Creative Writing Terms

noun a favorable and especially unduly high opinion of one's own abilities or worth

• His conceit was evident in the way he spoke about his accomplishments.
• She's full of conceit, always bragging about herself.
• Don't be so conceited, no one likes a show-off.
• The conceit of the novel lies in its unreliable narrator.

verb to wander or stray from a path or course

• During the lecture, the professor tended to divagate from the main topic.
• I always divagate when I tell stories, I can never stick to the point.
• She divagated so much during the conversation, I lost track of what she was saying.
• His thoughts divagate like a winding river, meandering through different ideas and concepts.

noun a derogatory term for poorly written or inferior poetry

• The poet was criticized for his use of doggerel in his latest work.
• I can't believe you wrote that doggerel for the school talent show.
• That doggerel you wrote is straight up trash.
• His speech was filled with political doggerel, designed to manipulate the audience.

noun a literary genre that includes novels, short stories, and other works of prose fiction

adjective relating to or characteristic of fiction

• The library has a large collection of classic fiction novels.
• I love getting lost in a good fiction book.
• That movie was total fiction, it didn't even make sense.
• His explanation was pure fiction, there's no way that could have happened.

noun a physical part of the body that is used for grasping or holding things

verb to submit or deliver something, typically an assignment or document

adjective no applicable definition

adverb no applicable definition

pronoun no applicable definition

preposition no applicable definition

conjunction no applicable definition

interjection no applicable definition

article no applicable definition

• Please remember to hand in your assignment by the deadline.
• Don't forget to hand in your homework on time.
• Make sure you hand in your project before it's due.
• He decided to hand in his resignation after the disagreement.

verb to compose or write, especially in a literary or artistic manner

• The writer was asked to indite a formal letter to the board of directors.
• I'll indite a quick note to remind everyone about the meeting tomorrow.
• I'm going to indite a rap about my life and struggles.
• Her poetry has the power to indite the emotions of the reader.

verb to fill with spirit, courage, or strength; to inspire

• The motivational speaker aimed to inspirit the audience with his powerful words.
• I always feel inspirited after listening to my favorite music.
• My friends and I like to watch inspiring movies to get inspirited.
• The beautiful sunset seemed to inspirit the entire landscape.

noun a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable

• The author's use of metaphor throughout the novel added depth to the characters and themes.
• I like how the singer uses metaphor to describe love in his songs.
• That movie was so bad, it was a metaphor for my life.
• Her smile was a metaphor for sunshine on a cloudy day.

adjective relating to or using metaphor; figurative

• The author used a metaphorical language in his novel to convey deeper meanings.
• She described her feelings using a metaphorical comparison to a rollercoaster.
• I didn't get his metaphorical joke about the chicken crossing the road.
• The painting was a metaphorical representation of the artist's inner struggles.

verb to flow or stream out rapidly

adverb in a flowing or streaming manner

• The poet's words seemed to pour forth effortlessly as he recited his latest work.
• When she gets excited, the ideas just pour forth from her like a waterfall.
• I can't believe the gossip that poured forth from her mouth when she found out the news.
• As the sun set, the colors of the sky seemed to pour forth in a magnificent display of beauty.

noun a new version of written material

verb to write again in a different or improved way

• The author was asked to rewrite the entire chapter to improve clarity.
• I had to rewrite my essay because I forgot to save it before closing the document.
• I had to redo the whole thing because I messed up the first time.
• Sometimes in life, we are given the opportunity to rewrite our own story and start fresh.

noun A novel in which real people or events appear with invented names.

preposition The hyphen in 'roman-à-clef' connects the two words together to form a compound noun.

• The author used a roman-à-clef to tell a story based on real-life events but with fictionalized characters.
• Have you heard of that novel that's a roman-à-clef? It's supposed to be really juicy!
• That book is basically a roman-à-clef of all the drama that went down in our friend group last summer.
• The painting was like a roman-à-clef of the artist's inner thoughts and emotions.

noun A rhetorical device in which one medium of art is used to describe or comment on another medium

• The art critic analyzed the ekphrasis in the poem, noting the intricate details described.
• The artist really captured the essence of the painting in his ekphrasis.
• I love how the rapper incorporated ekphrasis into his lyrics, it adds a whole new layer to the song.
• Her description of the sunset was like an ekphrasis, painting a vivid picture in my mind.

adjective a made-up word used to describe someone who is grumpy or irritable

• The professor appeared begrumpled as he entered the lecture hall.
• She always looks begrumpled in the mornings before she has her coffee.
• Don't be so begrumpled, it's just a little rain!
• His mind felt begrumpled with conflicting thoughts and emotions.

noun a poetic form where the first letter of each line spells out a word or message when read vertically

• The poet composed an acrostic poem where the first letter of each line spelled out a secret message.
• I tried my hand at writing an acrostic for my crush, but I couldn't come up with anything clever.
• My friend acrosted me in their text message, but I couldn't figure out what they were trying to say.
• The clues in the scavenger hunt were like an acrostic, leading us to the hidden treasure.