Pointers in Creative Writing
Creative is marked by the ability or power to create. It is having the quality of something created rather than
imagined.
If a writer wants to be original, he or she needs to exercise or enhance his or her imagination.
Imagination is defined as the “act or power of forming mental image of something not present to the senses or
never before wholly perceived in reality. It is the concept of being original and the capacity of creating.
Literature is writings having excellence in form or expression and expressing ideas of permanent or universal
interest.
Universality refers to how many people can relate to an idea, thought or expression.
Creative Writing is the study of crafting various forms of written works. It results in the production of
literature.
Literary works have the same universal effect.
If a reader can feel sorry or feel bad about the situation of a character, then the reader is
empathizing.
If a reader shares the same situation with the character, then the reader is sympathizing.
Literary works can evoke strong emotions from readers.
Literature affects readers profoundly, making audiences feel more intense than other kinds of
writing.
Prose refers to compositions of literary work containing full sentences and coherent paragraphs.
Prose compositions are usually longer than verse compositions and can be further categorized via
their respective literary genres.
Verse refers to compositions that prioritize the line, not the paragraph; the line could pertain to a full sentence, a
phrase, or a dependent clause.
Poetry and Songs are examples of verse.
Literary genre is a category of literary composition determined by literary techniques, tone, content, or even
length. This can be classified into two (2):
Fiction is the umbrella term used to refer to stories that are invented by their authors.
Short stories and Novels are the subcategories of fiction.
Nonfiction is a prose composition that contains information based on real and existing people,
events or facts. Sometimes, it is called creative nonfiction.
Essay is the most common and familiar example of nonfiction.
Play involves the written work authored by a playwright for staging in a theatrical production in a drama.
Forms of Writing
1. Creative writing involves the imaginative use of language.
2. Academic writing involves published learning materials intended for use by learners and teachers.
3. Technical writing involves technical documents written to explain a process or to present information.
4. Journalistic writing involves producing news stories for print or broadcast media (TV, radio, or online).
Imagery is the descriptive details or elements in a written work that appeal to or perceivable by the five senses.
1. Visual Imagery – appeals to the sense of sight
2. Auditory Imagery – appeals to the sense of hearing
3. Olfactory Imagery – appeals to the sense of smell
4. Gustatory Imagery – appeals to the sense of taste
5. Tactile Imagery – appeals to the sense of touch
Sources of Subject Matter
1. Imagination – Re-imagining the story. Re-editing through imagination.
2. Daily life – Paying attention to daily life to find an interesting subject matter.
3. Memory – Memories stored in people’s minds and hearts.
4. Research – Researching to increase knowledge about the topic through interviews.
5. Dreams – Dreams as a source of subject matter.
6. Responses – Certain literary works are inspired by other literary works.
Voice refers to the specific group of characteristics displayed by a narrator or a poetic speaker. This is the
dominant personality we encounter when we read a literary work, and may or may not directly reflect the
personality of the author.
Diction is the choice of words used in a literary work or wordplay.
Mood refers to the prevailing emotions of a work or of the authors in their creation of the work.
Tone is the way an author conveys the attitude of particular characters and subject matter in a literary work.
Persona is a speaker created by a writer to tell a story or to speak a poem.
