CREATIVE WRITING

QUARTER 1
1. CREATIVE WRITING
1.1 Imaginative Writing vs. Technical/Academic/ other forms
of writing
1.2 Sensory Experience
1.3 Language
a. Imagery
b. Figures of Speech
c. Diction
1.4 Sample works of well-known local and foreign writers
 What is Writing?
• Writing is the process of using symbols (letters of the
alphabet, punctuation and spaces) to communicate thoughts
and ideas in a readable form.
• The message of writing is its content.
• People write to solve problems and to communicate with
others.
 Forms of Writing
1. Narration – tells a story; tells about real events includes
biographies, and autobiographies.
2. Description – creates a word picture of what something or
someone is like; uses images, words that appeal to one or
more or our five senses.
3. Exposition – explains, shows, tells about a subject; most
common type of everyday writing; includes articles, memos,
business reports, etc.
4. Persuasion – a type of writing that tries to move an audience
to though or action; newspaper editorials, advertisements,
and letters to the editor are all examples of persuasive
writing.
 Defining Creative Writing
- a form of writing where creativity is at the forefront of its
purpose through using imagination, creativity, and innovation in
order to tell a story through strong written visuals with an
emotional impact, like in poetry writing, short story writing, 
novel writing, and more.

Creative writing is…

an income tax return
a grocery list
a high-impact polymer used in food storage system
a losing lotto ticket
writing that uses language imaginatively
 Defining Creative Writing
Creative writing is a kind of writing that uses language in
imaginative and bold ways.

“Creative writing is considered to be any writing, fiction, poetry,

or non fiction that goes outside the bounds of normal
professional, journalistic, academic , and technical forms of
literature.” – Wikipedia

“Creative writing is writing that expresses the writer’s thoughts

and feelings in an imaginative, often unique, and poetic way.” –
Sil.org
 Some Qoutes about Creative
Writing
“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.” –Don DeLillo

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

“Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.” – William Wordsworth

“Write your first draft with your heart. Re-write with your head.” – From the movie Finding Forrester

“You don’t write because you want to say something. You write because you have something to say.”
– F. Scott Fitzgerald

“The greatest part of a writer’s time is spent in reading, in order to write; a man will turn over half a
library to make one book.” – Samuel Johnson

“If the nation loses its storytellers, it loses its childhood.” – Peter Handke

“Writers live twice.” – Natalie Goldberg

 Elements of Creative Writing
1. Unique plot - What differentiates creative writing and other
forms of writing the most is the fact that the former always has a
plot of some sort – and a unique one.
2. Character Development can be defined as the uncovering of
who a character is and how they change throughout the duration
of your story. From start to end, readers should be able to
understand your main characters deeply.
3. Underlying theme - almost every story out there has an
underlying theme or message – even if the author didn’t
necessarily intend for it to. But creative writing needs that theme
or message in order to be complete.
4. Visual Descriptions - You need them in order to help the reader
understand what the surroundings of the characters look like.
 Elements of Creative Writing
Continuation
• Point of View
First Person – In this point of view, the narrator is actually the main character.
This means that you will read passages including, “I” and understand that it is
the main character narrating the story.
Second Person – Most often, this point of view isn’t used in creative writing,
but rather instructional writing – like this blog post. When you see the word
“you” and the narrator is speaking directly to you, it’s second person point of
view.
Third Person – You have third person limited, third person multiple, and third person
omniscient. The first is what you typically find. Third person limited’s narrator uses
“he/she/they” when speaking about the character you’re following. They
know that character’s inner thoughts and feelings but nobody else’s. It’s much like
first person, but instead of the character telling the story, a narrator takes their place.
• Third person multiple is the same as limited except that the narrator now knows the
inner thoughts and feelings of several characters.
• The last, third person omniscient, is when the narrator still uses “he/she/they” but has
all of the knowledge. They know everything about everyone.
 Elements of Creative Writing
Continuation
Imaginative Language
• creative writing uses more anecdotes, metaphors, similes,
figures of speech, and other figurative language in order to
paint a vivid image in the reader’s mind.
Emotional Appeal
• Your job as a writer is to make people feel how you want them
to by telling them a story.
 Creative Writing vs. Technical
Writing
Creative writing is written to enthrall, entertain and arouse a
certain feeling in a reader, whereas technical writing is to
educate the audience with the factual information and is
presented in a logical manner.
Creative Writing vs. Journalism
In Creative writing, it allows the writer to delve deeper into his
imagination to bring out the story that he desires to write about.
Journalism relies heavily on the truth, facts, current events, and
knowledge.
Creative Writing vs. Academic
Writing
Creative writing is seen as undisciplined, personal, and
inspiration-driven, while academic writing is strictly organized
and analytical.
 Creative Writing vs. Scientific
Writing
Characteristic Creative Writing Scientific Writing
Purpose Expression, exposition Communication

Generality Typically more general rather than highly Highly specific, concrete, detailed, rather
specific and detailed than general and abstract, except for
theory
Writer vs. Subject Personal, subjective or objective Impersonal, objective object-oriented

Audience Public or non-specialized readers Scientific peers

Form vs. content Shaped by aesthetic objectives Constrained by scientific content and
purpose
Reader interest Designed to interest Inherent in content; readers self-selected

Accuracy and clarity Not central requirements Central requirements

Passive voice Proscribed because weak, not direct Used to focus on object of discourse

Source of material Writer’s knowledge and experience Discrete body of data and concepts

Graphics Exceptional, embellishing Required empirical demonstration

Format Integrated; headings not common Headings important, numerous

 Types of Creative Writing
1. Novels -  is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in 
prose and published as a book.
Examples:
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.
• Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
• Moby Dick by Herman Melville.
• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
• Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.
• Robison Crusoe by Daniel Defoe.
• Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.
• Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

• Memoirs
• songs
 Types of Creative Writing
2. Short Stories - a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in
one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked
incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short
story is one of the oldest types of literature and has existed in the form
of legends, mythic tales, folk tales, fairy tales, fables and anecdotes in
various ancient communities across the world.
Examples:
• "The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allan Poe.
• "The Scarlet Ibis" by James Hurst.
• "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens.
• “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson.
• "The Gift of the Magi" by O. ...
• "The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant.
• "The Lady with the Little Dog" by Anton Chekhov.
 Types of Creative Writing
3. Journals – any written log; gratitude joural, a memory journal, a dream journal, or goals
journal, Travel journal, School journal
Examples:
• Daisy the Curly Cat. 
• Overcome Binge Eating. This journal is dedicated to one binge-eater's fight against an eating
disorder.
• NaNoWriMo Journal 2012. This writer joined National Novel Writing Month and kept track of
her progress.
• Leftover Soup. This journal writer is keeping track of recipes she creates in the spur of the
moment.
• Offbeat Bride. Stories from a bride that didn't want a typical wedding.
• Eat the Damn Cake. In this journal, Kate shares her thoughts about how society perceives
women who are not stereotypically attractive.
• Grouchy Rabbit. This community journal is a unique collection of thought-provoking sentences
and snippets of wisdom.
• My Food Log. Take a peek at the food journal of an aspiring low-carb, fast-food junkie.
• Not Always Right. Great stories that prove the customer really isn't always right.
• Cozumel o Muerte. This couple keeps track of their epic journey from Alberta to Quintana Roo,
with 2 cats, Kitty and Bill.
 Types of Creative Writing
4. Diaries - a specific kind of journal where you write down the events of each day, resulting in a
chronicle of your life.

Examples:
• Academic Diary
• An academic diary can take some the stress and hassle out of your life by making sure you manage
your responsibilities for school better.
• Food Diary
• Food diaries are an excellent way to track what you're eating.
• Health Diary
• A health diary is not just a list of medical readings and calorie counts. It is a way to record feelings,
goals, activities, surrounding events, and results for any particular area of health.
• School Diary
• Unlike printed diaries, which we agree are pretty “bleh”, electronic school diaries are much more
customizable and some have multiple categories pre-set for you. 
• Secret Diaries
• Everybody has certain things they don't wish to share with others. That's why a secret diary is so
important to many people.
• Wedding Diary
• There are so many moving parts involved in your big day that it's easy to lose sleep. The good
news? There is a way to organize your wedding.
 Types of Creative Writing
5. Essays – generally, a piece of writing that gives the author's
own argument, but the definition is vague, overlapping with those
of a letter, a paper, an article, a pamphlet, and a short story. some
examples include personal essays, descriptive essays, and
persuasive essays.
Examples:
• Burying Grandma
• Laptop Stickers
• Punk Rock Philosopher
• Grandma's Kimchi
• Travel and Language
• Dead Bird
• I Shot My Brother
 Types of Creative Writing
6. Fiction – one most popular types of creative writing; includes
novels, short stories, myths, parables, romances, and epics.
• The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald)
• Giovanni’s Room (James Baldwin)
• O Pioneers! (Willa Cather)
• Invisible Man (Ralph Ellison)
• The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
• War and Peace (Leo Tolstoy)
• brave new world (Aldous Huxley)
• One Hundred Years of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
 Types of Creative Writing
7. Poetry - literary work in which special intensity is given to the
expression of feelings and ideas by the use of distinctive style
and rhythm; poems collectively or as a genre of literature.
Examples:
• Beauty
• A Prayer for My Daughter
• Ozymandias
• The Lady of Shalott
• The Passionate Shepherd to His Love
• Mother Earth
• Blue Ridge
• A Red, Red Rose
 Types of Creative Writing
6. Memoir – are personal (or stories) with narrow themes and
specific topics;usually length of novels or novellas; focuses on
specific experiences rather than providing a broad life story.
Examples:
• Henry David Thoreau’s Walden
• Elie Wiesel’s Night
• Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love
• Barack Obama’s Dreams From My Father
• Cheryl Strayed’s Wild
 Types of Creative Writing
7. Vignettes –a brief evocative description, account, or episode;
extremely short-just a quick snippet.
Example:
Railroads (By E. B. White)
• “The strong streak of insanity in railroads, which accounts for a
child’s instinctive feeling for them and for a man’s unashamed
devotion to them, is congenital; there seems to be no reason to
fear that any disturbing improvement in the railroads’ condition
will set in … He gravely wrote ‘Providence’ in the proper space,
and we experienced anew the reassurance that rail travel is
unchanged and unchanging, and that it suits our temperament
perfectly – a dash of lunacy, a sense of detachment, not much
speed, and no altitude whatsoever.”
 Types of Creative Writing
8. Scripts - handwriting as distinct from print; written characters;
written text of a play, movie, or broadcast.

9. Song lyrics – are words that make up a song, usually

consisting of verses and choruses.

10. Drama – designed to be performed by actors; focuses 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 the audience; can be read as well as acted.
 Types of Creative Writing
11. Blogging – a piece of technology that displays content on the
web or an electronic device.

12. Creative Nonfiction – contains imaginary situation and

characters that are very similar to real life.
Examples:
• In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
• Executioner’s Song by Norman The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe
• The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls
• Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books by Azar Nafisi
• Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert
• Night Trilogy by Elie Wiesel
• Arctic Dreams by Barry Lopez
 Activities
Creative Writing Challenge 1: In a paragraph of two, answer
these guide questions:

1. What do you typically write, and why? Make a list of all the
kinds of writing you regularly do – shopping lists, class
notes, whatever.
2. What kinds of writing do you do most often? Least often?
3. What are your usual reasons for writing?
4. Which of your writing experiences are generally productive
and satisfying? Unproductive and unsatisfying?
 Activities
Creative Writing Challenge 2.
Differentiate the following:
1. Creative writing vs. Journalism
2. Creative writing vs. Academic Writing

Creative Writing Challenge 3.

1. Which of these types of creative writing have you tried? Are
there any forms of writing on this list that you’d like to
experiment with? Can you think of any types of creative writing
to add to this list?