Do We Need Creativity in Academic Writing?

Writing is one of skills that students must have to be success in academic. It is because academic writing is never “a side-job” for students, particularly students who engage in college. There are many writing tasks such as paper and essay that the lectures used to give to. Moreover, in the final year, students must design thesis before graduating. Therefore, learning academic writing can help students to do their academic obligations. For me, writing, particularly in term of academic, is not easy. It is definitely different from writing in blog as I am used to doing. Yah… I know… I keep struggling on it. For academic writing has some procedures that must be followed by academic writer where it must be well organized and based on evidences, facts, and data, do we need creativity in academic writing? In my opinion, there are some points of creativity that can be develope in academic writing.

Firstly, creativity is needed in organizing data and information. Eventhough creativity in academic writing is not dominant because students have to keep the procedures of academic writing itself, but it can stimulate creativity in some ways. Creative means how to find pattern in abundant data and information, so we can distinguish ‘signal’ from ‘noise’ that it can provide solutions to the problems.

Secondly, creativity is needed in elaborating rigorous explanations in communicating data and information. The formality in academic writing may be exhausting for some academic writers, but it generate several positive values including honesty, submissive, criticism, and curiousity. Overall, these values play important parts in a process of knowledge building writer’s while continuely lead to respecting nature and fellow human beings.

Thirdly, creativity is needed in selecting words, phrases and sentences used so writing has effective and efficient sentences. This includes how to link words, phrases and sentences as succint as possible so there is brevity and clarity sentences with no waste words.

In conclusion, though it is not that simple to write, particularly in academic writing, I believe that writing skill can be learned by practice. The more students take writing practice, the more writing skill that student can get. Therefore, writing should be supported as a positive habit in daily activities.