ACADEMIC VS LITERARY WRITING

Summary

The video contrasts two types of writing: academic and creative. Academic writing is formal, clear, and structured, designed to convey knowledge with precision and backed by evidence. It emphasizes clarity, conciseness, accuracy, and correctness, focusing on a specific research problem. On the other hand, creative writing is artistic and expressive, engaging the reader emotionally while conveying deep meaning. It is inspired and entertaining, often associated with literary greats like Shakespeare and Milton. The video highlights the distinct purposes and characteristics of each writing style, from academic rigor to literary artistry.

Takeaways

• 😀 Academic writing is formal, structured, and aimed at conveying knowledge clearly and concisely.
• 😀 It follows specific conventions such as clarity, accuracy, correctness, and comprehensiveness.
• 😀 The purpose of academic writing is to aid the reader's understanding without complexity or excessive jargon.
• 😀 Key characteristics of academic writing include precision, focus on the research problem, and evidence-backed claims.
• 😀 Academic writing uses a formal tone, avoids first-person perspectives, and targets a specific audience.
• 😀 The writing should be concise, free from unnecessary verbiage, and factually accurate.
• 😀 It follows grammatical and technical conventions and includes clear structure like headings, subheadings, and indexes.
• 😀 Planning is essential for academic writing, such as brainstorming, outlining, and researching supporting materials.
• 😀 Literary or creative writing is more artistic, aiming to entertain, inspire, and provoke deep thought.
• 😀 Creative writing is not rigid and allows for personal expression and exploration of complex concepts.
• 😀 Writers such as Shakespeare and Milton exemplify literary writing's artistic merit and creative genius.

Q & A

What is academic writing, and what is its primary purpose?

Academic writing is a form of writing that is rigid, procedural, and aimed at conveying knowledge, data, and information. Its primary purpose is to aid the reader's understanding through clear, concise, and evidence-backed content.

What are the key characteristics of academic writing?

Key characteristics include a formal tone, third-person perspective, clear focus on the research problem, precise word choice, clarity, conciseness, specificity for a targeted audience, accuracy, correctness, comprehensiveness, and accessibility.

Why is clarity important in academic writing?

Clarity ensures that the content can be easily understood by the intended audience, allowing the writer's message to be communicated without confusion.

How does academic writing maintain conciseness?

Academic writing is concise by avoiding unnecessary verbiage and ensuring that each sentence directly contributes to the topic without redundancy.

What is the significance of a specific audience in academic writing?

A specific audience in academic writing refers to writing tailored to the needs of particular readers, ensuring that the content resonates with their level of knowledge and interest.

What does 'correctness' mean in academic writing?

'Correctness' in academic writing refers to adhering to grammatical and technical conventions, ensuring that the content is free from errors and conforms to standard rules.

How is accuracy ensured in academic writing?

Accuracy is ensured by using factual, correct information that is free from bias, providing reliable data and sources to support the argument or research.

What steps should be followed when starting to write an academic essay?

To begin an academic essay, you should brainstorm your thoughts, outline your ideas, state your argument clearly in the introduction, research supporting materials, and close with a summary or conclusion.

What is the difference between academic writing and creative writing?

Academic writing is factual, structured, and purpose-driven, focusing on conveying information clearly and concisely. In contrast, creative writing is artistic, imaginative, and aims to entertain or evoke emotion, often using word pictures and deep meanings.

What is the purpose of literary or creative writing?

The purpose of literary or creative writing is to entertain, inspire, and engage the reader through artistic expression, often conveying complex ideas, emotions, or themes.