What Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writers do:
- Choose subject matter and suitable form to express personal feelings and experiences or ideas, or to narrate stories or events.
- Conduct research to obtain factual information and authentic detail, using sources such as newspaper accounts, diaries, and interviews.
- Develop factors such as themes, plots, characterizations, psychological analyses, historical environments, action, and dialogue to create material.
- Prepare works in appropriate format for publication, and send them to publishers or producers.
- Revise written material to meet personal standards and to satisfy needs of clients, publishers, directors, or producers.
- Confer with clients, editors, publishers, or producers to discuss changes or revisions to written material.
- Attend book launches and publicity events, or conduct public readings.
- Write fiction or nonfiction prose, such as short stories, novels, biographies, articles, descriptive or critical analyses, and essays.
- Follow appropriate procedures to get copyrights for completed work.
- Plan project arrangements or outlines, and organize material accordingly.
- Collaborate with other writers on specific projects.
- Teach writing classes.
- Write narrative, dramatic, lyric, or other types of poetry for publication.
- Write humorous material for publication, or for performances such as comedy routines, gags, and comedy shows.
- Adapt text to accommodate musical requirements of composers and singers.
- Write words to fit musical compositions, including lyrics for operas, musical plays, and choral works.
What work activities are most important?
| Importance | Activities |
|---|---|
  |
Thinking Creatively - Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions. |
| |
Working with Computers - Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information. |
| |
Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. |
| |
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work - Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work. |
| |
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge - Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job. |
| |
Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems. |
| |
Developing Objectives and Strategies - Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them. |
| |
Documenting/Recording Information - Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form. |
| |
Communicating with People Outside the Organization - Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail. |
| |
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events. |
| |
Scheduling Work and Activities - Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others. |
| |
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others - Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used. |
| |
Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People - Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people. |
| |
Analyzing Data or Information - Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts. |
| |
Selling or Influencing Others - Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions. |
| |
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships - Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time. |
| |
Processing Information - Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data. |
| |
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person. |
| |
Performing Administrative Activities - Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork. |