Hide

The Purpose of Creative Writing: Entertainment

This lesson will focus on one of the reasons as to why an author writes, which is entertainment. Entertainment is defined as the action or performance made to amuse or give enjoyment to others. It may be used to bring mystery, suspense, comedy, or drama. Movie scripts and short stories--especially of fictional nature-- are a few examples of where entertainment purposes are used by the author for their audience.

What people need to realize is that writing can be a deep, painful experience, or it can be an enjoyable experience. Either way, it is a process that can allow reflection of the self or what the author sees.

Storylines are an example of entertainment writing. They are meant to grab the audience’s attention. Below is a short paragraph describing a movie made a few years ago:

“Dr. Bruce Banner becomes a mammoth, green beast when his blood pressure rises too high. Meanwhile, he is trying to find a cure while being on the run from the American military. They are trying to capture him for experimentation. Unfortunately, a skilled soldier uses similar technology to make himself the evil version of the green monster. He plans to hunt down Bruce Banner because of his creation. What will happen next?”

Does this sound familiar? This is the Incredible Hulk movie from 2008. Notice the adjectives and nouns used to describe the Hulk: “Mammoth”, “green beast”, “monster”. These words grab the reader’s attention. Also, look at the final two sentences. The soldier wants to chase down Banner, but the question is left for the reader to wonder what will go on next. This is one of the ways to bring suspense (the feeling of not knowing what will happen).

A second example of a writer using their material for entertainment is from short story. Below are some sentences I have written off the top of my head to show how easy it can be to entertain yourself as well as other people:

“I was walking down the street late Thursday night. I was trying to get home since my ride did not show up. Suddenly, two masked robbers were trying to take money from me. ‘Give me your wallet,” said one of the robbers. The other robber pushed me down on some grass and held me down. I shouted out for help.
I heard a yell from one of the houses and saw a light turn on. A man who looked to be in his forties chased one of the robbers and tackled him. He was an off-duty police officer. Eventually, the police showed up and found the other robber hiding in some bushes a block down. I was lucky that I was not harmed badly and I got my wallet back.”

Writing Prompt:

Write a short story (at least two paragraphs) that can be used to entertain an audience. It can be a mystery, drama, or comedy story. If necessary, use any of the examples above to help you.