Original Writing: Techniques and Craft

Producing a high-quality piece of original writing requires more than having a good idea. It requires craft — the deliberate, purposeful manipulation of language to create specific effects. This lesson covers the key techniques you should consider for both creative and transactional writing, with a focus on how linguistic choices at the level of words, sentences, and structure work together to produce effective writing. The techniques discussed here are the ones you will need to explain and justify in your commentary, so understanding them deeply is doubly important.

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Narrative Techniques (Creative Writing)

If you are writing a piece of creative prose — a short story, novel opening, memoir extract, or dramatic monologue — narrative technique is fundamental to your success.

Voice and Perspective

The narrative voice you choose determines the entire texture of your writing. It shapes what the reader knows, how they feel, and how close they are to the characters.

Perspective	Features	Effect
First person	"I" narration; limited to narrator's perceptions; subjective	Creates intimacy, immediacy, and a distinctive voice; can create unreliable narration
Second person	"You" narration; places reader in the story	Unusual and arresting; can create complicity or discomfort; difficult to sustain
Third person limited	Follows one character's thoughts; uses "he/she/they"	Combines some intimacy with narrative flexibility; most common in literary fiction
Third person omniscient	Can access any character's thoughts; godlike narrator	Provides breadth and perspective; risks reducing emotional intensity

Key Definition: Narrative voice — the persona through which a story is told, encompassing perspective (who sees), tone (the narrator's attitude), and idiolect (the narrator's distinctive way of using language). A strong piece of creative writing establishes a consistent, convincing narrative voice from the opening line.

Creating Voice Through Language

Voice is not just about choosing first or third person. It is created through specific linguistic features:

• Lexical choices: A child narrator will use simple, concrete vocabulary. A cynical adult narrator might favour irony and understatement. A highly educated character might use Latinate vocabulary and complex syntax.
• Sentence structure: Short, fragmented sentences create urgency or breathlessness. Long, flowing sentences create contemplation or description. Varying sentence length creates rhythm and pace.
• Colloquialisms and dialect: Non-standard language can create a vivid sense of place and character. But use it purposefully — too much phonetic spelling can be difficult to read.
• Tone markers: Irony, humour, earnestness, melancholy — these are created through specific word choices, syntax, and what is left unsaid as much as what is stated.

Dialogue

Dialogue serves multiple purposes in creative writing:

• Reveals character (through what people say and how they say it)
• Advances plot
• Creates tension or conflict
• Establishes relationships between characters
• Breaks up narrative prose and varies the texture of the writing

Effective Dialogue Techniques

• Subtext: What characters do not say is often as important as what they do say. Characters who speak indirectly, avoid topics, or contradict their actions create depth and realism.
• Distinctive speech patterns: Each character should sound different. Vary vocabulary, sentence length, use of fillers, formality, and speech habits.
• Speech tags: Use "said" as your default. Avoid over-creative alternatives ("he exclaimed," "she interjected," "he opined"). Let the dialogue itself convey emotion.
• Formatting: Start a new paragraph for each new speaker. This is a genre convention that aids readability.

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Rhetorical Devices (Transactional Writing)

If you are writing a speech, article, column, blog post, or any piece of persuasive or argumentative writing, rhetorical technique is your primary toolkit.

The Classical Rhetorical Appeals

Appeal	Definition	Example
Ethos	Establishing the speaker/writer's credibility, authority, or moral character	"As someone who has spent twenty years working in education..."
Pathos	Appealing to the audience's emotions	"Imagine a child sitting alone in a classroom, too afraid to raise their hand..."
Logos	Appealing to logic and reason through evidence and argument	"Studies consistently show that early intervention improves outcomes by 40%."

Key Rhetorical Devices

Device	Definition	Example
Tricolon	A group of three parallel words, phrases, or clauses	"We will fight for fairness, for dignity, and for justice."
Anaphora	Repetition of a word or phrase at the start of successive clauses	"We cannot wait. We cannot hesitate. We cannot look away."
Antithesis	Placing contrasting ideas in parallel structures	"It is not the critic who counts, but the one who is actually in the arena."
Rhetorical question	A question asked for effect, not expecting an answer	"How long must we tolerate this injustice?"
Direct address	Speaking directly to the audience using "you" or "we"	"You know this matters. We all know this matters."
Hypophora	Asking a question and immediately answering it	"What is the solution? It begins with education."
Epistrophe	Repetition of a word or phrase at the end of successive clauses	"When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child."

Coursework Tip: Do not cram in every rhetorical device you know. Examiners reward purposeful, effective use of technique, not a checklist. Two or three well-deployed devices will score higher than seven poorly integrated ones. Quality over quantity, always.

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Structural Techniques

Structure is not merely the order in which things happen. It is a deliberate tool for creating meaning and effect.

For Creative Writing