Creative Writing Formats

Vocabulary terms related to the fundamental formats and genres of creative writing as discussed in the lecture notes.

Verse

Compositions that prioritize the line over the paragraph, often following distinct measurements and styles such as rhythms, meters, or beats.

Prose

Literary work containing full sentences and coherent paragraphs, usually longer than verse compositions.

Literary genre

A category of literary composition determined by literary techniques, tone, content, or even length.

Fiction

An umbrella term used to refer to stories that are invented by their authors, such as short stories and novels.

Nonfiction

A prose composition containing information based on real and existing people, events, or facts; sometimes called creative nonfiction.

Essay

A common and familiar form of nonfiction that is shorter in format than an average book.

Play (Stage play)

A written work authored for staging in a theatrical production that may contain both prose and verse elements.

Playwright

The author of a written work intended for a theatrical production.