Lesson 1.

INTRODUCTION

LESSON AIM
Describe elements and forms of creative writing.

WHAT IS CREATIVE WRITING?

The word creative is defined in various ways. The following are just some of the definitions:

“The ability to create”

“Imaginative”
“Productive and imaginative”
“Characterised by expressiveness and originality”

Creative writing is often defined as the writing of fiction, where the author creates events, scenes
and characters, sometimes even a world. In reality, aside from instinctive utterances like the yelp of
an injured child or a delighted ‘Oh!’, all expressions are creative.

For the purposes of this course, ‘creative writing’ is any writing that expresses events and emotions
in an imaginative manner and whose primary intent is to arouse emotions. Creative writing can
therefore be fiction, using imaginative narration, or non fiction, based on facts and events. The
common ground of fiction and non-fiction writing is the creativity the writer uses to express his or
her thoughts and emotions.

The following examples show that, to some degree, all writing is creative, since it always involves
re-creation, ie. the selection of some components, imagined or real, and exclusion of others.

1. a) Consider a little boy’s excited announcement to his grandmother about a new puppy:

“He’s got big ears, Nanna, jus’ like mine … and he cries and cries …. Mummy gived
him a sausage and he ate it so fast he’s gonna grow into a giant…he’s the bestest
puppy I ever had, Nanna.”

Human beings are natural story tellers, and like all story tellers, this little boy takes some parts of
his experience that are meaningful to him, expands on that experience to make it more exciting
and unique, and conveys it in language that both conveys information and feeling. He also
anticipates a particular kind of response (“Oh, how sweet” …“That’s so exciting” …”I am so happy
for you”), and communicates in ways that are most likely to elicit it.

b) Now consider part of a letter written by the boy’s sister:

Did I tell you that our dog, Jacko, died last week? Brennie was really sad, so dad bought him a
puppy yesterday, and he couldn’t care less about Jacko any more. Little brat. I had to beg for
months to get Jacko, but Brennie gets a puppy just by crying. It’s whiney and ugly, anyway.

Notice this person has a different focus. She selects different information, and expresses her own
emotional perspective, to create a different story out of the same events.

Both examples illustrate the selective, creative aspect of communication. They are about reality,
which means that to some degree, they re-create the reality they are trying to represent. No two
representations will ever be exactly the same, and usually differ considerably.

All writing focuses on one thing, and reduces emphasis on another; and in doing so it packages
information or a message in ways that reflect the writer’s intent, meaning and priorities.

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HOW DOES CREATIVE WRITING DIFFER?

Is creative writing different from other kinds of writing? As stated before all writing involves creativity
since it is selective and is written from the writer’s perspective. Like informative writing, expositions
(detailed statements or explanations) or instructions, creative writing does convey information, even
when we define it so broadly; indeed, information is the basic component of all communication, no
matter what kind.

The overall intent of creative writing is not to inform.

It is to stir the emotions, to elicit an emotional response.

A storyteller’s narrative is designed to express the storyteller’s feelings about some aspect of life,
and to engage the reader in those feelings. A poet uses events, images and people to deliver
concentrated emotion. Dramatists and screen writers convey and stir emotions through action and
dialogue. A magazine feature writer comments on real people and real lives to arouse our
sympathy, delight, horror or concern.

Information and creativity

The point is that almost any genre or category of writing can be written to engage the reader
emotionally as well as intellectually. What makes a work more creative than informative is its
emphasis.

Informative writing is primarily about imparting knowledge.

Creative writing is primarily about creating emotional effect and significance.

Differences between creative and informative writing are sometimes quite blurred. Some well-
known and esteemed pieces of writing that are primarily informative are also very creative,
sensitive and beautiful, while some primarily creative works are also highly informative. To
understand this better, read a chapter from A.S. Byatt’s novel, Possession, Tolstoy’s War and
Peace, Dee Brown’s history, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, and James Mitchener’s epic novel,
Hawaii. You will also see writing where creativity and information carry equal weight and
importance in some newspaper feature articles, often found in the centre pages of the weekend
editions, and in many magazine articles.

Good creative writing uses the same kinds of writing that make for good informative writing, or
good argument, or good exposition. It is the writer’s skill at using these forms of writing that can
turn any piece of writing into creative piece of writing.

Even when we write fiction, we are dealing with reality as we know it. Fictional does not mean
false. It takes our reality, or parts of it, and shows it to us in new ways. It makes the familiar
unfamiliar, and takes us into parts of reality, making us take the time (because we read much
slower than we think or see) to see its complexity, beauty and pain. Even fantasy fiction and
science fiction, which give us totally created worlds, are based on elements of reality, and are
therefore recognisable and believable. Therefore, when we write creatively, it doesn’t matter
whether we are writing fiction or non-fiction. What matters is that we are sharing experiences and
emotions with the reader and, for a while at least, leading them towards a particular point of view.

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 NEP FYBA Sem I
Creative Writing (VSC)
Notes

A. Poetic Devices
Poetic devices simply refer to a form of literary devices which comes in poetry.
They are also used as different elements in a poem just like above in verbal,
visual, structural, rhythmic, metrical, grammatical elements, and so on.
Moreover, these poetic devices are tools for poets to augment the meaning of a
poem, make it rhythmic pleasing, or intensify the core emotion, mood, or
feeling represented in the poem.
Poetic devices are literary techniques that poets use to create specific effects in
their writing. They add depth, richness, and musicality to poetry, making it more
engaging and memorable for readers. Here are some of the most common types
of poetic devices:
1. Alliteration: The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of
words or syllables.
Example: “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.”
2. Assonance: The repetition of vowel sounds within words.
Example: “I hear the soft sigh of the waves.”
3. Metaphor: A figure of speech that compares two things that are not alike
to make a deeper meaning.
Example: “Life is a journey.”
4. Simile: A figure of speech that compares two things using the words
“like” or “as.”
Example: “Her eyes sparkled like stars.”
5. Personification: A figure of speech that gives human qualities to non-
human things or ideas.
Example: “The wind danced through the trees.”
6. Hyperbole: An exaggerated statement for emphasis or effect.
Example: “I’m so tired I could sleep for a week.”
7. Imagery: The use of vivid language to create a sensory experience for
the reader.

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 Example: “The sun-drenched beach, the salty air, the sound of crashing
waves.”
8. Symbolism: The use of an object, person, or event to represent something
else.
Example: “A dove is a symbol of peace.”
9. Rhythm and Meter: The pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a
poem.
Example: “Iambic pentameter” is a common meter in English poetry,
which consists of five iambic feet, or five pairs of an unstressed syllable
followed by a stressed syllable.
10.Rhyme: The repetition of identical or similar sounds at the end of words.
Example: “Roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet, and so are you.”

B. Traditional Forms of Verse:

Lyric
A lyric is a short poem that expresses the emotions, thoughts, or feelings of a
speaker, often in the first person:
• Characteristics
Lyric poems are often written in present tense, and use figurative language like
metaphors and similes. They can be expressive and seem almost musical.
• Origin
Lyric poetry originated in ancient Greece as a form of poetry meant to be sung
or accompanied by a musical instrument like a lyre.
• Types
Some common types of lyric poetry include the sonnet, ode, elegy, and tanka.
• Writers
A writer of lyric poems is called a lyric poet, lyricist, or lyrist.
• Evolution
Lyric poetry evolved during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, expanding its
thematic range and stylistic diversity.

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The term "lyric" comes from the Greek word for a seven-stringed lyre, a
musical instrument that was often used to accompany lyric poetry.
Lyric poetry is different from narrative poetry, which tells a story and recounts
events. However, song lyrics are often in the lyric mode, even though they are
not always lyrical in the poetic sense.

Limerick
A limerick is a short, five-line poem with a single stanza that is often comical,
nonsensical, and lewd:
• Structure
Limericks have a strict rhyme scheme of AABBA, with the first two lines
rhyming, the third and fourth rhyming, and the fifth line rhyming or repeating
the first line.
• Rhythm
Limericks have an anapestic rhythm, created by a pattern of double weakly-
stressed syllables.
• Content
Limericks are usually about a short, pithy tale or description. The first line often
introduces a person or place, the middle sets up a silly story, and the end usually
has a punchline or surprise twist.
• Origin
The word "limerick" is thought to refer to the Irish city and county of Limerick,
but the poems actually originated in England. Some believe the word refers to
the old tune, “Won't You Come to Limerick?”, which had the same rhyme
scheme and meter.

Ode
An ode is a type of lyric poem that expresses a writer's feelings about a subject,
often in a ceremonial or formal manner:
• Definition: A short poem that praises a person, idea, or event
• Origin: The word "ode" comes from the Greek word aeidein, which
means "to sing" or "to chant"

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 • Structure: Odes are highly structured and follow poetic forms. A classic
ode is made up of three parts: the strophe, the antistrophe, and the epode.
• Types: There are several types of odes, including Pindaric, Horatian, and
Sapphic
• Examples: Some examples of odes include:
o The Progress of Poesy: A Pindaric Ode: By Thomas Gray
o Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Reflections of Early
Childhood: By William Wordsworth
o Horatian Ode upon Cromwell's Return from Ireland: By Andrew
Marvell
o Dejection: An Ode: By Samuel Taylor Coleridge
o Ode on a Grecian Urn: By John Keats
o Ode to a Nightingale: By John Keats
o To Autumn: By John Keats

Sonnet
A sonnet is a traditional poetic form that is typically made up of 14 lines of
iambic pentameter and a complex rhyme scheme:
• Structure
A sonnet is written in iambic pentameter, meaning each line has 10 syllables and
every other syllable is stressed.
• Rhyme scheme
Sonnets use one of several rhyme schemes. For example, the English sonnet,
also known as the Shakespearean sonnet, follows the pattern "abab cdcd efef
gg".
• Theme
Sonnets usually focus on a single theme, and the poet often clarifies their
thoughts in the final lines.
• Origin
The term "sonnet" comes from the Italian word sonnetto, which means "a little
song". Sonnets are believed to have originated in 13th-century Italy.
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 • Popularity
Sonnets became popular in England in the 16th century, and William
Shakespeare is considered the most famous practitioner of the form.
Sonnets can be used to explore a wide range of subjects, including love, war,
religion, and the value of poetry. There are many different types of sonnets,
including the English and Italian sonnets. Sonnets can also be arranged in cycles
or crowns, which are groups of sonnets that share a theme or are addressed to
the same person.

Narrative poem
A narrative poem is a type of poetry that tells a story using poetic techniques
like rhyme, rhythm, and meter:
• Story elements: Narrative poems have a plot, characters, setting, conflict,
and resolution.
• Length: Narrative poems are usually longer than other types of poetry.
• Structure: Narrative poems are written in verse and typically have a
formal rhyme scheme. However, some narrative poems may be written in
blank verse.
• Narration: Most narrative poems have a single narrator or speaker.
• Subtypes: Narrative poems can be broken down into subtypes like the lay,
ballad, epic poetry, and the idyll.

C. New Forms of Verse

Free Verse
A free verse poem is a poem that doesn't follow a specific rhyme scheme or
meter:
• Definition
Free verse poems are also known as non-metrical or non-rhyming poems. They
tend to follow the rhythm of natural speech, and can have lines of any length.
• Characteristics

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Free verse poems can include occasional rhymes or rhythmic elements, but
they're inconsistent. They can also use other poetic techniques, such as
alliteration, to create the desired effect.
• Examples
Some examples of free verse poems include:
• The Red Wheelbarrow by William Carlos Williams
• Howl by Allen Ginsberg
• History
Free verse has been around for a long time, but it became more popular at the
beginning of the 20th century.
• French name
The French name for free verse is vers libre.

Haiku
Haiku is a short, unrhymed poem that originated in Japan and is a popular
poetic form in the country:
• Structure
Haiku is made up of three lines with 17 syllables in total, usually in the pattern
5, 7, 5.
• Themes
Haiku often focus on a brief moment in time, nature, and seasonal changes.
• Style
Haiku is usually written in the present tense, with a pause at the end of the first
or second line.
• Elements
Haiku often include a "cutting word" (kireji) to create a pause or sense of
closure, and a seasonal reference (kigo).
• History
Haiku originated as the opening part of a longer poem called a tanka, and
became a separate form of poetry in the 17th century.

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 • Influence
Haiku has influenced poets worldwide, including Ezra Pound, who wrote "In a
Station of the Metro".
Here are some examples of haiku:
• "A caterpillar, this deep in fall – still not a butterfly"
• "In Kyoto, hearing the cuckoo, I long for Kyoto"
• "Taking a nap, feet planted against a cool wall"
• "When the winter chrysanthemums go, there's nothing to write about. but
radishes"
• "Teeth sensitive to the sand in salad greens — I'm getting old"

Acrostics
An acrostic is a poem or other word composition in which the first letter (or
syllable, or word) of each new line (or paragraph, or other recurring feature in
the text) spells out a word, message or the alphabet.
An acrostic is a type of poem that uses the first, last, or other letters in each line
to spell out a word, phrase, or sentence. The word "acrostic" comes from the
Greek words akros, meaning "at the end," and stichos, meaning "line" or
"verse".
Acrostics have been used for centuries for a variety of purposes, including:
• Showing admiration: Acrostics can be used to show admiration for
people.
• Hiding messages: Acrostics can be used to hide messages within the
poem.
• Helping people remember things: Acrostics can be used to help people
remember things.
Here's an example of an acrostic poem from William Blake's London:
• "How the Chimney-sweeper's cry"
• "Every blackning Church appalls"
• "And the hapless Soldier's sigh runs in blood down Palace walls"

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Graphic Poem
Graphic poetry is a type of poetry that combines text and images to create a new
relationship between the two. It uses visual elements like color, shape,
typography, and media to convey meaning, and often requires the reader to see
the poem to fully understand it.
Here are some examples of graphic poetry:
• Easter Wings
By George Herbert, this poem is shaped like two birds with wings spread out,
and the typography makes it look like wings
• Silent Anatomies
By Monica Ong, this collection includes digital collages of X-rays, ultrasounds,
photos, and anatomical drawings
• Her Read
By Jennifer Sperry Steinorth, this poem includes drawings, paintings, and sewn
elements to highlight the materiality of the page
Some other types of graphic poetry include:
• Figure poems: These poems are visual and take the form of an object. For
example, Simias of Rhodes wrote poetry in the form of an egg, wing, or
axe.
• Technopaegnia: This is an ancient Greek type of visual poetry.
Generally, the so-called “graphic poetry” refers to poetry like George Herbert's
“Easter Wings.”1 The typography of the poem makes it look exactly like wings.
The shape of the poem is like two birds. The original image was shown on two
pages of a book, sideways.

Digital Poetry
Digital poetry is a type of electronic literature that combines technology with
visual and textual elements to create new poetic experiences. It can be
interactive, multimodal, and hypertextual. Digital poetry can be found in many
forms, including:
• CD-ROMs
• DVDs

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 • Art gallery installations
• Digital videos or films
• Digital holograms
• The World Wide Web
• Mobile phone apps
Digital poetry is characterized by its use of computers to display and interact
with the work. It can include the use of: Hypertext, Computer-generated
animation, Coding, and Holograms.
Digital poetry was launched in the late 1950s by poets who experimented with
computers. The first electronic poetry was created in 1959 by German computer
scientist Theo Lutz, who used a text-generating program to produce over 4
million sentences.
Some terms and labels for digital poetry include: Electronic literature, New
media poetry, Kinetic poetry, and Code poetry.
Digital poetry is a form of poetry that utilizes digital technologies to create,
display, and interact with poetic works. It combines traditional poetic elements
such as language, rhythm, and imagery with multimedia elements like sound,
animation, and interactivity.