Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writers

Also Called:

Author,

Freelance Writer,

Novelist,

Songwriter

What they do: Create original written works, such as scripts, essays, prose, poetry or song lyrics, for publication or performance.

icon

Arts, Audio/Video Technology & Communications

Career Cluster

What do they typically do on the job?

  • Write fiction or nonfiction prose, such as short stories, novels, biographies, articles, descriptive or critical analyses, and essays.
  • Develop factors such as themes, plots, characterizations, psychological analyses, historical environments, action, and dialogue to create material.
  • Revise written material to meet personal standards and to satisfy needs of clients, publishers, directors, or producers.

Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include creating, designing, and making your own rules.

Persistence

Initiative

Achievement/Effort

Attention to Detail

Independence

Innovation

Interests

Career interests describe the perspectives and interests of people who enjoy the type of work involved in this career.

Discover what your interests are by taking the Interest Profiler Quiz

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Artistic

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Investigative

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Enterprising

Knowledge

People who want to pursue this career have knowledge in these areas.

Arts and Humanities

  • English language

  • Music, dance, visual arts, drama, or sculpture

Communications

  • Multimedia

Engineering and Technology

  • Computers and electronics

Business

  • Administrative services

Abilities

Whether you have received formal training or not, these types of abilities are helpful in this career.

Verbal

  • Communicate by writing

  • Read and understand what is written

Ideas and Logic

  • Come up with lots of ideas

  • Create new and original ideas

Skills

People who want to pursue this career have skills in these areas.

Basic Skills

  • Writing things for co-workers or customers

  • Reading work related information

Problem Solving

  • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

Work Values

Work values describe how your core beliefs align with those commonly needed for this career.

Achievement

Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

Independence

Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.

Recognition

Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.

Does this sound like something you'd like to do?

1. Do some research
  • Identify how your interests, values, and strengths match this occupation
  • Talk to someone who works in this field or spend a day job shadowing
  • Use the colleges and training directory to explore programs related to this career
2. Plan your next move
  • Talk to your college and career counselor or school admissions staff
  • Visit Idaho Launch
  • Search for available Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writers jobs on Idaho Works

Data for NSI career cards comes from the following: Idaho Department of Labor, US Bureau of Labor Statistics, O*NET, MyNextMove, and Career OneStop