Creative Writing

Found Poetry

Poetry created from borrowed words from nonpoetic sources such as newspapers and magazines.

Blackout Poetry

A type of found poetry created by redacting words from a source text while leaving selected words visible.

Erasure Poetry

A form of found poetry where words are erased from the source text to create new meaning.

Micropoetry

A type of poetry characterized by its brevity.

Slam Poetry

Performance-based poetry often involving competition.

Spoken Word Poetry

A performance form of poetry that does not involve competition.

Prose Poetry

A blend of prose and poetry that maintains the lyrical quality of poetry while using prose characteristics.

Fib

A six-line poem derived from the Fibonacci sequence.

Bop

A three-stanza poem that presents a problem and provides a solution.

Blitz

A 50-line poem characterized by short, concrete phrases.

Lune

An American haiku with a 3-5-3 syllable structure.

Hay(na)ku

A poem consisting of three lines with a total of six syllables.

Triversen

A six-stanza poem where each stanza consists of a three-line sentence.

Monotetra

A poem written in quatrains with each stanza being a monorhyme.

Sevenling

A poem made up of three stanzas, the last of which is a one-line summary.

Narrative Mode

A procedure used by fiction writers to narrate a story.

Exposition

The part that informs readers about characters, setting, and mood.

Action

The narrative mode that represents characters' movements or actions.

Description

The narrative mode used to illustrate characters, settings, and objects.

Monologue

A narrative mode involving self-talk or internal dialogue.

Dialogue

The narrative mode wherein characters converse with each other.

Character

An individual, animal, or personified object that brings life to a story.

Protagonist

The main character in a story.

Antagonist

The character who opposes the protagonist.

Deuteragonist

The second most important character in a story.

Confidante

A close friend of the protagonist.

Foil

A character who contrasts with the protagonist, highlighting particular qualities.

Love Interest

A character with whom the protagonist has romantic feelings.

Dynamic Character

A character who experiences significant change throughout the story.

Static Character

A character whose personality remains unchanged during the story.

Round Character

A character with complex and contradictory traits.

Flat Character

A character with a single, unchanging personality.

Setting

The time, place, and conditions in which the story occurs.

Point of View

The angle from which the story is narrated.

First Person Point of View

A narrative mode where the main character narrates the story.

Second Person Point of View

A narrative mode where the reader is the focal point.

Third Person Limited Point of View

An outside narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of one character.

Third Person Omniscient Point of View

An outside narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of all characters.

Plot

The arrangement of events and actions in a story.

Conflict

The struggle existing within the story.

Theme

The unifying idea or statement conveyed by a literary work.

Allusion

A literary device that references mythological, historical, or literary elements.

Diction

The careful selection of words and phrases to convey meaning.

Foreshadowing

A literary device providing hints about future events in a story.

Imagery

Descriptive language used to create visual representations in the reader's mind.

Symbolism

Using symbols to represent ideas and qualities.

Motif

A recurring element that has thematic significance in a literary work.

Soliloquy

A long speech delivered by a character alone on stage, revealing inner thoughts.

Unity

The principle that a drama should have a cohesive plot, time, and place.

Stage Directions

Instructions in the script about actions, emotions, and set design.

Dialogue

Conversations between characters in a drama.

Dramatic Irony

When the audience knows something that characters do not.