CREATIVE

WRITING
Nature and Language of
Creative Writing
After completing this lesson, you are expected to:
• define creative writing and understand its nature;
• identify the imagery, diction, figures of speech, and variations
on language used in the creative works of literary authors; and
• incorporate literary devices and language in writing a short
paragraph or vignette.
PRETEST
Directions: Read the questions carefully and write the letter of the
correct answer on a separate sheet of paper.

1. Which of the following is not a description of creative writing?

A. It is the artistic expression through written words.
B. It needs to be structured and executed adhering to a series of
guidelines.
C. It is used to express writer’s ideas and emotions in an artistic manner.
D. It uses a language that aims to entertain and captivate the audience.
2. What device refers to the language used by poets, novelists and
other writers to create images in the mind of the reader?
A. Imagery C. Symbol
B. Repetition D. Theme
3. Which of the following is a phrase or word having different
meanings than its literal meanings?
A. Diction C. Figure of Speech
B. Imagery D. Setting
4. What refers to the style of speaking or writing, determined by the
speaker or a writer’s choice of words?
A. Diction C. Figure of Speech
B. Imagery D. Vignette
5. What is a short scene that captures a single moment or a defining
detail about a character, idea, or other element of the story, and is
mostly descriptive, and includes little or no plot detail?
A. Allusion C. Short Story
B. Poem D. Vignette
6. What is connotation?
A. dictionary meaning C. emotional meaning
B. synonym D. antonym
7. What is the positive connotation of the underlined word?
“He has been sick for weeks that he looks pale and scrawny.”
A. slender C. unhealthy
B. skinny D. bony
8. Which of the following uses formal diction?
A. This music is lit.
B. Lots of kids can’t wait to play outside.
C. Many don’t care about the health stuff.
D. The residents are requested to stay at home.
9. Which of the following is using colloquial diction?
A. You all need to obey the health protocols.
B. The bomb broke the windows of nearby buildings.
C. Many vloggers appear in social media this quarantine period.
D. “Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard/ Are sweeter: therefore, ye
soft pipes, play on.”- John Keats
10.Which of the following is a type of creative writing?
A. Dissertation/ Thesis C. Articles
B. Historical Fiction D. Movie Review
For numbers 11-15, read the excerpt below and answer the
following questions. Write the letter of the correct answer on a
separate sheet of paper.
There is a story in Philippine folklore about a mango tree and a bamboo tree. Not being
able to agree as to which was the stronger of the two, they called upon the wind to make the
decision. The wind blew its hardest. The mango tree stood fast. It would not yield. It knew it
was strong and sturdy. It would not sway. It was too proud. It was too sure of itself. But
finally its roots gave way, and it tumbled down.
The bamboo tree was wiser. It knew it was not as robust as the mango tree. As so every
time the wind blew, it bent its head gracefully. It made loud protestations, but it let the wind
have its way. When finally the wind got tired blowing, the bamboo tree still stood in all its
beauty and grace.
The Filipino is like the bamboo tree. He knows that he is not strong enough to withstand
the onslaughts of superior forces. And so he yields. He bends his head gracefully with many
loud protestations. And he has survived. The Spaniards came and dominated him for more
than three hundred years. And, when the Spaniards left, the Filipinos still stood- only much
richer in experience and culture.

An excerpt: Pliant Like the Bamboo by

I.V. Mallari
11.Which is FALSE about the selection?
A. It has literary devices that help convey the author’s
ideas.
B. It clearly explains the importance of bamboo as a native
plant.
C. It is a type of creative writing that tells a story about a
bamboo.
D. It has language that aims to entertain and captivate the
audience.
12. What type of person does the mango tree represent?
A. determined to win C. a self-conceited person
B. one who perseveres D. one who accepts failures
13. The line, “It knew it was not as robust as the mango tree”, is an
example of what figures of speech?
A. Simile C. Personification
B. Metaphor D. Hyperbole
14. Why is the 2nd paragraph an example of personification?
A. The bamboo tree possesses positive qualities.
B. The bamboo tree is given qualities that of a person.
C. The adjectives used effectively describe the bamboo tree.
D. The writer is able to evoke ideas and emotions from the readers.
15. What does the 3rd paragraph suggest about the Filipinos?
A. Filipinos embrace change and adapt to new culture.
B. They are unassuming who accept their shortcomings.
C. They are pliant like a bamboo who acknowledge weaknesses yet
determined to endure.
D. They exercise freedom of speech and continue to fight for their rights.
CREATIVE WRITING
• Creative writing is the artistic expression through written words. It is used
to express the writer’s ideas and emotions in an artistic manner. Unlike
other forms of writing, it uses language that aims to entertain and
captivate the audience.
The table below shows the comparison between creative writing and
academic writing.
Academic Writing Creative Writing
Types/ Samples Articles, proposals, Poetry, fiction, drama,
reviews, research journals creative nonfiction
To instruct, inform, and explore an To entertain and share human
Purpose
idea, argument, or concept experience

Content Factual Fictional or imaginative

Language Formal, straightforward, Figurative, evocative, and
precise, and clear symbolic
Structure Systematic Artistic
Types of Creative Writing
POETRY
• a form of text that follows a meter and rhythm, with each line and
syllable.
• further subdivided into different genres, such an epic poem,
narrative, romantic, dramatic, and lyric.
FICTION
• not real and therefore, authors can use complex figurative
language to touch readers’ imaginations.
• includes novels, novelettes, and short stories
Types of Creative Writing
DRAMA
• a form of text performed in front of an audience, and also called a play
• written text contains dialogues, and stage directions
• further categories are comedy, tragedy, and tragecomedy

CREATIVE NONFICTION
• composed of the real, or of facts, that employs the same literary devices
as fiction such as setting, voice/tone, character development, etc
• more creative than standard nonfiction writing
• includes biography, autobiography, essay, memoir, blogs
Other type of Creative
Writing
Vignette
• pronounced as /vinˈyet/. It is derived from the French word, vigne
meaning “little vine”. It describes a short scene of a poem, play, or
novel that creates powerful image and significant details. It is rich in
descriptive details that captivate the reader’s imaginative minds. It is
not a separate piece of writing but part of a whole.
 The Spanish-inspired chandeliers and her collection of antiques reflect
our rich past. An icon of the Sto. Niño dominates the entrance into the living
room which contains a richly carved wooden and upholstered sala set. The
ornate coffee table was set with dainty teacups and tiered high tea trays
filled with tablea cupcakes, torta and Queen’s chocolate loaf. The aroma of
freshly-pressed kape-sino, also called “pinaig” by locals greeted our
nostrils. Kape-sino is actually a glamorized term for “kapeng sinunog” made
from roasted white corn grits.

https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/160913/vignettes-filipino-traditions-casa- de-cacao

• The vignette above uses descriptive words that create an image of a

typical Cebuano living room. The concrete words appeal to the readers’
senses and emotions. Its purpose is to help the audience understand the
setting. It doesn’t tell a complete story on its own, but rather, it provides
depth to the setting of some whole story
Devices and Language of
Creative Writing
Imagery
• Language that appeals to the readers’ sense of sight, sound, smell,
touch, and taste scenes described in a piece of writing. They are used
to help readers visualize people, places, and things.
Devices and Language of Creative
Writing
Diction
• Refers to the word choice of the writer. The word should be
appropriate to the context on which they are used. It also shapes the
readers’ understanding of the text.
Levels of Diction Characteristics Example
Formal academic or
scholarly I am pleased to meet you.
words; often used in
formal situations
Informal conversational words It’s nice to know you.
Colloquial slang language, regional It’s cool to bump into you.
dialect
Devices and Language of Creative
Writing
Denotation
• Literal definition of a word that might be found in a dictionary.

Example:
• innocent- not guilty of a crime or offense
• She was acquitted of the crime. She was innocent.
Devices and Language of Creative
Writing
Connotation
• Wide array of positive and negative associations that most words
naturally carry with them.

Example:
• innocent- a naïve person; inexperienced
• She didn’t know she was tricked. She was so innocent.
Devices and Language of Creative
Writing
Figures of Speech
• Words or expressions that surpass their ordinary meaning. They used
for descriptive effects and rely on the connotative meanings of the
words than the denotative.
Figures of Definition Sample Text
Speech
Simile Indirect comparison between two “I wandered lonely as a cloud that
things using “like” or “as” floats on high o’er vales and hills.” (William
Wordsworth, “Daffodils” )
Metaphor Direct comparison between two “All the world’s a stage,
objects And all the men and wo m en merely
players.” (William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”)
Personification An idea, thing, or animal is given “Because I could not stop for Death,
h u man attributes. He kindly stopped for me” (Emily Dickinson, “Because I
Could Not Stop For Death”)
Hyperbole An exaggeration of ideas for emphasis "It was not a mere m a n he was holding, but a giant; or
a block of granite..." (James Ramsey Ullman, “Banner
in the Sky”)
Onomatopoeia A word which imitates “It went zip when it moved and bop
the natural s o u n d s of a thing. when it stopped” (Tom Paxton , “The Marvelous Toy”)
ACTIVITY
Directions: Complete the paragraph below about Creative
Writing. Choose your answer from the terms provided. Write them
on a separate sheet of paper.
artistic entertain experience imaginative devices
ASSESSMENT
Directions: Using a separate sheet of paper, write the letter of the
correct answer for each item.

1. Which is the correct definition of creative writing?

A. It aims to present factual information.
B. It explains a topic with substantial evidence.
C. It is an artistic expression of emotions and ideas through writing.
D. It is objective in tone and adheres to the specific guidelines in writing
2. “The squawking of birds breaks the silence.” To which sense it
appeals?
A. Sight C. Taste
B. Sound D. Feel
3. Which type of creative writing is a made-up story and has one
plot?
A. Poetry C. Fiction
B. Drama D. Short Story
4. Which of the word is an example of colloquial diction?
A. Bro C. Sibling
B. Brother D. Comrade
5. What is the connotation of the phrase, feeling blue?
A. You are madly in love.
B. You are seriously sick.
C. You are very depressed .
D. It is the color between green and violet
6. Which of the following is given word by Onomatopoeia?
A. ideas C. sound
B. feelings D. images
7. Which best describes the element of diction in creative writing?
A. Characters C. Everything that is heard
B. Everything that is seen D. Words used by the writer
8. Which is TRUE about vignette?
A. It has all the literary elements.
B. t is a detailed explanation of an argument.
C. It is rich in descriptive details that create pictures in readers’ minds.
D. The reader can identify the entirety of the selection by just reading it.
9. Which of the following is an example of hyperbole?
A. He would reach the stars to win your heart.
B. The disaster continues to haunt me in my sleep.
C. Walking on a deserted road is like a climbing on a steep ladder.
D. Her goggle eyes rest at nothingness as if absorbed in something so
powerful to resist.
10.Which of the following is NOT a type of creative writing?
A. Essays C. Narratives
B. Thesis D. Memoirs
For numbers 11-15, read the excerpt and answer the following
questions. W rite the letter of the correct answer on the paper.

The selection below is a reconstructed account of the last few days of the
Revolution’s Supremo, Andres Bonifacio, and his brother Procopio. Based on actual events by
Lianne Buna.

It was 11 in the evening. The Supremo was still bleeding

profusely a day after he, together with younger brother
Procopio, had been taken prisoner. The Supremo was grappling
with mind-wrenching pain from a gunshot wound on his arm and
a stab wound on his neck. Since the confrontation, his wounds
had not been nursed. Procopio, while not wounded, was in no
way better – he had bruises on his face and his body, and his left
leg was fractured. The siblings had been given food only once since
the beginning of their captivity.
11.What element of creative writing is the first sentence?
A. point of view C. setting
B. plot D. theme
12.What is the dominant literary technique used in this part?
A. foreshadowing C. irony
B. imagery D. symbolism
13.How do you describe the brothers based on the descriptions?
A. They were criminals and held captives.
B. They represent those who are victims of injustices.
C. They never abandoned each other regardless of their respective
physical pain.
D. Despite being physically brutalized and deprived with food, they
continued to bear the pain.
14. Why is this part an effective exposition?
A. The setting and characters are well-structured.
B. The words used are creative and comprehensible.
C. The interplay of literary technique like imagery and scene is
creatively employed.
D. The message of the story is conspicuously conveyed in this first
part of the narration.
15. What does the name, the Supremo, signify?
A. fighter C. opportunist
B. leader D. rebel
THANK YOU FOR
LISTENING! :)