Creative Writing: An Introduction

Introduction to Creative Writing

• Creative writing goes beyond technical, academic, or journalistic writing, using imagination, creativity, and innovation.
• It focuses on narrative craft, character development, and literary tropes.
• It can be fictional, non-fictional, poetic, or prose.

Forms of Creative Writing

• Fiction includes novels, short stories, and novellas.
• Poetry encompasses free verse, sonnets, haiku, and spoken word.
• Drama includes plays, scripts, and screenplays.
• Creative non-fiction includes memoirs, personal essays, and travel writing.
• Flash fiction consists of very short stories, less than 1,000 words.
• Blogs/diaries contain personal reflections with creative expression.

The Importance of Creative Writing

• Self-expression allows writers to explore thoughts, feelings, and experiences.
• Critical thinking encourages analyzing and questioning the world creatively.
• Empathy and understanding builds emotional intelligence by exploring different perspectives.
• Language mastery enhances vocabulary, grammar, and narrative skills.
• Cultural expression preserves voices, histories, and identities.
• Entertainment and storytelling provides joy, escape, and connection.

Voices in Creative Writing

• "Voice" refers to the unique style and personality of the writer/narrator.
• Author's voice encompasses the personal tone and flavor of the writer's perspective.
• Narrative voice denotes the point-of-view or personality through which the story is told.
• Character voice refers to how each character speaks, thinks, and behaves.
• Developing voice involves word choice (diction), sentence structure (syntax), tone, and rhythm and pacing.

Genres of Creative Writing

• Fantasy involves imaginary worlds, magic, and mythical creatures.
• Science fiction involves advanced technology and futuristic themes.
• Mystery involves crime, puzzles, and investigation.
• Romance involves love and marriage.
• Horror involves fear, the supernatural, and suspense.
• Historical fiction is set in the past with historical context.
• Thriller is fast-paced, suspenseful, and danger-filled.
• Literary fiction focuses on character, theme, and style over plot.
• Young adult (YA) stories are geared toward teenage experiences.

Elements of a Story

• Every strong narrative relies on Theme, Setting, Character, Plot and Point of View.
• Theme is the central message or idea that the story explores, such as love, betrayal, freedom, identity, justice, or revenge.
• Setting includes the time, place, and environment in which the story occurs, including physical location, historical period, weather, and social conditions.
• Character refers to the people (or creatures) who drive the story, and can be main/supporting, protagonists/antagonists, flat/round, or static/dynamic.
• Plot is the sequence of events in the story, structured around conflict and resolution.
• Point of View (POV) is the perspective from which the story is told.
  • First Person uses "I", where the narrator is part of the story.
  • Second Person uses "You", directly addressing the reader.
  • Third Person Limited presents a narrator who knows the thoughts of one character.
  • Third Person Omniscient features a narrator knowing all characters' thoughts and actions.

Plot and its 5 Elements

• A plot is a sequence of events showing how characters face problems, take action, and change.

Exposition

• Exposition is the beginning, introducing the main character(s), setting, and background information.
• Example: In Harry Potter, Harry is introduced as an orphan living with his cruel relatives, unaware of his magical heritage.
• Example: In Cinderella, Cinderella lives with her wicked stepmother/stepsisters, treated like a servant after her father dies.

Rising Action

• Rising action involves a series of events, creating suspense and presenting the main conflict.
• Example: Harry attends Hogwarts, makes friends, discovers magical secrets, and learns about the Philosopher's Stone.
• Example: Cinderella receives an invitation to the royal ball, but is forbidden from going until her fairy godmother intervenes, creating excitement and hope.

Climax

• Climax is the turning point where the main character faces the central conflict directly.
• Example: Harry faces Quirrell and Voldemort in the dungeon to protect the Philosopher's Stone.
• Example: Cinderella must leave the ball before midnight, losing her glass slipper while escaping in a moment of high tension.

Falling Action

• Falling action includes events that follow the climax and begin to resolve the conflict.
• Example: Dumbledore explains everything, the danger is over, and the school year ends in Harry Potter.
• Example: The prince searches the kingdom with the glass slipper, which fits Cinderella, in the story of Cinderella.

Resolution

• Resolution is when the story comes to a close, the conflict is resolved, and the character's journey ends with a reward or change.
• Example: Harry returns home no longer powerless, but a young wizard with a new life ahead.
• Example: Cinderella marries the prince and escapes her life of mistreatment, finding happiness and freedom.

Conflict: The Heart of Every Story

• Conflict in a story creates tension, challenges characters, and helps them grow.

Internal Conflict

• Internal conflict happens inside a character's mind or heart.
• It relates to emotions, fears, choices, or identity.

External Conflict

• External conflict happens between the character and outside forces.
• It includes people, nature, rules, technology, or supernatural forces.

Conflict Types

• Character vs. Self: A personal struggle within the character's own mind or heart; e.g., self-doubt before performing.
• Character vs. Character: Conflict between two characters (physical, emotional, or verbal); e.g., rivals competing for the same aim.
• Character vs. Nature: The character must survive challenges from the environment; e.g., a sailor surviving a deadly storm.
• Character vs. Society: Conflict with laws, traditions, or societal expectations; e.g., a student protesting against a school rule.
• Character vs. Technology: Struggles with technology or artificial systems; e.g., a robot turning against its creator in a futuristic world.
• Character vs. Supernatural: Conflict with magical, mystical, or otherworldly elements; e.g., a family haunted by a ghost in their new house.

Plot Twist

• A plot twist is an unexpected development that changes the direction of the story, often impactful near the climax. Types:
  • Reversal: Something believed to be true is proven false.
  • Red herring: Misleading clues divert attention.
  • Flashback twist: Past reveals new insight.
• A good twist should be surprising but still believable and consistent with the story's logic.

The Creative Writing Process:

• Creative writing involves an evolving path with distinct stages.

Preparing: Becoming the Project

• Getting ready to live in the project's world, reading widely, researching, reflecting, and setting inspiring goals.
• Ask yourself: "What am I preparing for?" and "What kind of writer do I need to become for this project?".

Planning: Creating a Framework

• This step involves turning inspiration into intention, including mapping plots/character arcs, gathering research, brainstorming images/themes and designing a loose structure. Use planning as premeditation and don't be confined by it.

Incubation: The Quiet Growth Phase

• This involves the invisible stage where nothing seems to be happening, but ideas and images are forming in the background while you rest or daydream.
• Think of incubation as deep listening, not passive waiting.

Beginning: Getting Black on White

• At this stage just start—freewrite, doodle dialogue, sketch characters, and write a terrible first page.
• Begin in the middle if that helps, don't worry about order, and just get words on the page.
• Know that beginning is often overlapping with incubation and that starting is messy.

Flowing: Writing Without Looking Down

• Flow is when writing becomes its own momentum; time disappears, ideas spark naturally, and you surprise yourself.
• Stay in flow by trusting yourself and not stopping to edit.

The Silent Reservoir: Stillness, Reflection, and Return

• This stage is misunderstood; writers experience a quiet period, which isn't a block, it's a reservoir.
• In this stage, let yourself step away, reflect on what you've written, and re-read gently.
• This is where understanding begins to form, and is the space between first draft and rewriting.

Breakthroughs and Finish Lines: Craft and Completion

• It involves rewriting, sharpening ideas, finding new depth, and recognizing what your piece is really about.
• Walk away before declaring something finished for insight.

On Titles: The Final Invitation

• Titles are entry points to your work, and the right title reveals itself late in the process; let it echo the tone, theme, intrigue and act as a doorway.
• Writing is a spiral, looping through movement, stillness, confusion, clarity, and inspiration.
• The process is the work, and the work is the transformation.

Theme: The Message of a Story

• A theme is the writer's message, not just a word, but a full idea or statement.

How to Find a Theme

• Consider what the character learns., what conflict is repeated., and what idea keeps coming up.

Genre: The Style of a Story

• Genre is the type of story based on the setting, tone, and story elements.

Common Genres

• Realistic Fiction features real people and real life.
• Fantasy features magic and mythical creatures.
• Science Fiction has futuristic technology.
• Mystery solves a crime or puzzle.
• Horror evokes fear and suspense.

Settings: Place, Time & More

• A setting includes when and under what conditions the story takes place.

Elements of Setting

• Place, Time and Environment make up the elements of setting.
• Consider the physical location, the time when the story takes place, and the mood.

Writing Vivid Settings

• Vivid settings help readers imagine the world, set the atmosphere, and affect how characters behave.

Use the Five Senses in Your Writing

• Engage all five senses to immerse the reader in the scene.
• Include sight, sound, smell, taste and touch.

Tip for Writers

• Tip for writers, use active descriptions, show, don't tell, and let the character notice things.

What is a Character?

• A character is a person (or being) in a story who has desires, fears, emotions, and goals.

Character Types

• Flat characters are one-sided and lack detail, like an "angry boss."
• Round characters are complex and realistic.
• Static characters don't change, such as a villain who stays evil.
• Dynamic characters change, like a coward who becomes a hero.

Creating Original Characters

• Use a Character Profile to build depth, character name, age, background, personality traits, likes and dislikes.

Merging Character & Setting

• The setting can influence how a character feels, reacts, and pursues their goal.