Introduction
to Creative Forms of Writing
Prepare a report on different creative forms of
writing
Literature
is a broad term that encompasses almost all written work. Though certain
definitions include oral works also. It helps to break forms of writing down
into categories, for ease of understanding and analysis. Here are four commonly
accepted creative forms of writing:
1. Poetry
2. Drama
3. Prose
fiction
4. Essay/non-fiction
Poetry
Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its
origin from emotion recollected in tranquility. - William Wordsworth.
A text is a poem when it has some sort of rhythm,
and when it focuses on the way the words sound when put together. Poems are
heavy in imagery and metaphor, and are often made up of fragments and phrases
rather than complete, grammatically correct sentences. And poetry is nearly
always written in stanzas and lines, creating a unique look on the page.
An
example of poetry is Emily Dickinson's 'I Felt a Funeral in my Brain'
I felt a Funeral, in my Brain,
And Mourners to-and-fro,
Kept treading - treading - till it seemed,
That Sense was breaking through -
And when they all were seated,
A Service, like a,
Drum - Kept beating - beating - till I thought,
My Mind was going numb.
I felt a Funeral, in my Brain,
And Mourners to-and-fro,
Kept treading - treading - till it seemed,
That Sense was breaking through -
And when they all were seated,
A Service, like a,
Drum - Kept beating - beating - till I thought,
My Mind was going numb.
Poetry
is often considered the oldest form of literature. Before writing was invented,
oral stories were commonly put into some sort of poetic form to make them
easier to remember and recite.
There are different
types in which poetry is generally classified. These include- sonnet, elegy,
ode, allegory, lyrics.
Drama
Drama consists of theatrical dialogues performed on stage. Dramas are usually called plays.
When written down the bulk of a drama is dialogue.
Since dramas are meant to be acted out in front of an audience, it’s hard to
fully appreciate them when looking only at pages of text.
There are various accepted types of drama – tragedy,
comedy, melodrama, tragicomedy. Even these types have various sub types. For
example comedies can be romantic comedy, satiric comedy, comedy of manners,
restoration comedy, farce, comedy and a number of others.
A play consists of certain basic elements – plot,
character, setting and theme. These elements together with the imagination of
writer constitute dramas.
Some examples of drama are – Othello by William
Shakespeare, The importance of being earnest by Oscar Wilde, Death of Salesman
by Arthur Miller.
Prose fiction
Prose
fiction is an imaginary story written down in everyday, natural language. It
lets people leave reality, exploring characters and events that typically are
limited only by the scope of the writer’s imagination. It generally uses a
variety of techniques such as narrative and has a wide range in terms of
length.
Prose
is written in complete sentences and organized in paragraphs. Instead of
focusing on sound, which is what poetry does, prose tends to focus on plot and characters.
Prose
is broken down into a large number of other sub-genres. Some of these genres
revolve around the structure of the text, such as novellas, biographies, and
memoirs, and others are based on the subject matter, like romances, fantasies,
and mysteries.
Generally
speaking, there are three genres of prose fiction – i) Short fiction or short
story ii) Novella or short novel iii) Novel.
Short stories are short in length. They have a maximum
length of upto four to five thousand words. The short story has its origins in fables and myths,
stories that were not sprawling epics but concise tales containing only a few
characters and often a single focused message. Examples are 'The Tortoise and
the Hare' or the myth of Icarus.
Examples
of some famous short stories are - "Signs
and Symbols" by Vladimir Nabokov, I, Robot by Issac Asimov, Three
Questions" by Leo Tolstoy etc.
The novella lies between the short
story and the novel in terms of length and scope. Some of the most famous
examples are – George Orwell’s Animal Farm, Jack London’s The Call of the Wild,
Joseph Cornad’s Heart of darkness.
The novella lies between the short
story and the novel in terms of length and scope. Some of the most famous
examples are – George Orwell’s Animal Farm, Jack London’s The Call of the Wild,
Joseph Cornad’s Heart of darkness.
Novel is like an endless canvas to a
writer. Its length, characters, plots can be as huge, numerous and complex as
the writer wishes. Novels in simpler words are full length work of fiction.
Novels are found in various forms. Some of them are – spy novel, science
fiction novel, romance novel, historical novel, thriller novel, fantasy novel,
autobiographical novel etc. These forms depend upon the literary, social,
cultural and economic conditions of that particular time. Few examples of
novels are – Ulysses by James Joyce,
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
etc.
Essay/Non fiction
Essay/Non fiction
Essay or non fiction writing
is the most common form of writing in the present world. Most of the articles
of newspaper, magazines, and pamphlets belong to this form of writing. With the
advent of printing and popularisation of media, this form has gained
popularity. In the age of digital communication and social media, the blogs,
wall posts etc constitute the nonfiction form of writing. Comic books, graphic
novels, scientific journals are some other types of writings.
Which specific form of literature do you like
most and why?
Out of all forms of
literature discussed above, I like short stories the most.
The short story has a
limitation of length, but in the modern world it is the biggest advantage with
it. They can convey a variety of emotions and ideas in minimum words. They are
interesting to read and quick to give satisfaction to the readers.
The short story can be very
educative with the most simplistic plot. “The toys of peace” by Saki is a
perfect example for that. In this story, Eleanor and her brother Harvey are
influenced by a newspaper article which suggested giving children ‘peace toys’
instead of gun and battlefield toys. On Easter, Harvey brought such peace toys
to his nephews Bertie and Eric. The toys included a municipal dustbin, a model
of YMCA building, and figures of some distinguished citizens. The nephews were not
interested in them and the end of story they turn the models into forts and the
citizens into soldiers. The siblings rue the fact that perhaps they are too
late to make the change. This short
story gave a strong message on how toys to children are shaping the mindset of
our future citizens.
But the beauty of short
stories is that sometimes a simple looking plot also opens up a scope of varied
interpretation. “Luck” by Mark Twain is an example of that. The author meets
the reverend at a function organised in honour of lieutenant general Scoresby.
There he is told about Scoresby by the reverend that “privately-he’s an
absolute fool”. The author meets the reverend later to hear the story of
‘luck’. The reverend was a instructor in a military academy where Scoresby was
getting training. He was weak in his studies and the reverend helped him cram
up some questions before the test which luckily was the questions asked to
Scoresby. He passed with flying colours. The reverend helped him throughout his
career to hide his blunders as a mark of genius. According to reverend, the war
with Russians was also won by Scoresby by luck as he confused with the
directions left or right. The story looks simple but whether Twain is talking
about luck and foolishness of Scoresby or the jealousy and failure of the
reverend? Such open endedness makes short stories interesting.
The short story can be based
on a single theme and yet convey a lot of information about certain time
period. “Counterparts” by James Joyce can be quoted in this regard. Farrington is a copy clerk is scolded
by one the partners of the law firm Mr. Alleyne for not making complete copies
of a document in time. Farrington is infuriated by this and he pawns his
watch-chain for drinking alcohol in the pub. Here he is humiliated by a
perceived slight by an elegant young woman and defeat in an arm-wrestling contest.
Frustrated by this, he goes home and beats up his son. This whole story is
based on the frustration of Farrington. But the story also tells about Irish
conditions in those days. Farrington's coworkers at the law firm have English
and non-Irish names (Parker, Higgins,
Shelley, Delacour), and just before arriving at home in Sandymount, Farrington
passes the barracks where English soldiers live. In the last scene of
"Counterparts," when Farrington begins to beat him, the boy
desperately offers "I'll say a Hail Mary for you . . . "
Even in the short span of length
these stories do an excellent characterization. “The Duchess and the Jeweller”
by Virginia Woolf is a short story about Oliver, a poor man who has become a
successful jeweler, and his interaction with a Duchess. The relationship
between Oliver and the Duchess is confirmed in Oliver's acknowledgement
that “They were friends, yet enemies; he was master, she was mistress;
each cheated the other, each needed the other, each feared the other... “.
Oliver’s even talks to his dead mother’s picture and they show a different
characterization altogether.
Short stories are also deeply
engaging and make us wonder about various topics. “The Dream” by Somerset
Maugham tells the story of a Russian whom the author meets. The wife of the
Russian was having a dream that she is killed by her husband. She regularly saw
this dream and one day she was found dead for real. The story doesn’t conclude
on who killed her but it left many questions in the reader’s mind.
Thus short stories are small packets
of meaningful communication.
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