document, and letting it all flow out of your fingers. Here are some creative writing techniques that can lead you to literary gold:

Read: How can you create what you don't know? The more you read fiction and creative nonfiction, the more you'll naturally adopt its natural rhythm and flow.

Write with Abandon: Don't sit down and try to edit every word you write. Rather, if you have an idea for a story, sit down and start typing. Type until your fingers ache and don't look back, not even once. After the story is out of your mind and onto the screen, then you can consider the next tip.

Read Your Work: Even after you've gotten it all out, it's still not time to edit. Rather, it's time to read your mental meanderings once and see what you like. See which scenes jump out at you. Remember which bits of dialogue are particularly powerful.

Create a Scene List: This sounds odd, but you'll want to outline your scenes after you've written that first draft of your story. Organize the plot line and make sure it flows. Then, you can check any facts that need to be corroborated and make sure you like the direction you've taken.

Proofread and Edit: Finally, once you've written your creative writing piece, read it, analyzed its flow, and researched your facts, it's time to proofread and edit. Feel free to tighten up any "fluffy" parts of the story. Check your punctuation around quotation marks, as well as other grammatical concerns.

For a much deeper dive, be sure to read Get Creative: How to Write a Short Story. It'll help you take those imaginings out of your mind and, perhaps someday, into a published anthology.

Examples of Creative Writing
What is creative writing? At its core, it's a form of entertainment. It's also a form of art that abounds in all our favorite TV sitcoms, movies, books, poems, and more. Let's explore a few forms:

Poetry
Poems provide great examples of creative writing. In fact, they're almost exclusively "from the heart" and fanciful. Here's an excerpt from Lewis Carroll's "The Walrus and the Carpenter":

If seven maids with seven mops

Swept it for half a year,

Do you suppose,' the Walrus said,

That they could get it clear?'

I doubt it,' said the Carpenter,

And shed a bitter tear.