Humanities 2: Creative Writing Western Aklan Academy, Inc.

LESSON 1
Introduction to Creative Writing
Creative Writing: Definition and Nature

What does the word “creative” mean to the writers? Is there a huge difference between regular writing and creative writing?
According to expert writers, there is always creativity in writing.
Creative writing is writing that expresses the writer’s thoughts and feelings in an imaginative, often unique way. It is geared
towards presenting one’s ideas and feelings rather than just conveying information. However, some experts highlight that creative
writing is not just about being able to express one’s ideas and feelings, but also about careful construction of words, phrases and
sentences.
In most references, creative writing is defined as the process of writing stories or narrations that focus more on entertaining
and telling a story than simply relating facts. (Cavallari, August 2014)

Creative writing is a form of writing that is based on the use of images and or experiences not necessarily true to convey
meaning. This is in contrast with academic or scientific writing that prioritizes factual information and/or details.
Creative writing is used extensively in literary pieces like poems, novels, short stories and stage plays, including creative
non-fiction. As such, creative writing is often associated with literature. Descriptive essays can also be considered as a form of
creative writing. We have now defined creative writing through differentiating it with other forms of writing. There are 6 traits of
writing in general and how creative writing adapts them.

6 TRAITS OF CREATIVE WRITING

1. Ideas. Creative writing as with other forms of writing captures the main idea through details that are connected or relevant to the
subject of the piece. In novels, for example, a chapter contains only a specific angle or part of the main character’s story.

2. Organization. More than organizing ideas to fit to a larger theme or message, the structure of a work especially in creative writing
is important. The work needs to be able to establish connections from one point to another. In fiction, the structure usually follows a
chronological order to guide readers as events happen in the plot.

3. Voice. As opposed to technical writing, creative writing has a voice. Through the unique writing style of the poet, author or
playwright, a reader can feel the mood, feeling or emotion found in the piece as expressed by the characters or persona.

4. Word Choice. Because creative writers utilize figures of speech and other literary devices in their works, they have to plan or study
the words they need to use to ensure appropriateness. Word choice also describes the effectiveness of each word in a piece of writing.

5. Sentence/Line Fluency. Whether in poetry or prose, creative writing gives importance to how smooth the words are in either a line
or a sentence. This also helps makes these literary works easy to read, and therefore, easy to understand or comprehend.

6. Conventions. A common misconception in creative writing is that it does not care about grammar rules. In fact, creative
writers/literary artists have to make sure that their works observe established rules in grammar including mechanics (spelling and
punctuation). Following conventions or rules in writing is also a trait of discipline and focus for the both the writer and the literary
piece.

REASONS FOR WRITING CREATIVELY

Before engaging in creative task, you should know the answers to this question: “Why do we write?” Below are some good
reasons.

 Write to be entertained. Writing may be a challenging task, but it gives one a sense of fulfillment. Writing will even spice up
one’s life as one tries to explore one’s inner self and everything around the writer.

 Write to share your ideas and emotions. Writing can be a venue for individuals to present their views freely and be appreciated
by all kinds of readers.
 Write to be the person you wish to be. Writing inspires us to become what we intend to be, and enables us to use our
imagination. Our creativity becomes limitless because readers tend to appreciate unique and extraordinary characters. We achieve
self-expression without having to worry about people’s reactions.

 Write to touch people’s lives. Your work might be compelling enough to move people and allow them to take a stand on a
certain issue. Your writing might even an instrument to touch people’s hearts and enable them to renew their ways of living. You
can inspire them to be better individuals through your written work.

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Humanities 2: Creative Writing Western Aklan Academy, Inc.

THE WRITING PROCESS

To most beginning writers, writing is a difficult task because it calls for the right skills. Writing should not be regarded in that
way because all it takes is to learn the writing process. It is comprised of steps to follow in order to come up with a well-written work.
Writing can be made more enjoyable and thrilling by observing the following steps:
1. Pre-writing. This is the stage when writers choose a topic, generate ideas, gather information, and create an outline through
the use of charts and diagrams. Stating the purpose for writing and the target readers may be done at this phase.

2. Writing the draft. Writers work on their preliminary composition based on their outlined ideas and information. In this
stage, the work must be organized in order to present a clear and specific idea. Unity and coherence is achieved by checking
the topic along with its supporting details. The purpose for writing must be reflected in the draft.

3. Revising. This stage involves evaluating, rewriting, and modifying the written work. This entails restating, adding, or
deleting sentences as needed. This is also the stage where the writer may examine whether the substance and writing style are
suitable for the target readers.

4. Editing. At this phase, writers look for errors in spelling, grammar, and structure. It is the proofreading stage in the writing
process.

5. Publishing. The final step is accomplished by sharing the final output with a group. A well-written composition may be
published in print or through online or digital publishing.

SOME TYPES OF CREATIVE WRITING

Types of creative writing include:

Poetry, Plays, Movie and television scripts, Fiction (novels, novellas, and short stories), Songs, Speeches, Memoirs, Personal
essays. As you can see, some nonfiction types of writing can also be considered creative writing. Memoirs and personal essays, for
example, can be written creatively to inform your readers about your life in an expressive way. Because these types are written in first
person, it’s easier for them to be creative.

LESSON 2
IMAGERY

To create a literary artwork, creative writing applies a unique use of language to create in the minds of readers and listeners
images. These create a sensory experience that appeals to all the senses, making the reading of literature both as an entertaining and
educating experience. This literary device or vocabulary instrument is called imagery. Although imagery is often associated with
figurative language, like metaphors and similes, it may also be written without using any figurative language.

Creative writing as defined is also a technique in styling language to fit the goal of the author or writer in his or her work. As
opposed to works of academic writing, readers and audiences are drawn to works of creative writing for the experience rather than to
obtain new information or facts.
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Humanities 2: Creative Writing Western Aklan Academy, Inc.

In literary works, creative writers express their thoughts and feelings through a unique use of the language that aims to extend
the same to whoever appreciates their work. This includes describing sceneries and memories, real or not, using imagery.

Imagery refers to the “mental pictures” that readers imagine when they read literary works as it targets their senses. Even if
imagery is commonly associated with figurative language, it may not necessarily contain figures of speech.

We have now defined imagery as an element of creative writing. There are seven (7) types of imagery. These are: auditory,
gustatory, kinesthetic, olfactory, organic, tactile and visual.

7 TYPES OF IMAGERY

1. Visual. Visual imagery appeals to the sense of sight, and is the most common type of imagery in literature.
Example: “The clouds were like ripe cotton in the expanse of the sky.”

2. Auditory. Auditory imagery describes specific sounds that are happening or found within the story. It may also appear in the form
of onomatopoeia.
Example: “John campers woke up to the loud clang of pots and pans that signaled that breakfast was almost ready.”

3. Olfactory. This particular type of imagery describes a specific scent or odor.

Example: “The strong smell of freshly brewed coffee greeted the tourists as they went inside the cottage.”

4. Gustatory. Gustatory imagery targets the sense of taste.

Example: “Almost drowning, Albert had to swallow the briny, bitter salt water as he gulped for air.”

5. Tactile. Tactile imagery appeals to the sense of touch.

Example: “The fabric felt velvety to my touch.”

6. Kinesthetic. Kinesthetic imagery does not relate to a specific sense, but rather deals with the movement or action of objects or
people in a story.
Example: “The tiger leaped from the edge of the rock and pounced on the unsuspecting deer.”

7. Organic. Organic imagery is considered as the most difficult form of imagery to write because it deals with creating a specific
feeling or emotion within the reader like the making him or her feel sad, fearful, nostalgic, elated, or even lost.
Example: “The swirling rumble of bitter regret seemed to rise and sway in a rough storm in my stomach.”

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Humanities 2: Creative Writing Western Aklan Academy, Inc.

CREATIVE WRITING

What’s In
Directions: Below are passages. Read them and answer the succeeding questions on a
separate sheet of paper.

Passage 1
The richness of the scene was in its plainness, its natural condition – of horse, of ring, of girl, even to the girl’s bare feet
that gripped the bare back of her proud and ridiculous mount. The enchantment grew not out of anything that happened … but out of
something that seemed to go round and round with the girl, attending her, a steady gleam in the shape of a circle … (Source:
acs.edu.au)

1. What is being described in the excerpt?

a. A newscast. c. A cooking demonstration.
b. A scene in a circus. d. A basketball competition.

2. The writer utilized which form of writing in the passage?

a. academic writing c. creative writing
b. business writing d. technical writing

3. What does the passage give us?

a. data c. items and percentages
b. facts d. sensory details

Passage 2

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Humanities 2: Creative Writing Western Aklan Academy, Inc.

The Harry Potter series, written by J.K. Rowling, is perhaps the most popular set of novels of the modern era. With
seven books and many blockbuster films to its name, the series has amassed about 15 billion dollars in sales. How did this
phenomenon become what it is? For those scratching their heads, the reason can be broken down into several areas: Rowling garnered
a generous initial contract for her book, separate book covers were created for both teens and adults, midnight
releases/promotions/preorders made the public more fanatic about the series, and fan blogs were rampant. In fact, these are just a few
of the main reasons why the Harry Potter tool off the way it did. (Source: academichelp.net)

4. What is being described in the excerpt?

a. A persuasive call to action.
b. A description of a situation or event.
c. An explanation of the causes of an effect.
d. An opinion about a social issue or controversy.

5. The writer utilized which form of writing in the passage?

a. academic writing c. creative writing
b. business writing d. technical writing

6. What does the passage give us?

a. data c. items and percentages
b. facts d. sensory details

Passage 3

Ferritin is a ubiquitous iron storage and detoxification protein found highly conserved in species from bacteria to plants
to humans. In mammals, ferritin is composed of two functionally and genetically distinct subunit types, H (heavy, ~21,000 Da) and L
(light, ~19,000 Da) subunits which co-assemble in various ratios with tissue specific distribution to form a shell-like protein. The H-
subunit is responsible for the fast conversion of Fe (II) to Fe (III) by dioxygen (or H2O2) whereas the L-subunit is thought to
contribute to the nucleation of the iron core. In the present work, we investigated the iron oxidation and deposition mechanism in two
recombinant heteropolymers ferritin samples of ~20H:4L (termed H/L) and ~22L:2H (termed L/H) ratios. Data indicates that iron
oxidation occurs mainly on the H-subunit with a stoichiometry of 2Fe (II):1O2, suggesting formation of H2O2. (Source: aises.org)

7. The writer utilized which form of writing in the passage?

a. academic writing c. creative writing
b. business writing d. journalistic writing

8. What does the passage give us?

a. data c. items and percentages
b. opinions d. sensory details

Passage 4

President Rodrigo Duterte has signed into law a measure that will establish a scholarship program for poor students
aspiring to become doctors.
In a text message to reporters on Monday (Jan. 4), Senate President Vicente Sotto III said he just received from Malacañang
the signed copy of “Doktor Para sa Bayan Act” or Republic Act 11509.
The new law sets up a medical scholarship and return service program, which grants scholarships to deserving students
aspiring to become physicians. It seeks to encourage students to take up medicine and help improve the country’s doctor-patient ratio.
(Source: newsinfo.inquirer.net)

9. The writer utilized which form of writing in the passage?

a. academic writing c. creative writing
b. business writing d. journalistic writing

10. What does the passage give us?

a. data c. items and percentages
b. opinions d. sensory details

Directions: Read the questions and write the letter of the best answer on a separate sheet of
paper.

1. Which of the following would most likely be the focus of creative writing?
a. scientific facts
b. emotions or feelings
c. estimates and percentages
d. factual names of people and places

2. In which of the following manuscripts/documents would creative writing likely be

used?

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Humanities 2: Creative Writing Western Aklan Academy, Inc.
a. city ordinances
b. two-part novels
c. hospital protocols
d. laboratory manuals

3. Which newspaper section would most likely use creative writing?

a. front page
b. sports news
c. weather report
d. entertainment

4. This trait of writing pertains to making sure that details used in a literary work support
the theme or subject.
a. ideas
b. conventions
c. organization
d. word choice

IMAGERY
Directions: Describe the photographs below in five sentences that utilize five of the seven
types of imagery. Underline the words/terms that contain the imagery. Use a separate sheet of
paper.

Image 1

Source: pexels.com

Image 2

Source: pexels.com

Activity 2: IDENTIFYING IMAGERY

Directions: On a separate sheet of paper, copy and read the following passage. Highlight the
sensory words as follows:
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Humanities 2: Creative Writing Western Aklan Academy, Inc.

Sight – underline with a straight line

Sound – underline with a wavy line
Smell – enclose in a box
Taste – enclose in an oval
Touch/Feel – underline with red ink

The hot, April sun beat relentlessly down, casting an orange glare over the nipa huts,
the fields, the lake. Even the usually cool green acacia bordering the pond hung wilting and
dry. Our sun-baked backs ached for relief. We quickly pulled off our sweaty clothes and
plunged into the pond, but the tepid water only stifled us, and we soon climbed back onto
the brown, dusty bank. Our parched throats longed for something cool—ice water, a tall
frosted glass of orange juice.

We pulled on our clothes and headed through the dense, crackling underbrush, the sharp
briars pulling at our damp jeans, until we reached the watermelon patch. As we began to cut
open the nearest melon, we could smell the pungent skin mingling with the dusty odor of dry
earth. Suddenly the melon gave way with a crack, revealing the deep, pink sweetness inside.

Activity 3: CREATING IMAGERY

Directions: Convert the following plain sentences into ones with imagery. Write your
answers on a separate sheet of paper.

1. I am hungry.
2. It feels cold.
3. My favorite bag is colored red.
4. The class was very noisy.
5. The athlete won the race.

Assessment
Directions: Identify the imagery used in the following sentences. Write the letter of the
correct answer on a separate sheet of paper.

A. auditory

D. olfactory
G. tactile
B. gustatory
E. organic
C. kinesthetic
F. visual

____ 1. Not taking the insult likely, Carl charged at him like a raging bull.

____ 2. The photographer enjoyed the sight, as if the flowers were waving at him.

____ 3. Her voice echoed throughout the hall.

____ 4. She was startled by how cold the floor felt to her feet.

____ 5. The scent of oven-fresh bread from the bakery perfumed the afternoon.

____ 6. The blood from his wounded lips tasted like rust.

____ 7. She had eyes as blue as the summer sky.

____ 8. The powder-like sand of Boracay is known throughout the world.

____ 9. Like a cackling rooster was how the judge described Paula’s singing during
the contest.

____ 10. Luigi had to pause while hiking the trail as the height was making him dizzy.