Creative Writing

Creative Writing

• is a kind of writing that uses language in imaginative and bold ways.

• It is any imaginative writing where the purpose is to express thoughts, feelings, and emotions rather than simply convey information.

Don DeLillo

“Writing is a form of personal freedom. It frees us from the mass identity we see all around us. In the end, writers will write not to be outlaw heroes of some under culture but mainly to save themselves, to survive as individuals.”

Anais Nin

“The role of a writer is not to say what we all can say, but what we are unable to say.”

William Wordsworth

“Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.”

Larry L. King

“Write. Rewrite. When not writing or rewriting, red. I know of no shortcuts.”

James Michener

“I’m not a very good writer, but I’m an excellent rewriter.”

F. Scott Fitzgerald

“You don’t write because you want to say something. You write because you have something to say.”

Types of Creative writing

• Journals

• Diaries

• Essays

• Fiction

• Poetry

• Memoir

• Vignettes

• Letters

• Scripts

• Song Lyrics

• Drama

• Blogging

• Creative nonfiction

Journals

are often confused for diaries. Technically, a diary is a type of journal, but a …… is any written log. You could keep s gratitude journal, a memory journal, a dream journal, or a goals journal.

Diaries

is a specific kind of journal where you write down the events of each day, resulting in a chronicle of your life.

Essays

Not all ….. are creative, but of plenty of ….. flow from creative thinking. Some examples include personal essays, descriptive essays, and persuasive essays.

Fiction

• One of the most popular types of creative writing is …..

• Prose ….., or narrative ….., includes novels, short stories, myths, parables, romances, and epics.

• ….. originally meant anything made up, crafted, or shaped, but as we understand the word today, it means a prose story based in the imagination of the author.

Poetry

• Another popular but under-appreciated type of writing is ….., which is easily the most artistic, creative form of writing.

• ….. is more economical than prose fiction in the use of words, and it relies heavily on imagery, figurative language, and sound.

• You can write structured ….., free-form ….., and prose ….

• or try writing a story in rhyme (perfect for kids)

Memoir

• …… are personal accounts (or stories) with narrow themes and specific topics.

• They are usually the length of novels or novellas; shorter works of this kind would be considered essays.

• …… topics focus on specific experiences rather than providing a broad life story (which would be a biography)

• For example, one might write a travel or food ….., which is an account of one’s personal experiences through the lens of travel or food (or both)

Vignettes

• A ….. is defined as “a brief evocative description, account, or episode.”

• ……. can be poems, stories, descriptions, personal accounts… anything goes really.

• The key is that a ….. is extremely short – just a quick snippet

Letters

• Because the ability to communicate effectively is increasingly valuable, letter writing is a useful skill.

• There is a long tradition of publishing letters, so take extra care with those emails you’re shooting off to friends, family, and business associates.

• In fact, one way to get published if you don’t have a lot of clips and credits is to write letters to the editor of a news publication.

Scripts

• Hit the screen or the stage by writing screenplays (for film), scripts (for plays), or teleplays (for TV).

• You can even write scripts for video games! As a bonus, scripts have the potential to reach a non-reading audience

Song lyrics

• Close cousin of poetry, song lyrics are a fun and creative way to merge the craft of writing with the art of music.

• Writing lyrics is an excellent path for writers who can play an instrument or who want to collaborate with musicians.

Drama

• ….. is a literary work which is designed to be performed by actors.

• Like fiction ….. may focus on a single character or a small number of characters, and it presents fictional events as if they were happening in the present, to be witnessed by an audience.

• ….. can be read as well as acted.

Blogging

• A …… is nothing more than a publishing platform – a piece of technology that displays content on the web or an electronic device.

• A …. can be just about anything from a diary to a personal platform to an educational tool.

• In terms of creative writing, blogs are wide open because you can use them to publish any (or all) types of creative writing.

Creative Non-fiction

• Fiction that contains imaginary situation and characters that are very similar to real life is called creative nonfiction

• It’s just writing which is true, but which also contains some creativity.

• It uses literary styles and techniques to create factually correct narratives.

Reading and Writing Fiction

Fiction is an imaginative art form, using language to create worlds and stories that move us.

Techniques and Literary Devices

Mood/Tone

Foreshadowing

Symbolism and Motif

Mood/Tone

The emotional atmosphere or feeling evoked by a story.

Foreshadowing

Hints or clues that suggest events to come.

Symbolism and Motif

Objects or images that represent something beyond their literal meaning.

Theme

1. Love - Exploring the complexities of romantic relationships.

2. Loss - Dealing with grief and the impact of death.

3. Justice - Examining the concept of fairness and its consequences.

IRONY

Situational Irony
Dramatic Irony
Verbal Irony

Situational Irony

When an event contradicts expectations.

Dramatic Irony

When the audience knows something the characters don't.

Verbal Irony

When someone says something that means opposite

Conflict

Internal Conflict

External Conflict

Internal Conflict

A struggle within a Character’s mind.

External Conflict

A struggle between a character and an outside force.

Setting and Atmosphere

Physical Setting
Atmosphere

Physical Setting

The time and place where the story takes place.

Atmosphere

The emotioanl tone or feeling created by the setting.

Plot

Exposition
Rising Action
Climax
Falling Action
Resolution

Exposition

Introduces the characters and setting

Rising Action

A series of events that build tension.

Top TEN (10) Excuses to Avoid Writing

1. I don't have anything to write.
2. I'll make a fool of myself by failing
3. I have writer's block.
4. I don't have time to sit down and write
5. I'm embarrassed about my poor grammar and spelling
6. I don't have the right tools, such as MS Word or computer
7. It's been too long since I've written anything
8. I'm not creative at all
9. No one will buy my writing anyway, so what's the point?
10. Everything good has been written already.

Climax

The turning point of the story

Falling Action

The events that follow the climax

Resolution

The end of the story, where loose ends are tied up.

First person point of view

The story is told from the perspective of a character within the story.

Second person point of view

The staory is told directly to the reader, using "you."

Third person point of view

The story is told from an outside perspective.

Character

Protagonist

Antagonist

Round Character
Flat Character

Protagonist

The main Character

antagonist

The character who opposes the protagonist

Round Character

a COMPLEX CHARACTER WITH MULTIPLE DIMENSIONS

Flat character

A simple character with one or two defining traits