University Writing Center: Creative Writing

Creative writing often questions or even breaks conventional academic writing "rules." Here’s a few resources that introduce key concerns within different creative writing genres.

Long fiction and short fiction:

• Three Purdue OWL resources: Considering plot and character, Understanding theme, conflict, and point of view, and Using metaphors; types of metaphors
• Dialogue: try this page on Writing dialogue and this page on What to think about when trying to dialogue

Creative nonfiction: not all creative writing tells fictional stories. This handy page introduces creative nonfiction and its genres before offering pointers for writers.

Poetry

• "Learning the Poetic Line: How Line Breaks Shape Meaning": We like how this article walks readers through poetry that isn't necessarily perfectly metrical or end-stopped

Creative Writing Workshopping: creative writing often involves small- and large-group workshopping.

• For general help in giving and receiving feedback on your writing, check out our X page
• Workshop discussion questions: starting points for workshopping your work and others' work.