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21 must-know creative writing terms explained



Creative writing is full of acronyms and terms. If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed by all the new terms, don’t worry! 


Here’s a quick guide to the most common acronyms and terms you’ll find online and in the writing world:


ARC — Advanced Reader Copy. This is an arrangement where a newly published (usually indie) author sends free copies of their books to volunteers in exchange for a review.


Blurb — The summary of the story that would go onto the back of your published book. This introduces the world, main character and some of the main conflicts of the story.


Deus ex machina — Latin for “god from a machine.” It originated from old stage acting where an actor dressed as a god would descend at the end of the play to solve all the character’s problems. In modern writing, this term means that there is something that overcame the character’s problems too suddenly or without proper explanation.


FF — Female and female LGBTQ+ relationship.


HEA — Happily Ever After. Usually used by romance writers.


Head hopping — A common term for when the narrative breaks out of its established POV, usually by jumping from the main character’s perspective to another character’s perspective within the same paragraph or chapter.


Mary Sue (female), Marty-Stu (male) — a derogatory term for a character who is able to do everything and has unrealistic abilities.


MC — Main Character.


MM — Male and male LGTBQ+ relationship.


MFC — main female character, usually in a romance story.


MG — Middle Grade (8-12 year old audiences).


MMC — main male character, usually the male lead in a romance story. 


MS — manuscript, an unpublished work.


NA — New Adult (18+, but usually aimed at 18-25 audiences).


Planner writers — make outlines, character sheets and more before writing the first word. 


Pantsers, discovery, intuitive writers — write with only a vague idea of a scene or character and discover the story as they go.


POV — Point of View, meaning the style of narration used in your story. The most common POVs are first person and third person limited.


SF — science fiction or sci fi.


SFF — science fiction and fantasy.


WIP — Work In Progress. This is the story or stories you are actively working on. This encompasses everything from the first draft to the final revisions.


YA — Young Adult (12-18 years old audiences).


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