Creative Writing a.

Novels
First Quarter (Reviewer) b. Novelettes
S/Y 2024 - 2025 c. Short stories
 Creative Nonfiction
a. Essays
LESSON 01 b. Literary reportage
c. Letters, diaries, journals
 Creative writing is a form of writing produced in “an d. Biographies and autobiographies
open and imaginative form”. This means that creative e. Travelogue and travel essays
writing expresses the imagination and ideas of a writer in f. Blogs
an artistic and novel fashion. g. Memoirs
h. Articles and/or reviews about miscellaneous subjects
 Originality of literary ideas is one of the distinct features of like food, art, film and other points of human interest
creative writing. This form of writing includes new
conceptualizations of human interest, narratives and even
re-interpretations of well-known stories. Such
reinterpretations may still be considered as creative writing LESSON 02
since these are shaped in a new way and present new
perspectives. There are five (5) basic types of imageries.

 Just like other forms of literary works, creative writing  Visual Imagery appeals to the sense of sight. It is
uses techniques in textual construction and shaping the something that is concrete and can be seen.
flow of narratives. The overall goal is to stimulate the
readers’ imagination, empathy with the characters, It was dark and dim in the forest.
engagement with plots and themes, and even life-
transforming literary experiences.  Auditory Imagery appeals to the sense of hearing. It is
something that you can hear through your mind’s ears.
 Unlike non-fiction or technical writing which emphasizes
the objective presentation of evidence-based information in The pattering of the rain is heard against the
a precise and logical way, fiction or imaginative writing windowpane.
often applies abstract views and concepts in a way that
encourages readers to create their own assumptions and  Olfactory Imagery appeals to the sense of smell. It is
interpretations. something that you can smell through your mind’s nose.

The stench of body odor in a crowded LRT

seeped through the fabric of my shirt.

Forms/Examples journals, proposals poetry, fiction, and  Gustatory Imagery appeals to the sense of taste. It is
and reports, drama something that you can taste through your mind’s tongue.
instructions, and
guidelines Mouth-watering ripe mangoes, tender melons,
Purpose to inform the to entertain the and luscious cherries are served on a tray.
readers readers
Basis of Content factual information the writer’s  Tactile Imagery appeals to the sense of touch. It is
imagination something that you can touch through your mind’s skin.
Audience specific broad
Diction formal informal The soft velvety feel of silk and satin
Structure systematic artistic caressed my skin.

Poetry
Imagery is a form of figurative/implied language that
 Long, epical poems
uses objects, actions, and ideas in such a way that it
 Short, lyrical poems
appeals to the senses. The types of imagery are visual,
 Free verse poems
auditory, olfactory, gustatory, and tactile.
Drama
 It is important to use imagery to evoke
 Tragedy
moods/emotions through imagination. This
 Comedy
can be established with images and sensory
impressions.
Prose
 Fiction
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  Colloquial diction – uses words common in everyday
LESSON 03 speech, which may be different in different regions or
communities.
In writing, many words sound or look like, confusing the writer.
Generally, we call these words HOMONYMS.  Slang diction – is the use of words that are newly coined,
or even impolite.
There are two classifications of homonyms: homophones and
homographs. It is hence important to understand the significance of diction to
communication especially in creative writing.
 Homophones are words of the same sound but different in
spelling and meaning
air vs. heir, see vs. sea, cell vs. sell, canvas vs.
canvass, bare vs. bear, and others. LESSON 05

 Homographs are words of the same spelling but may be  A figure of speech or rhetorical figure is an intentional
different in pronunciation and in meaning deviation from ordinary language, chosen to produce a
act vs. act, account vs. account, record (n) vs. rhetorical effect. Figures of speech are traditionally
record (v), and others. classified into schemes, which vary the ordinary sequence
or pattern of words, and tropes, where words are made to
 We should be very careful in using words because carry a meaning other than what they ordinarily signify.
homonyms are very tricky because you need to understand There are several types of figures of speech but we will
well their meanings and use. Your mastery of homonyms focus only on the eight basic types.
will help you improve your vocabulary specifically your
diction or word choice.  is a figure of speech in which a thing – an
idea or an animal – is given human characteristics. The
non-human objects are portrayed in such a way that we feel
they have the ability to act like human beings. For example,
LESSON 04 when we say, “The sky weeps,” we are giving the sky the
ability to cry, which is a human quality.

 Diction is the correct choice of words. It employs several  is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase
techniques like connotations, denotations, imagery, denoting one kind of object or action is used in place of
homonyms and others to ensure that words work for us another to suggest a likeness or indirect comparison
advantageously. They were discussed in our previous between them: the person being addressed in "You're a
modules. peach." is being equated with a peach, with the suggestion
that the person is pleasing or delightful in the way that a
 Diction can be defined as the style of speaking or writing, peach is pleasing and delightful.
determined by the choice of words by a speaker or a writer.
Diction, or choice of words, often separates good writing  is a figure of speech that directly compares two
from bad writing. It depends on several factors. Firstly, the things. It uses “as” or “like” in giving comparison to two
word has to be right and accurate. Secondly, words should unlike things. Example: The pen is like a fire; it burns you
be appropriate to the context in which they are used. Lastly, to the core.
the choice of words should be such that the listener or
reader understands easily.  is a figure of speech in which exaggeration is
used for emphasis or effect; it's an extravagant statement.
 Proper diction, or proper choice of words, is important to In adjective form, the term is hyperbolic. The concept is
get the message across. On the other hand, the wrong also called overstatement. Example: I love you to the moon
choice of words can easily divert listeners or readers, and back.
which results in misinterpretation of the message intended
to be conveyed.  , in literature, an implied or indirect reference to a
person, event, or thing or to a part of another text. Example:
I am an Einstein in the class. (Albert Einstein is the
Individuals vary their diction depending on different contexts reference which means an intelligent person.)
and settings. Therefore, we come across various types of diction.
 is a figure of speech in which words are used in such
 Formal diction – formal words are used in formal a way that their intended meaning is different from the
situations, such as press conferences and presentations. actual meaning of the words. It may also be a situation that
ends up in quite a different way than what is generally
 Informal diction – uses informal words and conversation, anticipated. In simple words, it is a difference between
such as writing or talking to friends.
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 appearance and reality. Example: I so love your boring • Mood • Rhyme Scheme
speech. • Tone
 is a statement that may seem contradictory but • Theme
can be true (or at least make sense). This makes them stand
out and play an important role in literature and everyday 
life. Example: Save money by spending it.  A poem's structure refers to how it is presented to
the reader. This may include technical things such
 is a combination of two words that contradict as the line length and stanza format. Lyrics are
each other. Examples include bittersweet, jumbo shrimp, typically written in the form of stanzas. Even
only choice, and sweet sorrow. though some modern forms of poetry neglect
traditional poetic norms such as rhyme schemes
and meter, the stanza still plays an important role
 Figures of speech enhance the author's creation. This is in the overall look of printed poetry.
true of any genre and any form of writing. The effective
use of figures of speech brings to life what would have  Stanzas are the poetic equivalent of a prose paragraph.
been mere words, phrases and sentences. They express the These are a series of lines that are grouped together
author's intent and take the reader on a journey through and separated from other group of lines or stanzas by
what he or she experienced or imagined or witnessed at a a skipped line.
specific period or periods in time. It brings beauty,
emphasis and clarity to what could have been just a  Stanzas come in a variety of lengths, dependent either
mundane and impoverished rendition. on the whim of the poet or the conventions of a
particular poetic form. There is a variety of technical
 They are the palette from which the author works, and he vocabulary often used to refer to stanzas of specific
or she might choose to enhance his or her creation by lengths.
applying the appropriate "colors" as it were, in his or her
writing.

 Monostich. A one-line stanza. Monostich can also be

an entire poem.
LESSON 06
 Couplet. A stanza with two lines that rhyme.
 The effective use of figures of speech brings to life what
would have been mere words, phrases and sentences. They  Tercet. A stanza with three lines that either all rhyme
express the author's intent and take the reader on a journey or the first and the third line rhyme—which is called
through what he or she experienced or imagined or an ABA rhyming pattern. A poem made up of tercets
witnessed at a specific period or periods in time. and concludes with a couplet is called a “terza rima.”

 Among many other purposes, figures of speech enable us  Quatrain. A stanza with four lines with the second and
to look at some object, feeling, or event in a new way or to fourth lines rhyming.
express feelings we cannot easily put into words.
 Quintain. A stanza with five lines.
 Our experiences are so rich that they need to be described
in such a beautiful language. Our experiences make us  Sestet/Sentain. A stanza with six lines.
stand for who we are because they mirror us. With
figurative language, we express our aspirations and  Septet. A stanza with seven lines. This is sometimes
emotions most colorfully without being too literal. called a “rhyme royal.”

 Of course, figures of speech occur in everyday language—  Octave/Octet. A stanza with eight lines written in
some enter into common parlance and become cliches— iambic pentameter, or ten syllable beats per line. The
but language belongs to us all and people invent new more lines a stanza has the more varieties of rhyme
figures of speech all the time or find new ways to dress up and meter patterns. For example, “ottava rima” is an
the cliches. Remember, language works wonders and is fun eight-line stanza with a specific rhyme scheme in
to learn. which the first six lines have an alternating rhyme
pattern and a couplet as the final two lines.

 Isometric stanza. Isometric stanzas have the same

LESSON 07 syllabic beats, or the same meter, in every line.

 Heterometric stanza. A stanza in which every line is a

different length.
• Structure of Poetry • Poetic Devices
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  Spenserian Stanza. Named after Edward Spenser’s the deeper meaning or message that the reader is
unique stanza structure in his poem “The Faerie meant to consider. The theme often makes a
Queene.” A Spenserian stanza has nine line, eight in statement about society, human nature, or the human
iambic pentameter—ten syllables in a line with condition
emphasis on the second beat of each syllable—and a
final line in iambic hexameter—a twelve-syllable beat  In identifying the theme of the poem, it is important
line. to note that it is not the same as the moral of the story.
The theme is the UNIVERSAL IDEA reflected in the
 Ballad stanza. Often used in folk songs, a ballad poem. When we say “universal”, it means that it is
stanza is a rhyming quatrain with four emphasized not only true to the poem or to its author, hence, it can
beats (eight syllables) in the first and third lines, and be true to everyone. Meaning, everybody can relate to
three emphasized beats (six syllables) in the second it and the same goes for everybody that may have
and fourth lines. experienced it regardless of their age, sex, race, status,
etc…

 The mood is crucial in creating an atmosphere and  What makes the theme different from the moral?
suspense in your poem. Just think about how • THEME is the universal idea reflected in the literary
filmmakers use music to create a sense of unease and piece.
tension in their viewers. Likewise, in writing, instead • MORAL is the lesson that teaches the readers the
of music, you need to create a similar effect using concept of right and wrong
words and images for your readers. Every piece of
description that you write needs to produce an 
emotional response to your readers. The mood of the  Poetic devices are employed by the writers to give
poem evokes certain feelings or vibes in readers using meanings and a logical framework to their work
words and descriptions as it creates an emotional through language. When readers read such works,
setting for the reader. they ultimately recognize and appreciate them. They
not only beautify the piece of literature but, also give
 deeper meanings to it, testing the very understanding
 Tone refers to the quality of the persona’s voice that of the readers along with providing them the
expresses the speaker’s feelings or thoughts towards enjoyment of reading. Besides, they help motivate
the person or thing addressed in the poem. It also readers’ imagination to visualize the characters and
takes the dimension of any sound with reference to its scenes more clearly.
quality, and pitch (how high or low the persona’s
voice is.) To determine the tone of a poem, find out 
the attitude of the writer towards the reader.  A rhyme scheme is a pattern of rhymes at the end of
each line of a poem. It is usually referred to by using
 Even without hearing the pitch of the author’s voice, letters of the alphabet to indicate which lines rhyme;
the tone of the poem can be determined through the lines designated with the same letter all rhyme with
style and diction of the poet. One of the useful each other.
techniques for determining the author’s tone is to
envision the sound of the author’s voice as if he/she Poetry has a specific arrangement of lines that makes it
were reading the passage aloud. different from prose. It also has a structured method of writing
and literary elements that makes it more substantial such as its
 An author’s tone is often indicated by adjectives like structure, mood, tone, theme, rhyme scheme and poetic devices.
sarcastic, depressed, angry, prayerful, ironic,
sympathetic, cynical, intense, solemn, positive,
cheerful, hopeful, etc…
LESSON 08
 What makes mood and tone different from each other?
• TONE is the author’s attitude expressed through the
word they use.
• MOOD pertains to the feeling that the reader gets Conventional Poetry
from reading.  It has a limited number of lines.
 It has a specified meter and rhyme scheme.
  It has a definite structure.
 A theme is a universal idea or concept that threads
through an entire story. Authors may have used Rhyme
characters or poetic persona who has experiences as  RHYME is the repetition of the same stressed vowel sound
they go through the poem, and through these, readers and any succeeding sounds in two or more words.
come to some conclusion about the human condition
and perhaps how people ought to live. It focuses on
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Rhythm
 RHYTHM is the pattern of stressed and unstressed beats. The three known forms of sonnet include:
The rhythm of a poem can be analyzed through the number • Italian/Petrarchan Sonnets
of lines in a verse, the number of syllables in the lines and • Spenserian Sonnets
the arrangement of syllables based on whether they are • English/Shakespearean Sonnets
long or short, accented or unaccented.
 ITALIAN/PETRARCHAN SONNET is broken into two
Meter parts: the octave (8 lines) and sestet (6 lines). The octave
 METER is determined by accented (stressed) and has a rhyming pattern ABBAABBA, while the sestet has
Unaccented (unstressed) syllables. Silence (or pauses) also CDECDE.
contributes to a poem’s meter.
O joyous, blossoming, ever-blessed flowers!
 Iambic meter (unstressed/stressed) ’Mid which my pensive queen her footstep sets;
 Trochaic meter (stressed/unstressed) O plain, that hold’st her words for amulets
 Spondaic meter (stressed/stressed) And keep’st her footsteps in thy leafy bowers!
O trees, with earliest green of springtime hours,
 Anapestic meter (unstressed/unstressed/stressed) And all spring’s pale and tender violets!
 Dactylic meter (stressed/unstressed/unstressed) O grove, so dark the proud sun only lets
His blithe rays gild the outskirts of thy towers!
O pleasant country-side! O limpid stream,
That mirrorest her sweet face, her eyes so clear,
 is a type of poetry which originated from Japan. And of their living light canst catch the beam!
Traditionally, it is an unrhymed poem consisting of three I envy thee her presence pure and dear.
lines and seventeen (17) syllables. These poems are There is no rock so senseless but I deem
normally about nature. It burns with passion that to mine is near.

“The Old Pond” by Matsuo Bashō  SPENSERIAN SONNET contains three quatrains (4 lines
An old silent pond poem) and a couplet (2 lines poem) The octave has a
A frog jumps into the pond— rhyming pattern ABAB BCBC CDCD EE.
Splash! Silence again.
One day I wrote her name upon the strand,
 is a humorous poem with five lines that But came the waves and washed it away;
always have rhyme and meter patterns: Lines 1, 2 and 5 Again I wrote it with a second hand,
shares the same rhyme and lines 3 and 4 rhyme with each But came the tide and made my pains his prey.
“Vain man,” said she, “that dost in vain assay
other. A mortal thing so to immortalize,
For I myself shall like to this decay,
There once was a man from Nantucket, And eke my name be wiped out likewise
Who kept all his cash in a bucket. “Not so.” quod I, “Let baser thing devise
But his daughter, named Nan, To die in dust, but you shall live by fame;
Ran away with a man, My verse your virtues rare shall eternize
And as for the bucket, Nantucket. And in the heavens write your glorious name,
Where, when as death shall all the world subdue,
 is a form of poetry that is very popular Our love shall live, and later life renew.”
because of its simplicity. It consists of five lines with
twenty-two (22) syllables, which comes in two, four, six,  ENGLISH/SHAKESPERIAN SONNET contains three
eight, and two syllables. quatrains (4 lines poem) and a couplet (2 lines poem). It
has a rhyme scheme pattern of ABAB CDCD EFEF GG.
Line 1: 2 syllables (NOUN)
Line 2: 4 syllables (TWO ADJECTIVES) Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed,
Line 3: 6 syllables (THREE –ING WORDS) The dear repose for limbs with travel tired;
Line 4: 8 syllables (A PHRASE) But then begins a journey in my head,
Line 5: 2 syllables (ANOTHER WORD FOR THE NOUN) To work my mind, when body’s work’s expired:
For then my thoughts (from far where I abide)
Insect Intend a zealous pilgrimage to thee,
Hidden, hungry And keep my drooping eyelids open wide,
Preening, searching, stalking Looking on darkness which the blind do see:
Waits as if praying Save that my soul’s imaginary sight
Mantis Presents thy shadow to my sightless view,
Which, like a jewel hung in ghastly night,
 is a poem consisting of fourteen lines written in Makes black night beauteous and her old face new.
iambic pentameter whose subject lies mostly about love Lo, thus, by day my limbs, by night my mind,
and nature. It introduces a problem or a question in the For thee, and for myself, no quiet find.
beginning, and a resolution is offered after the “volta”
which is the turning point of the sonnet.
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 is a Philippine version of Haiku. It is
short but it has measure and rhyme. It is a traditional mono-
rhyming quatrain that consists of seven syllables with the same
rhyme at the end of each line.

Hindi pa ba sapat na
Pagmamahal na sobra
Ba’t ngayo’y lilisan ka
Mayroon na bang iba?

 is a pre-Hispanic rhyming poem, which consists of

three lines with seven syllables in each line expressing a
complete thought.

For thee I would travel mile

For she carries the best smile
Just to see you for a while

 Conventional poetry also known as traditional poetry has

rhyme, rhythm and meter. It follows strict and fixed rules.

 The types of conventional poetry are: haiku, limerick,

cinquian, sonnet, tanaga and diona.

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