CREATIVE WRITING MODULE LESSON 1. CREATIVE WRITING VS TECHNICAL WRITING CREATIVE WRITING • is written to entertain and educate • Skills and talent both make up creative writing • “creative writing is the very fine art of making things up...in order to reveal illuminating and dark truths about the world and our place in it.” • encompasses a broad range of both fiction and nonfiction TECHNICAL WRITING • is wholly written to inform and sometimes to trigger the person reading into making an action beneficial to the writer • is not written to entertain 7 C’S OF TECHNICAL WRITING 1. CLARITY • Leaving no confusion for the readers. Removing ambiguities and doubts. 2. CORRECTNESS • Removing grammar mistakes, factual errors, or typo errors before the readers reveal them. Presenting accurate information always. 3. CONCISION • Using brief and precise words. Replacing lengthy phrases with single words without losing essence of the subject. 4. Consistency • Using uniform terminology and style of formatting throughout the document or across multiple interrelated documents. 5. Coherence • Organizing and connecting the pieces of information 6. Completeness • Providing all required information within the predetermined scope. 7. Credibility • Working professionally to provide high quality content *REMEMBER: Imaginative writing and technical writing differ in purpose, audience, language, and tone. Imaginative Writing Technical Writing Purpose Content Language -to entertain and to educate -imaginative, metaphoric, and symbolic -informal, artistic, and figurative -factual and straightforward Formal, standard, or academic -to inform and to trigger a person into action -instruct or persuade Tone -mood, attitude, feelings, or emotion of the writer toward the subject LESSON 2. ELEMENTS OF CREATIVE WRITING DICTION • -the choice of words used by the writers • good writing makes good use of diction • the words should be right and accurate, appropriate to the context in which they were used The ff. are some basic tips to help you use words effectively in your writing 1. Use strong and exact verbs -replace passive verbs with active ones to make your sentences forceful and meaningful 2. Use specific words. -this will sharpen your description and make it vivid -use a thesaurus 3. Select words with the best connotations -words have a lot of synonyms, you have to be careful to use the word with the right connotation to express your thoughts and ideas 4. Use a specific color. -use specific shade or color of an object in a scene 5. Avoid clichés -worn-out expressions that hardly add anything to your work -these make your statements weak and tired 6. Use varied words 7. Maintain a consistent tone -tone refers to the voice of the writer in the piece 8. Be concise a. Avoid deadwood words and phrases b. Avoid redundancy c. Avoid wordiness 9. Use adjectives and adverbs approriately5` Rhyme -the sense of musicality that you notice in each line 1. End Rhyme -the presence of rhyming words at the end of the line 2. Perfect Rhyme -the words sound exactly the same “I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold, Or all the riches that the East doth hold.” -Anne Bradstreet, “To My Dear and Loving Husband” ➢ The use of antiquated words such as “thy” instead of “your and “doth” instead of “do” gives the poem a formal diction. “Because I could not stop for Death— He kindly stopped for me—” -Emily Dickinson, “Because I could not stop for Death” ➢ The words “kindly” and “stopped” are simple vocabulary and used here in their ordinary definitions. The use of these words effects a casual and conversational diction. SYNTAX • is how the words are arranged in a sentence or line • the usual syntax is s-v • However, an unusual order of words in a line, including repetition of words, may be used to convey different tones, moods, themes, or emphases of the literary work EXAMPLE: “Go out I cannot, nor can I stay in, Becalmed mid carpet, breathless, on the road, To nowhere and the road has petered out.” -PJ Kavanagh, “Beyond Decoration” THEME • is the topic or central idea, which is universal in nature • an underlying truth • It may be what the reader thinks the story is about or what the work says about a given subject • It is rarely conveyed directly ACTIVITY 1. Using the Elements of Creative Writing, analyze the ff. poem. (15 pts) LOVE’S SECRET 1 Never seek to tell thy love, Love that never told can be; For the gentle wind doth move Silently, visibly. 1. DICTION – What can you say about its diction? Is it formal or informal? 2. SYNTAX – What have you observed in its syntax? 3. THEME – What is the theme all about? 2 I told my love, I told my love, I told her all my heart, Trembling, cold, in ghastly fears. Ah! She did depart! 3 Soon after she was gone from me, A traveler came by, Silently, invisibly: He took her with a sigh. LESSON 3. ELEMENTS OF CREATIVE LANGUAGE IMAGERY is a figurative language used to represent objects, actions, and ideas in a manner that appeals to the senses It uses vivid descriptive language to add depth to the work It creates mental pictures in the reader as he/she reads the text TYPES OF IMAGERY 1. VISUAL -is a picture in words; something that is concrete and can be seen Ex. Broken hulahoops, hollow blocks, and tires are crowded atop a thatched roof. 2. AUDITORY -is something that you can hear through your mind’s ears Ex. The pattering of the rain is heard against the window pain. 3. OLFACTORY -is something that you can smell through your mind’s nose Ex. The aroma of freshly-brewed Colombian coffee wafted into the entire room. 4. GUSTATORY -is something that you can taste through your mind’s tongue Ex. Mouth-watering ripe mangoes, tender melons, and luscious cherries are served on a tray. 5. TACTILE -is something that you can touch through your mind’s skin Ex. The soft velvety feel of silk and satin caressed my skin. 6. THERMAL -is something that depicts temperature Ex. The scorching heat of a midday tropical sun made my eyes squint. 7. EROTIC -is something that suggests sensation and feeling Ex. I shuddered and felt a tingling sensation as his warm breath heaved through my nape. FIGURES OF SPEECH 1. SIMILE -Comparison (formed with “like” or “as”) between two fundamentally dissimilar things that have certain qualities in common Ex. “Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? 2. METAPHOR -implied comparison between two unlike things that have something in common Ex. “Hope’ is the thing with feathers— That perches in the soul— And sings the tune without the words— And never stops—at all—” -Emily Dickinson, “Hope is the thing with Feathers” 3. ONOMATOPOEIA -Uses words that imitate sounds associated with objects or actions Ex. “How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle, In the icy air of night! 4. PERSONIFICATION -giving an inanimate object human qualities Ex. “Ah,William, we’re weary of the weather,” said the sunflowers, shining with dew. 5. APOSTROPHE -addressing an absent person or thing that is an abstract, inanimate, or inexistent character Ex. “Death be not proud, though some have called thee…” -John Donne, “Death Be Not Proud” 6. HYPERBOLE -is the use of exaggeration for the purpose of emphasis or exaggerated effect. Ex. I’d climb every mountain and swim every ocean just to be with you. 7. ALLITERATION -the initial consonant sound is repeated Ex. “When I see birches bend from left and right… I like to think some boys been swinging them.” 8. METONYMY -a word or phrase is substituted for another with which it’s closely associated to do or when something is described indirectly by referring to things around it. Ex. “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.” ACTIVITY 2. Identify the figures of speech used in the ff. sentences: ___________1. The door happily opened when we arrived. ___________2. They fought like cats and dogs. ___________3. The wind wrapped its cold fingers around my body. ___________4. She cried a river of tears. ___________5. Authority is chair, it needs legs to stand up. ___________6. O death! Where is thy sting? O grave! Where is thy victory? ___________7. The teacher’s smile was as bright as the sunshine. ___________8. Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears. ___________9. Their house was as huge as a mountain! ___________10. “When I see birches bend from left and right… /I like to think some boys been swinging them.” LESSON 4. KINDS OF POETRY 1. JAPANESE HAIKU -a three-line poem with 5-7-5 form that talks about nature; it has a strict structure 2. ENGLISH HAIKU -a short poem that is less strict in form; it talk be used when writing any topic 3. FILIPINO HAIKU -a short poem written in Filipino and is less strict that Japanese and English haiku 4. TANKA -an unrhymed Japanese verse form of five lines containing 5-7-5-7-7 5. SONNET -a 14-line poem 6. SESTINA -a lyrical fixed form consisting of six 6-line usually unrhymed stanzas in which the end words of the first stanza recur as end words of the following five stanzas in a successively rotating order and as the middle and end words of the three verses of the concluding tercet (a three-line stanza) 7. VILLANELE -consists of five tercets and a quatrain (a four-line stanza) 8. AUTOBIOGRAPHY -a life story of the author himself; covers a longer period of time 9. BIOGRAPHY -a story of a real person written by someone other than that person 10. MEMOIR -a written account of a “snapshot” of your life 11. PROFILE -a brief written description that provides information about someone or something; it introduces unusual professions 12. TANAGA -a short poem consists of four lines with seven syllables each; written in Filipino 13. AWIT -a form of Filipino poetry that is closer to a narrative Ex. Florante at Laura ACTIVITY 3. Choose one kind of poetry and using it, write the importance of education. Write in a 1 whole sheet of paper. Rubric: content – 15 pts; mechanics – 10 pts; creativity – 5 pts. = 30 pts LESSON 5. ELEMENTS OF A SHORT STORY 1. CHARACTER -are the people who or animals that make things happen in fiction a. Flat Character -a character drawn with only surface facts and details b. Rounded Character -a fully developed character as opposed to a flat character 2. SETTING -presents the tie, place, weather, and season -it helps create mood or the general feeling of the story 3. PLOT -presents the time, place, weather, and season -it helps create mood or the general feeling of the story c. Climax -the point of highest emotional intensity d. Falling Action - the action which follows the climax d. Resolution or Denouement -the solving of the problem Types of Conflict ▪ Man Vs Man -struggles of the character against another character, a group, or society’s rules Example: Mark and Billy are competing for the same lady. ▪ Man Vs Nature -struggles of the character against a force of nature Example: The man is protecting his house and family from a super typhoon. ▪ Man Vs Himself -struggle of the character with personal feelings, values, or needs Example: Angelo did not study for the test so he wanted to cheat. 4. POINT OF VIEW --the eyes and mind through which the reader views the unfolding of events a. First Person -can make the story personal but the reader can only tell what the character sees, hears, knows, and believes b. Third Person (limited) -focuses on one character’s perspective -the narrator can enter the character’s mind but he only knows the thoughts and feelings of one character -characters are described as he, she, they c. Third Person (omniscient) -most flexible outside narration -it gives a wider view of the story -the narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of all the characters in the story 5. THEME -the central idea or meaning of a story ACTIVITY 4. Using the elements of a short story, write your own short story. Write in a 1 whole sheet of paper. Rubric: content – 50 pts; use of elements – 25 pts; mechanics – 15 pts; creativity – 10 pts. = 100 pts ACTIVITY 5. ANSWER THE FF. QUESTIONS I. Multiple Choice. Choose the letter that corresponds your answer. Write your answers on the space provided before each number. CAPITAL LETTERS ONLY. (15 pts) _____1. This is a three-line poem which contains elements such as kigo and ikiregi. A. English haiku B. Haibun C. Japanese Haiku D. Tanka _____2. This is a Japanese short poem which has five lines and a syllable count of 5-7-5-7-7. A. English haiku B. Haibun C. Japanese Haiku D. Tanka _____3. This form of poetry is comparable to a travel journal and it combines prose and poetry. A. English haiku B. Haibun C. Japanese Haiku D. Tanka _____4. This form of poetry consists of fourteen lines following iambic pentameter. A. Shakesperean sonnet B. sestina C. Villanelle D. Waka _____5. This poem has nineteen lines with two rhymes throughout, consisting of five tercets and a quatrain. A. Shakesperean sonnet B. sestina C. Villanelle D. Waka _____6. This form has six verses with six lines each following an alternating end-word pattern and a three-line envoy. A. Shakesperean sonnet B. sestina C. Villanelle D. Waka _____7. This is a Filipino poetic form of four lines with seven syllables each, all of which rhyme together. A. Filipino haiku B. tanaga C. awit D. tula _____8. What do you call the brief concluding stanza at the end of a poem that can either summarize the preceding poem or serve as its dedication? A. tercet B. quatrain C. envoy D. rhyme _____9. What do you call a stanza of four lines, especially one having alternate rhymes? A. tercet B. quatrain C. envoy D. rhyme _____10. What content of poetry refers to the author’s knowledge of the topic of the poem? A. tone B. content C. symbols D. motifs _____11. This is used to represent something else and through this, the author is able to go beyond the literal meaning of a text and present ideas figuratively. A. tone B. content C. symbols D. motifs _____12. The screeching wheels of reckless taxi cabs and vehicles plagued my ears. The sentence is an example of what type of imagery? A. olfactory B. auditory C. tactile D. gustatory _____13. His corned working hands were brought out by years of hard work and toil. The sentence is an example of what type of imagery? A. olfactory B. auditory C. tactile D. gustatory _____14. A sudden gush of December wind breezed against my face, reminding me of Christmas. The sentence is an example of what type of imagery? A. olfactory B. auditory C. tactile D. gustatory _____15. The stench of body odor in a crowded LRT train seeped through the fabric of my shirt. The sentence is an example of what type of imagery? A. olfactory B. auditory C. tactile D. gustatory II. Identification. Identify what the following statements are referring to. Choose your answer from the pool of words in the box. Write your answers on the space provided before each number. (20 pts) imaginative writing metaphor apostrophe theme end rhyme technical writing simile syntax personification perfect rhyme imagery onomatopoeia diction rhyme quatrain tricet haiku tanka alliteration English haiku characters awit flat character round character climax man vs man plot man vs nature _______________1. This type of writing is wholly written to inform and sometimes to trigger the person reading into making an action beneficial to the writer. _______________2. This is a type of writing with a purpose of entertaining and at the same time, educating the readers. _______________3. This figure of speech addresses an absent person or thing that is an abstract, inanimate, or inexistent character. _______________4. This is a figure of speech where the initial consonant sound is repeated. _______________5. This figure of speech uses words that imitate sounds associated with objects or actions. _______________6. This creates mental pictures in the reader as he/she reads the text. _______________7. This is an implied comparison between two unlike things that have something in common. _______________8. This refers to the choice of words used by the writers in writing. _______________9. This refers to the sense of musicality that you notice in each line of the poem. _______________10. This is is how the words are arranged in a sentence or line. _______________11. This refers to the rhyming words at the end of the lines. _______________12. This is a set or group of three lines of verse rhyming together or connected by rhyme. _______________13. This is a Japanese short poem generally known as waka. _______________14. This form of poetry is similar to a Japanese Haiku, but less restrictive with regard to the syllable count and it’s written in English. _______________15. This is a Filipino poetic form which emphasizes narrative greatly. Best example for this is Florante at Laura. _______________16. These are the people or animals that make things happen in a story. _______________17. This is a type of character which does not change in terms of behavior throughout the story. _______________18. This is the sequence of interrelated actions or events that make up a story. _______________19. In a story, it is the point of highest emotional intensity. _______________20. This is a type of conflict where there are struggles of the character against another character. III. Application. Analyze the following story using the elements of a short story. Write your answer in a 1 whole sheet of paper. Three Questions by Leo Tolstoy There was once a king who sought answers for his three questions namely: 1. What is the right time to begin something?; 2. Which people should he listen to?; and 3. What is the most important thing for him to do?. The king promised a large sum of money to those who can answer the questions and can give him a clearer view regarding the latter. He asked many wise men but none of their answers satisfied him. He then sought the advice of a hermit who is living far from his lands. He travelled and when he reached the hut of the wise man, he asked him he same three questions but the hermit didn’t give him any respond. Instead, he continued digging. The king offered his help and so the hermit was pleased. He again asked the hermit, but still the old man gave nothing in response. After a few moments, a bearded man came and the two were surprised for they found a large wound in the man’s stomach. They tried to help the bleeding man by dressing the stomach. The man felt better and he asked for a drink. The king gave him. The bearded man narrated what has happened to him. He told the king his desire for revenge for the king’s men has taken all his properties. He also asked for the king’s forgiveness and so the king forgave him. They became friends. The king asked again the hermit for his answers and so the wise man gave him the explanation for his three questions: “Remember then, there is only one time that is important and that is NOW. It is the most important time because it is the only time we have any power to act. The most necessary person is the person you are with at a particular moment for no one knows what will happen in the future and whether we will meet anyone else. The most important business,” the hermit continued, “is to do that person good because we were sent into his world for that purpose alone.” And so the three questions were satisfied respectively.
