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The Ultimate Glossary of Writing Terms

I still clearly remember the day I learned what “WIP” meant. I was a newbie on a writing forum, and everybody was using special writing terms like “WIP.” It got to the point where I wanted to scream: What’s a WIP? And why don’t I get one tooooooo? Then I googled it. Oh. Work-in-progress. That’s what it means. Of course.

As with any specialized occupation, writing comes complete with an equally specialized lexicon. Nowadays, I take for granted terms like “WIP,” “MC,” “ deus ex machin a,” and “head hopping.” But there was a day when all I could do was slack my mouth and glaze out in confusion.

Raise your hand if you’ve ever felt this way.

Introducing the Ultimate Glossary of Writing Terms

Action beat.

A description of the actions (gestures, facial expressions, or even thoughts) that accompany a speaking character’s words. An action beat should be included in the same paragraph as the dialogue as an indication that the person performing the action is also the person speaking.

For further study:

Action Beats

Active Voice

The opposite of passive voice.

Active Voice: Beautiful giraffes roam the Savannah.

Passive Voice: The Savannah is roamed by beautiful giraffes.

In active voice, the person or thing performing the action serves as the subject of the sentence. In passive voice, the subject is the person or thing being acted upon . In linguistics, the actor in a sentence is called the “agent,” and the passive receiver of action is called the “patient.” These are independent of “subject” and “object,” but which is which determines the voice of the verb.

Active Voice vs. Passive Voice: How to Use Both to Get the Most Out of Your Writing

Alliteration

A stylistic literary device identified by the repeated sound of the first consonant in a series of multiple words, or the repetition of the same sounds at the beginning of words or in stressed syllables of a phrase.

Example: P eter P iper p icked a p eck of p ickled p eppers.

For further study

4 Tricks for Picking the Perfect Word

Alpha Reader

An alpha reader is among the first to read a completed manuscript (MS) or work-in-progress (WIP) and is usually a close friend of the writer. The role of the alpha reader is to provide cheerleader-like support and encouragement rather than constructive criticism.

Antagonistic Force

Whatever is standing in opposition to the protagonist’s goal. Could be a human, but could also be an inanimate obstacle.

What if Your Antagonist Isn’t a Person?
The Pixar Way to Think About Story Conflict

A protagonist who lacks conventional heroic qualities such as idealism, courage, and morality. These individuals often possess dark personality traits such as disagreeableness, dishonesty, and aggressiveness.

Examples: Captain Mal in Firefly or Holden in The Catcher in the Rye .

4 Ways to Make Your Antihero Deliciously Irresistible

A “type” of character, which is commonly repeated across literature.

Examples: The Mentor, the Magician, etc.

8 ½ Character Archetypes You Should Be Writing
Three Character Archetypes in Fiction

“As you know, Bob…” A method of dumping exposition through dialogue, infamous for its awkwardness and lack of realism. It involves an otherwise unnecessary conversation between two characters that the author forces on them solely to inform readers of what the characters both already know. Writers often choose this technique to reveal important background information without taking readers out of the story, but it usually works against them by taking the characters out of the story instead.

The Sneaky Secret Life of “As You Know, Bob…”

Back Matter

The additional parts of a book, appearing after the main body of the text (i.e., acknowledgements, historical notes, explanatory notes, end notes, an afterword, index, bibliographies, and appendixes). Also called End Matter.

Information about past events or thoughts that shaped the characters or story world.

Backstory: The Importance of What Isn’t Told
The #1 Problem With Backstory (and Its Simple Fix)
Give Me 3 Minutes and I’ll Give You a Better (and Darker) Backstory
The Only Rule About Backstory That Matters
When Not to Tell Your Character’s Backstory

An important event or turning point within a story.

The Units of Story: The Beat

Beta Reader

Beta readers provide feedback during the writing and/or editing process. They are not explicitly proofreaders or editors, but can serve in that context. Elements highlighted by beta readers encompass things such as plot holes, continuity problems, characterization, and believability. The beta might also assist the author with fact-checking.

For further study :

A Quick Guide to Beta Reader Etiquette
15 Places to Find Your Next Beta Reader
Relax! Beta Readers Aren’t Scary: Here Are 3 Truths About Them

Black Moment/Low Moment

The part of the story when everything looks hopeless and the situation is at its lowest point. Usually coincides with the Third Plot Point.

How to Figure Out the Worst Thing That Can Happen to Your Character
Creating Stunning Character Arcs, Pt. 12: The Third Plot Point
The Secrets of Story Structure, Pt. 9: The Third Act

A short summary of what the book is about, meant to hook the reader.

How to Write a Book Blurb That Sells

Burly Detective Syndrome

Frequently referring to a character by a description (“the burly detective”), usually out of fear of overusing the character’s name or pronoun (see Stutter).

Most Common Writing Mistake: Referencing Characters by Title Rather Than Name

The name of the author printed at the head of the article or on the cover of the book.

Character Arc

The personal/inner transformation the protagonist undergoes over the course of the story. Usually, the character learns something through the main conflict in order to become a better person by the story’s end.

For further study:

How to Write Character Arcs

Chekhov’s Gun

This is a dramatic principle that requires every single element within a story to be necessary and irreplaceable. The term was coined when Anton Chekhov wrote a letter to A.S. Lazarev, indicating that if a loaded gun is present in one scene it should be fired in a subsequent scene in order to avoid being superfluous. If you give something attention, such as the gun, it must be because it has some import later in the narrative.

Chekhov’s Gun: What It Is and How to Use It
Setup and Payoff: The Two Equally Important Halves of Story Foreshadowing

A genre fiction centered on contemporary women and women’s issues that is often written in a light, humorous tone. Generally, it deals with the protagonist and her relationships with family, friends, and/or romantic interests. Often referred to as women’s commercial fiction.

Any situation in a story that has been used too many times in literature, to the point it loses meaning and/or becomes cheesy.

Turn Clichés on Their Heads
Are You Creating Your Own Personal Clichés?
3 Ways to Make Clichés Work in Your Writing

Cliffhanger

The ending of a chapter or book in a moment of high suspense and tension, used to compel readers to read on or buy the next book in an installment.

Is the Cliffhanger Ending Overrated?

Climactic Moment

The moment in the Climax where the overall goal is reached or not reached. This is the moment when the protagonist defeats the antagonist or visa versa.

Want Readers to Adore Your Book? Learn How to Ace Your Climactic Moment
Creating Stunning Character Arcs, Pt. 14: The Climax
How to Structure a Whammy of a Climax
The Secrets of Story Structure, Pt. 10: The Climax

Climactic Turning Point

The beginning of the Climax, halfway through the Third Act (at approximately the 88% mark in the book).

The finale of the story, featuring the final and decisive confrontation between the protagonist and the antagonistic force, determining whether or not the protagonist will succeed or fail in gaining the main plot goal. Takes place in the final eighth of the story (the second half of the Third Act), starting around the 88% mark, and lasting until the last or next-to-last scene.

Creating Stunning Character Arcs: The Climax
What Is the Role of Theme in a Story’s Climax?

The overarching opposition fueling the entire plot of a story and presenting obstacles to the protagonist on a macro and micro level.

What’s the Difference Between Conflict and Tension?
Most Common Writing Mistakes, Pt. 31: One-Dimensional Conflict
The Four Different Types of Conflict in Dialogue
5 Ways to Keep Readers Riveted With Conflict

Contagonist

A term unique to Dramatica ’s list of archetypes. As defined by Melanie Anne Phillips and Chris Huntley, the Contagonist “hinders and deludes the Protagonist, tempting it [ sic ] to take the wrong course or approach.”

What’s a Contagonist? (How to Keep Story Conflict High Without the Antagonist)

Content Editing

A content editor looks at the big picture: character arcs, plot arcs, tone, and pacing. Also may comment on POV issues and/or narrative voice. A content edit is the first edit a story should go through after the rough edges have been knocked off the first draft.

Your Novel Is a Hot Mess! How to Edit Your Book
5 Steps to a Thorough Book Edit

Copy Editing

The process of ensuring that a piece of writing is correct and consistent in terms of grammar, spelling, and punctuation; that it is logically structured and audience-appropriate; and that the intended meaning of the text is communicated clearly through suitable word choice and style.

How to Edit Fiction: Watch Me Correct My Own Story in Real Time
6 Tips for How to Organize Your Novel’s Edits
5 Ways to Trim Your Book’s Word Count

Court Intrigue

A subcategory of epic fantasy that’s currently popular and is the fantasy equivalent of Dumas’s The Three Musketeers . Good examples of this are Robin Hobbs’s Assassin trilogy, George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series, Martha Wells’s The Element of Fire , and Dave Duncan’s The King’s Blades trilogy.

A mystery novel that usually features a bloodless crime, with very little violence, sex, or coarse language (but not always a pure “clean read”). Usually, the person solving the crime is an amateur and has the support/friendship of a police officer/detective/medical examiner. Readers usually identify with the main character because they are positive and socially acceptable (even their small faults).

Creative Nonfiction

The use of literary style and writing technique to tell a true story. It’s an embellishment, but only for the sake of telling a story that teaches a lesson or conveys a change of heart or mind. Narrative, dialogue, setting, and voice are just a few creative writing tools used to grab a reader’s interest and leave them changed somehow at the end.

What Non-Fiction Authors Can Teach Novelists

Critique Partner/Critter

A partner with whom a writer exchanges manuscript critiques, in order to get knowledgeable feedback about how to improve a story. Critique partners receive no payment, only your critique of their own writing in return. (See also Beta Reader and Alpha Reader.)

Questions for Critique Partners
When You’ve Chosen the Wrong Critique Partner

Cyberpunk explores the fusion between man and machine. A key element is the perfection of the Internet and virtual reality technology. In a cyberpunk novel, characters can experience and interact with computers in a 3D graphic environment so real it feels like a physical landscape. The society in which cyberpunk is set tends to be heavily urban and usually somewhat anarchic or feudal. The “father of cyberpunk” is William Gibson, author of the seminal cyberpunk novel Neuromancer . Other authors defining this ever-evolving virtual reality include Neal Stephenson and Rudy Rucker.

The wrap up after the story is done. The wind down from the action of the Climax. Sometimes not included in the full arc of the story, but tells afterward details.

Creating Stunning Character Arcs, Pt. 15: The Resolution
The Secrets of Story Structure, Pt. 11: The Resolution
The Characteristic Moment Belongs at the End of Your Book Too

Deus Ex Machina

Literally translates “god from a machine” and was originally a reference to the “god” (played by an actor lowered onto the stage on a “machine”) who descended at the end of the Greek and Roman plays to solve all the mortal characters’ problems and put everything in order for a happy ending.

Deus Ex Machina : Latin for “Don’t Do This in Your Story”

Deuteragonist

A secondary protagonist and the driver of a subplot. Can be a sidekick.

Developmental Editing

Editing concerned primarily with the structure and content of a book that starts near the beginning of the manuscript’s life. A developmental editor works to give the book focus and direction (mostly towards what is “marketable”) by helping to develop author’s ideas, and so will point out inconsistencies in aspects such as logic, voice, and audience.

For further reading:

What Is a Developmental Editor and What Can You Expect?

Words spoken by a character, conventionally enclosed in quotation marks. Dialogue should sound realistic, without attempting to reproduce real speech verbatim. Indirect dialogue, also known as reported speech, is a narrative summary of dialogue.

Get Rid of On-the-Nose Dialogue Once and For All
How to Write Funny Dialogue

Dialogue Tags

Dialogue tags and/or action beats let readers know which character is speaking.

Most Common Writing Mistakes: How Not to Use Speaker Tags and Action Beat

A subgenre related to steampunk, although it is driven more by the culture of the 1920s through the early 1950s. Technology is strongly influenced by diesels.

Storming: A Dieselpunk Adventure

Fiction of almost or exactly one hundred words, but not over. Something you write for fun. Or practice. Or both. Both is good.

Dumb Mechanic

Where a character explains something to a character who doesn’t know anything about the subject. For example, a mechanic explains what is wrong with a machine to someone who knows nothing about mechanics. It’s vital the ignorant character’s lack of knowledge be realistic and believable.

See also, “As you know, Bob” (i.e., a character telling another character something they both know.) The Dumb Mechanic is slightly better than “As you know, Bob,” but the core problem is the same.

Are You Making Your Characters (and Yourself) Look Stupid?

This describes an imagined community, society, or world, in which everything is unpleasant or undesirable. It is the opposite of utopian, and literally means “bad place.”

Epic Fantasy

Sweeping in scope, epic fantasy usually concerns a battle for rulership of a country, empire, or entire world. Drawing heavily upon archetypal myths and the quintessential struggle between a few good people against overwhelming forces of evil, epic fantasy is best represented by author J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Other authors of epic fantasy include New York Times ‘ bestselling Raymond E. Feist ( The Serpentwar Saga ) and Adam Lee ( The Dominions of Irth ). Some other popular epic fantasy authors are Robert Jordan, David Eddings, and Terry Brooks.

A separate section at the end of a work often commenting on the work as a whole and/or serving as an addendum.

How to Write an Epilogue That Works
One Way to Tell if Your Prologue (and Epilogue) Is Unnecessary

The part of the story where background information about characters, events, setting, etc., is provided.

A genre of speculative fiction. Sci-fi typically aims for scientific plausibility, while fantasy often incorporates magical systems. Stories may contain elements of both or be exclusive to one or the other, but all such stories explore fantastic worlds and scenarios.

Fantasy Worldbuilding Questions
One Handy Way to Add Instant Originality to Your Fantasy Novel
Waiter! There’s a Smphurphle in My Fantasy Novel: Do’s and Don’ts of Made-Up Words
Are You Asking These Important Questions About Your Fantasy Setting?

The opening act in your story. In the classic Three-Act structure, the First Act comprises the first quarter of the story. It is primarily concerned with introducing characters, settings, and stakes, as well as setting up the main conflict. It includes such important structural moments as the Hook, the Inciting Event, and the Key Event. It ends with the First Plot Point.

The Secrets of Story Structure: The First Act
Creating Stunning Character Arcs: The First Act
How to Take the Guesswork Out of What Scenes Belong in Your First Act

First Person

A point of view in which readers “see” through the eyes of the main character. It uses pronouns such as “I” and “me.”

For example: “I walked into the house.”

3 Ways You Can Use a First-Person Narrator to Tell a Better Story
Don’t Even Think About Using First-Person Unless…
Most Common Writing Mistakes: Is Your First-Person Narrator Overpowering Your Story?

First Pinch Point

An important structural turning point that occurs in the First Half of the Second Act at the 37% mark. It emphasizes the threat of the antagonistic force, shows what is at stake for the protagonist in the conflict, and introduces important new clues about the nature of the conflict.

What Are Pinch Points? And How Can They Make Your Book Easier to Write?

First Plot Point

The first major plot point in the story, marking the end of the First Act and the beginning of the Second. It takes place around the 25% mark. This is where the protagonist fully encounters the story’s conflict in a way that the choice to leave behind the Normal World of the First Act and enter the “adventure world” of the Second Act.

Never Confuse the Key Event and the First Plot Point in Your Book Again!
The Secrets of Story Structure: The First Plot Point
Creating Stunning Character Arcs: The First Plot Point

Short narration that breaks a story’s linear time sequence by showing the past.

Most Common Writing Mistakes: Are Your Flashbacks Flashy or Flabby?

Flash Fiction

Extremely short fiction. Some flash fiction markets have a limit of 50 words, while others allow up to 1,000 words. Like longer fiction, flash fiction includes conflict and resolution, but some elements may be implied and left to readers’ imaginations. Due to its extreme brevity, flash fiction tends to focus on a single turning point or revealing moment.

Flashforward

Short narration that breaks a story’s linear time sequence by showing the future.

Hook Readers With a Sneak Peek
Foreshadowing

Involves planting hints early on in a book to prepare readers for important revelations and events that occur later in the story.

Front Matter

The material preceding the main body/text of a work: including the title pages, printing/publishing data and/or a table of contents, foreword, preface, author’s note, dedication, etc.

A category of fiction (e.g., romance, mystery, or fantasy). “Genre fiction” is generally considered popular fiction as opposed to literary fiction.

Definitions of Fiction Categories and Genres
What Is Genre Fiction?
Literary Fiction vs. Genre Fiction

Ghost Writer

One who undertakes the physical labor of writing an article, book, or memoir for someone else, usually in secret. One who produces written content as a third party for someone else, nominally for a fee in exchange for all credit for said written content belonging to someone else.

5 Writing Lessons I Learned Ghostwriting for New York Times Bestsellers

Happily Ever After. Romance writers use this to describe a genre as well as a moment. “A great HEA read.” Or, “you do get your HEA?” Most often seen with Harlequin and the “cozy” genre.

Head Hopping

A common gaffe that occurs when the narrative breaks “out of POV” and jumps without warning from the perspective of one character into the perspective of another.

Most Common Writing Mistakes: Head-Hopping POV

Hero’s Journey

The Hero’s Journey is a narrative structure or pattern, identified by Joseph Campbell as being the common thread in many historical and mythological stories and purported to be the strongest psychological storyform. At its most basic level is it is a classic adventure storyform, featuring a hero who must overcome opposition and save his world. However, it can be applied to vastly different types of stories. Also known as the Monomyth.

The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler
The Hero’s Journey: An Author’s Guide to Plotting

Historical Fiction

A literary genre where the plot takes place in the past, often (but not always) including historical figures.

7 Easy Ways to Research a Historical Novel
Why Your Novel May Not Be Historical Fiction After All

Any moment of interest designed to “hook” a reader’s curiosity. Specifically, it applies to the opening Hook in the book’s first chapter, which piques reader curiosity about the plot and protagonist and convinces them to read the book.

The Secrets of Story Structure: The Hook
How to Drive Your Readers Wild With Hints and Story Hooks—Without Frustrating Them
Think You Wrote a Great Hook for Your Book’s Beginning? Find Out Why It May Not Be Enough

Refers to well-known, respected publishing houses.

Impact Character

A character who is a strong catalyst for change in the protagonist, causing inner conflict and helping put the plot into motion.

The Impact Character: Why Every Character Arc Needs One

Inciting Event/Incident

The moment that “officially” kicks off a story’s main conflict/plot. This is the protagonist’s first brush with the conflict—the Call to Adventure, which the character will start out by rejecting to some degree. Usually takes place after the story’s initial set-up, at the 12% mark, halfway through the First Act. This is the first prominent turning point in the story.

Your Book’s Inciting Event: It’s Not What You Think It Is
The Secrets of Story Structure: Inciting Event and Key Event
Maximize Your Story’s Inciting Event

An undesirable writing method in which the author “dumps” information or extensive description on the reader all at once, instead of weaving the information into the action of the story.

Most Common Writing Mistakes: Info Dumps
This Is How to Transform Info Dumps Into Exciting Plot Reveals
How to Use Dialogue to Avoid Lengthy Info Dumps

In Medias Res

The Latin term for “in the middle,” which is applied to idea of beginning a story in the middle of things .

Dostoevsky and the Art of In Medias Res
In Medias Res : How to Do It and How Not to

Internal Dialogue

Reproduces a character’s thoughts and is often (though not always) indicated by italics.

The Do’s and Don’ts of Internal Monologue
5 Ways to Write Character Thoughts Worth More Than a Penny

If the Inciting Event is what gets your plot rolling, the Key Event is what sucks your protagonist into that plot. Even if you have a great big Inciting Event (like, say, the beginning of a war), it can’t affect your character until the Key Event drags him into the mess (as would happen if he were drafted into the Army).

Books for children.

Line Editing

This form of editing means going over a manuscript line by line and editing it for grammar errors as you go. It doesn’t entail any extensive rewriting, but there may be some use of color editing to liven up flat prose, and there may be some reduction of redundancies (such as repeated information). This type of editing may include the use of a style guide, such as the Chicago Manual of Style.

Is a Professional Editor a Waste of Money?

Single sentence story summary, specifically used as pitch. See Premise Sentence.

6 Reasons a Premise Sentence Strengthens Your Story

Love Interest

A principle secondary character for whom the protagonist has romantic interest (and/or the romantic subplot itself).

How to Take Advantage of Your 4 Most Important Characters

MARY SUE (female), MARTY-STU (male)

Begun by fan fiction writers but now a part of writers’ general vocabulary. A derogatory term for a character who is able to do everything, with unrealistic abilities.

How to Spot (and Kill) Your Mary Sue Characters

Short for Main Character. The lead of the story.

Protagonist and Main Character— Same Person? The Answer May Transform Your Story!

An experienced adviser who offers—sometimes reluctantly—to show the hero “the way.” Usually a trustworthy ally, the mentor figure will often impart an object or piece of information that will prove vital later in the hero’s quest. The name itself comes from a character in Homer’s The Odyssey . Examples include: Obi-Wan Kenobi from Star Wars , Gandalf from Lord of the Rings , and “Irv” in Cool Runnings (a less trustworthy mentor figure).

4 Ways to Write a Thought-Provoking Mentor Character

Main Female Character. The female lead in a romance story. Usually gets the guy in the end.

Middle Grade fiction, targeted to children ages 8 to 12 years old. Typically features a main character in the same age range and avoids “mature” content such as graphic violence or sexually explicit material. That’s not to say the stories are simplistic, of course.

Microfiction

Extremely short fiction. Some flash fiction markets have a limit of 50 words, while others allow up to 1,000 words. Like longer fiction, flash fiction includes conflict and resolution, but some elements may be implied for the sake of brevity and left to readers’ imaginations. Due to its extreme brevity, flash fiction tends to focus on a single turning point or revealing moment. (See Flash Fiction.)

The Second Major Plot Point in a story’s structure. It occurs in the middle of the book, halfway through the Second Act, at the 50% mark. This is where the protagonist experiences a Moment of Truth, which allows a better understanding of the antagonistic force and the external conflict, as well as the internal conflict driving the character arc. It signals a shift from the reactive phase of the first half into the active phase of the second half.

The Secrets of Story Structure: The Midpoint
Creating Stunning Character Arcs: The Midpoint
How the Perfect Midpoint Moves Your Protagonist From Reaction to Action
How to Transform Your Story With a Moment of Truth

Main Male Character. The male lead in a romance story. Usually gets the girl in the end.

An image or phrase with thematic significance that is repeated throughout the book.

Strengthening a Thematic Motif Through Repetition

MPS: Missing Parent Syndrome

The rather common occurrence in which the protagonist is underage but the parents and/or guardians are somehow left out for the majority of the plot. This can be due to death (Frodo in Lord of the Rings ) or boarding school ( Harry Potter ) or visitation to another world ( Narnia ) or just about any other reason.

“Manuscript.” A yet unpublished work, whether written or typed.

New Adult (Fiction) is aimed at an older age group than Young Adult (12-18) and focuses on new adult experiences such as the first serious relationship, first serious job, going to college, and moving out on their own.

The overall progression of a story. Also, specifically, the summary aspects of the writing, as distinct from dialogue, direct thoughts, and “shown” action. “Internal narrative” is told from a character’s point of view and, often, in his or her voice.

Keep Your Story Moving With a Cohesive Narrative
6 Steps to Create a Fantastic Narrative Voice
Top 4 Editing Tricks for Creating a Seamless Narrative

Normal World

The initial setting in the story, meant to illustrate the characters’ lives before they meet with the story’s main conflict. This world may be destructive to the protagonist (in which case, the protagonist must learn to move away from it and live without it), or it may be healthy (in which case, the protagonist will have to leave it in order to defend it). The Normal World may be a definitive setting, which will change at the beginning of the Second Act, when the character enters the “adventure world” of the main conflict. However, it may also be more metaphorical, in which case the setting itself will not switch to a new setting, but rather the conflict will change the setting around the protagonist.

Creating Stunning Character Arcs: The Normal World
5 Misconceptions About Your Story’s Normal World
Provide Contrast Using Your Character’s Normal World

A fictional prose work with a relatively long and often complex plot, usually divided into chapters, in which the story traditionally develops through the thoughts and actions of its characters.

A story that runs from around 40K to 50K words. Normally, it has no subplot and no more than two POV characters. One of the harder forms to sell traditionally, though this is changing.

3 Reasons You Should Consider Writing a Novella Right Now

A short novel that is often about romantic relationships and is usually not very serious. Word count is 7,500 to 17,500 words.

A type of point of view (POV), in which the narration is told from an omniscient or “all-knowing” perspective (sometimes the author’s, sometimes just generally), in which things the characters would have no way of knowing are shared with readers. One of the most difficult types of POV to do well.

What Every Writer Ought to Know About the Omniscient POV

On the Nose

A poor style of writing that presents the story in a way that is too straightforward, without irony or subtext. Especially common in dialogue, in which characters always say exactly what they’re thinking or feeling.

Your manuscript has been submitted, usually by your agent, to a list of editors at publishing houses who may or may not have agreed to read it.

A sketch of every event that makes up the structure of a story, which is written before a first draft to edit out any structural weak spots beforehand.

How to Outline Your Novel
What Should Your Book Outline Look Like? [Free Download]

The rate at which a story progresses and events unfold.

Here Are Five Great Ways to Pace Your Story
4 Pacing Tricks to Keep Readers’ Attention
5 Ways to Use Pacing to Write a Powerful Story

Writers who prefer to write “by the seat of their pants,” meaning without previous outlining.

Can You Structure if You’re a Pantser?
The Mirror Moment: A Method for Both Plotters and Pantsers
Thinking About Outlining Your Novel? One Pantser’s Story

A speculative fiction genre that involves elements such as vampires, shapeshifters, fairies, elves, etc. Often set in modern-day urban settings. Often romantic in nature.

How to Tell the Difference Between Fantasy and Paranormal

A writer who prefers to write a book after going through an outlining process.

Passive Voice

The opposite of active voice.

Examples:

Active Voice: Beautiful giraffes roam the Savannah.

To Be or Not To Be: In Defense of the Passive Voice

Pinch Point

A scene or event that adds pressure to the heroes and reminds readers of the antagonist’s plan or presence within the narrative. One of two turning points that take place in the Second Act (at the 37% and 62% marks, respectively).

One of the major turning points in a story’s structure. See also First Plot Point, Midpoint, and Third Plot Point.

What Are Plot Points?
Are Your Plot Points Too Weak?
A Matter of Timing: Positioning Your Major Plot Points Within Your Story
Point of View

The first stage of the writing process, which generally includes brainstorming, planning, mapping, researching, and outlining. Prewriting encompasses everything a writer does before beginning the first draft, and it accomplishes such goals as determining the intended theme, organizing plot points, and establishing characters. See also Outlining.

6 Tasks You’ll Love Yourself for Checking Off Your NaNo Pre-Writing List

A separate, introductory section to a work.

Skip the Prologue!
When Not to Skip the Prologue
Find Out if Your Prologue Is Destroying Your Story’s Subtext

Proofreader

Someone reading through a completely edited work to find and/or correct typographical errors (i.e., typos).

Protag/Protagonist

The character whom the story is about and who is most directly affected by the antagonist. This character may be the narrator/POV character (such as Harry Potter or Katniss Everdeen), or the protagonist may be a character who is viewed by someone else (as Atticus Finch and Heathcliff are viewed by Scout and Nelly Dean, respectively).

3 Ways to Choose the Right Protagonist
The Only Reason You Should Ever Choose a Protagonist

Query Letter

A letter written when seeking representation from a literary agent. It describes your story and shows agents why your book is worth their time and effort and is a good fit for their agency.

How to Write a Great Query Letter

Query Trenches

Generally refers to looking for representation from a literary agent (although it is possible to directly query publishers).

Red Herring

A false clue meant to mislead the reader. It creates a false trail for the reader to follow. A red herring can be an object, a character, part of the setting, etc.

The final section of the story—usually the last two to three scenes in the final chapter. This is where any final loose ends are resolved after the main conflict has already been decided.

The Secrets of Story Structure: The Resolution
Creating Stunning Character Arcs: The Resolution

The power to evoke enduring images, memories, and emotions.

Rising Action

A series of events within the book’s conflict building up—with greater and greater tension—to the story’s Climax.

A fiction genre focusing on romantic love.

Romance University

R&R: Revise and Resend/Resubmit

An agent or editor saw something they liked in your work but felt it need a significant revision. They’d like you to make the changes they suggested and resubmit it. It doesn’t necessary mean they’ll take it though.

How to Structure Scenes in Your Story
How to Write Interesting Scenes
7 Questions You Have About Scenes vs. Chapters

Scene Sequence

A series of scenes with an overall related focus. A sequence has a unified focus which can usually be summed up in a simple idea (e.g., a rescue, a wedding, a trial, a battle). Scene sequences have their own defined beginning, middle, and end within the overall story.

The division of a Scene into a scene (the action that happens when a character has a goal , then conflict interferes with that goal and there is an outcome ) and its sequel (the character reacting to the previous outcome, then facing a dilemma , and finally making a decision about it that will determine what the character’s goal is in the next Scene).

Learn How to Structure Your Scenes–in 5 Minutes!
Incidents and Happenings: Scenes That Aren’t Actually Scenes

Science Fiction

Aka Sci-Fi. Fiction that incorporates scientific elements such as futuristic societies, advanced technology, and alien worlds. Though usually aiming for scientific plausibility, it ranges in realism from currently understood physics and biology to highly speculative science.

(A) A self-contained story that continues within the world of a previous story. It typically follows the characters, setting, or themes from the original, but with a new story premise and problem.

(B) The second half of a Scene, following the scene (goal, conflict, disaster). It contains the reaction, dilemma, and decision that the character has in response to the events of the scene.

How to Write a Sequel That’s BETTER Than the First Book

Serial Fiction

Novel (or longer) length fiction written in installments and published at regular intervals, either on a blog, in a magazine, or as small e-books.

How the Amazon Kindle Serials Program Works

Every character has his opposite, which allows the author to draw important contrasts and plumb the depths of his theme. Just like the Antagonist is the opposite of the Protagonist, the Skeptic character archetype is the opposite of the Sidekick. This is someone who doubts everything, particularly the Protagonist’s choices.

The middle act in your story. In the classic Three-Act structure, the Second Act comprises the biggest part of the story, from the 25% mark to the 75% mark. It is primarily concerned with developing the main conflict. It includes such important structural moments as the First Pinch Point, the Midpoint, and the Second Pinch Point. It begins with the First Plot Point and ends with the Third Plot Point.

The Secrets of Story Structure: The First Half of the Second Act
The Secrets of Story Structure: The Second Half of the Second Act

Second Pinch Point

An important structural turning point that occurs in the Second Half of the Second Act at the 62% mark. It emphasizes the threat of the antagonistic force, shows what is at stake for the protagonist in the conflict, and introduces important new clues about the nature of the conflict.

Second Plot Point

See Midpoint.

More than one book telling the same or related stories.

Creating a Book Series: Great Idea or Think Again?
FAQ: How to Write Character Arcs in a Series
How to Outline a Series of Bestselling Books

The physical place in which the story’s events happen.

16 Ways to Make Your Setting a Character in Its Own Right
4 Setting Questions That Will Deepen Your Characters
Ineffective Setting Descriptions

Science Fiction, aka Sci-Fi. Fiction that incorporates scientific elements such as futuristic societies, advanced technology, and alien worlds. Though usually aiming for scientific plausibility, it ranges in realism from currently understood physics and biology to highly speculative science.

Science Fiction & Fantasy. A combined genre of speculative fiction. Sci-fi typically aims for scientific plausibility, while fantasy often incorporates magical systems. Stories may contain elements of both or be exclusive to one or the other, but all such stories explore fantastic worlds and scenarios.

The period of time when you put aside your work in progress, in order to be able to come back to it later with fresh eyes.

Why You Should Walk Away From Your Writing

Short Story

A story too short to be divided into chapters, usually under 7,500.

Let’s Write a Short Story

(In contrast to Telling): Conveying an atmosphere, emotion, or mood by relating the movements or expressions of objects or players rather than stating facts about them.

Showing: The boughs bowed and swayed, dumping their icy load onto the quivering children.

Telling: The frightened children got soaked by a load of snow falling from the branches.

Showing: His face paled and his hands trembled as he slunk through the doorway.

Telling: He felt nervous and hesitated to enter the room.

Showing and Telling: The Quick and Easy Way to Tell the Difference
Most Common Writing Mistakes: Are Your Verbs Showing or Telling?
Most Common Writing Mistakes, Pt. 33: Telling Important Scenes, Instead of Showing
3 Tips for Improving Show, Don’t Tell
8 Quick Tips for Show, Don’t Tell

Sidekicks, by definition, are almost always with the main character, which allows the conflict to be ongoing. A person who helps and spends a lot of time with someone who is usually more important, powerful, etc.

Why Your Hero Needs a Yappy Sidekick

Speaker Tags

In its most basic form, this consists of the speaker’s name and a speech-related verb ( said , shouted , asked , etc.). Often the simplest way of indicating which character is speaking.

Most Common Writing Mistakes: How Not to Use Speaker Tags and Action Beats
Most Common Writing Mistakes: Avoiding “Said”

Speculative Fiction

Speculative fiction is a fiction genre speculating about worlds that are unlike the real world in various important ways. In these contexts, it generally overlaps one or more of the following: science fiction, fantasy, horror, supernatural, superhero, utopian, dystopian, apocalyptic, post-apocalyptic, and alternate history. It is often used as an umbrella term for science fiction and fantasy when considered as a single genre. The term is used this way in academic and ideological criticism of these genres, as well as by some readers, writers, and editors of these genres.

What Is Speculative Fiction?

Standalone Book

Either a book that is not part of a series, or a book that is part of a series but does not depend on the other books in the series to make sense. Used most often in the former sense to indicate a book that has no sequels.

Standard Manuscript Format

The standard way editors, agents, and publishers want your manuscript formatted before you send it to them.

The cover page should be separate from the rest of the manuscript. It should include:

– name of the manuscript and author (or pen name) – approximate word count (rounded to the nearest hundred) – Your name, address, phone number, e-mail, and website – Your agent’s details (if you have an agent)

font: Twelve point, Times New Roman or Courier New Black.

margins: One-inch margins on all four sides.

indent: Half-inch paragraph indentations for the first line of each and every paragraph.

space: Double space; no extra line between paragraphs.

align: Align left.

page numbering: Number pages beginning with the actual story (don’t count or put page numbers on the title page).

scene breaks: Indicate scene breaks by inserting a blank line and centering the number sign (#) in the center of the line.

page header: Include your last name, the manuscript’s title, and the page number in the page header of every page except for the title page. Align the header to the right.

chapters: Begin chapters on new pages (insert a page break or format using styles). Center the chapter title, even if it’s only Chapter One (or Chapter 1), about one-third of the way down the page. Skip a couple of lines and begin the text of the chapter.

end: Center a number sign (#) on an otherwise blank line one double-spaced line down from the final line of text of the final chapter or epilogue at the end of the manuscript. Or write The End. (The end should be labeled so an agent or editor isn’t looking for extra pages that aren’t there.)

italics: Use italics for italicized words (versus underlining them).

character spacing: Use a single character space, not two spaces, between sentences.

The standard document format is MS Word (.doc) If you have a newer version of MS Word, Open Office, Pages, or something else, save the document in .doc (This is usually found somewhere like, File>>Save As, “MS Word 97-2003 (.doc)” Almost everyone can read .doc files.)

Finally, check the publisher or agent’s website. Some will have specific fonts, spacing, or other ways they want things done that might vary slightly from the general guidelines.

Formatting 101: how to format your novel for submission

A subgenre of fantasy fiction which is largely determined by its setting, which is typically an alternative-Victorian reality, laden with steam-powered technology. Corsets are optional.

Using the same word or phrase twice, recently enough that the reader remembers it; depends partly on how distinctive the word is. Can be distracting if not used intentionally.

A subcategory of a major genre. For example, “sword and sorcery” and “portal fantasy” are subgenres within the fantasy genre, while “cozy” and “noir” are subgenres within the mystery genre.

A secondary thread of the story, with its own beginning, middle, and end, the subplot may or may not be directly connected to the main plot, and generally involves supporting characters.

5 Tips for Organizing Subplots
Can a Character’s Arc Be a Subplot?
Does Your Story Need Subplots?

Substantive Editing

A detailed and complete editing of a book, involving not just suggestions for the overall story, but also line-by-line editing of the prose itself. This is the most intensive type of editing.

The meaning beneath the dialogue—what the speaker really means, even though it’s being said directly.

Subtext: The Art of Iceberging
I Just Figured Out What All My Favorite Stories Have in Common—and It Blew My Mind
The Only 5 Ingredients You Need for Story Subtext

A description of the book’s content. Sometimes written as marketing copy—with a hook and no spoilers—to convince readers to buy the book. Sometimes written as a complete description of the plot—including spoilers—to convey the entire story to a potential agent or editor.

A detailed description of your story’s complete plot (including spoilers and the ending), written in either one or three pages, for the purpose of sharing with a literary agent.

A line of text—usually a short, tantalizing sentence—which appears under the title of the book on the front cover and also in catalogue listings.

(In contrast to Showing): Conveying information by stating facts about them, instead of relating the movements or expressions of objects or players.

Telling Important Scenes, Instead of Showing
Are Your Verbs Showing or Telling?
Three Places Where You Should Tell Instead of Show

The moral statement at the heart of the story, usually a general, universal principle, which is then conveyed via the story’s specific message, as proven by the protagonist’s character arc and specifically his inner conflict between a Lie and a Truth.

Plot, Character, and Theme: The Greatest Love Triangle in Fiction
Want a Powerful Theme for Your Novel? Play Devil’s Advocate!
What’s the Difference Between Your Story’s Theme and Its Message?

The final act in your story. In the classic Three-Act structure, the Third Act comprises the final quarter of the story, from the 75% mark to the 100% mark. It is primarily concerned with the final, climactic confrontation between the protagonist and the antagonistic force. It begins with the Third Plot Point, includes the Climax, and ends with the Resolution.

The Secrets of Story Structure: The Third Act
Creating Stunning Character Arcs: The Third Act
How to Write a Flat Character Arc: The Third Act
How to Write a Negative Character Arc: The Third Act

Third Person

The uninvolved narrator of the story, who refers to the actual players by name or as he/she/they, e.g.: “Peter ran in and hugged Susan.” Contrast this with a “first-person narrative,” e.g.: “When I saw Susan at the bar, I ran up and hugged her.”

Everything You Need to Know About Writing a 3rd-Person POV

Third Plot Point

The Third Plot Point in a story’s structure occurs in between the Second and Third Acts, at the 75% mark. This is where the protagonist experiences the lowest moment of defeat and is faced with a choice about whether the quest is worth the effort—symbolically representing whether or not the character will embrace or reject the Lie. The character then enters the Climax ready for the final confrontation with the antagonistic force.

Creating Stunning Character Arcs: The Third Plot Point

Three-Act Structure

The three-act structure is an approach to story structure that divides a fictional narrative into three parts, often called the Setup, the Confrontation, and the Resolution.

Structuring Your Novel
5 Secrets of Story Structure

A story element or plot device that is particular to certain genres or stories, to the point they become a storytelling cliche. Examples include love triangles in Young Adult fiction or the “chosen one” in fantasy and science fiction.

Turning Point

A major moment in the story when the plot “turns” by changing in a dramatic way, almost always as the result of a “reveal” or twist that presents the characters with new information about the conflict.

Unreliable Narrator

The narrator’s unreliability might be obvious to the reader throughout, it might be revealed gradually, or it might come as a revelation that provides a major plot twist. Common examples are Vladimir Nabakov’s Humbert Humbert from Lolita and Alex from A Clockwork Orange . A lesser known example is Micky DeWitt from Flank Street .

Upmarket Fiction

A type of fiction that is an amalgamation between commercial fiction (something with a wide audience that fits into a typical genre) and literary fiction (something that doesn’t fit exactly into a standard genre classification). Upmarket fiction can appeal to audiences of both commercial and literary fiction. It offers exceptional writing that doesn’t fit into a mold, yet has the potential for mass appeal.

Urban Fantasy

A subcategory of contemporary fantasy, urban fantasy is set in a contemporary city. Often co-existing with the familiar city life is a hidden, magical aspect of the city frequently including magical creatures. Charles de Lint is one of the primary authors of urban fantasy. To some extent, Mark Helprin’s A Winter’s Tale is an urban fantasy as well as Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere .

The tenor and style of a story’s narrative. Authorial voice is the “sound” unique to the author. However, each author can and will use multiple variations of voice for each character’s POV and dialogue as well.

Writing Voice: 6 Things You Need to Know to Improve It
What Every Writer Needs to Know About Finding Your Writing Voice

World Building

(A) The act of designing a story world, including its culture, language, technology, magic, biology, landscape, history, etc. The author does this to build a consistent backdrop for the story. It is especially important for science fiction and fantasy (and even historical novels), in which the story world may be much different from the world readers inhabit.

(B) The art of distilling the elements of a story world, building the world within the minds of readers. This can be done through setting descriptions, exposition, dialogue, or character actions and interactions. In most cases, avoid info-dumping exposition and AYKB dialog. Instead, weave in the worldbuilding as a seamless part of the story itself.

How to Decide if You Should Use a Real-Life Setting in Your Story

Young Adult (Fiction), a genre aimed at adolescents ages 12-18. Often told in first-person with fast pacing. Focuses on new, fresh, “first time” experiences and coming-of-age experiences. There is often a strong romantic subplot. This genre, like romance, includes many other subgenres under it such as YA Romance, YA Fantasy, and YA Mystery.

Work-in-progress. The story or novel the author is currently writing.

An adjective for when you say a writerly thing. If you wear a blazer with leather patches on your sleeves and sit at a coffee shop with your laptop, it could be said that you’re being writerly. 😉

Writer’s Block

A state in which the writer doesn’t know how to proceed with writing. It can result from simply not knowing what should happen next in the story, or from larger life issues, such as depression.

Conquering Writer’s Block and Summoning Inspiration
7 Things to Try When Writing Is Hard
Are You Struggling to Be Creative? This Might Be Why

The “vomit” draft, part of pre-writing. The writer “vomits” up whatever story ideas they have without concern as to structure, consistency, or sense. Used to a) explore world/worldbuild, b) explore/develop characters/character interactions c) develop and/or test plot elements d) anything the author wants.

Can You Think of Any Terms This Glossary Is Missing?

Help me turn this into a tool we can all reference and that will help other authors understand what it is we’re talking about when we use crazy terms like “logline,” “pinch point,” and “MS.” Post your suggestions and definitions in the comments, and I’ll update the list.

Wordplayers, tell me your opinion! What writing terms aren’t listed here and should be? Tell me in the comments!

Sign Up Today

K.M. Weiland is the award-winning and internationally-published author of the acclaimed writing guides Outlining Your Novel , Structuring Your Novel , and Creating Character Arcs . A native of western Nebraska, she writes historical and fantasy novels and mentors authors on her award-winning website Helping Writers Become Authors.

What a fantastic idea, K.M.!

Here we go…

Words spoken by a character, normally enclosed in quotation marks. Dialogue should sound realistic, without attempting to reproduce real speech verbatim.

Internal dialogue reproduces a character’s thoughts, and is often (though not always) indicated by italics.

Indirect dialogue, also known as reported speech, is a narrative summary of dialogue that’s taken place.

Dialogue tags and/or action beats let the reader know which character is speaking.

https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/8-tips-for-awesome-dialogue/

https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/on-the-nose-dialogue/

THIRD PERSON The uninvolved narrator of the story, who refers to the actuals players by name or as he/she/they, e.g. “Peter ran in and hugged Susan”. Contrast this with a ‘first-person narrative’, which may be present tense (“I gape at the sight of Susan standing at the bar, rush up and hug her tight.”) or past tense (“When I saw Susan at the bar, I ran up and hugged her.”)

TAGLINE A line of text – usually a short, tantalizing sentence – which appears under the Title of the book on the front cover and also in catalogue listings, e.g.: Title: Aquila Tagline: Can Silvanus Escape That God?

SHOWING (In contrast to TELLING): Conveying an atmosphere, emotion or mood by relating the movements or expressions of objects or players rather than stating facts about them, e.g. “The boughs bowed and swayed, casting their icy load onto the quivering children” instead of “The frightened children got soaked by a load of snow falling from the branches.” Or “His face was white and his hands trembled as he slunk through the doorway” instead of “He felt nervous and hesitated to enter the room.”

A genre fiction centered on contemporary women and women’s issues that is often written in a light, humorous pace, and that generally deals with the protagonist and her relationships with family, friends and/or romantic partners. Often referred to as women’s commercial fiction.

MENTOR An experienced advisor who offers – sometimes reluctantly – to show the hero “the way”. Usually a trustworthy ally, the mentor figure will often impart an object or piece of information that will prove vital later in the hero’s quest. The name itself comes from a character in Homer’s The Odyssey.

Examples include: Obi-Wan Kenobi from Star Wars, Gandalf from Lord of the Rings, and “Irv” in Cool Runnings (a less-trustworthy mentor figure).

Good stuff, thx!

Trope—A story element or plot device that is particular to certain genres or stories, to the point where they become a storytelling cliche. Examples include love triangles in young adult fiction or the “chosen one” most common in fantasy and science fiction.

Protag/Protagonist—The character whom the story is about and who is most directly affected by the antagonist. This character may be the narrator/POV character (such as Harry Potter or Katniss Everdeen) or the protagonist may be a character who is viewed by someone else (as Atticus Finch and Heathcliff are viewed by Scout and Nelly Dean, respectively).

MC – Short for Main Character. The lead of the story.

Info Dump – An undesirable writing method where the author “dumps” a lot of information or extensive description on the reader all at once, instead of weaving the information into the action of the story.

Anti-Hero – A character who is not the main Antagonist, or a supporting character of the Protagonist, but one who opposes the hero or the hero’s ideas in some way.

An ANTI HERO is a protagonist who lacks conventional heroic qualities such as idealism, courage, and morality. These individuals often possess dark personality traits such as disagreeableness, dishonesty, and aggressiveness.

Like Captain Mal in Firefly or Holden in The catcher in the rye

I still don’t understand the concept of the anti-hero for some reason.

It is tricky. I think there are several definitions out there. Sometimes they are even split into Anti-Hero and Anti-Villain, but I still think that the application within stories of an Anti-Hero is pretty broad.

If you are still having difficulty, consider this, an Anti-hero is a hero who doesn’t act like a hero and who probably doesn’t want to be a hero or ‘good’ in the typical sense of the word. An anti-villain is a villain who acts more like a hero, but who ultimately proves themselves a villain even if they are ‘soft’. There are plenty of good broad definitions out there, but this helped me think of it in a broad sense.

Let’s use the example of a evil lab. Inside the lab there are innocent people. The protag needs to destroy the lab. A hero would try to get all the innocent people out before blowing it up. While an anti-hero may just blow it up. In an anti-hero’s mind, the ends justify the means.

Thanks, all the examples are very helpful. Sounds like an antihero can play up a lot of drama.

STUTTER (WRITING)

BURLY DETECTIVE SYNDROME

Frequently referring to a character by a description (“the burly detective”), usually out of fear of overusing the character’s name or pronoun (see Stutter (Writing)).

Cool never heard of these.

May I add R&R? This one was driving me crazy when I was reading it. I had to search everywhere for the definition!

R&R: Revise and Resend/Resubmit An agent or editor saw something they liked in your work but felt it need a significant revision. They’d like you to make the changes they suggested and resubmit it. It doesn’t necessary mean that they’ll take it though.

Good one. Never heard of it either.

1) An antagonistic character who bears personality traits commonly associated with noble and heroic characters

2) A heroic character who bears personality traits commonly associated with villainous or disreputable characters.

This is a popular one today. Third time I read it and it still makes no sense to me. Think my brain is shutting down and rebooting.

“Point-of-view”

Whoo! You’re today’s super-definer!

HISTORICAL FICTION

A literary genre where the plot takes place in the past, often (but not always) including historical figures

So the only difference between regular fiction and historical is the time period correct?

As I understand it, that’s fairly accurate. Within that, though, excellently written historical fiction also tends to focus in a much deeper way on the details of bringing an unfamiliar era to life (which would be approached much differently/taken for granted in a story with a more contemporary setting).

As time passes, though, the historical “cut-off” date is always bumping up, so as you can see, the line between the two is sometimes rather transparent. 😉

For a bit more, you can read Katie’s article here: https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/why-your-novel-may-not-be-historical/

What a great idea! Awesome list worth sharing.

A separate section at the end of a work often commenting on the work as a whole/serving as an addendum.

CLIMATIC MOMENT-the moment in the climax where the overall goal is reached or not reached, the moment when the protagonist defeats the antagonist or visa versa

YA-young adult, usually a genre

BLURB-a short summary of what the book is about, meant to hook the reader

Pacing–the rate at which a story progresses and events unfold.

I wish I knew more about the pacing process. Some books are paced differently than others and wonder is there a method to the madness.

Most issues with pacing have to do with story structure. Check out Katie’s Structure series for more information (and the Story Structure Database for plenty of examples).

Stories can be divided into four roughly equal parts (Act 1, Act 2A, Act 2B, Act 3), each with its own mission relative to the story’s development, and the turning points (“Plot Points”) between them form the major story pacing milestones. Actually, you can divide the story even further with the Inciting Incident, two Pinch Points, and the Climax at the odd eighth marks.

Story structure is all about keeping things balanced and well-paced. If you can hit all the major milestones where they need to go, all the while raising stakes, conflict, and tension right up to the climax, your story’s pacing should take care of itself.

Wow, that’s awesome. That’s what I need to master. The elements of story structure. Thank you!

Oh, and the difference in pacing that you sense for different stories is more likely due to different types of conflict or story problem than to any difference in structure. Lots of action-based conflict will feel faster paced than relationship drama, but everything will still follow the same basic structure behind the scenes.

That’s true. I definitely sense it in movies and books. Didn’t know it was due to differences in conflict though. But looking back it makes perfect sense. Hindsight is 20/20 right?

Some books were unevenly paced in different parts but the overall story was great. The one I’m thinking of had a lot of relationship drama, so pace seemed slower.

Storming was very balanced in its entirety so I didn’t really notice the pace so much. I just felt drawn into the story. Finished Cinder and had the same feeling. Currently reading the Einstein Prophecy and it’s having the same balanced affect on me. The ones that are balanced tend to be page turners!

With cars if your tires are not balanced it could be a bumpy, not so pleasant ride. It seems even more so with story structure. Cool. I think I’m finally learning something!

If I drank, I’d grab a cool one.

Ditto what Scrutinizer said. Pacing demands are different for different types of stories, but the key is to make it so seamless that readers don’t even think about it. Glad you felt that way about Storming !

“As you know, Bob…”

A method of dumping exposition through dialog, infamous for its awkwardness and lack of realism. It involves an otherwise unnecessary conversation between two characters that the author forces on them solely to inform the reader of what the characters both already know. Writers often choose this technique to avoid taking the reader out of the story to reveal important background information, but it usually works against them by taking the characters out of the story instead.

For further study: https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/as-you-know-bob/

This one is funny. Had a hardy chuckle! I’m definitely guilty of AYKB.

Holy fudgeknuckles Batman, what a great idea! I Love it.

One of the most recent definitions I’ve thoroughly enjoyed is that of the impact character in relation to engineering character arcs. SO AWESOME. Seems like this impact character/s are strong catalysts for change in the protagonist causing inner conflict and help put the plot into motion. This has greatly helped my understanding of the story.

IMPACT CHARACTER=

1. “Impact character” probably isn’t at the top of your list. But it should be. Because you can’t create a character arc without one.

2. “Impact character” is the term coined by Dramatica authors Melanie Anne Phillips and Chris Huntley to describe what is just as accurately termed by editor Roz Morris the “catalyst character.” This is the character who slams into your protagonist, catalyzes him into change, and has a major impact on his life.

3. The impact character is the one who enables, empowers, or sometimes just plain forces another character(s) to change.

4. The impact character may be a friend, or he may be a foe.

5. If the antagonist represents the story’s outer conflict, then the impact character represents the inner conflict.

6. Just like the antagonist, the impact character is a conflict-causer. Just like the antagonist, he’s at odds with the protagonist. But unlike the antagonist, the conflict isn’t necessarily the result of opposing goals. Rather, its core is the opposing worldviews of the protagonist and the impact character. The protagonist believes the Lie; the impact character (lucky dog!) already knows the Truth.

Even in posting this I learned something new! Conflict helps produce plot. What’s a plot without conflict right? It’d be a pretty stale story. The conflict can be external and internal, and both are essentially related to the antagonist and impact character. So if I understand this correctly the impact character is the catalyst for change in the protagonist helping him/her overcome the inner conflict that enables them to overcome the outer conflict represented by the evil antagonist to achieve their goal to live happily ever after….or not.

Further reading: https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/impact-character-2/

BETA READER

(paraphrasing from Google as it seemed like an excellent summary)

“Beta readers provide feedback during the writing and/or editing process and are not explicitly proofreaders or editors, but can serve in that context. Elements highlighted by beta readers encompass things such as plot holes and problems with continuity, characterization, and believability. In fiction and non-fiction, the beta might also assist the author with fact-checking.”

Novella: a story that runs around 40K to 50K words. Normally, it has no subplot and no more than two POV characters. One of the harder forms to sell traditionally, though I’ve ready recently this is changing.

Good one! I knew it was shorter but didn’t know the details.

Mimesis: where syntax echoes, mimes the narrative.

I’ll have research this one.

(And btw, did I mention that I LOVE this whole idea?! THANK YOU SO MUCH! ;D)

YA – Young Adult (Fiction), a genre aimed at adolescents ages 12 -18. Often told in first person with fast pacing. Focuses on new, fresh, ‘first time’ experiences and coming of age experiences, and there is often a strong romantic subplot. This is a genre that, like Romance, includes many other genres under it such as YA Romance, YA Fantasy, and YA Mystery. Differentiate from NA – New Adult (Fiction) which is aimed at an older age group and focuses on new adult experiences such as the first serious relationship, first serious job, going to college, and moving out on their own.

“Manuscript” (In writing lingo: a yet unpublished work whether written or typed)

Unreliable narrator. The narrator’s unreliability might be obvious to the reader throughout, it might be revealed gradually, or it might come as a revelation that provides a major plot twist. Common examples are Vladimir Nabakov’s Humbert Humbert, and Alex from A Clockwork Orange. A lesser known example is Micky DeWitt from Flank Street.

Alliteration: A stylistic literary device identified by the repeated sound of the first consonant in a series of multiple words, or the repetition of the same sounds of the same kinds of sounds at the beginning of words or in stressed syllables of a phrase.

PROOFREADER

Someone reading through a completely edited work to find and/or correct typographical errors (i.e. typos).

SUBTEXT: is the meaning beneath the dialogue; what the speaker really means, even though he’s not saying it directly. As humans, we often don’t articulate our thoughts exactly.

Subtext in Dialogue – The Writer’s Toolbox – Ask The Writer – Gotham … https://www.writingclasses.com › toolbox

I’d like to add “on submission” or “on sub” especially juxtaposed with being “in the query trenches”.

I recently heard two writers who are in the query trenches referring to themselves as being on sub and realized there is some confusion out there about the difference between the two.

Query Trenches: generally refers to looking for representation from a literary agent (although it is possible to directly query publishers)

On sub: your MS has been submitted, usually by your agent, to a list of editors at publishing houses who may or may not have agreed to read it.

Oh, that also makes me wonder if “house” was on your list, referring to publishers.

Perfect! Thanks, Merriam. I added “House” as well.

I am building a similar list myself, going beyond the ordinary of literary terms and picking what I think should be learned by all writers. A few of your words are on my lists. I welcome you to look through my list to see if it helps you. I did words for the A to Z challenge. I would list them here, but there are nearly 70 words.

AtoZ 2014: http://writing.chrisvotey.com/atoz-2014/ AtoZ 2015: http://writing.chrisvotey.com/atoz-2015/

Awesome! Thanks, Chris.

Kidlet: 1. a diminutive child. 2. term of endearment between parent/child; older to younger sibling.

Thank you, sincerely, for this resource. Definitely raised hand (!), baffled by various terms, WIP, MC, YA et al.

Hah. That made me laugh so hard I almost have to include in the glossary. 😉

LOL… that’s great, so glad to hear! 😀

Of all the things I’ve almost been included in, this would rank among the top!

Can’t credit for the idea, although sadly my memory fails to provide me with the name of whoever came up with the idea.

These definitions almost seems to be too simplistic.

1. Sidekicks, by definition, are almost always with the main character, which allows the conflict to be ongoing https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/why-your-hero-needs-yappy-sidekick/

2. a person who helps and spends a lot of time with someone who is usually more important, powerful, etc. (Merriam-Webster)

You go, you guys! This is awesome. We’ll have this puppy filled out before you know it.

A scene is a sequence of events that happens at a particular place and time and that moves the story forward. The scene consists mostly of “showing” though it may contain some “telling.” The scene has a particular structure that gives the story motion. Showing using the following tools: • Action. • Dialogue. • Interior Monologue. • Interior Emotion. • Sensory Description. Telling using the following tools: • Narrative Summary • Exposition • Description

I like this one. Thx!

Creative Nonfiction:

I echo many of the other commenters: this is a great idea!

Here’s a definition you could add:

COPY EDITING

For Further Reading:

https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/how-i-self-edit-my-novels-15-steps-from/

Nice. I’ll have to follow that link for more info. Thx.

If you are going to include AYKB, you should also have the Dumb Mechanic dialogue.

Dumb Mechanic Where a character explains something to a character who doesn’t know what they are talking about. The example from the name is a mechanic explaining what is wrong with a machine to someone who knows nothing about mechanics. It’s vital that the lack of knowledge needs be real and believable. It also needs to be limited to the needs of the moment. So a gear-head stopping to fix a lawyer’s car might explain a air bubble in the gas line, if that was the problem, but not how an engine works in detail.

I’m learning stuff here too! I’d never heard it called that.

Here’s one that wasn’t on the list but which you might want to include:

https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/6-tasks-youll-love-yourself-for-checking-off-your-nano-pre-writing-list/

https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/book/outlining-your-novel/

Good one! Thanks!

SWEET. I absolutely adore prewriting. I’ve never heard it defined like this.

At first I was like “Pshaw! I know tons of writing terms! And then I started to scroll down the page and my mouth dropped open. MFC? SF? SFF? What? I need this index! What a brilliant idea, K.M.Weiland. 😀

Hah. I’m learning stuff too!

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Glossary of writing terms and definitions (Updated for 2024!)

Befudddled by the terms that writers and publishers use? Here is a glossary of writing terms and definitions to help you navigate the lingo.

We use many terms in writing. As with any activity, a novice to this world could be easily confused. Here is a selection of writing terms and definitions that you are bound to run into sooner or later.

I will try to leave out words specifically related to word usage, such as compound sentence, synonym and pronoun, as well as words related to poetry. There are so very many of those, and this writing glossary is already long enough without them.

Writing terms and publishing definitions

Abstract. A brief summary of an article (theoretically in plain English), a standard part of most academic writing.

Active voice. When the verb focuses on what the subject of the sentence is doing.

Adaptation. Same story in a different format, typically a screen adaptation of a novel.

Advance. If you are lucky enough to be in demand by a publisher, you might be paid an advance to write your book – prior to actually writing it.

All rights. The publisher holds all rights to publish in any form, but does not own the copyright.

Allegory. A method of telling a story using characters or objects to deliver a message metaphorically.

Antagonist. Often the villain, the antagonist is the character that tries to stop the protagonist (the hero or main character) from succeeding, like Darth Vader or the Big Bad Wolf.

Anthology. A collection of stories compiled together, usually with a loose theme or commonality.

Attribution. Giving credit for a quote, illustration or other element to its source.

Audience. The intended reader, usually described by demographics.

Autobiography. The writer’s life story told in the first person.

Author. The person whose byline is on the work, not necessarily the same as the writer (such as when a ghostwriter has done the writing).

Back matter. Pages at the end of the book that support the manuscript, such as bibliography, acknowledgements, etc.

Backlist. Books from a previous year that are still in print.

Backstory. The history behind characters and events, often included as flashbacks or slipped into the dialogues or recollections of the characters.

Beta readers. Readers who read a manuscript before publishing to test it out on the target audience.

Bibliography. The list of sources used in researching a book or article.

Biography. A life story.

Blurb. A short summary of a book published on its back cover .

Board books. Books printed on thick cardboard, typically for preschoolers.

Boilerplate. A template of text that can be used to create multiple documents.

Byline. The name of the author credited with a book or article.

Canon. The most authoritative source of information on a given topic.

Category. General topic areas, broader than a genre, used to organize books in the market.

Chapter book. Any book organized into chapters, but usually referring to those targeting an audience under 12 years of age.

Characters. Sentient beings who .do the action and dialogue, usually people, sometimes animals and occasionally inanimate objects.

Chick lit. Fiction written specifically for a female audience.

Citation. Reference to the source of information.

Climax. The culminating point of highest tension in a story.

Clips. Published samples of a writer`s work.

Copy editing. Editing text for basic elements such as spelling, grammar and consistency.

Copy writing. Writing fairly straightforward text, usually for business or administrative purposes.

Copyright. The assignment of ownership of a work, generally covering the finished work and/or its execution, but not the idea behind it.

Denouement. The final results of a story, once all conflicts and mysteries have been resolved.

Dialogue. Words spoken by the characters in a story.

Draft. The complete unedited version of a text.

Dustjacket. Paper covering, usually in full color, covering a hardcover book.

eBook. Electronic version of a published book.

Edit. To rework a draft for grammar, flow, length or any other factor required to polish it for publication.

Editor. The person who edits a manuscript or manages the writing of a publication.

Editorial. A work expressing an opinion.

Embargo. Prohibition of publishing or distributing a work until a specified date, often (and foolishly) used with press releases.

Endnote. An explanation of a point, placed at the end of a book.

eReader. Device for reading and storing eBooks.

Fair use. The use of a small portion of a work (generally less than 10 percent) for educational or illustrative purposes, with attribution, and not infringing on copyright.

First rights. The right to publish first, but does not preclude others from publishing at a later date. There can be qualifying first rights, such as “first electronic rights” or “first print rights” or “first North American rights”.

Font. The typeface used in a published work.

Footnote. An explanation of a point, placed at the bottom of a page.

Format. The layout aspects of a manuscript, including spacing, margins, indentations and font.

Front matter. Pages at the beginning of the book that support the manuscript, such as title page, table of contents, etc.

Galleys. A typeset draft of a book.

Genre. The type of book, such as true crime, biography, science fiction, etc.

Ghostwriter . A person who writes anonymously in someone else’s name, so that the client is credited with the work.

Glossary. This one is just too obvious. This writing glossary is actually somewhat short compared to what some more formal glossaries are.

Grade level. A measure of readability correlating to how easy or hard a text is to read.

Graphic novel. A full novel in comic book format.

Hard copy. The printed version of a manuscript.

Hardcover. A book bound with a thick cardboard stock cover, usually with a paper dust jacket.

Half title. The page at the beginning of the book that contains nothing but the title.

High concept. The idea of a book, boiled down to a single sentence.

Historical fiction . Fiction set in the past, attempting to fit in with the events and activities of the time.

Hook. A line that draws the reader into the book from the very beginning.

House style. A specific publisher’s preferred style.

Imagery. Descriptions that employ the five senses.

Imprint. A credited division within a publishing company used for branding purposes, much as a “make” of an automotive manufacturer.

ISBN. Stands for International Standard Book Number, a unique identifier assigned to each published book for inventory and ordering.

Kidlit. Stories, usually full books, targeting children up to the age of 12.

Kill fee. Payment made to a writer for an article that was written, but not published.

Lead paragraph. The first paragraph of a book, article or chapter.

Literary agent. Someone who represents authors to publishers.

Logline. A single sentence that describes a screenplay.

Manuscript. Final copy of a work prior to publishing.

Mark up. To add editing notes on a manuscript.

Mass market paperback. A small trim book intended for the general public, often a cheaper version of a hardcover book.

Memoir. An autobiography or a lengthy narrative of a specific period of one’s life.

Middle grade. Referring to books targeting an audience of around 10 to 15 years of age.

Mood. The feeling that the author is trying to convey in the story.

Narrative. A chronology of events that forms a story.

Narrator. The person recounting a story, usually in the third person.

Novel. A fiction book over 40,000 words.

Novelization. A book that has been adapted from a movie or some other format.

Novella. A fiction book under 40,000 words.

On acceptance. An arrangement whereby a writer is paid if and when the editor accepts the article for publication.

On publication. An arrangement whereby a writer is paid if and when the article is published.

On spec. When there is no arrangement between the writer and an editor, and the writer prepares an article with the hope that an editor will accept it.

Outline. A summary of the content of a book in point form, usually to organize the content before writing, often forming the basis for the table of contents.

Paperback. A softcover book, usually with a cardstock cover slightly thicker than the paper within.

Parody. An imitation of a serious work or narrative, usually written in a sarcastic or humorous fashion.

Passive voice. When the verb focuses on what is being done to the object of the sentence.

Pen name. A pseudonym that an author adopts so as not to reveal one’s real name.

Personification. Human traits assigned to an animal or inanimate object.

Pica. A measure in typesetting equal to 1/6 of an inch.

Picture book. A book with a picture on every spread, typically for young audiences.

Pitch. The approach of an author to an agent or editor. For a book, this is typically a query letter with a synopsis.

Pitch bible. A proposal, usually for a TV series, that includes the synopsis and a business case for the series.

Plagiarism . The unauthorized use of another person’s words.

Plain language . Writing for clarity, generally using simple sentence structure and common words.

Plot . The storyline.

Point. A measure in typesetting equal to 1/72 of an inch (also a form of ballet, but that’s not the point here).

Point of view. The perspective from which a story is told, expressed as through whose eyes the reader perceives the events.

POD. See ‘print on demand’.

POV. See ‘point of view’.

Premise. The idea on which the story is based.

Print On Demand. A process of remotely printing books as they are ordered.

Print run. The number of books or magazines printed at one time.

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Proofreading . Checking for technical errors in the text. When we proofread, we look for spelling, punctuation, capitalization, grammar and related items, not for style or structure.

Proposal. Summary of a book and the business case for publishing it, usually written before a manuscript is drafted.

Protagonist. The main character of the story, with whom the reader identifies, like Harry Potter or Frodo Baggins.

Pseudonym. A pen name that an author adopts so as not to reveal one’s real name.

Public domain. Any work not protected by copyright.

Query letter . A letter sent by the author to literary agents or publishers to seek representation or publishing.

Readability. A measure of how easy or hard a text is to read, usually based on two or three calculations.

Rejection slip. A letter sent by a publisher to an author to reject the submitted manuscript.

Reprints. Material published after having already been published elsewhere.

Rights. Ownership of a work and how it may be used.

Royalties. A percentage of revenues paid by the publisher to the author.

Run-on sentence. A sentence that is far too long and should be broken into two or more sentences, often because the writer is not skilled enough to shorten the text or to divide it, but also sometimes just because the writer likes the sound of one’s own typing, but in other cases (such as this one) just to prove a point, or because the song the writer is listening to while writing hasn’t ended yet (my favorite reason).

SASE. Stands for “self-addressed stamped envelope”, which publishers and agents often demand that you include when you submit them a manuscript (assuming you want the manuscript returned).

Satire. A literary device to make fun of or mock something (for examples, see ‘run-on sentence’ above).

Screenplay . Full detail of a film, from dialogue through camera angles.

Script. See ‘screenplay’ above, but also the full details of a play or a video.

Self-publishing. A method of publishing whereby the author commissions books directly from a printer, publishing a work himself.

Serial. Any publication that publishes at regular intervals. Also a killer in true crime.

Short story. Fiction typically under 5,000 words and published in a publication along with other material, rather than as a stand-alone.

Side-by-side book. A book written in two languages, with one language version on each even page and the other language version on each odd page..

Simultaneous submissions. Sending a manuscript to multiple publishers or agents at the same time, sometimes considered acceptable and sometimes not.

Slant. The angle or perspective a writer uses to approach a story.

Small press. A publishing company other than one of the major ones, often specializing in one or a few genres.

Softcover. See ‘paperback’.

Soliloquy. A monologue, usually to reveal inner thoughts of a character, or in film used by the antagonist to give audiences the chance to prepare for the hero’s attack.

Spine. The end of a book that is visible when it is placed between two other books on a shelf.

Style. The ensemble of characteristics that define a writer or a work, including word choice, sentence structure and literary devices.

Style sheet. A list of grammar or word use specifications for a publication.

Submission guidelines. The rules to follow when submitting a manuscript to a publisher.

Subplot. A secondary plot that contrasts with the main plot or is enfolded within the main plot.

Synopsis. A summary of a book or a screenplay’s plot, usually two to three pages long.

Tardis. I threw that one in just to see if you were still listening. It’s not really a writing term, but it is amazingly cool!

Tear sheet. Sample of the author’s published work.

Theme. The general topic of a work.

Thesis. The key argument the author puts forward, generally in non-fiction.

Tone. The implied attitude of the writer toward the subject of the work.

Trade paperback. A softcover book larger in trim size than a mass market paperback.

Treatment. A detailed description of a film, on which a screenplay is based.

Trim size. The width and height of a book’s pages.

True crime. The genre that covers real life crime.

Typeface. The font specifications.

Vanity publishing. A service to help authors publish books mostly for their own use, rather than for mass market distribution.

Voice. The persona that the author adopts to convey their message, which will be reflected in the style of the writing.

Weight. The boldness of the text.

White space. Any area of a page without text or images.

WIP. See “work in progress”.

Word count. The number of words in a manuscript.

Work for hire. An arrangement whereby a writer is hired for a specific project, and is not considered an employee and does not retain any rights.

Work in progress. An author’s partially written manuscript.

Writer. The person who wrote the book or other work, either the author or the ghostwriter.

Writer’s block . The inability to decide what next to write.

Young adult. Referring to books targeting an audience of around 10 to 15 years of age.

We’ll be adding more writing terms and definitions as we think of them. In fact, no blog post on this website has been updated as often as this one.

Although I have no plans to make the ultimate writing terminology guide, this writing terms glossary could still get pretty long one day.

David Leonhardt is President of The Happy Guy Marketing, a published author, a "Distinguished Toastmaster", a former consumer advocate, a social media addict and experienced with media relations and government reports.

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What Is Creative Writing? (Ultimate Guide + 20 Examples)

Creative writing begins with a blank page and the courage to fill it with the stories only you can tell.

I face this intimidating blank page daily–and I have for the better part of 20+ years.

In this guide, you’ll learn all the ins and outs of creative writing with tons of examples.

What Is Creative Writing (Long Description)?

Creative Writing is the art of using words to express ideas and emotions in imaginative ways. It encompasses various forms including novels, poetry, and plays, focusing on narrative craft, character development, and the use of literary tropes.

Bright, colorful creative writer's desk with notebook and typewriter -- What Is Creative Writing

Table of Contents

Let’s expand on that definition a bit.

Creative writing is an art form that transcends traditional literature boundaries.

It includes professional, journalistic, academic, and technical writing. This type of writing emphasizes narrative craft, character development, and literary tropes. It also explores poetry and poetics traditions.

In essence, creative writing lets you express ideas and emotions uniquely and imaginatively.

It’s about the freedom to invent worlds, characters, and stories. These creations evoke a spectrum of emotions in readers.

Creative writing covers fiction, poetry, and everything in between.

It allows writers to express inner thoughts and feelings. Often, it reflects human experiences through a fabricated lens.

Types of Creative Writing

There are many types of creative writing that we need to explain.

Some of the most common types:

Short stories
Screenplays
Flash fiction
Creative Nonfiction

Short Stories (The Brief Escape)

Short stories are like narrative treasures.

They are compact but impactful, telling a full story within a limited word count. These tales often focus on a single character or a crucial moment.

Short stories are known for their brevity.

They deliver emotion and insight in a concise yet powerful package. This format is ideal for exploring diverse genres, themes, and characters. It leaves a lasting impression on readers.

Example: Emma discovers an old photo of her smiling grandmother. It’s a rarity. Through flashbacks, Emma learns about her grandmother’s wartime love story. She comes to understand her grandmother’s resilience and the value of joy.

Novels (The Long Journey)

Novels are extensive explorations of character, plot, and setting.

They span thousands of words, giving writers the space to create entire worlds. Novels can weave complex stories across various themes and timelines.

The length of a novel allows for deep narrative and character development.

Readers get an immersive experience.

Example: Across the Divide tells of two siblings separated in childhood. They grow up in different cultures. Their reunion highlights the strength of family bonds, despite distance and differences.

Poetry (The Soul’s Language)

Poetry expresses ideas and emotions through rhythm, sound, and word beauty.

It distills emotions and thoughts into verses. Poetry often uses metaphors, similes, and figurative language to reach the reader’s heart and mind.

Poetry ranges from structured forms, like sonnets, to free verse.

The latter breaks away from traditional formats for more expressive thought.

Example: Whispers of Dawn is a poem collection capturing morning’s quiet moments. “First Light” personifies dawn as a painter. It brings colors of hope and renewal to the world.

Plays (The Dramatic Dialogue)

Plays are meant for performance. They bring characters and conflicts to life through dialogue and action.

This format uniquely explores human relationships and societal issues.

Playwrights face the challenge of conveying setting, emotion, and plot through dialogue and directions.

Example: Echoes of Tomorrow is set in a dystopian future. Memories can be bought and sold. It follows siblings on a quest to retrieve their stolen memories. They learn the cost of living in a world where the past has a price.

Screenplays (Cinema’s Blueprint)

Screenplays outline narratives for films and TV shows.

They require an understanding of visual storytelling, pacing, and dialogue. Screenplays must fit film production constraints.

Example: The Last Light is a screenplay for a sci-fi film. Humanity’s survivors on a dying Earth seek a new planet. The story focuses on spacecraft Argo’s crew as they face mission challenges and internal dynamics.

Memoirs (The Personal Journey)

Memoirs provide insight into an author’s life, focusing on personal experiences and emotional journeys.

They differ from autobiographies by concentrating on specific themes or events.

Memoirs invite readers into the author’s world.

They share lessons learned and hardships overcome.

Example: Under the Mango Tree is a memoir by Maria Gomez. It shares her childhood memories in rural Colombia. The mango tree in their yard symbolizes home, growth, and nostalgia. Maria reflects on her journey to a new life in America.

Flash Fiction (The Quick Twist)

Flash fiction tells stories in under 1,000 words.

It’s about crafting compelling narratives concisely. Each word in flash fiction must count, often leading to a twist.

This format captures life’s vivid moments, delivering quick, impactful insights.

Example: The Last Message features an astronaut’s final Earth message as her spacecraft drifts away. In 500 words, it explores isolation, hope, and the desire to connect against all odds.

Creative Nonfiction (The Factual Tale)

Creative nonfiction combines factual accuracy with creative storytelling.

This genre covers real events, people, and places with a twist. It uses descriptive language and narrative arcs to make true stories engaging.

Creative nonfiction includes biographies, essays, and travelogues.

Example: Echoes of Everest follows the author’s Mount Everest climb. It mixes factual details with personal reflections and the history of past climbers. The narrative captures the climb’s beauty and challenges, offering an immersive experience.

Fantasy (The World Beyond)

Fantasy transports readers to magical and mythical worlds.

It explores themes like good vs. evil and heroism in unreal settings. Fantasy requires careful world-building to create believable yet fantastic realms.

Example: The Crystal of Azmar tells of a young girl destined to save her world from darkness. She learns she’s the last sorceress in a forgotten lineage. Her journey involves mastering powers, forming alliances, and uncovering ancient kingdom myths.

Science Fiction (The Future Imagined)

Science fiction delves into futuristic and scientific themes.

It questions the impact of advancements on society and individuals.

Science fiction ranges from speculative to hard sci-fi, focusing on plausible futures.

Example: When the Stars Whisper is set in a future where humanity communicates with distant galaxies. It centers on a scientist who finds an alien message. This discovery prompts a deep look at humanity’s universe role and interstellar communication.

Watch this great video that explores the question, “What is creative writing?” and “How to get started?”:

What Are the 5 Cs of Creative Writing?

The 5 Cs of creative writing are fundamental pillars.

They guide writers to produce compelling and impactful work. These principles—Clarity, Coherence, Conciseness, Creativity, and Consistency—help craft stories that engage and entertain.

They also resonate deeply with readers. Let’s explore each of these critical components.

Clarity makes your writing understandable and accessible.

It involves choosing the right words and constructing clear sentences. Your narrative should be easy to follow.

In creative writing, clarity means conveying complex ideas in a digestible and enjoyable way.

Coherence ensures your writing flows logically.

It’s crucial for maintaining the reader’s interest. Characters should develop believably, and plots should progress logically. This makes the narrative feel cohesive.

Conciseness

Conciseness is about expressing ideas succinctly.

It’s being economical with words and avoiding redundancy. This principle helps maintain pace and tension, engaging readers throughout the story.

Creativity is the heart of creative writing.

It allows writers to invent new worlds and create memorable characters. Creativity involves originality and imagination. It’s seeing the world in unique ways and sharing that vision.

Consistency

Consistency maintains a uniform tone, style, and voice.

It means being faithful to the world you’ve created. Characters should act true to their development. This builds trust with readers, making your story immersive and believable.

Is Creative Writing Easy?

Creative writing is both rewarding and challenging.

Crafting stories from your imagination involves more than just words on a page. It requires discipline and a deep understanding of language and narrative structure.

Exploring complex characters and themes is also key.

Refining and revising your work is crucial for developing your voice.

The ease of creative writing varies. Some find the freedom of expression liberating.

Others struggle with writer’s block or plot development challenges. However, practice and feedback make creative writing more fulfilling.

What Does a Creative Writer Do?

A creative writer weaves narratives that entertain, enlighten, and inspire.

Writers explore both the world they create and the emotions they wish to evoke. Their tasks are diverse, involving more than just writing.

Creative writers develop ideas, research, and plan their stories.

They create characters and outline plots with attention to detail. Drafting and revising their work is a significant part of their process. They strive for the 5 Cs of compelling writing.

Writers engage with the literary community, seeking feedback and participating in workshops.

They may navigate the publishing world with agents and editors.

Creative writers are storytellers, craftsmen, and artists. They bring narratives to life, enriching our lives and expanding our imaginations.

How to Get Started With Creative Writing?

Embarking on a creative writing journey can feel like standing at the edge of a vast and mysterious forest.

The path is not always clear, but the adventure is calling.

Here’s how to take your first steps into the world of creative writing:

Find a time of day when your mind is most alert and creative.
Create a comfortable writing space free from distractions.
Use prompts to spark your imagination. They can be as simple as a word, a phrase, or an image.
Try writing for 15-20 minutes on a prompt without editing yourself. Let the ideas flow freely.
Reading is fuel for your writing. Explore various genres and styles.
Pay attention to how your favorite authors construct their sentences, develop characters, and build their worlds.
Don’t pressure yourself to write a novel right away. Begin with short stories or poems.
Small projects can help you hone your skills and boost your confidence.
Look for writing groups in your area or online. These communities offer support, feedback, and motivation.
Participating in workshops or classes can also provide valuable insights into your writing.
Understand that your first draft is just the beginning. Revising your work is where the real magic happens.
Be open to feedback and willing to rework your pieces.
Carry a notebook or digital recorder to jot down ideas, observations, and snippets of conversations.
These notes can be gold mines for future writing projects.

Final Thoughts: What Is Creative Writing?

Creative writing is an invitation to explore the unknown, to give voice to the silenced, and to celebrate the human spirit in all its forms.

Check out these creative writing tools (that I highly recommend):

A Glossary of Fiction Writing Terms

#scribendiinc

When writing a work of fiction, regardless of its length, it is important to include certain elements to make it more dynamic. Several of these fiction writing elements—fiction writing terms—are found in the following glossary. Although Scribendi has an extensive glossary of general writing terms, this one is specific to fiction writing terms and is therefore geared toward authors and writers. For an author, fiction writing terms are important because they provide the tools necessary to make the most out of a literary work. By being aware of certain terms specific to fiction writing, authors will be able to get a better idea of what they should include in their fiction writing, which will then allow them to make their stories more vibrant and appeal to a wider audience. The following is a glossary of terms specific to fiction writing.

A | C | D | E | F | H | I | L | M | N | O | P | R | S | T | U | W

a narrative technique in which characters represent things or abstract concepts to convey a message or to teach a lesson. Allegory is usually used to teach moral, ethical, or religious lessons, but it can also be used for satiric or political purposes. An allegory is a symbolic representation, or expression by means of symbolic fictional figures and actions, of truths or generalizations about human existence. In fiction, an allegory is often a symbolic narrative in which the surface details imply a secondary meaning and in which the characters represent moral qualities.

Example: In The Pilgrim's Progress , by John Bunyan, the journey of the main character is an allegory for the Christian life.

Alliteration:

a series of words in a sentence all beginning with the same sound.

Examples: Cassie casually caressed the carefree cat; the Wicked Witch of the West went on her way to work; she sells seashells down by the seashore; Tim thought that Tammy was tired today.

Antagonist:

the main character in a work of fiction who comes into conflict with the protagonist (hero or heroine). Note that the antagonist does not always have to be a character; it could be a thing or a situation (a monster, a storm, a flood, etc.).

Example: Bob Ewell, in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird , is a malevolent antagonist.

using words that have the same or very similar vowel sounds near one another (as in "summer fun" and "rise high in the bright sky"); vowels are repeated but consonants are not; popular in poetry and prose.

featured in a story and used as a medium to communicate/interact with the reader; he or she is given a specific attitude or attitudes, appearance, name, etc. to direct a storyline. Characters can be major or minor and static (unchanging) or dynamic (capable of change).

Characterization:

the method used by a writer to make a character in a story seem like a real person. Common ways for writers to illustrate characters is through their speech, dress, actions, and mannerisms.

the moment of greatest intensity in a work of fiction; the most exciting and important part of a story, usually occurring at or near the end. The climax is the turning point in the action.

Example: The climax of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet occurs when Romeo, seeing Juliet's body and thinking she is dead, kills himself; then, when Juliet wakes up and sees that Romeo is dead, she kills herself.

Complication:

a situation or detail of a character that complicates the main thread of a plot. A complication builds up and develops the primary or central conflict in a literary work.

a struggle, disagreement, or difference between opposing forces in a literary work, usually resolved by the end of the work.

Connotation:

in a literary work, an idea or quality that a word makes you think about in addition to its dictionary definition; an implication that goes beyond the actual meaning of a word. Connotations can be positive (childlike [innocent, happy], dove [peaceful] or negative (chicken [cowardly]).

Example: Shakespeare's Sonnet 18: "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" A summer's day connotes beauty.

Convention:

a traditional or common style often used in literature, theater, or art to create a particular effect.

Example: romantic conventions (characteristics of romantic literature) include the following:

– Imagination and emotion

– A reliance on intuition

– An emphasis on nature and primitivism

– An idealization of life

– An emphasis on sadness, melancholy, psychology, and introspection

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Denotation:

the precise/actual meaning of a word outside of the feelings it evokes; the dictionary meaning of a word or phrase. In fiction writing, writers will play off a word's denotative meaning against its connotations or implied associational implications.

Example: A four-leaf clover, rabbit's foot, and wishbone are all considered things that can bring good luck, but they themselves are not luck. Likewise, unicorns, the color white, and white doves can all have the connotation of purity, but they are not part of the actual definition of the word purity. The dictionary meaning of purity is "free from contamination" or "free from immorality, especially of a sexual nature."

Dénouement:

the outcome of a plot; the resolution or final outcome of the main dramatic complication in a literary work. The dénouement reveals the answers to secrets/misunderstandings in the plot and comes after the climax.

a written composition in which two or more characters are represented as conversing; the conversations between characters in a literary work, typically enclosed within quotation marks.

the choice of words, especially with regard to correctness, clearness, or effectiveness, in a literary work. Writers will use words to reveal character, imply certain attitudes, convey action, demonstrate themes, and indicate values.

Dramatic Irony:

dramatic irony, which often shows itself as some type of miscommunication, occurs when the reader becomes aware of something important of which the characters in the story are not aware.

Exposition:

this also refers to the first stage of a plot, in which necessary background information is provided.

a narration intended to enforce a useful truth. Fables frequently involve animals that speak and act like human beings.

Example: The fable of The Eagle and The Crow : A crow saw an eagle grab a lamb and take it to his nest. The crow tried the same thing but was too weak, and his feet got caught in the lamb's fur. The shepherd took the crow and put him in a cage. The moral of the story? Thoughtless imitation is dangerous.

Falling Action:

the action in a story that occurs after the climax, thus moving it toward its resolution.

a story about people and events that are not real; literature that tells a story that has been imagined by the writer.

Figurative Language:

language that does not mean exactly what it states but instead requires the reader to make his or her own association from the comparison.

Examples: hyperbole, understatement, analogy, personification, euphemism, onomatopoeia, simile, metaphor, synecdoche, and metonymy.

when a relevant past event is brought up in the current time of the story. A common way for this to occur is through a narration or a dream. Flashbacks create complications within the chronology of the plot to help enrich the experience of time.

An illustration of Mr. Collins from Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice."

Flat Character:

Image source: Hugh Thomson/Wikimedia Commons

an uncomplicated character in a story who is illustrated by very few traits. A flat character is opposite to a round character. Although such characters are important, they tend to remain static in their temperaments and personalities throughout the story.

Example: Mr. Collins in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is a flat character.

a character in a story whose purpose is to bring out certain characteristics in either the main character or in other characters. Thus, the foil character will contrast with and parallel those characters.

Example: Draco Malfoy can be seen as a foil to Harry Potter, being placed in similar situations but making choices that highlight the differences between them.

Foreshadowing:

to give a suggestion of something that will happen in the story.

Example : In Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms , the line "the leaves fell early that year" foreshadows an early death.

Freytag's Pyramid:

a pyramidal diagram of the structure of a dramatic work; symbolizes Gustav Freytag's theory of dramatic structure. This "dramatic arc," as it is known, comprises five parts: exposition (inciting incident), rising action, climax, falling action (resolution), and dénouement.

a figure of speech that describes something as better or worse than it actually is by way of extreme exaggeration.

Example: She is as thin as a toothpick; I was so hungry, I could have eaten a horse!

a mental picture or representation of a person, place, or thing in a literary work. The use of images is a powerful literary tool, as images have the ability to convey states of being, feelings, thoughts, and actions.

the images collected and used in a written work to add to the ambiance; language used by a writer that causes readers to imagine pictures in their minds, which gives them a mental image of the people, places, and things in a story.

Example: He could never escape from the iron grip of desire.

Source: YourDictionary.com

incongruity between situations developed in a drama and the accompanying words or actions that are understood by the audience (but not by the characters); also called dramatic irony.

Example: In William Shakespeare's Macbeth , Macbeth appears to be loyal to Duncan, even though he is planning Duncan's murder. Duncan does not know Macbeth's plans, but the audience knows what is going to happen.

Literal Language:

a form of language in which the writer means exactly what his or her words denote.

a figure of speech in which a word or phrase literally denoting one kind of object or idea is used in place of another to suggest a likeness or analogy between them (as in "drowning in debt").

He is the apple of my eye . In this example, there is, of course, no real apple in a person's eye. The "apple" here is referring to someone beloved and held dear.

With a wooden face, he watched the car approach . His face wasn't really made of wood, but the metaphor communicates that he had a still, stoic expression.

a figure of speech in which a word is replaced by something that is associated with it; it may provide a common meaning for that word.

Crown – in place of a royal person.

We must wait to hear from the crown until we make any further decisions.

Ears – for giving attention ("Lend me your ears!" from Mark Antony in Julius Caesar ).

a conscious state of mind or predominant emotion.

the reoccurring aspect (object, issue) in a story; can also be two binary elements in a piece of writing (e.g., bad versus good). A recurring salient thematic element, especially a dominant idea or central theme.

a collection of events featured in a story that are placed in a certain order and recounted to tell a story. The story may or may not be true, and the events are placed in a specific order.

the person or character who tells and explains a story; the person who says the words that are heard as part of a story; the person describing what is happening in a story; a person who provides the narration for something.

Onomatopoeia:

words that imitate, sound like, or evoke their own meaning; the naming of a thing or action by a vocal imitation of the sound associated with it (such as buzz or hiss).

Example: Words related to the voice. Sounds that come from the back of the throat tend to start with a gr- sound, whereas sounds that come out of the mouth through the lips, tongue, and teeth begin with mu-.

Image source: OpenClips/Pixabay.com

– giggle

– growl

– grunt

– gurgle

– mumble

– murmur

– bawl

– belch

– chatter

– blurt

a short story that teaches a moral or spiritual lesson, especially one of the stories told by Jesus Christ and recorded in the Bible.

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it" (Matthew 13:45–46, King James Version).

according to the Encyclopaedia Britannica , parody is "an imitation the style and manner of a particular writer or school of writers . . . so as to emphasize and thus satirize the weakness of the writer or the overused conventions of the school."

Example: Cold Comfort Farm parodies the style of other novels depicting rural life of the 1920s and 1930s.

Personification:

attributing human characteristics to something that is not human (a thing, an animal, or an abstraction).

Example: Lightning danced across the sky; the flower begged to be watered.

a the direction of a story's main events and incidents and how they relate to one another.

Point of View (POV):

the angle from which a story is told or narrated. Point of view can be first person, objective, limited omniscient, or omniscient.

– First person: the narrator is either a character in the story or an observer.

– Objective: the narrator knows (or seems to know) no more than the reader.

– Limited omniscient: the narrator knows some things about the characters, but not everything.

– Omniscient: the narrator knows everything about the characters.

Example: Using the word "I," this sentence is written in the first-person perspective: "It was times like these when I thought my father, who hated guns and had never been to any wars, was the bravest man who ever lived" (Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird ).

Protagonist:

the principal or main character in a literary work.

Example: Bilbo Baggins is the protagonist of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Recognition:

the point at which a character acknowledges his or her situation for what it really is; the act of knowing who or what someone or something is because of previous knowledge or experience.

Resolution:

the act of finding an answer or solution to a conflict or problem; the act of resolving something.

the point in the plot at which the action turns in an unexpected direction; usually involves the protagonist.

Rising Action:

the set of conflicts in a story that lead up to the climax.

Round Character:

a character in a story who is complex, dynamic, and maybe even contradictory; a round character is the opposite of a flat character. A round character's personality, background, motives, and other features are fully delineated by the author.

Example: Harry Potter in the Harry Potter series is a round character, as readers are made aware of the intricacies and complexities of his background, motives, and choices.

a way of using humor to show that someone or something is foolish, weak, bad, etc.; humor or a literary work that shows the weaknesses or flawed qualities of a person, government, society, etc.

the time, place, and conditions in which the action of a story takes place and which establish its context.

a comparison of two different things using the words like or as .

Example: His eyes were like blazing coals.

the main topic of a piece of writing; what a story is about. A subject can be found in a sentence, a paragraph, an essay, or a book.

a subordinate plot in fiction that coexists with the main plot.

A bird is shown flying above mountains as an example of a symbol of freedom.

something that stands for or suggests something else by reason of relationship, association, convention, or accidental resemblance, especially a visible sign of something invisible; an object or act representing something in the unconscious mind that has been repressed.

Example: Birds are often used as symbols of freedom.

Synecdoche:

a figure of speech by which a part is substituted for the whole (such as "50 sail" for "50 ships"), the whole for a part (such as "society" for "high society"), the species for the genus (such as "cutthroat" for "assassin"), the genus for the species (such as a "creature" for "a man"), or the name of the material for the thing made (such as "boards" for "the stage").

Example: The pen is mightier than the sword.

the way in which linguistic elements (as words) are put together to form constituents (such as phrases or clauses) in a sentence or line of verse or dialogue. The organization of these words and phrases creates prose, verse, and dialogue.

a story about imaginary events; an exciting or dramatic story; a story about someone's actual experiences; an exciting story that may not be completely true.

Example: Fairy tales, such as Cinderella .

the idea of a literary work abstracted from its details of language, character, and action, and cast in the form of a generalization.

a particular pitch or change of pitch constituting an element in the intonation of a phrase or sentence; the style or manner of expression in speaking or writing.

Hamlet is shown, holding the skull of Yorick.

Tragic Hero/Tragic Figure:

a protagonist whose story comes to an unhappy end due to his or her own behavior and character flaws.

Example: Shakespeare's Hamlet is a tragic hero.

Understatement:

saying that something is smaller or less important than it actually is.

Example: Be careful in the kitchen—the oven can get a bit warm.

Writing Style:

the ways in which an author chooses to write words for his or her readers, including how he or she arranges sentences, paragraphs, dialogue, and verse. Style also refers to how the author develops ideas and actions with description, imagery, and other literary techniques.

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60 Literary Devices With Examples: The Master List

Literary devices are perhaps the greatest tools that writers have in literature. Just think — Shakespeare could have written: Everyone has a role in life.

Instead, he used a literary device and penned what is likely the most famous metaphor in literature:

All the world’s a stage

And all the men and women merely players

And the rest is history.

What are literary devices?

A literary device is a writing technique that writers use to express ideas, convey meaning, and highlight important themes in a piece of text. A metaphor, like we mentioned earlier, is a famous example of a literary device.

These devices serve a wide range of purposes in literature. Some might work on an intellectual level, while others have a more emotional effect. They may also work subtly to improve the flow and pacing of your writing. No matter what, if you're looking to inject something special into your prose, literary devices are a great place to start.

How to identify literary devices

A writer using a literary device is quite different from a reader identifying it. Often, an author’s use of a literary device is subtle by design —you only feel its effect, and not its presence.

Therefore, we’ve structured this post for both purposes:

If you’re a reader, we’ve included examples for each literary device to make it easier for you to identify them in the wild.
If you’re a writer, we’ve included exercises for the literary devices, so that you can practice using them in your works.

Let’s get to it.

60 common literary devices, with examples

1. alliteration.

Alliteration describes a series of words in quick succession that all start with the same letter or sound. It lends a pleasing cadence to prose and Hamlet and the dollar as currency in Macbeth .

Example: “ One short sleepe past, wee wake eternally,

And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die.” — “Death, Be Not Proud” by John Donne

Exercise: Pick a letter and write a sentence where every word starts with that letter or one that sounds similar.

2. Anaphora

Anaphora is the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of a series of clauses or sentences. It’s often seen in poetry and speeches, intended to provoke an emotional response in its audience.

Example: Martin Luther King’s 1963 “I Have A Dream” speech.

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed.

"… and I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit together at the table of brotherhood.

"… I have a dream that little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”

Exercise: Pick a famous phrase and write a paragraph elaborating on an idea, beginning each sentence with that phrase.

Similar term: repetition

3. Anastrophe

Anastrophe is a figure of speech wherein the traditional sentence structure is reversed. So a typical verb-subject-adjective sentence such as “Are you ready?” becomes a Yoda-esque adjective-verb-subject question: “Ready, are you?” Or a standard adjective-noun pairing like “tall mountain” becomes “mountain tall.”

Example: “Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing.” — “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe

Exercise: Write a standard verb-subject-adjective sentence or adjective-noun pairing then flip the order to create an anastrophe. How does it change the meaning or feeling of the sentence?

4. Chiasmus

Chiasmus is when two or more parallel clauses are inverted. “Why would I do that?” you may be wondering. Well, a chiasmus might sound confusing and unnecessary in theory, but it's much more convincing in practice — and in fact, you've likely already come across it before.

Example: “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” — John F. Kennedy

5. Congeries

Congeries is a fancy literary term for creating a list. The items in your list can be words, ideas, or phrases, and by displaying them this way helps prove or emphasize a point — or even create a sense of irony. Occasionally, it’s also called piling as the words are “piling up.”

Example: "Apart from better sanitation and medicine and education and irrigation and public health and roads and a freshwater system and baths and public order, what have the Romans done for us?" — Monty Python’s Life of Brian

6. Cumulative sentence

A cumulative sentence (or “loose sentence”) is one that starts with an independent clause, but then has additional or modifying clauses. They’re often used for contextual or clarifying details. This may sound complex, but even, “I ran to the store to buy milk, bread, and toilet paper” is a cumulative sentence, because the first clause, “I ran to the store,” is a complete sentence, while the rest tells us extra information about your run to the store.

Example: “It was a large bottle of gin Albert Cousins had brought to the party, yes, but it was in no way large enough to fill all the cups, and in certain cases to fill them many times over, for the more than one hundred guests, some of whom were dancing not four feet in front of him.” – Commonwealth by Ann Patchett

Example: Write three sentences that are related to each other. Can you combine the information into a cumulative sentence?

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7. Epistrophe

Epistrophe is the opposite of anaphora, with this time a word or phrase being repeated at the end of a sentence. Though its placement in a sentence is different it serves the same purpose—creating emphasis—as an anaphora does.

Example: “I’ll be ever’where – wherever you look. Wherever they’s a fight so hungry people can eat, I’ll be there. Wherever they’s a cop beatin’ up a guy, I’ll be there . If Casy knowed, why, I’ll be in the way guys yell when they’re mad an’ – I’ll be in the way kids laugh when they’re hungry an’ they know supper’s ready. An’ when our folks eat the stuff they raise an’ live in the houses they build, why, I’ll be there .” — The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

Similar terms: repetition, anaphora

Exercise: Write a paragraph where a phrase or a word is repeated at the end of every sentence, emphasizing the point you’re trying to make.

8. Erotesis

Erotesis is a close cousin of the rhetorical question. Rather than a question asked without expectation of an answer, this is when the question (and the asker) confidently expects a response that is either negative or affirmative.

Example: “ Do you then really think that you have committed your follies in order to spare your son them?” — Siddhartha by Herman Hesse

Similar term: rhetorical question

9. Hyperbaton

Hyperbaton is the inversion of words, phrases, or clauses in a sentence that differs from how they would normally be arranged. It comes from the Greek hyperbatos, which means “transposed” or “inverted.” While it is similar to anastrophe, it doesn’t have the same specific structure and allows you to rearrange your sentences in whatever order you want.

Example: “Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire.” — “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe

Similar terms: anastrophe, epistrophe

10. Isocolon

If you’re a neat freak who likes things just so , isocolon is the literary device for you. This is when two or more phrases or clauses have similar structure, rhythm, and even length — such that, when stacked up on top of each other, they would line up perfectly. Isocolon often crops up in brand slogans and famous sayings; the quick, balanced rhythm makes the phrase catchier and more memorable.

Example: Veni, vidi, vici (“I came, I saw, I conquered”)

11. Litotes

Litotes (pronounced lie-toe-teez ) is the signature literary device of the double negative. Writers use litotes to express certain sentiments through their opposites, by saying that that opposite is not the case. Don’t worry, it makes more sense with the examples. 😉

Examples: “You won’t be sorry” (meaning you’ll be happy); “you’re not wrong” (meaning you’re right); “I didn’t not like it” (meaning I did)

12. Malapropism

If Shakespeare is the king of metaphors, Michael Scott is the king of malapropisms . A malapropism is when similar-sounding words replace their appropriate counterparts, typically to comic effect — one of the most commonly cited is “dance a flamingo,” rather than a “flamenco.” Malapropisms are often employed in dialogue when a character flubs up their speech.

Example: “I am not to be truffled with.”

Exercise: Choose a famous or common phrase and see if you can replace a word with a similar sounding one that changes the meaning.

13. Onomatopoeia

Amusingly, onomatopoeia (itself a difficult-to-pronounce word) refers to words that sound like the thing they’re referring to. Well-known instances of onomatopoeia include whiz, buzz, snap, grunt, etc.

Example: The excellent children's book Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type . “Farmer Brown has a problem. His cows like to type. All day long he hears: Click, clack, moo. Click, clack, moo. Clickety, clack, moo. ”

Exercise: Take some time to listen to the sounds around you and write down what you hear. Now try to use those sounds in a short paragraph or story.

14. Oxymoron

An oxymoron comes from two contradictory words that describe one thing. While juxtaposition contrasts two story elements, oxymorons are about the actual words you are using.

Example: "Parting is such sweet sorrow.” — Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. (Find 100 more examples of oxymorons here .)

Similar terms: juxtaposition, paradox

Exercise: Choose two words with opposite meanings and see if you can use them in a sentence to create a coherent oxymoron.

15. Parallelism

Parallelism is all about your sentence structure. It’s when similar ideas, sounds, phrases, or words are arranged in a way that is harmonious or creates a parallel, hence the name. It can add rhythm and meter to any piece of writing and can often be found in poetry.

Example: “ That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” — Neil Armstrong

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16. Polysyndeton

Instead of using a single conjunction in lengthy statements, polysyndeton uses several in succession for a dramatic effect. This one is definitely for authors looking to add a bit of artistic flair to their writing, or who are hoping to portray a particular (usually naïve) sort of voice.

Example: “Luster came away from the flower tree and we went along the fence and they stopped and we stopped and I looked through the fence while Luster was hunting in the grass.” — The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner

Exercise: Write three or four independent sentences. Try combining them using conjunctions. What kind of effect does this have on the overall meaning and tone of the piece?

17. Portmanteau

A portmanteau is when two words are combined to form a new word which refers to a single concept that retains the meanings of both the original words. Modern language is full of portmanteaus. In fact, the portmanteau is itself a portmanteau. It’s a combination of the French porter (to carry) and manteau (cloak).

Example: Brunch (breakfast and lunch); cosplay (costume and roleplay); listicle (list and article); romcom (romance and comedy)

Exercise: Pick two words that are often used together to describe a single concept. See if there’s a way to combine them and create a single word that encompasses the meaning of both.

18. Repetition

Repetition , repetition, repetition… where would we be without it? Though too much repetition is rarely a good thing, occasional repetition can be used quite effectively to drill home a point, or to create a certain atmosphere. For example, horror writers often use repetition to make the reader feel trapped and scared.

Example: In The Shining , Jack Torrance types over and over again on his pages, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” In this case, obsessive repetition demonstrates the character’s unraveling mind.

Similar term: anaphora

Exercise: Repetition can be used to call attention to an idea or phrase. Pick an idea you want to emphasize and write a few sentences about it. Are there any places where you can add repetition to make it more impactful?

19. Tautology

A tautology is when a sentence or short paragraph repeats a word or phrase, expressing the same idea twice. Often, this is a sign that you should trim your work to remove the redundancy (such as “frozen ice”) but can also be used for poetic emphasis.

Example: "But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping, And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door" – “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe

20. Tmesis

Tmesis is when a word or phrase is broken up by an interjecting word, such as abso-freaking-lutely. It’s used to draw out and emphasize the idea, often with a humorous or sarcastic slant.

Example: "This is not Romeo, he's some-other-where." – Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

21. Allegory

An allegory is a type of narrative that uses characters and plot to depict abstract ideas and themes . In an allegorical story, things represent more than they appear to on the surface. Many children's fables, such as The Tortoise and the Hare , are simple allegories about morality — but allegories can also be dark, complex, and controversial.

Example: Animal Farm by George Orwell. This dystopian novella is one of modern literature’s best-known allegories. A commentary on the events leading up to Stalin's rise and the formation of the Soviet Union, the pigs at the heart of the novel represent figures such as Stalin, Trotsky, and Molotov.

Exercise: Pick a major trend or problem in the world and consider what defines it. Try and create a story where that trend plays out on a smaller scale.

22. Anecdote

An anecdote is like a short story within a story. Sometimes, they are incredibly short—only a line or two—and their purpose is to add a character’s perspective, knowledge, or experience to a situation. They can be inspirational, humorous, or be used to inspire actions in others. Since anecdotes are so short, don’t expect them to be part of a main story. They’re usually told by a character and part of the dialogue.

Example: Marcel Proust’s Swann’s Way , part of his series of novels, In Search of Lost Time, deals with the themes of remembrance and memory. In one section of this book, to illustrate these ideas, the main character recalls an important memory of eating a madeleine cookie. “Many years had elapsed during which nothing of Combray, save what was comprised in the theatre and the drama of my going to bed there, had any existence for me, when one day in winter, as I came home, my mother, seeing that I was cold, offered me some tea, a thing I did not ordinarily take. I declined at first, and then, for no particular reason, changed my mind. She sent out for one of those short, plump little cakes called ‘petites madeleines,’ which look as though they had been moulded in the fluted scallop of a pilgrim’s shell.”

23. Deus Ex Machina

Literally meaning “god in the machine” in Greek, deus ex machina is a plot device where an impossible situation is solved by the appearance of an unexpected or unheard of character, action, object, or event. This brings about a quick and usually happy resolution for a story and can be used to surprise an audience, provide comic relief, or provide a fix for a complicated plot. However, deus ex machinas aren’t always looked upon favorably and can sometimes be seen as lazy writing, so they should be used sparingly and with great thought.

Example: William Golding’s famous novel of a group of British boys marooned on a desert island is resolved with a deus ex machina. At the climax of The Lord of the Flies, just as Ralph is about to be killed by Jack, a naval officer arrives to rescue the boys and bring them back to civilization. It’s an altogether unexpected and bloodless ending for a story about the boys’ descent into savagery.

Exercise: Consider the ending of your favorite book or movie and then write an alternate ending that uses a deus ex machina to resolve the main conflict. How does this affect the overall story in terms of theme and tone?

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24. Dramatic irony

Dramatic irony is when the readers know more about the situation going on than at least one of the characters involved. This creates a difference between the ways the audience and the characters perceive unfolding events. For instance, if we know that one character is having an affair, when that character speaks to their spouse, we will pick up on the lies and double-meanings of their words, while the spouse may take them at face value.

Example: In Titanic , the audience knows from the beginning of the movie that the boat will sink. This creates wry humor when characters remark on the safety of the ship.

25. Exposition

Exposition is when the narrative provides background information in order to help the reader understand what’s going on. When used in conjunction with description and dialogue, this literary device provides a richer understanding of the characters, setting, and events. Be careful, though — too much exposition will quickly become boring, thus undercutting the emotional impact of your work.

Example: “The Dursley’s had everything they wanted, but they also had a secret, and their greatest fear was that somebody would discover it.” – Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

Exercise: Pick your favorite story and write a short paragraph introducing it to someone who knows nothing about it.

26. Flashback

Flashbacks to previous events split up present-day scenes in a story, usually to build suspense toward a big reveal. Flashbacks are also an interesting way to present exposition for your story, gradually revealing to the reader what happened in the past.

Example: Every other chapter in the first part of Gone Girl is a flashback, with Amy’s old diary entries describing her relationship with her husband before she disappeared.

Similar term: foreshadowing

27. Foreshadowing

Foreshadowing is when the author hints at events yet to come in a story. Similar to flashbacks (and often used in conjunction with them), this technique is also used to create tension or suspense — giving readers just enough breadcrumbs to keep them hungry for more.

Example: One popular method of foreshadowing is through partial reveals — the narrator leaves out key facts to prompt readers’ curiosity. Jeffrey Eugenides does this in The Virgin Suicides : “On the morning the last Lisbon daughter took her turn at suicide — it was Mary this time, and sleeping pills, like Therese, the two paramedics arrived at the house knowing exactly where the knife drawer was, and the gas oven, and the beam in the basement from which it was possible to tie a rope.”

Similar term: flashback

Exercise: Go back to your favorite book or movie. Can you identify any instances of foreshadowing in the early portions of the story for events that happen in the future?

28. Frame story

A frame story is any part of the story that "frames" another part of it, such as one character telling another about their past, or someone uncovering a diary or a series of news articles that then tell the readers what happened. Since the frame story supports the rest of the plot, it is mainly used at the beginning and the end of the narrative, or in small interludes between chapters or short stories.

Example: In The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss, Kvothe is telling Chronicler the story of his life over the span of three days. Most of the novel is the story he is telling, while the frame is any part that takes place in the inn.

29. In Medias Res

In medias res is a Latin term that means "in the midst of things" and is a way of starting a narrative without exposition or contextual information. It launches straight into a scene or action that is already unfolding.

Example: “Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice.” — The opening line of One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez

Exercise: Pick a story you enjoy and rewrite the opening scene so that it starts in the middle of the story.

30. Point of view

Point of view is, of course, the mode of narration in a story. There are many POVs an author can choose, and each one will have a different impact on the reading experience.

Example: Second person POV is uncommon because it directly addresses the reader — not an easy narrative style to pull off. One popular novel that manages to employ this perspective successfully is Bright Lights, Big City by Jay McInerney: “You are not the kind of guy who would be at a place like this at this time of the morning. But here you are, and you cannot say that the terrain is entirely unfamiliar, although the details are fuzzy.”

Exercise: Write a short passage in either first, second, or third person. Then rewrite that passage in the other two points of view, only changing the pronouns. How does the change in POV affect the tone and feel of the story?

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31. Soliloquy

Soliloquy involves a character speaking their thoughts aloud, usually at length (and often in a Shakespeare play). The character in question may be alone or in the company of others, but they’re not speaking for the benefit of other people; the purpose of a soliloquy is for a character to reflect independently.

Example: Hamlet’s “to be or not to be” speech, in which he ruminates on the nature of life and death, is a classic dramatic soliloquy.

Exercise: Pick a character from your favorite book or movie and write a soliloquy from their point of view where they consider their thoughts and feelings on an important part of their story or character arc.

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Tone refers to the overall mood and message of your book. It’s established through a variety of means, including voice, characterization, symbolism, and themes. Tone sets the feelings you want your readers to take away from the story.

Example: No matter how serious things get in The Good Place , there is always a chance for a character to redeem themselves by improving their behavior. The tone remains hopeful for the future of humanity in the face of overwhelming odds.

Exercise: Write a short paragraph in an upbeat tone. Now using the same situation you came up with, rewrite that passage in a darker or sadder tone.

33. Tragicomedy

Tragicomedy is just what it sounds like: a blend of tragedy and comedy. Tragicomedy helps an audience process darker themes by allowing them to laugh at the situation even when circumstances are bleak.

Example: Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events uses wordplay, absurd situations, and over-the-top characters to provide humor in an otherwise tragic story.

34. Allusion

An allusion is a reference to a person, place, thing, concept, or other literary work that a reader is likely to recognize. A lot of meaning can be packed into an allusion and it’s often used to add depth to a story. Many works of classic Western literature will use allusions to the Bible to expand on or criticize the morals of their time.

Example: “The two knitting women increase his anxiety by gazing at him and all the other sailors with knowing unconcern. Their eerie looks suggest that they know what will happen (the men dying), yet don’t care.” The two women knitting in this passage from Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness are a reference to the Fates from Greek mythology, who decide the fate of humanity by spinning and cutting the threads of life.

Exercise: In a relatively simple piece of writing, see how many times you can use allusions. Go completely crazy. Once you’re finished, try to cut it down to a more reasonable amount and watch for how it creates deeper meaning in your piece.

35. Analogy

An analogy connects two seemingly unrelated concepts to show their similarities and expand on a thought or idea. They are similar to metaphors and similes, but usually take the comparison much further than either of these literary devices as they are used to support a claim rather than provide imagery.

Example: “ It has been well said that an author who expects results from a first novel is in a position similar to that of a man who drops a rose petal down the Grand Canyon of Arizona and listens for the echo.” — P.G. Wodehouse

Exercise: Pick two seemingly unrelated nouns and try to connect them with a verb to create an analogy.

36. Anthropomorphism

To anthropomorphize is to apply human traits or qualities to a non-human thing such as objects, animals, or the weather. But unlike personification, in which this is done through figurative description, anthropomorphism is literal: a sun with a smiling face, for example, or talking dogs in a cartoon.

Examples: In Disney’s Beauty and the Beast , Mrs. Potts the teapot, Cogsworth the clock, and Lumière the candlestick are all household objects that act and behave like humans (which, of course, they were when they weren’t under a spell).

Similar term: personification

Exercise: Pick a non-human object and describe it as if it was human, literally ascribing human thoughts, feelings, and senses to it.

37. Aphorism

An aphorism is a universally accepted truth stated in a concise, to-the-point way. Aphorisms are typically witty and memorable, often becoming adages or proverbs as people repeat them over and over.

Example: “To err is human, to forgive divine.” — Alexander Pope

38. Archetype

An archetype is a “universal symbol” that brings familiarity and context to a story. It can be a character, a setting, a theme, or an action. Archetypes represent feelings and situations that are shared across cultures and time periods, and are therefore instantly recognizable to any audience — for instance, the innocent child character, or the theme of the inevitability of death.

Example: Superman is a heroic archetype: noble, self-sacrificing, and drawn to righting injustice whenever he sees it.

Exercise: Pick an archetype — either a character or a theme — and use it to write a short piece centered around that idea.

A cliché is a saying or idea that is used so often it becomes seen as unoriginal. These phrases might become so universal that, despite their once intriguing nature, they're now looked down upon as uninteresting and overused.

Examples: Some common cliches you might have encountered are phrases like “easy as pie” and “light as a feather.” Some lines from famous books and movies have become so popular that they are now in and of themselves cliches such as Darth Vader’s stunning revelation from The Empire Strikes Back, “Luke, I am your father.” Also, many classic lines of Shakespeare are now considered cliches like, “All that glitters is not gold” from The Merchant of Venice.

Exercise: Write a short passage using as many cliches as possible. Now try to cut them out and replace them with more original phrasing. See how the two passages compare.

40. Colloquialism

Colloquialism is the use of casual and informal language in writing, which can also include slang. Writers use colloquialisms to provide context to settings and characters, and to make their writing sound more authentic. Imagine reading a YA novel that takes place in modern America, and the characters speak to each other like this:

“Good morning, Sue. I hope that you slept well and are prepared for this morning’s science exam.”

It’s not realistic. Colloquialisms help create believable dialogue :

“Hey Sue, what’d you get up to last night? This science test is gonna suck.”

Example: Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh takes place in Scotland, a fact made undeniably obvious by the dialect: “Thing is, as ye git aulder, this character-deficiency gig becomes mair sapping. Thir wis a time ah used tae say tae aw the teachers, bosses, dole punters, poll-tax guys, magistrates, when they telt me ah was deficient: ’Hi, cool it, gadge, ah’m jist me, jist intae a different sort ay gig fae youse but, ken?’”

Exercise: Write a dialogue between two characters as formally as possible. Now take that conversation and make it more colloquial. Imagine that you’re having this conversation with a friend. Mimic your own speech patterns as you write.

41. Euphemism

A euphemism is an indirect, “polite” way of describing something too inappropriate or awkward to address directly. However, most people will still understand the truth about what's happening.

Example: When an elderly person is forced to retire, some might say they’re being “put out to pasture.”

Exercise: Write a paragraph where you say things very directly. Now rewrite that paragraph using only euphemisms.

42. Hyperbole

Hyperbole is an exaggerated statement that emphasizes the significance of the statement’s actual meaning. When a friend says, "Oh my god, I haven't seen you in a million years," that's hyperbole.

Example: “At that time Bogotá was a remote, lugubrious city where an insomniac rain had been falling since the beginning of the 16th century.” — Living to Tell the Tale by Gabriel García Márquez

Exercise: Tall tales often make use of hyperbole to tell an exaggerated story. Use hyperbole to relate a completely mundane event or experience to turn it into a tall tale.

43. Hypophora

Hypophora is much like a rhetorical question, wherein someone asks a question that doesn't require an answer. However, in hypophora, the person raises a question and answers it immediately themselves (hence the prefix hypo, meaning 'under' or 'before'). It’s often used when characters are reasoning something aloud.

Example: “Do you always watch for the longest day of the year and then miss it? I always watch for the longest day in the year and then miss it.” — Daisy in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

An idiom is a saying that uses figurative language whose meaning differs from what it literally says. These phrases originate from common cultural experiences, even if that experience has long ago been forgotten. Without cultural context, idioms don’t often make sense and can be the toughest part for non-native speakers to understand.

Example: In everyday use, idioms are fairly common. We say things like, “It’s raining cats and dogs” to say that it’s downpouring.

Exercise: Idioms are often used in dialogue. Write a conversation between two people where idioms are used to express their main points.

45. Imagery

Imagery appeals to readers’ senses through highly descriptive language. It’s crucial for any writer hoping to follow the rule of "show, don’t tell," as strong imagery truly paints a picture of the scene at hand.

Example: “In the hard-packed dirt of the midway, after the glaring lights are out and the people have gone to bed, you will find a veritable treasure of popcorn fragments, frozen custard dribblings, candied apples abandoned by tired children, sugar fluff crystals, salted almonds, popsicles, partially gnawed ice cream cones and wooden sticks of lollipops.” — Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

Exercise: Choose an object, image, or idea and use the five senses to describe it.

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Irony creates a contrast between how things seem and how they really are. There are three types of literary irony : dramatic (when readers know what will happen before characters do), situational (when readers expect a certain outcome, only to be surprised by a turn of events), and verbal (when the intended meaning of a statement is the opposite of what was said).

Example: This opening scene from Orson Welles’ A Touch of Evil is a great example of how dramatic irony can create tension.

47. Juxtaposition

Juxtaposition places two or more dissimilar characters, themes, concepts, etc. side by side, and the profound contrast highlights their differences. Why is juxtaposition such an effective literary device? Well, because sometimes the best way for us to understand something is by understanding what it’s not .

Example: In the opening lines of A Tale of Two Cities , Charles Dickens uses juxtaposition to emphasize the societal disparity that led to the French Revolution: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness…”

Similar terms: oxymoron, paradox

Exercise: Pick two ideas, objects, places, or people that seem like complete opposites. Introduce them side by side in the beginning of your piece and highlight their similarities and differences throughout.

48. Metaphor

A metaphor compares two similar things by saying that one of them is the other. As you'd likely expect, when it comes to literary devices, this one is a heavy hitter. And if a standard metaphor doesn't do the trick, a writer can always try an extended metaphor : a metaphor that expands on the initial comparison through more elaborate parallels.

Example: Metaphors are literature’s bread and butter (metaphor intended) — good luck finding a novel that is free of them. Here’s one from Frances Hardinge’s A Face Like Glass : “Wishes are thorns, he told himself sharply. They do us no good, just stick into our skin and hurt us.”

Similar term: simile

Exercise: Write two lists: one with tangible objects and the other concepts. Mixing and matching, try to create metaphors where you describe the concepts using physical objects.

One metaphor example not enough? Check out this post , which has 97 of ‘em!

49. Metonymy

Metonymy is like symbolism, but even more so. A metonym doesn’t just symbolize something else, it comes to serve as a synonym for that thing or things — typically, a single object embodies an entire institution.

Examples: “The crown” representing the monarchy, “Washington” representing the U.S. government.

Similar term: synecdoche

Exercise: Create a list of ten common metonymies you might encounter in everyday life and speech.

Whatever form a motif takes, it recurs throughout the novel and helps develop the theme of the narrative. This might be a symbol, concept, or image.

Example: In Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, trains are an omnipresent motif that symbolize transition, derailment, and ultimately violent death and destruction.

Similar term: symbol

Exercise: Pick a famous book or movie and see if you can identify any common motifs within it.

51. Non sequitur

Non sequiturs are statements that don't logically follow what precedes them. They’ll often be quite absurd and can lend humor to a story. But they’re just not good for making jokes. They can highlight missing information or a miscommunication between characters and even be used for dramatic effect.

Example: “It was a spring day, the sort that gives people hope: all soft winds and delicate smells of warm earth. Suicide weather.” — Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen

Exercise: Write a conversation that gets entirely derailed by seemingly unrelated non sequiturs.

52. Paradox

Paradox derives from the Greek word paradoxon , which means “beyond belief.” It’s a statement that asks people to think outside the box by providing seemingly illogical — and yet actually true — premises.

Example: In George Orwell’s 1984 , the slogan of the totalitarian government is built on paradoxes: “War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength.” While we might read these statements as obviously contradictory, in the context of Orwell’s novel, these blatantly corrupt sentiments have become an accepted truth.

Similar terms: oxymoron, juxtaposition

Exercise: Try writing your own paradox. First, think of two opposing ideas that can be juxtaposed against each other. Then, create a situation where these contradictions coexist with each other. What can you gather from this unique perspective?

53. Personification

Personification uses human traits to describe non-human things. Again, while the aforementioned anthropomorphism actually applies these traits to non-human things, personification means the behavior of the thing does not actually change. It's personhood in figurative language only.

Example: “Just before it was dark, as they passed a great island of Sargasso weed that heaved and swung in the light sea as though the ocean were making love with something under a yellow blanket, his small line was taken by a dolphin.” — The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

Similar term: anthropomorphism

Exercise: Pick a non-human object and describe it using human traits, this time using similes and metaphors rather than directly ascribing human traits to it.

54. Rhetorical question

A rhetorical question is asked to create an effect rather than to solicit an answer from the listener or reader. Often it has an obvious answer and the point of asking is to create emphasis. It’s a great way to get an audience to consider the topic at hand and make a statement.

Example: “If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?” — The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare

Writers use satire to make fun of some aspect of human nature or society — usually through exaggeration, ridicule, or irony. There are countless ways to satirize something; most of the time, you know it when you read it.

Example: The famous adventure novel Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift is a classic example of satire, poking fun at “travelers' tales,” the government, and indeed human nature itself.

A simile draws resemblance between two things by saying “Thing A is like Thing B,” or “Thing A is as [adjective] as Thing B.” Unlike a metaphor, a similar does not posit that these things are the same, only that they are alike. As a result, it is probably the most common literary device in writing — you can almost always recognize a simile through the use of “like” or “as.”

Example: There are two similes in this description from Circe by Madeline Miller: “The ships were golden and huge as leviathans, their rails carved from ivory and horn. They were towed by grinning dolphins or else crewed by fifty black-haired nereids, faces silver as moonlight.”

Similar term: metaphor

57. Symbolism

Authors turn to tangible symbols to represent abstract concepts and ideas in their stories Symbols typically derive from objects or non-humans — for instance, a dove might represent peace, or a raven might represent death.

Example: In The Great Gatsby , Fitzgerald uses the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg (actually a faded optometrist's billboard) to represent God and his judgment of the Jazz Age.

Similar term: motif

Exercise: Choose an object that you want to represent something — like an idea or concept. Now, write a poem or short story centered around that symbol.

58. Synecdoche

Synecdoche is the usage of a part to represent the whole. That is, rather than an object or title that’s merely associated with the larger concept (as in metonymy), synecdoche must actually be attached in some way: either to the name, or to the larger whole itself.

Examples: “Stanford won the game” ( Stanford referring to the full title of the Stanford football team) or “Nice wheels you got there” ( wheels referring to the entire car)

Similar term: metonymy

Zeugma is when one word is used to ascribe two separate meanings to two other words. This literary device is great for adding humor and figurative flair as it tends to surprise the reader. And it’s just a fun type of wordplay.

Example: “ Yet time and her aunt moved slowly — and her patience and her ideas were nearly worn out before the tete-a-tete was over.” — Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

60. Zoomorphism

Zoomorphism is when you take animal traits and assign them to anything that’s not an animal. It’s the opposite of anthropomorphism and personification, and can be either a physical manifestation, such as a god appearing as an animal, or a comparison, like calling someone a busy bee .

Example: When vampires turn into bats, their bat form is an instance of zoomorphism.

Exercise: Describe a human or object by using traits that are usually associated with animals.

Similar terms: anthropomorphism, personification

Readers and writers alike can get a lot out of understanding literary devices and how they're used. Readers can use them to gain insight into the author’s intended meaning behind their work, while writers can use literary devices to better connect with readers. But whatever your motivation for learning them, you certainly won't be sorry you did! (Not least because you'll recognize the device I just used in that sentence 😉)

6 responses

Ron B. Saunders says:

16/01/2019 – 19:26

Paraprosdokians are also delightful literary devices for creating surprise or intrigue. They cause a reader to rethink a concept or traditional expectation. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paraprosdokian)

ManhattanMinx says:

17/01/2019 – 02:07

That's pore, not pour. Shame.....

↪️ Coline Harmon replied:

14/06/2019 – 19:06

It was a Malapropism

↪️ JC JC replied:

23/10/2019 – 00:02

Yeah ManhattanMinx. It's a Malepropism!

↪️ jesus replied:

07/11/2019 – 13:24

Susan McGrath says:

10/03/2020 – 10:56

"But whatever your motivation for learning them, you certainly won't be sorry you did! (Not least because you'll recognize the device I just used in that sentence. 😏)" Litote

Comments are currently closed.

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Discover the Surprising Guide to Choosing the Perfect Glossary for Your Creative Writing Needs.

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Write or Left

(6 reviews)

Sybil Priebe, North Dakota State College of Science

Last Update: 2022

ISBN 13: 9798783934094

Publisher: Sybil Priebe

Language: English

Formats Available

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Learn more about reviews.

Reviewed by Corinne Ehrfurth, CE Instructor, Rochester Community & Technical College on 2/10/23

Priebe's book evocatively pushes the definition of "creative writing" to teach beyond the typical genres and modes. read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

Priebe's book evocatively pushes the definition of "creative writing" to teach beyond the typical genres and modes.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

All the content looks accurate as well as engaging and thought-provoking.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

Leading with tweets could easily be replaced if this social media platform goes under after all the hullabaloo with Musk at the helm.

Clarity rating: 5

While Priebe's book plays off older texts with the ABCs, theses notes--such as the B, "inclusivity" (pg. 12), frames the textbook on a progressive scale that reaches outside notions of the pre-1980s literary canon. This textbook would not fit instructors concerned with a legacy and historical approach to creative writing.

Consistency rating: 5

The pattern of exercises, student examples, questions, tips or feedback continues throughout the entire textbook to provide modeling of habits, reasoning, and qualities of the genres of creative writing while also inviting classes of students to push the boundaries.

Modularity rating: 5

Hyper-modular with sound-bite like inclusions of tweets, call-out quotes, and other breaks in the text itself. The table of contents subdivides the last chapter into subheadings that the rest of the chapters could also be split into right away. Since the author cites herself (see a blog post on pg. 24 for example), some self-referential moments occur.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The genre-based chapters provide a familiarity to long-time instructors of creative writing while also being student-friendly for writers who want to dive right away into something particular.

Interface rating: 4

The primary font choice becomes increasingly distracting the longer one reads, as it looks as if it's from a typewriter. Students with dyslexia might have greater issues reading this text when compared with other options.

Grammatical Errors rating: 4

Chapter titles and subtitles are not capitalized, which personally bothers me but fits the trendy style that might draw in younger students and less mature writers.

Cultural Relevance rating: 3

The more one reads this textbook, the less it makes good on its promise to include diverse voices since it features Walt Whitman and other typical canonical writers' excerpts as well as white people's or organization's tweets.

I especially enjoy how interactive this textbook would feel for writing students who want to hone and practice their craft.

Reviewed by Rachele Salvini, Emerging Writer Lecturer, Gettysburg College on 11/7/22

I decided to adopt Write or Left: an OER Book for Creative Writing Classes for my Introduction to Creative Writing classes for multiple reasons. The clarity and conciseness of the textbook makes it an excellent tool for college students who are approaching writing creatively for the first time. I have used a few commercial textbooks and anthologies throughout the years, and while I found them to be extremely detailed and exhaustive, students seem to struggle with theoretical sections and they expressed difficulty understanding some of the anthologized readings. While most creative writing textbooks and anthologies might be extremely helpful for teachers, some of the selected readings might not be particularly accessible for students who are approaching reading literature as writers for the first time. However, the editors of Write or Left chose readings that seem to align with the taste and aesthetic that young writers find enjoyable or at least approachable.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

Introduction to Creative Writing is a class mostly based on workshops and lively discussions, but the students also need a foundational element — they need to familiarize themselves with a vocabulary that allows them to discuss writing. Write or Left provides brief and concise definitions that help the students navigate the vocabulary surrounding the particularities of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and dramatic writing.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 3

While the book does not provide a wide or particularly updated range of readings for each genre, it covers the main concepts that students need to know to start talking about writing and workshopping each other’s work — which is, I think, the main purpose of the basic Introduction to Creative Writing course.

Write or Left is an excellent tool for students who are approaching creative writing for the first time and need to familiarize themselves with the most important terms to use during reading discussion and workshop. Notably, this book also covers more innovative aspects of creative writing — flash fiction and multimodal writing — to avoid a banal and cut-and-dry institutionalization of the four main genres, and show once again the fluid, regenerating, and ever-shifting nature of creative writing.

The textbook offers very clear and consistent definitions of terms that students of creative writing should get familiar with during an introductory course.

I am very excited with the briefness of the "theoretical" chapters, as students usually struggle with long chapters that break down the elements of craft in the four genres of creative writing. I would be happy to assign a whole chapter for the introductory class of each genre (each module).

I found it hard to make most commercial textbooks approachable for the students, who seem often confused by the readings or bored with the lengthy theoretical explanations of creative writing terms. This textbook might be implemented with readings chosen by the instructor, allowing the course to benefit from a personalized, unique approach to creative writing, which might feel more dynamic and adventurous than following a textbook or an anthology page by page. Write or Left might be a great tool for sections of Introduction to Creative Writing with a high student count, as instructors might struggle to find the time to workshop every student in each genre, and also cover the readings from a commercial textbook to make it worthwhile for students who spent a lot of money on it. In fact, a lot of Introduction to Creative Writing students might have to take Creative Writing as a requirement and not an elective course, so having them buy expensive textbooks that they might not really use throughout the semester and then ever again might be a waste.

Interface rating: 5

The textbook is extremely easy to access. I think the students will be very happy to access their book online for free.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I haven't found any grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

The readings used as example might represent a wider range of experiences and identities, but overall I'm satisfied.

Reviewed by Yelizaveta Renfro, Assistant Professor of English, Saint Mary's College on 5/5/22

Comprehensiveness rating: 3 see less

This book’s ambitious attempt to cover so much ground—fiction, poetry, nonfiction, drama, experimental fiction, and specialized genres like fantasy, science fiction, horror, and romance—is ultimately its biggest weakness. There is no way a single textbook can adequately cover all of these areas (and especially a slim volume like this one). As a result, the book is only the most cursory exploration of these multiple creative forms, barely scratching the surface of the field of creative writing. I could not imagine assigning this book in any course that I teach at the college level. Even my introduction to creative course—which covers fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction in one semester—requires a text that goes more deeply into these genres and that offers more substantial content.

I would like to see more precision and thoughtful wording, especially in defining terms. For example, the glossary definition of “fantasy” that is offered at the end of the book is, “the kind of writing that cannot take place in real life.” This is imprecise and even potentially confusing; doing the simplest internet search will yield a much a better definition. For much of the book, the information is not so much inaccurate as it is general and incomplete.

The general topics included in the book are certainly relevant, but an instructor using this text would need to supplement every step along the way. Not only are the explanations in some of the chapters too basic and brief, but the examples (when they exist at all) leave much to be desired, being limited mostly to older texts (nineteenth-century texts like an excerpt from Frankenstein or a story by Kate Chopin) or texts written by the instructor’s students (which are very typical of works produced by beginning creative writers). What students need most are high-quality, recent models for their own work. There are thousands of such works available online. While I understand that Priebe cannot reproduce these texts in her book, readers could still be pointed towards online literary journals that publish excellent creative writing.

Clarity rating: 4

The writing is generally clear, though as I noted elsewhere, definitions of terms could be more precise. The tone of the book is informal and friendly, making it easy to follow. I think that most student would find the book clear and accessible.

Consistency rating: 3

The book seems somewhat inconsistent in the depth of treatment it gives to different genres. For example, in the chapter on drama, there is an exhaustive discussion of the proper way to format a screenplay (the correct font and margins, rendering action and dialogue, and so forth), which makes up the majority of the chapter and strikes me as an unnecessary level of detail for beginning students (and the student example that is offered at the end of the chapter does not even adhere to these “proper formatting” rules). Meanwhile, other chapters are woefully lacking in necessary content. In the poetry chapter, for example, the poetic “forms” that are included seem arbitrary, and there is no real discussion of poetic meter. An introduction to poetry is incomplete without a basic overview of metrical feet.

Modularity rating: 4

In principle, it would be possible to use any of the chapters in this book as stand-alone readings for a course. Instructors could easily switch the order of the chapters around to suit their own progression through genres. The most useful chapter, in my option, is Chapter 10: Assignment and Project ideas, which offers a sizable collection of writing prompts, reading response activities, and portfolio ideas. While these are of varying usefulness and I would not offer them all as options for my students, some do stand out as excellent exercises.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 3

I did question the order of some of the chapters. For example, why does the chapter on flash fiction (a sub-genre of fiction) come before the general fiction chapter? And why does flash fiction have a chapter of its own, when there is barely any content? (The chapter is all of two and a half pages long.)

Interface rating: 3

The font in the pdf version that I read is not at all reader friendly and is hard on the eyes, in my opinion. I also found the screenshots of Tweets that lead off most chapters to be distracting and confusing, and the text offers no explanation or discussion of these, which adds to the impression that the book is a superficial hodgepodge, dropping in content without engaging with it.

Grammatical Errors rating: 3

While Priebe’s portion of the text is largely free of errors, the student texts that she includes do sometimes contain grammatical errors. While I understand the urge to present student writing as it is written, in a textbook I would expect writing that has been proofread.

This is a book that is at least aware of diversity/and inclusivity. In the opening chapter, Priebe lists the steps she has taken: “Most of the he/she pronouns have been flipped for they/them pronouns,” “‘White-sounding’ names have been replaced by more diverse ones,” “‘Husband’ or ‘wife’ have been replaced by ‘partner,’” and “The majority of examples in this book, by students or otherwise, are not written by white, heterosexual, cisgender men.” While I commend Priebe for her efforts, some of these moves strike me as cosmetic fixes, and the example published and student-written texts do not obviously reflect diverse perspectives (that is, they don’t explicitly tackle issues of race, gender, sexual orientation, ability, etc.). I would imagine that as Priebe continues to gather more information for future editions of this book, the diversity of voices represented will increase.

While I would not use this book in my college courses in its present form, I do think that is has a lot of potential and that future iterations of the book are likely to have enhanced content. As Priebe collects more student writing samples and as students fill in the numerous empty “Questions/Activities” sections that occur at the end of many chapters, this book may very well grow into a rich resource for creative writing instructors. I am planning to revisit this book in future editions to see what new material it has to offer.

Reviewed by Megan Green, Assistant Teaching Professor, Bowling Green State University on 4/25/22

This book offers a useful, concise guide for beginning creative writers. While many of the topics could be expanded upon, it fulfills its promise to offer only condensed snapshots of each subject. It would make a helpful addition to readings chosen by a professor and to selective texts about elements that may require more insightful approaches and in-depth discussions. Chapters that may require additional readings for most introductory classes include the chapters about flash fiction and drama.

The content offers accurate, up-to-date information about creative writing.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The chapter topics are highly relevant and up-to-date. I particularly enjoyed that the author chose to incorporate a chapter on multimodal works, which is something I have found numerous authors either glance over or fail to explore. Likewise, the choice to conclude with a section about how to get published offers relevant and significant points that students should be made aware of at an early stage.

Priebe implements small doses of humor throughout the book that are engaging (I do wish there were more, though!) and utilizes Plain Language to make the reading accessible.

Each chapter is structured identically, beginning with readings about the chapter's topics and ending with exercises.

Each chapter is short and could, in itself, be an easy reading assignment. However, chapters have smaller reading sections that can be assigned. Instructors should be aware that many exercises are written as thoughts to instructors rather than students and, thus, may require editing.

Each chapter offers concise readings over topics followed by exercises. Multiple exercises are listed so teachers can find one or two they would like to employ, and many are creative and effective at reiterating learning objectives.

The book is offered in multiple formats, including PDF, Word, and Google Doc. In the PDF version I perused, there were no interface issues.

There are a very few small mechanical and/or grammatical mistakes.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The author makes it a point to offer a variety of works in this textbook rather than canonical works that are oftentimes the labor of White male authors. Non-binary language also makes the text more inclusive.

The strongest element of this work is its suggested exercises, many of which may be used as in-class activities to further explore topics.

Reviewed by Clifford Buttram, Assistant Professor of Management, University of Saint Francis on 3/22/22

The discussion of key writing areas is organized in a smoothly flowing manner. From Poetry to Experimental and Children's Literature, the content was well organized and indexed efficiently for understanding and analysis. The book is neither too... read more

While I'm not a Creative Writing expert, I found the book quite accurate regarding the elements of idea formation and flow from an author or writer's perspective. I've written three historical fiction books and am currently working on a ten novella set in the same category. In choosing to review this book, I found it's accuracy in how an author thinks, organizes, and creates scenarios to be very helpful. The many quotes and references helped me greatly in forming new ideas and writing strategies, even in one chapter or sub chapter of my current book. I found no bias in any chapters, however, the informative proved was both relevant and useful.

I feel this book is not only relevant, but highly useful as a handbook companion piece. Although the title refers to a textbook, I found its organization to be formatted in a more usable sense as a handbook. A reader could focus on one chapter, a few chapters, or the entire book as a strong and handy reference. Although I read the entire book, a particular focus for me were the Fiction, Drama, and Flash Fiction chapters. Each provided much needed guidance and advice for idea creation and tips to improve elemental writing.

The chapter organization was clear throughout the book. Each chapter utilized an introduction of the key topic, self-questions, reading strategies, and exercises. I also enjoyed the dispersed quotes throughout the chapters that helped to support the key points within the chapter.

As noted above, the consistency of each chapter (organization) helped ensure a stronger understanding and immersion into the specific area of writing by chapter. The author cleverly injects quotes, references, and definitions to combine an effort to improve the reader's ability to apply these concepts. Additionally, this allows for a more even flow of information, even in chapters that may not be in the reader's interest.

Each chapter is distinct, however, the coordination and organization of the entire book creates a crescendo effect for the reader. Although each chapter is specific, it can be both compartmentalized and utilized as a complete handbook. This modularity further enables a reader to use the book as a specific reference or a complete handbook/guide.

The book was well organized and logical. The reading was made easier by the flow of information and the combination of data, quotes, and references used throughout the book.

I did not note any interface issues.

I did not note any grammatical errors.

The text is neither culturally insensitive or offensive. I noted that the character/third person student examples were mostly benign which helped to decipher the author's intent. In Chapter 2, a section noted as 'Your Voice' spoke to holes in diversity when writing. I found this helpful for students to understand that not all areas of writing interest are not interesting to everyone. However, one should write to increase the value to the audience and the writer. I found this to be excellent advice and guidance.

I found the book to be an excellent resource for a creative writer. The final chapter discussed Children's Literature and how the previous chapters were applicable to this specific genre. The final chapter (Assignment and Project Ideas) was quite useful for a writer experiencing a block or one simply working a new idea. One recommendation would be to title the book as a Handbook or Reference Guide as the Table of Contents and structure is formatted to provide specific and detailed information on specific creative writing elements. At 168 pages, it has the length for a small textbook, but a better fit as a Handbook for creative writers of all genres. There are many ideas, strategies, and helpful tips throughout the book to help most writers think and write more clearly and effectively.

Reviewed by Justine Jackson Stone, Special Purpose Faculty, Radford University on 3/8/22

Comprehensiveness rating: 2 see less

The book’s overall intention is to present condensed chapters on the various genres of creative writing, and while condensed, the content is too terse. Chapters one through eight are generalized approaches that provide basic information with some examples few and far between. The chapter on flash fiction is brief, only lasting from pages 53-57. The textbook also appears to be incomplete, missing student writing examples in addition to other literary recommendations. In chapter nine, the large overview of different genres such as horror, young adult, etc. provides some recommended writers for students, but this is not consistent throughout the textbook. In order for students to improve their creative writing skills, they need to read. A recommended reading list would make this textbook more effective. The index is well-done and easy to read. The glossary could benefit from additional terms added, but it’s a good start for students to grasp the terminology.

The content is accurate. For a college-level course, however, some of the content is quite juvenile. For example, a writing prompt on page 100 asks the writer to “Tell the story of a dragon who owns a jelly bean factory in an experimental way.” This prompt seems far more appropriate for elementary and middle school students. If the author suggested this prompt as an activity for how to write a children’s book, I could understand its inclusion.

The content of the book is expansive but basic. Overall, the textbook will remain relevant, though a teacher using this book would need to find supplemental material to increase student understanding of the different categories of creative writing. In addition, chapter nine briefly discusses publication opportunities and includes instructions on how to publish directly through Amazon. I found this to be an odd inclusion and question if it is necessary.

Clarity rating: 3

The author uses a conversational and informal tone throughout, which students tend to appreciate. Terms are well-defined for a basic understanding, though more context or examples would deepen student learning. The author tends to share more of her own personal experiences with writing rather than those of her students, which I think misses the mark for her intended audience. In addition, her humor ranges from childish to lewd, which I found at times to be off-putting.

Consistency rating: 4

Terminology is included in each chapter, though due to the condescending nature of the textbook, instructors may consider using supplemental material. In chapter two, the author covers a few fundamentals of creative writing such as point of view, character, setting, etc. For an introduction to creative writing class, it may be necessary to expand these definitions as some students may not have prior knowledge of understanding of these terms. The framework is fairly solid though lacking in student examples. I do appreciate the ample inclusion of creative writing prompts as students tend to find these useful and fun.

Modularity rating: 3

The author effectively uses subheadings to organize information. Information was well-displayed, avoiding larger blocks of text. Each chapter was clearly laid out, and the index was easy to follow. The text is very self-referential to the author. In example 2 of chapter zero, one of the activities states the following: “When we write, we’re using the alphabet. Duh. Yet, how many times have we used these letters to organize or brainstorm? Try using the alphabet to brainstorm different things characters could say in different pieces of fiction and drama and nonfiction.” The author uses herself in this example, including statements such things as, ‘J = “Jeezus Marth and Mary… will you please hurry up?’ (p. 16). I think the exercise would have been more effective if a character bio was given and then examples were provided rather than assuming the reader knows anything about the author. In addition, phrases like ‘Duh’ and other slang can be confusing for students who do not speak English as a first language.

I do not think the chapters are effectively organized. The fiction chapter should come before the flash fiction chapter, and I would personally place nonfiction after fiction instead of drama coming next. In chapter two of the review of the elements, I would personally discuss character first before point of view. I also ponder if it would be better to know these terms first before doing creative exercises to have a basic foundation before students start writing.

Interface rating: 1

The inclusion of Twitter screen captures at the beginning of each chapter is grossly unnecessary. They do not add anything to the chapter context and do not fit well into the design. Without a caption to explain these pictures' inclusion, I do think students could find them confusing. As far as I can tell, there’s no text over the image or note that the images are decorative. The charts included in chapter zero may be useful to some, but I did not find them overly beneficial. Finally, I found the textbook fonts to be hard on the eyes while reading.

The text was mostly free of grammatical errors. The author sometimes uses internet text speech or ALL CAPS, which I find to be inappropriate for a college textbook. In one of the dialogue examples, the author writes, “’Oh.My.God. For real?’” (p. 16). In another example, the author writes, “Writer’s block can happen to ANYONE” (p. 22). There are other ways to create emphasis, and if we want students to be published, they should know how to emphasize their work without gimmicks.

The book does contain adult language which may not be appropriate for all readers. As far as inclusion goes, the author has made a point to be inclusive, stating on page 12: “'White-sounding’ names have been replaced by more diverse ones … ‘husband’ or ‘wife’ have been replaced by ‘partner’ … and ‘the majority of examples in this book, by students or otherwise, are not written by white, heterosexual, cisgender men.’” In addition, the author discusses “holes in diversity” in chapter two, which is an incredibly important topic to address.

Write or Left: an OER textbook for creative writing classes is the kitchen sink of creative writing books, and unfortunately, is too broad in scope to be effective. While the author clearly states this is an introductory textbook for creative writing classes “with condensed chapters,” the notion that a student should learn poetry, flash fiction, fiction, drama, nonfiction, and experimental writing in a single semester is haphazard. Rather than developing a solid foundation of each type of creative writing, students and teachers alike are expected to blitz through each chapter, complete some creative writing prompts, and miraculously be competent. Combine this with the notion that students shouldn’t be assigned grades for their creative writing (p. 13), and it’s no wonder academia often sneers at creative writing as a field of study. While I do applaud the author’s efforts to make this textbook more diverse and inclusive in its examples, I found the overall book greatly lacking in content to be effective in the classroom.

Chapter 1: Intro to Creative Writing
Chapter 2: Review of Elements
Chapter 3: Poetry
Chapter 4: Flash Fiction
Chapter 5: Fiction
Chapter 6: Drama
Chapter 7: Nonfiction
Chapter 8: Experimental Literature
Chapter 9: Final Chapter
Chapter 10: Assignment and Project Ideas

Ancillary Material

About the book.

In this book, we'll go over some of the general principles of writing practices as well as advice and tips on how to write creatively, but mainly, you’ll be introduced to as many genres and categories as possible. We won’t get bogged down in doing the writing process “perfectly” or creating “perfect literature.” The goal is to learn about as many genres as possible, practice writing in those genres, and get feedback.

About the Contributors

Sybil Priebe lives in the upper Midwest with her partner-in-crime and crabby old cat. She teaches various composition courses at the North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton, ND. She likes books, bicycles, and blasphemy.

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300 Fun Writing Prompts for Kids: Story Starters, Journal Prompts & Ideas

Are you a parent or teacher? Here are 300 fun and creative writing prompts for kids to spark the imagination of young writers everywhere. Use these kids writing ideas as journaling prompts, story starters or just for fun!

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It’s never too early to start writing, and so we’ve created this fun list of 300 creative kids writing prompts for teacher and parents to use.

You’ll love these fun ideas for kids writing prompts to use as creative sparks to get young imaginations writing in no time!

These are perfect to use as kids journal writing prompts, as short story writing prompts, or just for exercises to help students and children of all ages tap into their creativity. Maybe your kids will write an essay, maybe a poem, or maybe even a whole book!

Whether you are a teacher or parent looking to inspire your kids to write, or maybe even an adult who would like to practice writing with a more playful and young-hearted approach, I hope you find these creative writing prompts inspiring!

Buy the Printable Cards! We will always have this list of 300 kids writing prompts available for free, but I’m very excited to now also offer an ad-free printable version of these prompts in my online Etsy shop. Thank you for your support!

The Ultimate List of 300 Fun & Creative Writing Prompts for Kids

#1. Imagine a giant box is delivered to your front doorstep with your name on it. What’s inside and what happens when you open it?

#2. Write a short story about what it might be like if you woke up one morning with a mermaid tail.

#3. Which is better, winter or summer? Write about the reasons why you think winter or summer is better.

#4. Write about what would it be like if you had an alligator as a pet.

#5. If you had $1,000, what would you buy and why?

#6. Write a story using these 5 words: apple, train, elephant, paper, banjo

#7. What do you want be when you grow up and why?

#8. Who is your favorite person on the planet? What do you like most about that person?

#9. If you could have any secret super power, what would you want it to be and why?

#10. Write about 3 places you would like to travel someday. What do these three places have in common?

#11. Write about a time you felt really happy. What happened? What made you feel happy?

#12. Imagine what would happen if someone shrunk you down to be only 1″ tall. How would your life change?

#13. If you were in charge of the whole world, what would you do to make the world a happier place?

#14. Write a story about what it would be like to climb to the very top of the highest mountain in the world.

#15. If you were in charge of planning the school lunch menu, what foods would you serve each day?

#16. What are some of your favorite animals? What do you like about them?

#17. Imagine that dogs take over the world. What do they make the humans do?

#18. Write a story about flying to outer space and discovering a new planet.

#19. You are a mad scientist and have invented a new vegetable. What is it called? What does it look like? What does it taste like? Most importantly: Is it safe to eat?

#20. You go to school one morning to discover your best friend has been turned into a frog by an evil witch! How do you help your friend?

#21. Describe what it is like when trees lose all of their leaves in the autumn season.

#22. Write about your favorite sport and why you like it so much.

#23. Imagine what it might be like to live on a boat all the time and write about it.

#24. If you had one wish, what would it be?

#25. Write about what you might do if you have the super power to become invisible.

#26. You are walking through the forest when one of the trees starts talking to you. What does it say? What do you do?

#27. The weather forecast is calling for a blizzard in the middle of the summer. What do you do?

#28. What types of transportation will people have in the future?

#29. What were some of your favorite toys when you very little? Do you still enjoy playing with them?

#30. What would a day in your life be like if you were a movie star?

#31. Imagine you’ve invented a time machine! What year do you travel to?

#32. What are your favorite things to do over summer vacation?

#33. What is your favorite holiday and why?

#34. If you could meet any fictional character from a book, who would it be?

#35. You are writing a travel guide for kids visiting your city. What places do you think they should visit?

#36. What is a food you hate? Write about it!

#37. Imagine what it would be like if there was no electricity. What would be different in your daily routine?

#38. You are building a new city! What types of things do you think your city needs? How will you convince people to move to your new city?

#39. What is your favorite movie? Write your review of the movie and why you think people should watch it.

#40. Imagine you get a magic sweater for your birthday. What happens when you wear the sweater? What do you do with these new found magical powers?

#41. You are the security guard at the zoo and someone has stolen a rhinoceros! How do you track down the thief?

#42. You have been invited to have lunch with the queen. What foods do you eat and what topics do you and the queen discuss?

#43. If you could design a school uniform, what types of clothes would you suggest? What colors would they be?

#44. Imagine you are a reporter interviewing a celebrity about their life. What questions do you ask?

#45. You are running a lemonade stand. Describe the steps for how you make lemonade and the types of customers you see during the day.

#46. Write a story about being the ruler of an underwater world.

#47. Write an acrostic poem for the word “treehouse”.

#48. You decide to grow a sunflower, but the sunflower grows so tall it reaches up to the sky! Write about what happens when you decide to climb to the top. What do you discover?

#49. Imagine you look out the window and it is raining popsicles from the sky! Write a story about the experience.

#50. If you could be any animal, which one would you be and why?

#51. If you were on a spaceship, what would you be most excited about seeing?

#52. Do you have any pets at home? Write an essay about how you take care of your pets. If you do not have a pet, what type of pet might you like?

#53. Imagine you are opening a store that only sells items which are blue. What types of items do you sell?

#54. Have you ever lost something that is important to you? Were you able to find it?

#55. Write a story about a kid who is moving to a new school. How do you think they might feel?

#56. Rewrite the ending of your favorite fairy tale. For example, what would have happened if Cinderella never went to the ball?

#57. Have you ever forgotten to do your homework? What happened?

#58. Do you have a favorite song? Write about the type of music you like to listen to.

#59. Imagine your parents wake you up one morning to tell you they will take you to do anything you want to do for the whole day – you don’t even have to go to school or do your chores. What would you choose to do and why?

#60. Do you like amusement parks? What are some of your favorite rides?

#61. Write a story using these three words: detective, piano, and pizza.

#62. Have you ever been to the beach? Write about your favorite things to do. If you have never been to the beach, what would you like to do the first time you visit?

#63. Is there a favorite tv show you like to watch? Write about your favorite character and why they are your favorite.

#64. Write a poem using onomatopoeia , where the words you use are pronounced similar to the sound they make. For example, buzz, bark, sizzle, slam and pop.

#65. Have you ever had to stand in line to wait a long time for something? What did you do while you waited? How did you feel while waiting? How did you feel once the wait was over?

#66. Is it a good idea to keep ALL secrets a secret? Write about examples of when it is okay to spill a secret – and when it isn’t.

#67. Is there something you are good at doing? Write about your best strengths.

#68. What historical time period and location would you go back to live in if you could? Write about it!

#69. Write about 5 things you can do that are important for you to stay healthy and safe.

#70. Do you think thunderstorms are scary? Why or why not?

#71. What would you most like to learn over the next year? Think about things that interest you or questions you might have about the world and make a list!

#72. You are going on a trip to a jungle safari! What items do you pack in your suitcase?

#73. Imagine you are sitting at home one day and you hear someone shrieking in the living room they see a mouse in the house! Write a story about what might happen next.

#74. You are writing a letter to someone who is having a hard time making new friends at school. What do you write? What advice do you give them?

#75. Imagine you just met a magician – but their beloved rabbit who they pull out of a hat for all the tricks has been kidnapped! How do you help find the rabbit?

#76. Do you hear what I hear? Set a timer for 5 minutes and write about all of the sounds you hear in those 5 minutes.

#77. Imagine you go to get a haircut and they accidentally shave your head! How do you feel about that and what would you do?

#78. Do you find it easy to talk to people you don’t know? What are some ways you can start up a conversation with someone you have never met before?

#79. Are there any chores you have to do at home? What are they? What do you like – and not like – about each one?

#80. Open up a random book to any page. Write for 5 minutes about the first word you read.

#81. Pretend you are a writer for your city’s newspaper. Who would you like to interview for a news story and why?

#82. There are many fictional characters who live in unusual houses, such as the old woman who lived in a shoe. What kind of unusual house would you like to live in? Write about what it would be like to live in an unusual house!

#83. Write a list of 10 things you can do to practice kindness to others.

#84. Is there a homework subject you dread? Why do you not like getting homework in that subject?

#85. What is your favorite month of the year? Write about why you like it and some of your favorite things to do during that month.

#86. Imagine you are planning a surprise birthday party for someone. How do you keep it a surprise?

#87. Pretend you walked outside to find a sleeping dragon in the grass! Why is the dragon there? Is it a friendly dragon? What do you do? Write about it!

#88. What are you grateful for today and why?

#89. You were on your way to a very important event when you fell into a puddle. Now what?

#90. Have you ever watched a movie and didn’t like how it ended? Write what you think should happen instead.

#91. Can you answer this riddle from Alice in Wonderland ? How is a raven like a writing desk?

#92. Imagine you are the captain of a pirate ship. Write a diary entry for what your day was like.

#93. If you could start any type of business, what kind of business would you start? What types of products or services would you provide?

#94. Write a sequel to one of your favorite fairy tales. For example, what was Goldilocks’s next adventure after she left the bears?

#95. What is something you are afraid of? What helps you to feel less afraid of something? What would you say to a friend who feels scared to help them feel less afraid?

#96. Write a letter to your future self in 20 years.

#97. In addition to basic survival needs such as food, water, air and shelter, what are 3 things you would you need to be happy?

#98. If you could invent a robot of any type who could do anything you imagine, what types of things would you would have the robot to do?

#99. Which do like better? Apples or Oranges? How are they alike? How are they different?

#100. Why did the chicken cross the road? You are a detective and are assigned to the case. How do solve the mystery?

#101. Write instructions for how to make your favorite snack. Be sure you add your favorite tips and suggestions for how to select the best ingredients!

#102. Imagine you borrowed a friend’s favorite lucky pencil to help you pass a math test – but then it snapped in half! How will you ever tell the news to your friend?

#103. Look around the current room you are sitting in and choose 3 random objects that are nearby. Now write a story or poem that includes those three items!

#104. Write a letter to the author of a book you recently read and tell them what you liked most about the book.

#105. Ernest Hemingway is famous for writing a six word story. Can you write a story in just 6 words?

#106. What do you think will be the future for cell phones? Will people still use them in 25 years or will something else take its place?

#107. Do you want to go to college? Why or why not?

#108. Write a story or poem about a kitten who wanders off and gets lost. How does the kitten find its way home?

#109. Currently, it is required by law that kids go to school. Do you think this is a good or bad idea?

#110. If you could invent a new board game, what would it be called? How is it played? What are the rules? What makes it fun to play? Write about it!

#111. Imagine you come home to discover your entire bedroom is covered in ketchup! What on earth happened? What is your reaction? How do you clean everything up?

#112. What is something you learned today?

#113. Would you rather have a goldfish or shark as a pet?

#114. From A-Z: make a list of something for every letter of the alphabet.

#115. Have you ever gone fishing? If you have, did you like it? Why or why not? If you haven’t, do you think you might want to?

#116. What is one of the most important things you do each and every day?

#117. Write a story about Gretchen the Grouch, a girl who is always angry! Will she ever be happy? Why is she so grumpy all of the time?

#118. How do you feel when someone takes something of yours without asking? What is a good way to deal with it when that happens?

#119. Write a poem that starts with the word “if”.

#120. Write a story about a family of rabbits who live in the woods. What are some of the challenges they face?

#121. What clothes do you think are the most comfortable? What kind of clothes do you like to wear the most? What clothes do you NOT like to wear?

#122. Imagine there are no grocery stores and you must get your own food. What are some of the ways you find food? What types of things do you eat?

#123. What are 3 things you can do that are good for the environment?

#124. If you could meet any famous person today, who would you want to meet and why? What questions might you ask them?

#125. A tongue twister is a quick poem where many of the words start with the same letter and are similar in sound. For example, “Peter picked a peck of pickled peppers.” Try writing your own with this fun kids writing prompt!

#126. What is the first thing you think of when you hear or see the word green?

#127. A hero is someone who is admired for their courage and achievements. What do you think makes someone a hero? Who are some of your heroes?

#128. What did you do during summer vacation last year? What do you want to do for summer vacation this year?

#129. Write a story about a super hero dog who saves the day! Who does the dog help and why?

#130. Would you rather live somewhere that is always cold, or somewhere that is always hot? Write about which one you would rather choose.

#131. Have you ever volunteered to help a charity? If so, write about the experience! If not, what are some charities you think you might like to volunteer for?

#132. What does the word courage mean to you?

#133. What makes you unique? What are some things about you that make you an individual?

#134. Have you ever been to a museum? What is your favorite thing to look at on display?

#135. What can you do to set a good example for others to be kind?

#136. A Tall Tale is a story that exaggerates something that actually happened. Write a tall tale about something that recently happened to you.

#137. What is one of your favorite toys that you think you might still want to have and play with when you are 22 years old?

#138. Oh no! Everyone around you is sick with a nasty cold! Write a silly poem about how you try to avoid catching their germs!

#139. Personification is when a non-living object takes on human characteristics. Write a story where you personify a common electronic gadget in your house, such as the Television or toaster.

#140. Write a poem using similes, which is when you say an object is like something else. Here is an example of a simile: “Her eyes were as blue as the sky.”

#141. Have you ever read a book written by Dr. Suess? Write your own “Suess-style” story, complete with rhymes and made up words.

#142. Do you have any siblings? Think about what it might mean to be a good brother or sister and write about it!

#143. Make a list of questions to interview your parents or grandparents about what it was like when they were growing up as a kid. Then, ask them the questions and write about their answers!

#144. You are in charge of writing a new radio show just for kids! What topics will you talk about? What music do you play?

#145. What do you usually eat for breakfast every day? What, in your opinion, is the greatest breakfast food ever created? What makes it so great?

#146. Write a 12 line poem where every line is about a different month of the year.

#147. What is something you look forward to doing the most when you are an adult?

Use these prompts in your classroom! Get the ad-free printable version of these prompts to inspire your students to write! Thank you for your support!

#148. Do you like to try new things? What is something new you have tried recently or would like to try?

#149. Imagine what it might be like to be alive in Egypt when the pyramids were built. Write about what it was like.

#150. A credo is a statement of personal beliefs. Try writing your own credo for things that you believe in and feel are important.

#151. The circus has come to town but they have no place to perform! How do you help the ringmaster find a place to put on a show?

#152. Do you like to act? What are some of your favorite actors or actresses? What do you think makes someone a good actor or actress?

#153. “Practice makes perfect” is a popular saying. What is something you like to practice so you can become better at it? A sport? A musical instrument? A special skill? Do you like to practice?

#154. Write about what it might be like to be water drops freezing and turning into ice.

#155. Do you think it is important to keep your room clean? What do you like about having a clean room?

#156. Imagine your parents are sending you away for a two week summer camp trip. Would you be excited? Why or why not?

#157. What are you currently learning about in history class? Write a fictional story about someone from the past you are learning about.

#158. Many wars have been fought in the past. Instead of going to war, what do you think countries could do to resolve their differences peacefully?

#159. Every year over 8 billion plastic bottles and cans are thrown away. What are some things you can do to help encourage your family and friends to recycle?

#160. Imagine if you were the principal of the school. What might you do differently? What things would you do that are the same? Write about it!

#161. Pretend that one day you are at your neighbor’s house and you notice a strange noise coming from the basement. You go downstairs to investigate to see a large machine running with many lights and buttons. Why is it there?

#162. Write an essay that starts with the line, “Tomorrow, I hope…”

#163. If you could give one thing to every child in the world, what would you want to give them?

#164. Do you have a piggy bank at home? How do you earn money to add to your savings?

#165. What qualities make a house a home? What are 3 things you think every house should have?

#166. Would you rather go scuba diving or rock climbing? Write about which one you think you would like to do more and why.

#167. Do you think it is a good idea for kids to write a daily journal? What are some of the benefits of writing every day?

#168. Do you like watching fireworks or are they too noisy? Write about a time when you saw fireworks in the sky.

#169. Oh no! Your friend has turned into a statue! How did this happen? What do you do? Does your friend ever turn back into a person again?

#170. If you could be any movie character, who would you be and why?

#171. A mysterious message appears in code on your computer screen. What could it mean?

#172. If you could go to work with one of your parents for a day, what do you think the day would be like? What types of things do your parents do at work all day long?

#173. Imagine you are the President and you are creating a new national holiday. What is your holiday about? How is it celebrated? What day of the year do you celebrate? Write about it!

#174. You won a never-ending lifetime supply of spaghetti noodles! What will you do with all of these noodles?

#175. Would you rather be a bunny rabbit or a hawk? Why did you choose the one you chose?

#176. Your teacher has been acting mysterious lately. After school one day, you notice a weird green light shining through underneath the door of your classroom. What do you do? What is happening with your teacher?

#177. Write an article about tips for how kids can be more organized and study well for tests.

#178. Look at any product in your house and read the ingredients labels. Research what each ingredient is. Do you think these ingredients are good or bad for people?

#179. If you were a doctor, what do you think would be the most important part of your job every day?

#180. The school librarian needs your help! A truck just arrived with 2,000 books and she can’t fit all the books onto the shelves! What do you do? How do you find a place to put all these books?

#181. Do you think it would be fun to plant a garden? What types of plants would you want to grow? Write about your garden ideas.

#182. What is a sport or activity you would like to try playing for the first time?

#183. Do you think kids should be allowed to do the same things as adults? What things do you think kids should be able to do that only grown-ups can?

#184. Imagine you and your parents switch places for a day. Your parents are the kids and you are now in charge! What would you do?

#185. Write a get-well letter to someone who has been sick. What can you say to make them feel better?

#186. If you could visit any planet in the solar system, which planet would you like to visit the most and why? Write about what it might be like.

#187. Have you ever been to a farm? What did you like about it? If you haven’t been to a farm, do you think you might like to visit one? Why or why not?

#188. The mayor of the city has a big problem and needs your help! What is the problem and how will you solve it?

#189. Pretend your little sister ate carrots for dinner and the next morning woke up with rabbit ears! How did this happen? What do you do? Will she be a rabbit forever?

#190. Imagine you wake up in the morning to find out you get to relive any day of your life again for the whole day. What day would you want to experience again and why?

#191. Do you think you might like to be a firefighter? Why or why not?

#192. You are a lawyer and your client has been accused of stealing a car. How do you convince the jury your client is innocent?

#193. Think of the four elements: fire, air, earth, and water. Which of these four elements do you like the best?

#194. What would you do if you could be invisible for a whole day? Do you think you would enjoy it or be glad to be back to normal the next day? Write about it!

#195. Imagine you are a meteorologist and people are starting to get angry that your weather predictions are always wrong. What do you do?

#196. If you could create any law, what would it be? Why do you think the law is an important one to have?

#197. You are going incognito and need to hide to your identity so you aren’t recognized or discovered while you walk through the city. What type of disguise do you wear?

#198. Write a persuasive letter to your parents explaining why you should get a new pet. Make sure you provide a convincing argument they won’t be able to refuse!

#199. Your friend wants to do something dangerous. What should you do?

#200. How do you think the world would be different if there were no oceans?

#201. What do you do when someone disagrees with your opinions? Is there a better way to handle conflicting opinions?

#202. What do you think you as a kid could do to help encourage more people to read?

#203. Do you have a good luck charm? What makes this item lucky? When do you use it? How do you use it?

#204. What is at the end of a rainbow? Imagine you follow a rainbow to the end. What do you discover? Is it a pot of gold, or something else?

Use these prompts in your classroom! Get the ad-free printable version of these prompts to inspire your students to write! Thank you for your support!

#205. What do you think the consequences should be for someone who is caught cheating on a test at school?

#206. Imagine you are riding your bike one day when you encounter an older kid who wants to steal your bike. What do you do?

#207. You are the lead singer and star of a famous rock and roll band, but there is one problem – your drummer is jealous of your fame! How do you solve this situation?

#208. If you could help a group of kids in any part of the world, what kids would you want to help the most and why? What are some things you think would help these kids?

#209. Everyone knows the house on the end of the street is haunted. What are some of the strange things that happen there? Why is the house haunted?

#210. You notice at school one day there is a door to a secret passage next to the janitor’s closet and decide to explore. Where does it lead? Why is it there? Do you go alone or bring a friend along?

#211. A bucket list is a list of things you want to accomplish in your lifetime. What are 5 things on your bucket list?

#212. Imagine the perfect treehouse or clubhouse for you and all of your friends as a place to hang out. Describe what it is like inside.

#213. Do you get bored easily? Make a list of things you can do whenever you feel like you are bored and there is nothing fun to do!

#214. Now vs. Then: Think about how today is different from one year ago. How have you changed? What things in your life are different?

#215. Write your autobiography about your life.

#216. It’s a heat wave! What do you do when the weather is hot? What are some of your favorite ways to stay cool?

#217. What are three important safety tips every kid should know to stay safe?

#218. What genre of books do you like to read the most? Write about the characteristics of the genre and list some of your favorite books as examples.

#219. Holiday Traditions: How does your family celebrate the different holidays and events? What are some traditions you do each and every year?

#220. Imagine one day in science class a science experiment goes terribly wrong and now you and all of your classmates have superpowers! What are your superpowers and what do you do with them?

#221. Who is favorite teacher? Why are they your favorite?

#222. You are baking a cake, but you accidentally put salt in the cake instead of sugar. Nobody will eat it! How do you feel? What will you do next time?

#223. Do you think it is important to have good table manners? What do you think some good manners to practice might be?

#224. Many schools no longer teach cursive handwriting. Do you think this is a good or bad thing? Do you know how to write cursive handwriting? Would you like to learn if you haven’t?

#225. If you were the owner of a theme park, what types of rides and attractions would have? Describe what they would be like and why people would want to visit your park.

#226. Your parents give you $100 to spend at the grocery store. What do you buy and why?

#227. Some people who are alive today grew up without computers or video games. What would you do if you didn’t have a computer or video games? How would life be different?

#228. You walk into your living room and discover there is a giant elephant standing there. How did the elephant get there? What do you do about it? How do you explain the elephant in the living room to your parents?

#229. Have you ever had a weird dream? What happened in the dream? What do you think it means?

#230. Do you like to draw or paint? Write a story inspired by a painting, doodle, or sketch.

#231. You are being sent on a mission to outer space to live in a space station for 5 years. What supplies do you pack and why?

#232. What is the scariest creature alive on earth? Describe in detail what makes it so horrifying.

#233. What do you think your pet might say if they could talk to you?

#234. Imagine your school is putting on a talent show. What act will you perform? What other acts will be in the show?

#235. If you could breathe under water, what would you do?

#236. What time of day do you think school should start? Write a convincing argument on why or why not the time of day school starts should change.

#237. If you were to start your own YouTube video channel, what would the videos on your channel be about?

#238. Do you like to cook? What are some things you like to make and eat?

#239. Your school is having a field day and you are in charge of planning the activities and games. What types of activities and games would you plan for the event?

#240. If you had a remote control drone that takes video of everything it sees from the sky and you could take it anywhere, what would you film? For example, the inside of a volcano or soar it over the plains of Africa.

#241. The Bermuda Triangle is an area of the ocean where many ships and planes have gone missing. Why do you think this could be? Write a story about what it might be like to travel there.

#242. There are 7 great wonders of the world – which one do you think is the most wonderful?

#243. If you could speak any foreign language fluently, which one would you like to speak and why?

#244. You are inventing a new flavor of ice cream! What is the new flavor called and what ingredients do you need to make it?

#245. Would you rather go to a baseball game or read a good book? What reasons do you have for your choice?

#246. You walk outside to get your mail and your mailbox starts talking to you! What does your mailbox have to say?

#247. Imagine you are a famous person. What are you most famous for? What is it like to be famous?

#248. What do you think would be the most fun job in the world to have? Give examples of why you think it would be a fun job to have.

#249. Write a poem about an object that is shiny and dazzling.

#250. Do you like to watch the Olympics? Why or why not? If yes, what is your favorite Olympic sport?

#251. What kind of car do you want to drive when you are older? Do you think learning to drive will be easy or hard?

#252. What do you think would make for a great gift to give someone on their birthday?

#253. Describe a time when you needed help and someone helped you. What did they help you with and how did it make you feel?

#254. If you could be any type of fruit or vegetable, what would you be and why?

Love these prompts? Get the ad-free printable version of these prompts to use at home or in the classroom!

#255. Do you think it is more important to have a good imagination or have all the facts proven?

#256. Do you have a favorite aunt, uncle, or another relative? Write a story about their life and why you like to be with them.

#257. Think of a time you laughed really, really hard. What was so funny? Why were you laughing? Write about it!

#258. Write a poem about an emotion. For example: happy, sad, angry, embarrassed, guilty.

#259. Do you ever have a hard time falling asleep? What are some things that help you feel sleepy?

#260. If you could drive a car, where would you drive and why?

#261. Imagine you are trading places with your friend for a day. What will it be like to be at their house? What will your friend think while they are at your house? Write about it!

#262. If you could break a world record, what would it be? What do you think would be necessary to be able to break the world record?

#263. Imagine you live in Colonial times. What would it be like to grow up as a kid in Colonial America?

#264. You are building a new city. What is the name of your city? What is the weather like? What buildings will you build?

#265. What do you think it would be like to work as a sailor on big ship in the ocean each day?

#266. Imagine you are the teacher for the day. What types of activities do you make the students in the class do?

#267. How would you feel if your parents told you that you would be getting a new baby brother or sister? Write about it!

#268. Do you know any good jokes? What are some of your favorite jokes? What makes them funny? Do you think you could write your own?

#269. Imagine you are floating down a river on a raft. What types of things can you see from the river that you normally wouldn’t see from the land?

#270. You want to start a new hobby collecting something. What kinds of things would you collect and why?

#271. Your mom announces she is having a yard sale. Would you let her sell any of your things? Why or why not?

#272. Imagine you walk out your front door one morning and it is raining popcorn! What do you do?

#273. You are camping in the woods one night and hear a scary noise. What do you do? What might be the cause?

#274. What do you think might make kids really happy to go to school? What are some things you think schools should do so that it could be more fun?

#275. Today’s lunch at the cafeteria was unusually horrible. You are a detective on the case to investigate. What do you think is the cause?

#276. If you had a tree that grows money, what would you do?

#277. What would you do if you had a unicorn as a pet?

#278. Would you rather go to the zoo or go to the aviary? Which one would you pick and why?

#279. What are some safety tips you should follow when riding a bike?

#280. You are designing the cover of a magazine. What are some of the headlines on the cover?

#281. Are you afraid of the dark? Why or why not?

#282. If you could learn to play any type of musical instrument, which one would you like to learn how to play and why?

#283. Imagine you are playing a sport that involves a ball, such as soccer, baseball or kickball. What would it be like if the ball could talk?

#284. You come home to discover a friendly alien has been living in your closet. What do you do? Why is there an alien in your closet?

#285. Is there something you are afraid of that you wish you weren’t afraid of? Write about it.

#286. Write about the best party you’ve ever been to. What made the day fun and special?

#287. What makes you feel loved and cared about? What are some ways people can show you that they love and care about you?

#288. There is a kite flying competition coming up and you are going to design your own kite. What will your kite look like? What colors will it be? Will it have any certain shape?

#289. You are given the challenge to drop an egg on the floor – without it breaking! What are some things you might try to make sure the egg won’t break?

#290. What are some of the things you can do every day to stay healthy?

#291. Do you think grown-ups are boring? Why do you think they are so boring all of the time? What is something fun that boring grown-ups could do instead of being so boring?

#292. Write a lyrical poem or song about what kids do while they are at school all day long.

#293. What are the first things you like to do when you are done with school each day? What are some of the activities you like when you are not at school?

#294. Imagine dinosaurs were still alive today. How do you think our lives would be different?

#295. Would you rather visit a volcano or a desert? Which one would you choose and why?

#296. Is there a sound you think is annoying? What types of sounds drive you crazy? Write about them!

#297. What do you think it would be like to be the size of an ant for a day? What types of things would you do?

Writing Prompt: What would it be like if your teddy bear came to life?

#298. Imagine one of your stuffed animals comes to life and starts talking to you. What types of things will you talk about? What will you do?

#299. What makes you feel happiest? Write about the things in life that make you feel happy!

#300. Imagine there is no gravity. What kind of things would you do you for fun? How would some of the things you already do for fun be different?

Parents and teachers, I hope you enjoyed these 300 writing prompts for kids and that you will use them to inspire your children’s creative imaginations.

These prompts of course can be used in a number of different ways and can be adapted for a variety of different styles of writing !

What do you think? Do you think these are good conversation and story starters for kids? Do you have any ideas for writing prompts you would like to share?

And of course, if you’d like to make it super fun and easy to use these prompts at home or in your classroom, be sure to get our ad-free printable version of these kids writing prompt cards now available in my Etsy shop.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on different creative writing ideas and topics for kids to write about! Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Chelle Stein wrote her first embarrassingly bad novel at the age of 14 and hasn't stopped writing since. As the founder of ThinkWritten, she enjoys encouraging writers and creatives of all types.

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The Ultimate Glossary of Writing Terms
The use of literary style and writing technique to tell a true story. It's an embellishment, but only for the sake of telling a story that teaches a lesson or conveys a change of heart or mind. Narrative, dialogue, setting, and voice are just a few creative writing tools used to grab a reader's interest and leave them changed somehow at the ...
Glossary of writing terms and definitions (Updated for 2024!)
Editor. The person who edits a manuscript or manages the writing of a publication. Editorial. A work expressing an opinion. Embargo. Prohibition of publishing or distributing a work until a specified date, often (and foolishly) used with press releases. Endnote. An explanation of a point, placed at the end of a book.
What Is Creative Writing? (Ultimate Guide + 20 Examples)
Creative writing is an art form that transcends traditional literature boundaries. It includes professional, journalistic, academic, and technical writing. This type of writing emphasizes narrative craft, character development, and literary tropes. It also explores poetry and poetics traditions.
40 Basic Writing Terms and Meanings
Use our list of writing terms to expand your writing vocabulary. This will increase your understanding & help you communicate thoughts about your writing.
A Glossary of Fiction Writing Terms
Although Scribendi has an extensive glossary of general writing terms, this one is specific to fiction writing terms and is therefore geared toward authors and writers. For an author, fiction writing terms are important because they provide the tools necessary to make the most out of a literary work. By being aware of certain terms specific to ...
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Example: Veni, vidi, vici ("I came, I saw, I conquered") 11. Litotes. Litotes (pronounced lie-toe-teez) is the signature literary device of the double negative. Writers use litotes to express certain sentiments through their opposites, by saying that that opposite is not the case.
Writing Glossary: Terms And Definitions Every Writer Should Know
Creative Journaling: Writing that involves personal reflections, often combining text with drawings or other artwork but with a focus on creativity, self-expression, and personal growth. ... Words and terminology specific to the field of law, important for legal writing. Legal Writing: Formal writing used in the legal profession.
Glossary of Creative Writing Terms
Also, though some literary terms must be included in a creative writing glossary, this is not a literary glossary, and it won't cover the more esoteric literary terms. Creative Writing Terms- A-E. Creative Writing Terms- F-J. Creative Writing Terms- K-O. Creative Writing Terms- P-S. Creative Writing Terms- T-Z. at February 28, 2012.
Elements of Creative Writing
This free and open access textbook introduces new writers to some basic elements of the craft of creative writing in the genres of fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. The authors—Rachel Morgan, Jeremy Schraffenberger, and Grant Tracey—are editors of the North American Review, the oldest and one of the most well-regarded literary magazines in the United States.
Choosing a Glossary for Creative Writing (Guide)
Create a terminology preferences list: Determine which terms you prefer to use in your writing and include them in the glossary. This can help maintain consistency in your writing. Relying too heavily on the glossary can result in a lack of creativity and originality in your writing. 6: Consider language usage advice
Creative Writing: A Guide and Glossary to Fiction Writing
The book is for students doing creative writing in higher education, at A level, and it will be essential reading for anyone interested in writing fiction. Contents: Definitions of over 200 terms and techniques to do with fiction writing How to achieve fictional effects Literary examples of the techniques described Characteristics of genre as ...
Write or Left
Terminology is included in each chapter, though due to the condescending nature of the textbook, instructors may consider using supplemental material. In chapter two, the author covers a few fundamentals of creative writing such as point of view, character, setting, etc. ... For an introduction to creative writing class, it may be necessary to ...
The Writing Center
Draft: The initial version of a paper before revisions and proofreading. Feedback: Comments on your paper that praise or provide suggestions for improving your draft. Revising: Correcting or making changes to the paper's thesis, organization, argument or evidence. Proofreading: Correcting the sentence structure, spelling, and other grammar ...
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Here is a list of 20 common literary terms with examples. This article discusses literary devices such as alliteration, homophones, hyperboles, idioms, metaphors, onomatopoeia, personification and similes, and many more. Literary terms (also called "devices") are used regularly in the majority of material we read.
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Glossary of writing terms. There is a wide assortment of words, phases and jargon associated with writing. Some of it is formal, while other, much more informal, terms might exist to describe the same thing. To help you navigate all that verbiage Thanet Creative are compiling a list of writing terms. Please note, this is a work in progress.
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Glossary of Writing Terms 5 • FOUR COLOR PROCESS- Using the major colors magenta, cyan, yellow and black to produce pictures in a range of colors. • FREELANCE - An independent contractor hired to work on a book, design or marketing plan. • FREELANCE WRITER- A term used for a writer who works with many companies and publications. A freelance writer creates and perfects an article or short ...
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KEYWORDS IN CREATIVE WRITING WENDY BISHOP DAVID STARKEY UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY PRESS Logan, Utah. Utah State University Press ... 3. English language--Rhetoric--Terminology. 4. Creative writing--Terminology. I. Starkey, David, 1962- II. Title. PE1404.B498 2005 808'.042'071--dc22 2005024616. Title: Keywords in Creative Writing Author: Wendy ...
Creative Writing Terminology Flashcards
Creative Writing Terminology. Term. 1 / 12. concrete. Click the card to flip 👆. Definition. 1 / 12. image, something that can be seen, smelled, tasted. Click the card to flip 👆.
Writing About Writing (And Occasionally Some Writing): Creative Writing
Creative Writing Terms A-E. A. Act- A major division in a play. Many plays are further broken into scenes. Also what most people are doing when they pretend to be writers down at the local coffee shop. Action Thriller- A sub-genre of thriller where the pacing of a story is characterized by continuous and rapid high tension events.
Browse subjects: Creative writing -- Study and teaching -- Terminology
Or start at this prefix: . Creative writing -- Study and teaching -- Terminology (2 titles); Creative writing -- Terminology (2 titles, plus subtopics); Creativeness: see Creative ability; Creativiteit (1 title); Creativity: see Creative ability; Creativity in literature (2 titles); Creator family: see Crater family; Creature comfort, Human: see Human comfort; Creatures, Fabled: see Animals ...
Publishing Terminology
A guide for students in ENGWRT 0400. LinkedIn Learning provides unlimited access to thousands of training videos on topics such as Excel, PowerPoint, Photoshop, digital photography, Web design, animation, blogging, video editing, and more.
300 Creative Writing Prompts for Kids
Which is better, winter or summer? Write about the reasons why you think winter or summer is better. #4. Write about what would it be like if you had an alligator as a pet. #5. If you had $1,000, what would you buy and why? #6. Write a story using these 5 words: apple, train, elephant, paper, banjo. #7.