7 LITERARY DEVICES FOR

CREATIVE WRITING
 Imagery
Imagery is the creative use of language to generate or form pictures, visuals,
or ideas in people’s minds when they read your work or hear you speak.

Example 1:  She was mesmerized by traps adorned in seductive silk.

When we use imagery in writing our goal is to engage the reader’s

imagination in a vibrant way. As a creative writer, I believe one of my secret
objectives is to create a psychedelic experience in my reader’s mind.

Example 2:  I’m going to stay in bed till I grow roots. Roots which
sink slimy claws into the rotting mattress, binding the springs to the
cheap bed boards.
 Alliteration
Alliteration is the use of the same letter (usually a consonant) or sound in a
series of words that are closely connected.

Example 1:  Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

Alliterations tend to add a musical or poetic quality to writing and speech.

They’re used in poetry, music, and all forms of creative writing. A lot of
businesses use it in their branding and sales. Also, you’ll find alliteration in
people’s names.

Example 2: Ama Ata Aidoo (a Ghanaian author.)
 Allusion
An allusion is an indirect reference to an idea, person, place, event, or thing
when speaking or writing.

Example 1:  I suspect Louisa has the Midas Touch.
Explanation: The Midas Touch generally means the ability to succeed at whatever
one does. A reference to the classical Greek myth about King Midas who was
granted his wish to turn everything he touched into gold. 

Allusions do not describe the things they refer to in detail. They are often
brief passing comments meant to convey detailed ideas or messages.

Example 2: As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.
Explanation: First line in Gangsta’s Paradise by Coolio. A reference to Psalm 23
in the Bible.
 Analogy
An analogy is a rational argument used to compare one thing to another to
explain an idea. An analogy makes comparisons in such a way that you can
see a relationship between the things compared. Parables, Metaphors,
Similes, Allegory, and Exemplification are literary devices used in making
analogies.

Example 1:  Life is a journey. 

Analogies can be found in a simple sentence, an article, a one page text, or a

whole book making a comparison between two or more concepts or
phenomenon etc. An analogy is always a comparison, but not all comparisons
are analogies.

Example 2: If you want my final opinion on the mystery of life and all
that, I can give it to you in a nutshell. The universe is like a safe to
which there is a combination. But the combination is locked up in
the safe. ­ Let Me Count the Ways by Peter De Vries.
 Onomatopoeia
An Onomatopoeia is generally described in English as a word that mimics
a sound.

Example 1: The speeding truck hit a puddle and splashed water on Alex.

Example 2: List of onomatopoeic words:  Cough
Bark
Buzz
Boom
Howl
Roar
Screech
Sizzle
Tweet (birds, not twitter)
 Oxymoron
An oxymoron is a phrase or a combination of words in which two
contradictory or opposing ideas are put together to create an effect.

Examples:   Original copy
Bittersweet
Ice water
Featherweight/lightweight
Old news
Highland
Sit up

The main difference between an oxymoron and a paradox is that: while an

oxymoron is made up of two opposite words, a paradox is a sentence or group
of sentences that are self-contradictory in nature but contain an implied truth.

Example of a paradox: The more you learn, the more you realize how
little you know.
 Tautology
In grammar, a tautology occurs when you use different words or phrases to say
the same thing twice. It is the repetition of meaning in a statement, often
considered unnecessary.

Examples:   Bits and pieces 
Shiela got a free gift yesterday.
I saw them together with my own eyes.
My first priority today is to eat a bowl of ice cream.
The vast majority of people are in favour of happy endings.

It is common to encounter grammatical tautologies in writing where an author

repeats an idea within a phrase, sentence, or paragraph, creating the
impression that they are providing more information. Languages that have
borrowed words from other languages tend to contain a lot of tautologies