Creative Writing

Quarter 3 – Module 4
Creative Writing Versus
Academic/Technical
Using Imagery,
Writing Diction,
Figures of Speech, and
Specific Experiences

Aldous A. Angcay
Subject Teacher

1|P age
 Creative Writing
Quarter 1 – Module 4
Using Imagery, Diction, Figures of Speech,
and Specific Experiences

EXPECTATIONS
This is your self-instructional learner module in Creative Writing. All the activities
provided in this lesson will help you learn and understand: Using Imagery, Diction,
Figures of Speech, and Specific Experiences.

RECAP

We learned that creative writing uses more interesting and expressive language
compared to technical and academic writing. To create an imaginative piece, it is expected
that writers incorporate the language of creative writing in order to make it unique to other
forms of writing.

LESSON
To help you capture the reader’s interest and to give you a different reading
experience, let us discuss the most commonly used language of creative writing namely
imagery, figures of speech, and diction.

Imagery is a concept that is quite easy to understand, it is simply the use of vivid
descriptions in order to explain a situation to a reader or listener. It is a way of building a
“mental image” to the readers so that the audience can gain a greater understanding of the
situation which is being talked about. So how exactly writers create mental pictures for
the readers? You have to remember that imagery appeals to the five senses. These are a
sense of sight, taste, smell, hearing, and touch. Writers often appeal to these senses to
bring their stories to the readers’ imagination.

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To better understand what imagery is, let’s see this example.

It was dark and dim in the forest.

And so, The words “dark” and “dim” appeals

to the sense of sight.

The children were screaming and shouting in

the fields.

“Screaming” and “shouting” appeal to our

sense of hearing, or auditory sense.

He whiffed the aroma of brewed coffee.

“Whiff” and “aroma” evoke our sense of smell,

or olfactory sense.

The fresh and juicy orange is very cold and

sweet.
“Juicy” and “sweet” – when associated with
oranges – have an effect on our sense of taste
or gustatory sense.

The girl ran her hands on a soft satin fabric.

The idea of “soft” in this example appeals to

our sense of touch or tactile sense.

You have to remember that Imagery needs the aid of figures of speech like
simile, metaphor, personification, and onomatopoeia, in order to appeal to the
bodily senses.

Figures of speech are words and expression not meant to be taken literally.
Let’s say you are about to head out to store and your mother says, “you better take
a jacket: it’s raining cats and dogs outside there” does your mom literally mean
animals are falling from the sky? Definitely not. So, what’s the underlying meaning
of this statement? It simply means that there will be a storm with strong wind and
heavy rain and with that the mother warns his child to bring his jacket. That
statement sounds flowery and interesting, right? Writers use figures of speech and

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 figurative language to create images that would deepen the reader’s comprehension
of a text.
There are several figurative languages a writer can use in writing. Some of
the most commonly used are simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole,
irony, and allusion.

A simile is a figure of speech that makes a comparison, showing similarities between

two different things using the word as or like. Try to read the first example.

“John is as slow as a snail.”

Snails are notorious for their slow

pace, and here the slowness of John
is compared to that of a snail. The
use of “as” in the example helps to
draw the resemblance.

Metaphor, a figure of speech that makes an implicit, implied, or hidden

comparison between two things that are unrelated, but which share some common
characteristics. In other words, a resemblance of two contradictory or different objects is
made based on a single or some common characteristics.
Let’s analyze these examples.

“John is a snail”.

John is directly compared to a snail

because John moves slowly as snail
do., but in metaphor, we don’t use
words “like” or “as”.

Personification is an attribution of human qualities to a thing. Next is

personification. Read the example.

Can trees actually scream? Precisely

not, that is a human trait. In that
case scream in the example gives a
better description of the sound trees
makes by strong winds.

The trees scream in the raging wind.

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 Hyperbole is a figure of speech in which an author or speaker purposely and
obviously exaggerates to an extreme. It is used for emphasis or as a way of making a
description more creative and humorous. It is important to note that hyperbole is not
meant to be taken literally; the audience knows it’s an exaggeration. See the example.

This does not mean that the girl is

going to get sick or that her heart will
stop due to embarrassment. Instead,
the speaker is using hyperbole to
emphasize just how embarrassed
she’s going to feel.
She’s going to die of
embarrassment.

Irony is another literary technique in which what is written or stated is different

from or the opposite of what is expected. Let us read the example.

PETA is an American organization

that protects animals. One would
assume they would avoid products
made from animal skins. But one of
the members is not doing what is
expected of him because he is
wearing leather shoes and we all
know that leather is made of animal
skin.

A member of PETA wears leather

shoes.

Lastly, we have Allusion is a figure of speech that references a person, place, thing,
or event. Each of these concepts can be real or imaginary, referring to anything from fiction,
to folklore, to historical events and religious manuscripts. Here is an example:

“Newton”, means a genius student,

alludes to a famous scientist Isaac
Newton.

Hey! Guess who the new Newton of

our school is?”

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 Word of choice or diction is also one of the languages in creative writing. Your diction
affects the clarity and impact of your message. Good writers are concise and precise,
weeding out unnecessary words and choosing the exact word to convey meaning.
We can identify the level of diction based on its usage. These levels are formal,
informal, and colloquial diction.

See the table to better understand the levels of diction.

Levels Examples Characteristic

Formal Money Academic / Scholarly language

Informal Cash Conversational Language

Colloquial / Slang Bucks Captures regional dialect

Formal diction is used in formal situations, such as press conferences and

presentations. And since it is used in formal occasions, words are usually polite and
proper. On the other hand, informal diction uses informal words and conversations, such
as writing or talking to friends. Colloquial uses words common in everyday speech, which
may be different in different regions or communities.

Guided Practice
Let’s try a few items as a practice exercise for each of the languages of creative writing.
A. Imagery. Determine the sense to which each sentence appeals.
Choose from sense of smell, taste, touch, or hearing.

1. Tiny emerald leaves drifted in the afternoon sunshine.

The answer is sense of sight.

2. Waves crashed upon the shore.

The answer is a sense of hearing. The writer used words that suggest sounds.

B. Figures of Speech. Identify the figures of speech.

1. "You light up my life."

It is a metaphor. No one can provide physical light. This expression is simply
saying that someone brings them joy.
2. The mayor's speech was never-ending.
The answer is hyperbole. Never ending is an exaggerated word which means
the speech took so long which makes it very boring.

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C. Diction. Put your thumbs up if the statement is correct, and put thumbs down
if the statement is incorrect.
1. Formal diction is the language of the academe.
2. Colloquial is a slang language.
3. Informal diction is a language for everyday conversations.

ACTIVITIES

Activity 1
Identify the figures of speech used in the sentences. Write your answer at the end
of each sentence.
1. The story was as dull as ditch water.
2. Let the flood clap their hands.
3. Look, I’m no Mother Teresa. I’ve made my mistakes, but I’m trying.
4. A dentist with crooked teeth and cavities.
5. The calm lake was a mirror.

Activity 2
Write the sensory details that you can come up with about the picture. Use the
chart below the picture.

Sight Smell Touch Hearing

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 WRAP-UP

Complete the following statements by filling in the blanks with the correct words.
____________________ uses of vivid descriptions to explain a situation to a reader or
listener. It is a way of building a “mental image” to the readers so that the audience can
gain a greater understanding of the situation which is being talked about.
A ___________________ is a word or phrase using figurative language— language that
has other meaning than its normal definition. We express and develop them through
hundreds of different rhetorical techniques, from specific types like metaphors and similes,
to more general forms like sarcasm and slang.
_______________ can be defined as style of speaking or writing, determined by the
choice of words by a speaker or a writer.

VALUING
The language of Creative Writing, namely diction, figures of speech, and imagery are
essential because they give color, power and beauty in writing. Other than being creative
as a writer, in what other ways can you show your creativity? Write your answer in 2-3
sentences in the box below.

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 ASSESSMENT

Directions: Read the statement and choose the best answer for each question. Encircle the
letter of the answer.
1. What figure of speech is used in the statement; the story was as dull as ditch water?
a. Simile c. personification
b. Metaphor d. hyperbole

2. Which of the following is an example of Personification?

a. The fire station burned down last night.
b. She was a tower of strength in their trouble.
c. Let the flood clap their hands.
d. The shopping cost me a million dollars.

3. Which of the following is NOT the language of creative writing?

a. Imagery b. diction
b. figures of speech d. symbols

4. What level of diction is presented by this statement; the crowd went nuts when the
team won the championship?
a. Formal c. Colloquial
b. Informal d. Slang
c.
5. To which sense does this sentence appeal, a field of bright yellow flowers lay
beautifully in front of me?
a. sight c. hearing
b. smell d. touch

9|P age
KEY TO CORRECTION

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