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Course Catalog / BMU 250 / Glossary

Glossary: BMU 250 Creative Writing and Storytelling

A reference sheet of the key words in this course. Keep it open while you work, or print it.

audience
The people you share with: private, family, or public. (Lesson 7)
author's note
A short note telling readers what you changed, like names, and why. (Lesson 5)
big picture revision
Changes to shape, order, and what is in or out. (Lesson 6)
change
What is different at the end: a person, a choice, a belief, or a relationship. (Lesson 1)
character
A person in a story, real or invented. (Lesson 4)
copyright
The legal right to your own original writing. (Lesson 7)
dialogue
The words characters say out loud, set off with quotation marks. (Lesson 4)
ending
The last image or action, which should show the change. (Lesson 7)
feedback
A reader's honest response to your draft. (Lesson 6)
flaw
A weakness or blind spot that causes trouble. (Lesson 4)
freewrite
Writing without stopping for a set time. You do not fix or judge it. (Lesson 1)
line edit
Changes to words and sentences. (Lesson 6)
memoir
A true story from the writer's own life. (Lesson 5)
obstacle
What stands in the way: a person, a place, a rule, or the character's own fear. (Lesson 2)
personal essay
A true piece that uses a story to explore an idea. (Lesson 5)
private fact
A personal detail that is not public, like a health issue or money trouble. (Lesson 5)
revision memo
A short note on the feedback you got, what you changed, and why. (Lesson 6)
scene
A moment written in real time, like a movie, often with action and dialogue. (Lesson 3)
sensory detail
What a person could see, hear, smell, taste, or touch. (Lesson 3)
specific noun
An exact name for a thing, like pickup truck instead of vehicle. (Lesson 3)
story bank
A running list of moments you might write about someday. (Lesson 1)
summary
A quick telling of events or background. (Lesson 3)
turning point
The moment of choice or discovery when things cannot go back. (Lesson 2)
voice
The sound of the writing: word choice, rhythm, and attitude. (Lesson 4)
want
What the main character is trying to get, keep, or fix. (Lesson 2)

Back to Getting started or the syllabus.