abstraction in creative writing

Abstractions in Writing

By: Author Paul Jenkins

Posted on May 10, 2022

Categories Writing , Creativity , Filmmaking , Storytelling

In writing, we often take refuge in abstractions. We rely on them to make our statements clear and concise. In some cases, this is unavoidable. But abstractions can also be a crutch that obscures meaning and weakens our arguments. It’s important to be aware of the dangers of abstraction and to use it wisely. In this post, we’ll look at the uses and abuses of abstraction in writing and share some strategies for avoiding its pitfalls as a creative writer.

What Is an Abstraction in Writing and Why Is It Important

When you write about abstractions, it’s important to understand what they’re and why they’re important.

An abstraction is a general concept or idea that’s not concrete or tangible. In other words, it’s an attempt to describe intangible things such as feelings, emotions, ideas, and concepts. Abstract terms are complex and often ambiguous topics used in everyday language and writing.

Everyday examples of abstract terms include “freedom,” “love,” “pride,” and so on. Unlike concrete concepts such as ” car” or “table” that can be seen, touched, or felt, abstract concepts cannot be perceived by the five senses, but they exist in our minds as thoughts and memories.

When we describe abstract concepts like freedom or pride, we use adjectives to express what they mean to us because they don’t have physical characteristics that can be observed.

Their complexity lies in our very inability to concretely label them.

Freedom, for example, means different things to different people. Some think of political terms like the right to vote or freedom of speech, while others think of personal independence from other people, such as being single after a breakup.

Because abstractions aren’t concrete, they can be difficult to discuss or explain. Yet they’re often at the heart of some of the most important ideas and concepts in our lives. For example, when we talk about freedom or justice, we’re really talking about abstractions. Without an understanding of these concepts, it would be difficult to have a meaningful discussion about them.

Moreover, abstractions can be used as tools for creativity and invention. When we think about abstract concepts in new ways, we can find new ideas and solutions.

For example, when Einstein was trying to develop his theory of relativity, he thought about the abstraction of time in a new way which led to his groundbreaking discovery.

Even though abstractions are difficult to define or understand, they play an important role in our lives and in our ability to think creatively.

Both Abstract and Concrete Words Describe Something, but They Do So in Very Specific Ways

In writing, both abstract and concrete language is used to describe something. However, they describe it in very specific ways.

Abstract words are usually adjectives or verbs that describe feelings, ideas, qualities, or characteristics. Concrete words are almost always nouns that refer to things we can see, touch, hear, taste, or smell.

When you write about abstract concepts, concrete words are often used to give an example of the concept being described. For example, if you’re describing the concept of love, you might use a concrete word like “kiss” to make your point.

On the other hand, if you’re writing about the concept of anger, you might use an abstract word like “frustration” to describe it. In both cases, the words you choose help create a certain image in the reader’s mind. Therefore, they’re an important tool in descriptive writing.

Abstract words are general and interpretive and often convey more complex or emotional meaning. When you write about abstracts, it’s important to choose the right word type to accurately convey the intended meaning.

An Abstract Word Is a General Term That Refers to an Idea

When we speak of “abstract” words, we refer to those that describe concepts or ideas rather than tangible objects.

Many words in our language can be classified as abstract, including “love,” “truth,” and “justice.” Because these terms aren’t directly connected to physical objects, they can be difficult to define. Nevertheless, they’re an important part of our language that we can use to convey complex ideas.

When you write about abstract concepts, it’s important to be as clear and precise as possible. This can be a challenge, as it’s easy to get caught up in flowery language or nebulous concepts. However, with a little care and attention, it’s possible to effectively convey even the most difficult ideas.

Ultimately, it’s about finding a balance between precision and clarity. With practice, you’ll be able to write about abstract concepts with confidence and ease.

Example of Abstract Writing

For example, “happiness” is an abstract word because it describes a particular state that cannot be observed or experienced by any of the five senses. Instead, happiness is defined by the feelings a person has when he or she experiences it.

To clarify this difference, think about the word “happiness.” Happiness is an abstract concept because it describes a specific state, but one that cannot be directly observed or experienced through the senses.

Think about how you’d describe to someone how you’re happy: you might say you feel content or excited; you might have a smile on your face and feel full of energy. However, there’s no way to actually see happiness because it’s a state that exists only in the imagination.

This means that when you write about happiness, you need to use your power words – vivid verbs and nouns – to create concrete images in your reader’s minds by describing what they’d see or hear if they were there during one of your experiences of happiness.

Your Audience Will React Differently Depending on Which Type You Use in Your Writing

When writing about abstractions, it’s important to understand the difference between these types of words because your audience will react differently depending on which type you use in your writing.

For example, if you’re writing about a concept like “love,” you might use the word “affection” to describe the physical manifestation of love, or the word “passion” to describe the emotional intensity of love.

However, if you were to use the word “lust” instead, your audience would likely interpret your writing in a completely different way. Therefore, it’s important to be aware of the connotations of the words you use when writing about abstractions, as they can significantly affect how your audience perceives your work.

Abstract words have less effect on readers than concrete words. They don’t create a clear picture in the reader’s mind and are often more difficult to understand. The word laughter is abstract and has less effect on the reader than a clause like “his explosive laughter.”

Avoid Using Too Many Abstract Words at Once

When it comes to writing about abstract things, it’s important not to use too many abstract words at once. Otherwise, your text will become confusing and difficult to understand.

Instead, try to focus on concrete examples that illustrate the abstraction. For example, if you’re writing about the concept of love, you could describe a moment when you felt loved or when you showed love to someone.

By giving concrete examples, your text will be more understandable and the reader will be able to follow it more easily. You can also use metaphors and similes to explain the abstraction more concretely.

Ultimately, you can use a combination of concrete examples and figurative language to effectively convey your ideas without getting lost in abstraction.

How Can You Identify Abstractions in Your Own Writing

Abstractions are concepts or ideas that aren’t concrete, and they can be hard to define.

However, there are a few ways you can identify abstractions in your writing.

• First, consider whether the subject of your sentence is something you can experience with your senses. If not, it’s probably an abstraction. For example, the concept of love cannot be seen, heard, or touched.
• Second, consider whether the subject of your sentence is something that can be measured. If not, then it’s probably an abstraction. For example, the idea of happiness isn’t something that can be measured.
• Finally, ask yourself if the subject of your sentence is something that can be defined. If not, then it’s probably an abstraction. The concept of justice, for example, is open to interpretation and can mean different things to different people.

You can also ask yourself a series of questions about what you mean by each part of your text:

• What do you mean by this sentence?
• What do I mean by this paragraph?
• What do I mean by this chapter?

How Can You Use Abstractions to Make Your Writing More Effective

In literature, abstraction is often used to state a fact more effectively. When used well, an abstraction can clarify a concept, help the reader better understand an idea, or reinforce a feeling.

However, when used poorly, abstraction can be confusing, vague, or even misleading. Therefore, it’s important to use abstractions carefully and thoughtfully to maximize their effectiveness in writing.

There are several ways that abstractions can be used effectively in writing.

One way is to use abstraction to represent a concrete object or idea. For example, instead of saying, “I drove my car to the store,” you might say, “I drove my new wheels down the street.” Using an abstraction can help give the reader a more vivid image and make your text more interesting.

Another way to use abstractions effectively is to use them as a substitute for complicated concepts or ideas. In other words, you can use abstraction as a shortcut for something that would otherwise require a long explanation. For example, instead of saying, “What I really need right now is some alone time to clear my head,” you could simply say, “I need some solitude.”

• Use abstractions to convey the main idea
• Use abstractions as writing tools to help readers understand your text

Specific Examples of Abstractions From Famous Writers

Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or the darkness of destructive selfishness. Martin Luther King Jr., Three Dimensions of a Complete Life

The past is never dead. It’s not even past. William Faulkner, Requiem for a Nun

The intellect of man is forced to choose. Perfection of the life, or of the work. W.B. Yeats

I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity. Edgar Allan Poe

We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be. Kurt Vonnegut Jr., Mother Night

The Importance of Concrete Detail in Writing

When you write about abstract concepts, it’s important to use concrete images so that readers understand your ideas. By giving readers a concrete image that they can associate with abstraction, you make your text more understandable and memorable.

For example, if you’re writing about the concept of justice, you might use the image of a scale being balanced.

Or if you’re writing about love, you could use a picture of two people holding hands.

Although abstract images can be helpful in certain situations, they should be used sparingly. Too much abstraction can make your text confusing and hard to follow. When in doubt, use concrete images instead. They help your readers understand your ideas and engage with your text.

Many authors make the mistake of using abstract terms when they want to emphasize something or make their text sound pompous and artistic. However, this only makes the text seem forced and artificial.

An example of this would be, “The man cried out in pain as he felt his leg break on impact with the sidewalk” instead of “Sam broke his leg falling off his bike on the sidewalk and let out a scream.” The second sentence uses fewer words, but conveys exactly what happened – and in vivid detail!

Tips for Making Your Writing More Concrete

As any writer knows, one of the challenges of writing about abstract concepts is finding ways to make what’s written more concrete. After all, it can be hard for readers to imagine an idea that’s no physical form.

However, there are a few strategies that can help you make your writing and creative writing more concrete.

• First, try to use concrete phrases whenever possible. For example, instead of “park,” say “Central Park” and instead of “city,” say “New York City.” This will help readers better understand the location and context of your story.
• Second, try to include specific details and sensory impressions. For example, instead of saying “the flowers were beautiful,” say “the flowers were a riot of color.” The more specific you’re, the easier it’ll be for readers to imagine the scene.
• Finally, don’t be afraid to use metaphors and similes. They’re a great way to make your text interesting and structured while providing concrete images for readers to latch onto.

By following these tips, you can ensure that your text is as clear and lively as possible:

• Use concrete words
• Use concrete examples Use concrete images
• Use concrete nouns
• Avoid abstract words
• Avoid abstract concepts
• Avoid generalizations
• Avoid vague statements

The Ladder of Abstraction

The concept of an abstraction ladder was depicted by S.I. Hayakawa in Language in Thought and Action .

Climbing from the bottom rung to the top, Hayakawa’s ladder has eight rungs. I’ve paraphrased some of the ideas to try to make them simpler:

• The Process Level – e.g. the cow known to science: atoms, electrons, etc
• The Object of Experience – e.g. the cow we perceive (not named yet)
• The Name Level – e.g. Bessie, the name we give to the cow
• The Word Level – e.g. ‘cow’, the common word
• Broader Characteristics – e.g. ‘livestock’
• Even Broader Term – e.g. ‘farm assets’, lumping Bessie in with all other saleable items on the farm
• Broadest Term – e.g. ‘asset’, where even more characteristics of Bessie are omitted
• Highest Level of Abstraction – e.g. ‘wealth’, omitting almost all characteristics of Bessie

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Article • 11 min read

The Ladder of Abstraction

Balancing hard facts with visionary ideas.

By the Mind Tools Content Team

Have you ever noticed that you've bored or bewildered your audience halfway through a presentation, wondering what went wrong as your carefully prepared speech goes down like a lead balloon?

It can be difficult to hold an audience's attention for the duration of a speech, a report, or even just a conversation, especially in a busy workplace. This is where a tool like the Ladder of Abstraction can help, by allowing you to balance your words so that they engage your audience.

In this article, we examine the Ladder of Abstraction, and show how you can use it to strengthen your writing, speaking and even your thinking skills.

About the Ladder of Abstraction Model

Linguist Samuel I. Hayakawa first popularized the Ladder of Abstraction in his 1939 book, "Language in Action." It remains a useful model for describing how people think, speak and write on different levels, and it is a handy tool for better communication.

The Ladder rests on solid foundations – just as a real ladder should do. Language at this level is specific, detailed and tangible. For example, you might talk about something concrete, such as your pen, a particular armchair that you like to sit in, or your pet dog.

As you climb each rung of the Ladder, you ascend through increasing levels of abstraction toward broad concepts and meaning. When you reach the top, you'll be considering notions such as power, life and esthetics. These are different from the bottom end of the Ladder, where things are "real" in the physical sense.

Between the two ends of the Ladder, language is less "real" than at the bottom, but not as abstract as at the top. This middle area is where you might hear about writing rather than a pen, or relaxation rather than an armchair.

Essentially, communication is most effective when you move up and down the Ladder, weaving hard facts and details with "bigger picture" concepts and visions.

Here is an example of a statement that uses the full span of the Ladder: "Usain Bolt has achieved greatness through dedication and hard work on the running track." The notion of "greatness" is at the top of the ladder, "dedication and hard work" are in the middle, and "the running track" is on the bottom rung.

Don't fall into the trap of believing that your way of thinking is better just because it sits higher up the Ladder, or that you should avoid the lower rungs. Each rung represents a different level of communication, and each has its uses.

Hayakawa used "Bessie the cow" to demonstrate how thinking and communication can move from the concrete to the abstract. Here is how Bessie appears on the Ladder of Abstraction:

Figure 1: The Ladder of Abstraction

Working from the bottom up:

• The Process Cow. The atoms, molecules and so on that the animal is made of.
• The Cow We Perceive. Not the word "cow," but the object that we see. We're already overlooking some detail, such as what she is actually made of.
• Bessie. The name we give to the perceived object. When we do this, we leave out more characteristics such as her color.
• Cow. When referring to Bessie as a cow, we use abstract characteristics that are common to all cows – not specifically to Bessie.
• Livestock. At this level of abstraction, we use the characteristics that Bessie shares with other farmyard animals to group her as livestock.
• Farm Asset. When we refer to Bessie as a farm asset, we look only at those characteristics that she shares with other valuable objects on the farm.
• Asset. The word "asset" takes Bessie from the farmyard context to a higher, wider level of abstraction where she is just one type of valuable resource. Few specific details about Bessie remain at this level of abstraction.
• Wealth. The highest level of abstraction, from which we learn almost nothing about Bessie.

Do not confuse the Ladder of Inference , also called the Process of Abstraction, with the Ladder of Abstraction. The two models are very different. The Ladder of Abstraction describes levels of thinking and language, while the Ladder of Inference is concerned with reasoning and making assumptions.

How It Works

You can use the Ladder of Abstraction as a tool for improving your communication, whether you're planning a speech , writing a press release , talking with a colleague, or just thinking about something.

Audiences need concrete information to make sense of abstract concepts. Consider, for example, the inspirational leader who focuses on the "big picture" when announcing a new direction for their organization, but fails to support their vision with concrete methods for getting there. In doing so, they leave people wondering what they are going to do.

Audiences also need to know what the details mean. For example, a manager might present reams of data to their bosses, but not explain its implications or importance.

The problem in both scenarios is that the person talking is communicating from just one rung of the ladder, rather than alternating between the real and the abstract. They are being either too vague or too detailed to engage their audience, and is delivering only part of what their members need to know. This is called "dead level abstracting." The Ladder of Abstraction helps you to avoid this by engaging people in a full and balanced way.

The Ladder of Abstraction can be useful in other ways, too – for example, when you need to think critically or use creative problem solving . Moving up and down the ladder encourages you to consider problems at different levels. It can help you to broaden your thinking and make room for new perspectives, or to limit them and narrow your focus.

Applying the Ladder of Abstraction

If you're in the planning stages, think ahead and consider what your audience will need you to deliver. Write lists of "bottom rung" and "top rung" topics, and plan how you will move between them.

If you're midway through writing a report, or even halfway through delivering a speech, and you sense that you're losing your audience, stop to consider whether it needs more detail or more abstraction.

Writing and speaking to an audience works best when you climb up and down the Ladder. Try to move between the concrete and the abstract within each paragraph, or even within sentences when appropriate.

When you go to the middle rungs of the Ladder, don't linger there. If you communicate for too long at this level, you won't be giving your audience members enough detail to understand the essentials, or sufficient abstraction to grasp your higher meaning.

Descending the Ladder

People who speak from the top of the Ladder tend to sound inspirational and visionary. But, while abstractions make language exciting, they can sound hollow or remote, so you need to bring your message back "down to earth."

The first step is to ask, "How?" Questions such as, "How is this going to happen?" and, "How does this relate to you?" will help you to compare your abstract ideals and values with everyday things that your audience can identify with and understand.

Here are some other ways to move down the Ladder:

• Use vivid descriptions to help people grasp the basics. Tell them what your subject looks and sounds like, what it does well, what could go wrong. Use visual aids such as drawings and photos.
• Discuss examples, case studies and anecdotes to enliven discussions.
• Support your abstractions with specific data and statistics.

Climbing the Ladder

If you find that your audience is losing interest or struggling to grasp the purpose of your facts and figures, move up the Ladder. The question to ask now is, "Why?" Talking about why something is important drives you back up the Ladder and connects the details with your theories, goals or other abstractions.

Here are some tips for climbing the Ladder:

• Bring details together to form patterns and trends, to reveal how the basics connect to your abstractions. Charts, graphs and other diagrams are useful tools here.
• Your audience will struggle to grasp the importance of specific details if it sees them in isolation, so discuss the wider context and help it to see the "bigger picture."
• Form summaries and talk about your conclusions. As you do, touch upon values that will appeal to your audience – for example, success or transformation.

Staying on the Same Level

"Dead level abstracting" sometimes has its place. Details and specifics might occasionally be what your audience needs. At other times, being intentionally abstract works. You don't have to continually leap up and down the Ladder of Abstraction if it's not what your audience needs at that time.

Say, for example, that you need to walk your team through a complicated workflow or give it directions to a supplier's factory across town. If you spoke in abstractions, you'd likely have a very confused team.

Equally, because abstractions are vague, you can use them to your advantage whenever you need to avoid giving specific details – when you're trying to keep information confidential, for example.

Linguist Samuel I. Hayakawa popularized the Ladder of Abstraction tool in his book, "Language in Action," first published in 1939.

The Ladder sets out the levels at which people think and communicate. At the bottom, words are firm, concrete and easy to understand. As you climb up each rung of the Ladder, you become less detailed and increasingly abstract.

Concrete and abstract information are both useful, but restricting yourself to just one or the other limits your communication. You'll more likely engage people by continually moving from the bottom to the top of the Ladder, and back again, because you'll give them both the detail and the "bigger picture" concepts.

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The Ladder of Abstraction: Make Your Writing Memorable (Video)

Published February 26, 2021 | Last Updated November 13, 2023 By Nicole Bianchi 3 Comments

I’m excited to share a new video with you today! It’s all about a fascinating writing concept that I discovered while reading Jack Hart’s book  Storycraft . It will help you make your fiction and nonfiction writing more memorable and meaningful to your readers.

I hope you enjoy the video! It would be awesome if you could give it a thumbs up and leave a comment because this tells YouTube to show the video to more writers on the platform. Also make sure to subscribe if you haven’t already!

I first came across this writing tool while reading Jack Hart’s book  Storycraft (Amazon affiliate link). Hart was a managing editor at the  Oregonian , the pacific northwest’s largest newspaper. He also helped guide several Pulitzer prize-winning articles to publication.

In this book, he shares everything that he learned during his career as a journalist. While the book is aimed at people who are writing nonfiction, I have also found the tips that he shares to be universal no matter what kind of writing you are working on.

Basically, the ladder of abstraction is a diagram that helps you to visualize how far away you are from the action of a story that you are telling. I looked this term up online and discovered that it was first popularized by S. I. Hayakawa in his book  Languag e  in Action . Essentially, the ladder of abstraction demonstrates how language progresses from concrete and detailed to more and more abstract.

In his book, Hart examines how we can apply this to stories. So, to understand this ladder of abstraction, let’s see it in action.

The Ladder of Abstraction in Action

Hart gives us the example of a magazine article that an author is writing about a person called McDougal who is a river rafter on the Illinois River in Oregon.

You can see a diagram of the ladder of abstraction for this magazine article in my YouTube video. Or you can make one yourself. Imagine in your head or draw on a piece of paper a ladder with multiple rungs. 

At the bottom of the ladder, on the first few rungs, is the concrete and detailed specific storytelling. Jack Hart calls this the scenic narrative because this would be all the times in your piece when you are describing scenes.

On the first rung, you can write the name McDougal. That’s the main character of the story. When you’re on this bottom rung of the ladder, you’re putting your reader into a scene where they’re almost experiencing it as if they were there in person. They feel like they’re in the raft with McDougal, seeing the waves crashing around them.

But, as the author writes, he might expand who he is describing in his magazine article. So on the next rung write “McDougal’s party”. These are the other river rafters who are with McDougal. Then perhaps the author wants to explain a little bit more about the people who are river rafting on the Illinois River. This rung would be called “Illinois River Rafters”.

Eventually, he might move up the ladder to discuss all different kinds of people on the river (Illinois River Runners), and then maybe he wants to make his magazine article even broader and give us more detail about all river runners and their sport, not just those on the Illinois River (All River Runners).

Gradually, he moves up the ladder even further to talk about  all outdoor adventurers , and then he’s telling us about lessons that McDougal is learning on the Illinois River, and he’s applying these lessons to  all human beings . As he reaches this part of his narrative, his concepts become more abstract. He’s no longer narrating a story so Hart calls the rungs at the top of the ladder “summary narrative”. If you think of the adage “show, don’t tell,” then on a simplistic level, with scenic narrative, you’re usually  showing , but with summary narrative, you’re  telling .

At this point, maybe you’re thinking, “Okay, this is really interesting. So maybe when you’re writing fiction, you’re more concerned with the bottom rungs of the ladder, and you’re going to stay in that scenic narrative, but if you are writing a more technical article or blog post or a scientific article, for example, you would be at the top of the ladder where it’s more abstract.” 

But this is where Hart makes a fascinating point. He writes,

“You gain comprehensiveness as you climb the ladder but you lose the ability to form concrete images. But you’ve traded specificity for something that also has value. If you can generalize about a larger class, you have knowledge that you can apply in a variety of situations so greater meaning resides on the ladder’s upper rungs. Good writing constantly ascends and descends the ladder of abstraction.” 

That last line is thought-provoking. Essentially, Hart is saying that no matter what kind of writing you’re working on, you really do want to include both scenic narrative and summary narrative. 

Let’s look first at why including both types of narrative makes nonfiction writing powerful.

How to Use the Ladder of Abstraction for Nonfiction

As you ascend the ladder of abstraction, you are able to appeal to a wider audience. For instance, with the author who is writing the magazine story about Mcdougal, if they expand their article to talk about all outdoor adventurers, they are able to appeal to a wider audience. 

Let’s say that you pick up the article to read, but you’re not a river rafter. However, you might enjoy outdoor activities, and maybe the author is applying lessons that McDougal learned to something that would apply to you as well. If the author is even able to expand that further and talk about universal lessons that anybody could learn from McDougal’s adventures, then you would also be interested in reading that piece even if you weren’t necessarily interested in river rafting.

Additionally, when you’re writing nonfiction, it’s also important not to stay at the top of the ladder and only talk about your concepts with abstract language. For example, if you’re writing a technical piece, your language can become very dry. Your reader might either fall asleep or have trouble understanding your concepts without any practical applications.

So you want to move down the ladder of abstraction and give them a concrete example, a story, so that they’re able to wrap their head around what you are talking about. Check out this blog post that I wrote that shares how you can introduce stories into your nonfiction writing .

Now let’s look at how you can apply the ladder of abstraction to your writing if you’re working on fiction.

How to Use the Ladder of Abstraction for Fiction

When I first came across this diagram in the book, I was ruminating over how it would apply to fiction, and the opening lines of Charles Dickens’  A Tale of Two Cities  came to mind. 

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.” 

We can see that this opening to  A Tale of Two Cities  is very abstract. That would definitely be at the top of the ladder of abstraction. In fact, many of the classics, the books that we consider to be very well written, often run up and down the ladder of abstraction. 

Charles Dickens doesn’t open his book with a scene, but with a philosophical statement. This is similar to  Pride and Prejudice  by Jane Austen that opens with the line, “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” Another example is Dostoyevsky’s novel  The Brothers Karamazov  where part of the book is a philosophical treatise.

One of the reasons why these books are considered to be classics is because they run up and down the ladder of abstraction. They give us compelling stories with wonderfully written characters, but they also incorporate philosophical questions and problems that are universal to humans no matter what age they’re living in.

So, even though we’re not living during the French Revolution (the setting of  A Tale of Two Cities ) ,  Dickens includes struggles and themes that are universal to readers no matter who they are.

Now, in many of these books, like in  The Brothers Karamazov , a character will philosophize for pages and pages. If you’re writing fiction, you probably don’t want to do that, but you can bring in those abstract concepts with a line of dialogue or by giving us a glimpse into a character’s thoughts. 

There’s an excellent example of this in the film adaption of  The Two Towers  by J.R.R Tolkien. Sam and Frodo are feeling overwhelmed by their adventure, and Sam turns to Frodo and says,

“It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo, the ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were and sometimes you didn’t want to know the end because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come, and when the sun shines, it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you, that meant something even if you were too small to understand why.” 

I love this quote because it encapsulates why the ladder of abstraction is so important. When we are able to incorporate those universal themes and struggles and apply them to our readers and give them a message to take away from our story, those are the stories that our readers are going to remember, the ones that are going to stay with them. 

There’s a wonderful line from Marion Roach’s book  The Memoir Project  where she writes, 

“Let us into your story by shedding light on our own dilemmas, fears, happiness, or wide-eyed wonder…You have to give readers a reason for this thing to live on in our hearts and minds.”

The Takeaway 

I hope the ladder of abstraction helps you with your writing. You can use it to remind yourself to move up and down the ladder whenever you’re working on a piece of writing.

If you’re writing nonfiction, you can consider how to make your piece apply to a wider audience. Or you can try to move down the ladder of abstraction to introduce a story that will allow your readers to better understand the concepts you’re presenting and to make your piece more interesting to read. 

And if you’re writing fiction, you can ask yourself, “How can I put in a line of dialogue or some other lines that will elevate the story to have a deeper meaning for my readers?”

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Story Craft

May 31, 2023, climbing the "ladder of abstraction" to evoke empathy and elevate your message, a concept adapted from theories of rhetoric can help writers choose details that add both intimacy and universality to a story.

By Korrina Duffy

Tagged with

Isabelle Roughol

EDITOR’S NOTE: In the spirit of transparency, Korrina Duffy wrote this post after attending a weeklong writing workshop I teach through the Madeline Island School of Arts .

She was demonstrating what she called the “ladder of abstraction,” a concept adapted by some narrative writers from the theories of S.I. Hayakawa , a former U.S. senator and English professor. Hayakawa’s 1941 book, “Language in Action,” (later updated to “Language in Thought and Action”) was an exploration of the meaning of various levels of language, from common to rhetorical.

The ladder of abstraction, we were told, is a useful tool to consider the levels of language a writer can use in storytelling, with diction that goes from the concrete and specific at the bottom to the abstract and universal at the top. An example: At the bottom of the ladder, a story subject — whether it’s a person, place or thing — is made real through vivid description and detail. And, for some reason, the more specific those details, the more universal or relatable they become to readers. It was a new concept to me — one I was struggling to understand.

I wasn’t alone. After dinner one evening, several of my classmates and I puzzled over how this could be.

Then I thought about how I felt when I read Banaszynski’s “AIDS in the Heartland” piece in advance of the workshop. The specific details she gave about Dick Hanson, a farmer living with and dying of AIDS in the 1980s, made him feel real and even relatable, despite Dick and I having drastically different identities and experiences. In a scene from Dick’s funeral, Banaszynski described the memorabilia that represented his life included “a well-thumbed Bible,” “a grubby powerline protest T-shirt,” and “a splendid bouquet of gladiolas” that he had grown in his garden next to his farmhouse. He is at once a gay, religious, liberal political activist and a farmer with a love of fresh flowers. He is complex — a mix of contradictions, aspirations and everyday interests. Like us all.

And then it clicked for me: The more specific the details, the more that a character becomes real, and the more a character becomes real, the more that a reader can empathize with that character, and the more a reader can empathize with a character, the more universal that character’s story becomes — even a story far different from their own.

The science of empathy

As I considered all of this, I reflected on my PhD training in psychology and neuroscience and two important lessons that I learned about how empathy is evoked.

The first lesson is that empathy is built when someone is made real to us, and particularly when we come to know their heart and mind. Knowing that someone loves fresh cut flowers, particularly gladiolas, is endearing and sweet. Knowing what someone loves, hates, fears and desires allows us to connect with these universal human emotions.

The second lesson is that the more that someone is different from us, the more that we must come to see our shared humanity with them to build empathy. In the 1980s, when the country was gripped in a profound empathy gap for gay men dying of AIDS, Dick Hanson’s story is powerfully humanizing and heartbreaking, and for these reasons, I think, helped to close the gap, one reader at a time.

Specific, concrete details ground a story to, well, the ground. At the top of the ladder, the writer can help the reader see the bigger picture that only emerges when viewed from above, connecting the details of a story to their higher meaning. In her stories, Jacqui shows how this is done when she extracts the essence from the details. She writes that the statistics about the toll of AIDS:

… say nothing of the joys of a carefully tended vegetable garden and new kittens under the shed, of tender teasing and magic hugs. Of flowers that bloom brighter and birds that sing sweeter and simple pleasures grown profound against the backdrop of a terminal illness. Of the powerful bond between two people who pledged for better or worse and meant it.

This message makes Dick’s love of his partner, Bert Henningson, universal to anyone who has made a similar commitment. Top-of-the-ladder moments of a piece are often the most moving, compelling and influential because they are abstract and universal, exploring broad themes of the human experience.

The middle part of the ladder is generally explanatory, providing background and process and making connections. For example, in Jacqui’s piece, these statistics are not specific enough to be at the bottom of the ladder but not abstract enough to be at top either:

(Dick) is one of 210 Minnesotans and 36,000 Americans who have been diagnosed with AIDS since the disease was identified in 1981. More than half of those patients already have died, and doctors say it is only a matter of time for the rest. The statistics show that 80 to 90 percent of AIDS sufferers die within two years of diagnosis.

Writing is more transportive, more powerful when a writer climbs up and down the ladder throughout a piece, pulling the reader in with specific, concrete details to build empathy for a character and then zooming out with abstract language to suggest its universal message. Without being supported by the bottom of the ladder, the universal messages at the top could sound empty or clichéd. Without being elevated by the top of the ladder, the specific details at the bottom could seem unimportant, like word clutter.

So, the next time you write a story, be sure to consider moving up and down the ladder of abstraction so you build empathy for a character with telling details at the bottom, then leverage these details to reveal your message at the top.

Korrina Duffy  is an assistant professor and scientific writer in the Department of Psychiatry  at the University of Colorado – Anschutz Medical Campus.

What is an Abstract in Writing?

Written by Rebecca Turley

What is an abstract in writing? An abstract in writing is a short paragraph of information that provides readers with a clear overview and understanding of what to expect from a larger scholarly or academic piece.

An abstract highlights the essential theme of the work and provides enough detail to allow the reader to make an informed judgment about the work’s purpose or theme and whether it’s worthy of a full read.

An abstract should provide a high-level overview of the piece but also provide enough detail to allow the reader to determine its purpose. Consider it a condensed nugget of very useful information that provides the reader with a clear idea of what to expect from the longer piece.

An abstract should pack a punch. It should be powerful, clear, and concise , and it should provide enough valuable information in a tightly worded paragraph. No extraneous information, no unnecessary details, no beating around the bush.

Why Writing an Abstract Is Good For the Writer and the Reader 

An abstract in writing serves two, main purposes:

Provides the reader with a good idea of what the work is about

Academic and scholarly works usually run on the long side, so an abstract provides the reader with a quick read that allows them determine if they want to dive into the complete piece. Abstracts do a better job of providing the key points of the piece than skimming the article would, so a good abstract can help you get more eyes on the associated work.

Help readers find it through online database searches

Many online catalogs for libraries and scholarly journals utilize indexing to make it easier for users to find what they’re looking for. Users of these databases are able to perform abstract searches instead of full-text searches to better narrow their search results. Therefore, it’s important to write an abstract using applicable keywords and phrases that users will likely use when searching.

Specificity is key here. If you use broad keywords and phrases, your piece will not likely reach the intended readers’ eyes. For example, if you write a piece about the long-term effects of climate change on the global water supply, using the keyword phrase “climate change” or “water shortage” will likely yield countless results in an online search. But adding more detail using phrases and terms found in your longer piece like “global water scarcity,” “unpredictable water supply,” and “water stress on global water supply” will allow your abstract to appear at the top of the search results for a reader interested in your topic.

What an Abstract Is, What It Isn’t, and What Every Good Abstract Should Contain

You may be called on to write an abstract for a number of reasons:

• When submitting articles to online journals
• When writing a book or paper proposal
• When writing a dissertation or thesis
• When applying for research grants

An abstract is a solid breakdown and clear explanation about what to expect from a larger work. There are a number of characteristics of an abstract in writing:

• An abstract is self-contained – An abstract should stand alone and not be a part of the longer work.
• An abstract is not a review or opinion of the longer work – An abstract should be free of opinion, bias, or judgement and shouldn’t read like a review or assessment of the work.
• An abstract is original – An abstract is not an excerpt of the longer piece.
• An abstract contains keywords and phrases that make it perfectly clear what the longer piece is about.

Types of Abstracts: Which One To Use and When

There are two, main types of abstracts:

Descriptive. A descriptive abstract provides the user with an overview of what is found in the work. A descriptive abstract is usually 100 words or less and is largely used to describe the purpose and scope of the work.

Informative. Most abstracts are informative. This type of abstract is more in-depth and features all of the main points of the piece and the key results or evidence discussed. Like the descriptive abstract, it contains the purpose of the piece and its scope. But it goes one step further and provides the results how the results affect or build on the body of knowledge that already exists.

In general, a publisher will dictate what type of abstract you’ll write and the maximum length of the abstract.

Make Quick Work of Writing an Abstract with Reverse Outlining

Reverse outlining is a pretty simple process that includes writing down your thesis statement along with the main topic or idea of each paragraph. Once you have the key points of your work in front of you, it becomes much easier to revise and organize them into a clear, informative paragraph of information. Remember that your abstract must be original, so avoid copying and pasting sentences or passages. Instead, write down the general topic and rewrite them into new and interesting sentences.

After writing the abstract, review it several times, deleting all extraneous words and unnecessary details.

Let’s Get Started: Writing the Abstract

While some journals still allow writers to submit abstracts that are more freeform, in general, you’ll find that most scholarly journals will ask for a more formal structure and a specific word count.

Most abstracts are written in a clear, straightforward fashion that includes:

• Introduction/Background – Includes information about what is already known about the topic and what is not known (and therefore what the work is about). It is best to keep the background to just two or three sentences, if possible. You’ll need to present the topic using some sort of background as context, but you don’t want to waste valuable space describing the background instead of the topic itself.
• Methods – Includes information about what was done. For scientific papers, specific information regarding the research should be included.
• Findings/Results – Arguably the most important part of the abstract because it includes the findings of your work, research, or study. This part of the abstract should include specific information about your findings.
• Conclusion – The conclusion highlights the paper’s primary outcome and how it adds to the body of knowledge about the topic

Once you’ve written your abstract, ask yourself the following questions:

• What was the reason for writing this piece? What was your motivation?
• Why would a reader be interested in this piece?
• What is the scope of the work (its argument, claim, or thesis)?

If the abstract can answer these questions, you’ve likely achieved your objective of writing a comprehensive, well-organized abstract.

While the above structure is best used for scientific abstracts, a humanities abstract is usually better organized into three sections: (1) thesis; (2) background; and (3) conclusion.

Some important points to remember when writing your abstract:

• Organize the information into a single paragraph (block format, no paragraph tabs).
• Report your statistical findings parenthetically (in parenthesis).
• Use the same voice and tone as you did in the original work.
• Use the same chronological structure as the original work.
• Do not add any new information.
• Do not include any acronyms or abbreviations
• Do not include any figures, tables, illustrations, etc.

Creative Writing Research: What, How and Why

• First Online: 23 July 2023

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Creative writing research is actively moving us further toward knowing what creative writing actually is—in terms of our human actions and our responses when doing it. It is approaching such things as completed literary works and author recognition within the activities of creative writing, not mostly as representatives of that practice, and it is paying close attention to the modes, methods and functions of the writerly imagination, the contemporary influence of individual writer environments on writers, to writerly senses of structure and form and our formation and re-formation of writing themes and subjects. We certainly understand creative writing and creative writing research best when we remain true to why creative writing happens, when and where it happens, and how it happens—and creative writing research is doing that, focusing on the actions and the material results as evidence of our actions. Creative writing research has also opened up better communication between our knowledge of creative writing and our teaching of creative writing, with the result that we are improving that teaching, not only in our universities and colleges but also in our schools.

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Harper, G. (2023). Creative Writing Research: What, How and Why. In: Rebecca Leung, ML. (eds) Chinese Creative Writing Studies. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-0931-5_12

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Abstract Writing: A Step-by-Step Guide With Tips & Examples

Table of Contents

Introduction

Abstracts of research papers have always played an essential role in describing your research concisely and clearly to researchers and editors of journals, enticing them to continue reading. However, with the widespread availability of scientific databases, the need to write a convincing abstract is more crucial now than during the time of paper-bound manuscripts.

Abstracts serve to "sell" your research and can be compared with your "executive outline" of a resume or, rather, a formal summary of the critical aspects of your work. Also, it can be the "gist" of your study. Since most educational research is done online, it's a sign that you have a shorter time for impressing your readers, and have more competition from other abstracts that are available to be read.

The APCI (Academic Publishing and Conferences International) articulates 12 issues or points considered during the final approval process for conferences & journals and emphasises the importance of writing an abstract that checks all these boxes (12 points). Since it's the only opportunity you have to captivate your readers, you must invest time and effort in creating an abstract that accurately reflects the critical points of your research.

With that in mind, let’s head over to understand and discover the core concept and guidelines to create a substantial abstract. Also, learn how to organise the ideas or plots into an effective abstract that will be awe-inspiring to the readers you want to reach.

What is Abstract? Definition and Overview

The word "Abstract' is derived from Latin abstractus meaning "drawn off." This etymological meaning also applies to art movements as well as music, like abstract expressionism. In this context, it refers to the revealing of the artist's intention.

Based on this, you can determine the meaning of an abstract: A condensed research summary. It must be self-contained and independent of the body of the research. However, it should outline the subject, the strategies used to study the problem, and the methods implemented to attain the outcomes. The specific elements of the study differ based on the area of study; however, together, it must be a succinct summary of the entire research paper.

Abstracts are typically written at the end of the paper, even though it serves as a prologue. In general, the abstract must be in a position to:

• Describe the paper.
• Identify the problem or the issue at hand.
• Explain to the reader the research process, the results you came up with, and what conclusion you've reached using these results.
• Include keywords to guide your strategy and the content.

Furthermore, the abstract you submit should not reflect upon any of  the following elements:

• Examine, analyse or defend the paper or your opinion.
• What you want to study, achieve or discover.
• Be redundant or irrelevant.

After reading an abstract, your audience should understand the reason - what the research was about in the first place, what the study has revealed and how it can be utilised or can be used to benefit others. You can understand the importance of abstract by knowing the fact that the abstract is the most frequently read portion of any research paper. In simpler terms, it should contain all the main points of the research paper.

What is the Purpose of an Abstract?

Abstracts are typically an essential requirement for research papers; however, it's not an obligation to preserve traditional reasons without any purpose. Abstracts allow readers to scan the text to determine whether it is relevant to their research or studies. The abstract allows other researchers to decide if your research paper can provide them with some additional information. A good abstract paves the interest of the audience to pore through your entire paper to find the content or context they're searching for.

Abstract writing is essential for indexing, as well. The Digital Repository of academic papers makes use of abstracts to index the entire content of academic research papers. Like meta descriptions in the regular Google outcomes, abstracts must include keywords that help researchers locate what they seek.

Types of Abstract

Informative and Descriptive are two kinds of abstracts often used in scientific writing.

A descriptive abstract gives readers an outline of the author's main points in their study. The reader can determine if they want to stick to the research work, based on their interest in the topic. An abstract that is descriptive is similar to the contents table of books, however, the format of an abstract depicts complete sentences encapsulated in one paragraph. It is unfortunate that the abstract can't be used as a substitute for reading a piece of writing because it's just an overview, which omits readers from getting an entire view. Also, it cannot be a way to fill in the gaps the reader may have after reading this kind of abstract since it does not contain crucial information needed to evaluate the article.

To conclude, a descriptive abstract is:

• A simple summary of the task, just summarises the work, but some researchers think it is much more of an outline
• Typically, the length is approximately 100 words. It is too short when compared to an informative abstract.
• A brief explanation but doesn't provide the reader with the complete information they need;
• An overview that omits conclusions and results

An informative abstract is a comprehensive outline of the research. There are times when people rely on the abstract as an information source. And the reason is why it is crucial to provide entire data of particular research. A well-written, informative abstract could be a good substitute for the remainder of the paper on its own.

A well-written abstract typically follows a particular style. The author begins by providing the identifying information, backed by citations and other identifiers of the papers. Then, the major elements are summarised to make the reader aware of the study. It is followed by the methodology and all-important findings from the study. The conclusion then presents study results and ends the abstract with a comprehensive summary.

In a nutshell, an informative abstract:

• Has a length that can vary, based on the subject, but is not longer than 300 words.
• Contains all the content-like methods and intentions
• Offers evidence and possible recommendations.

Informative Abstracts are more frequent than descriptive abstracts because of their extensive content and linkage to the topic specifically. You should select different types of abstracts to papers based on their length: informative abstracts for extended and more complex abstracts and descriptive ones for simpler and shorter research papers.

What are the Characteristics of a Good Abstract?

• A good abstract clearly defines the goals and purposes of the study.
• It should clearly describe the research methodology with a primary focus on data gathering, processing, and subsequent analysis.
• A good abstract should provide specific research findings.
• It presents the principal conclusions of the systematic study.
• It should be concise, clear, and relevant to the field of study.
• A well-designed abstract should be unifying and coherent.
• It is easy to grasp and free of technical jargon.
• It is written impartially and objectively.

What are the various sections of an ideal Abstract?

By now, you must have gained some concrete idea of the essential elements that your abstract needs to convey . Accordingly, the information is broken down into six key sections of the abstract, which include:

An Introduction or Background

Research methodology, objectives and goals, limitations.

Let's go over them in detail.

The introduction, also known as background, is the most concise part of your abstract. Ideally, it comprises a couple of sentences. Some researchers only write one sentence to introduce their abstract. The idea behind this is to guide readers through the key factors that led to your study.

It's understandable that this information might seem difficult to explain in a couple of sentences. For example, think about the following two questions like the background of your study:

• What is currently available about the subject with respect to the paper being discussed?
• What isn't understood about this issue? (This is the subject of your research)

While writing the abstract’s introduction, make sure that it is not lengthy. Because if it crosses the word limit, it may eat up the words meant to be used for providing other key information.

Research methodology is where you describe the theories and techniques you used in your research. It is recommended that you describe what you have done and the method you used to get your thorough investigation results. Certainly, it is the second-longest paragraph in the abstract.

In the research methodology section, it is essential to mention the kind of research you conducted; for instance, qualitative research or quantitative research (this will guide your research methodology too) . If you've conducted quantitative research, your abstract should contain information like the sample size, data collection method, sampling techniques, and duration of the study. Likewise, your abstract should reflect observational data, opinions, questionnaires (especially the non-numerical data) if you work on qualitative research.

The research objectives and goals speak about what you intend to accomplish with your research. The majority of research projects focus on the long-term effects of a project, and the goals focus on the immediate, short-term outcomes of the research. It is possible to summarise both in just multiple sentences.

In stating your objectives and goals, you give readers a picture of the scope of the study, its depth and the direction your research ultimately follows. Your readers can evaluate the results of your research against the goals and stated objectives to determine if you have achieved the goal of your research.

In the end, your readers are more attracted by the results you've obtained through your study. Therefore, you must take the time to explain each relevant result and explain how they impact your research. The results section exists as the longest in your abstract, and nothing should diminish its reach or quality.

One of the most important things you should adhere to is to spell out details and figures on the results of your research.

Instead of making a vague assertion such as, "We noticed that response rates varied greatly between respondents with high incomes and those with low incomes", Try these: "The response rate was higher for high-income respondents than those with lower incomes (59 30 percent vs. 30 percent in both cases; P<0.01)."

You're likely to encounter certain obstacles during your research. It could have been during data collection or even during conducting the sample . Whatever the issue, it's essential to inform your readers about them and their effects on the research.

Research limitations offer an opportunity to suggest further and deep research. If, for instance, you were forced to change for convenient sampling and snowball samples because of difficulties in reaching well-suited research participants, then you should mention this reason when you write your research abstract. In addition, a lack of prior studies on the subject could hinder your research.

Your conclusion should include the same number of sentences to wrap the abstract as the introduction. The majority of researchers offer an idea of the consequences of their research in this case.

Your conclusion should include three essential components:

• A significant take-home message.
• Corresponding important findings.
• The Interpretation.

Even though the conclusion of your abstract needs to be brief, it can have an enormous influence on the way that readers view your research. Therefore, make use of this section to reinforce the central message from your research. Be sure that your statements reflect the actual results and the methods you used to conduct your research.

Good Abstract Examples

Abstract example #1.

Children’s consumption behavior in response to food product placements in movies.

The abstract:

"Almost all research into the effects of brand placements on children has focused on the brand's attitudes or behavior intentions. Based on the significant differences between attitudes and behavioral intentions on one hand and actual behavior on the other hand, this study examines the impact of placements by brands on children's eating habits. Children aged 6-14 years old were shown an excerpt from the popular film Alvin and the Chipmunks and were shown places for the item Cheese Balls. Three different versions were developed with no placements, one with moderately frequent placements and the third with the highest frequency of placement. The results revealed that exposure to high-frequency places had a profound effect on snack consumption, however, there was no impact on consumer attitudes towards brands or products. The effects were not dependent on the age of the children. These findings are of major importance to researchers studying consumer behavior as well as nutrition experts as well as policy regulators."

Abstract Example #2

Social comparisons on social media: The impact of Facebook on young women’s body image concerns and mood. The abstract:

"The research conducted in this study investigated the effects of Facebook use on women's moods and body image if the effects are different from an internet-based fashion journal and if the appearance comparison tendencies moderate one or more of these effects. Participants who were female ( N = 112) were randomly allocated to spend 10 minutes exploring their Facebook account or a magazine's website or an appearance neutral control website prior to completing state assessments of body dissatisfaction, mood, and differences in appearance (weight-related and facial hair, face, and skin). Participants also completed a test of the tendency to compare appearances. The participants who used Facebook were reported to be more depressed than those who stayed on the control site. In addition, women who have the tendency to compare appearances reported more facial, hair and skin-related issues following Facebook exposure than when they were exposed to the control site. Due to its popularity it is imperative to conduct more research to understand the effect that Facebook affects the way people view themselves."

Abstract Example #3

The Relationship Between Cell Phone Use and Academic Performance in a Sample of U.S. College Students

"The cellphone is always present on campuses of colleges and is often utilised in situations in which learning takes place. The study examined the connection between the use of cell phones and the actual grades point average (GPA) after adjusting for predictors that are known to be a factor. In the end 536 students in the undergraduate program from 82 self-reported majors of an enormous, public institution were studied. Hierarchical analysis ( R 2 = .449) showed that use of mobile phones is significantly ( p < .001) and negative (b equal to -.164) connected to the actual college GPA, after taking into account factors such as demographics, self-efficacy in self-regulated learning, self-efficacy to improve academic performance, and the actual high school GPA that were all important predictors ( p < .05). Therefore, after adjusting for other known predictors increasing cell phone usage was associated with lower academic performance. While more research is required to determine the mechanisms behind these results, they suggest the need to educate teachers and students to the possible academic risks that are associated with high-frequency mobile phone usage."

Quick tips on writing a good abstract

There exists a common dilemma among early age researchers whether to write the abstract at first or last? However, it's recommended to compose your abstract when you've completed the research since you'll have all the information to give to your readers. You can, however, write a draft at the beginning of your research and add in any gaps later.

If you find abstract writing a herculean task, here are the few tips to help you with it:

1. Always develop a framework to support your abstract

Before writing, ensure you create a clear outline for your abstract. Divide it into sections and draw the primary and supporting elements in each one. You can include keywords and a few sentences that convey the essence of your message.

2. Review Other Abstracts

Abstracts are among the most frequently used research documents, and thousands of them were written in the past. Therefore, prior to writing yours, take a look at some examples from other abstracts. There are plenty of examples of abstracts for dissertations in the dissertation and thesis databases.

3. Avoid Jargon To the Maximum

When you write your abstract, focus on simplicity over formality. You should  write in simple language, and avoid excessive filler words or ambiguous sentences. Keep in mind that your abstract must be readable to those who aren't acquainted with your subject.

4. Focus on Your Research

It's a given fact that the abstract you write should be about your research and the findings you've made. It is not the right time to mention secondary and primary data sources unless it's absolutely required.

Conclusion: How to Structure an Interesting Abstract?

Abstracts are a short outline of your essay. However, it's among the most important, if not the most important. The process of writing an abstract is not straightforward. A few early-age researchers tend to begin by writing it, thinking they are doing it to "tease" the next step (the document itself). However, it is better to treat it as a spoiler.

The simple, concise style of the abstract lends itself to a well-written and well-investigated study. If your research paper doesn't provide definitive results, or the goal of your research is questioned, so will the abstract. Thus, only write your abstract after witnessing your findings and put your findings in the context of a larger scenario.

The process of writing an abstract can be daunting, but with these guidelines, you will succeed. The most efficient method of writing an excellent abstract is to centre the primary points of your abstract, including the research question and goals methods, as well as key results.

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Narratives of abstraction: storytelling in digital art

by Girinandini Singh Published on : Sep 11, 2021

Narrative (noun and adjective): A spoken or written account of connected events in order of happening. The practice or art of narration. Adj. in the form of, or concerned with narration (narrative verse).

Historically, from the moment the cave man created his cave paintings and wall markings, to the tomb inscriptions of Egypt , their scrolls, ancient illuminated manuscripts, mud sculptures of early civilisations, pictorial pasture etchings and more; man has tried to create meaning from images and art. The force of visual storytelling has an immersive and powerful impact that oftentimes cannot be achieved by that of words, oral tales, music, movement or any other medium of creative communication. Through the ages mankind has sought to use tales and legends as a way of distilling life experience into something understandable, acceptable and relatable, even when done through a medium of fiction and fantasy.

Artists today have adapted visual storytelling techniques to the new mediums of the contemporary times, making the most of an ever-evolving field of technology , commenting on social changes, imbibing abstract thought to do what we have always done – tell stories. To tell a story within the bounds of a single work of art is what we understand through visual narratology, an area that has become increasingly fascinating in the age of digital art .

When we first began thinking about visual narratology in the late 19th century, precipitated in some ways by the revolutionary medium of the time which was the camera, it was considered to have a significant impact on the style and component of a ‘work of art’ itself. Over time visual narratives in themselves became important knowledge systems providing a framework to the component, styles and the broader context of the age, artistic vein and social occurrences that fed into the creative process. Visual narratives moved from the sequential to the scenario to the perception-based, which we will understand in this article. Beginning with the example of the Roman fresco by Francesco Salviati, that depicts the story of Queen Bathsheba’s visit and her seduction by King David beside the work Nude Descending the Staircase by Marcel Duchamp (Horváth, 2010). A part of Salviati’s fresco shows Bathsheba ascending the stairs to his private quarters where the seduction takes place. This work bears a visual similarity to Duchamp’s cubist work, Nude Descending the Staircase , in that the visual narratives are sequentially parallel to one another. Both build a narrative around the woman – her sexualisation, the communication of her desire and how she is perceived by the viewer’s eye as either ascending or descending the stairs. Despite these being two vastly different mediums, the visual narratology of the work gives a concurrent shape to the story.

In 1950s, when the computer started to come into its popularity, with it came a new creative language, one that was far more experimental, design focused and narratively diverse. It gave us the earliest examples of what we now know as digital art impacting the way in which visual narratives were to build moving forward and the ways our stories were shared. Computer technology became the new brush tool and the evolution of programming and graphics finding its way into the realm of art, led to a unique visual language of communication. In digital art the concept of ‘visual language’ comes with symbolism, inter-materiality, techniques and abstraction . Building narratives now isn’t necessarily sequential or even linearly coherent, but rather more perceptively intuitive. Both artistic and viewer perception are active participants in the formation of this narrative.

For instance, if we now look at the 2018 work by Harshit Agrawal, called the Anatomy Lessons of Dr Algorithm , next to Rembrandt’s The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicholaes Tulp . The visual narrative in Agrawal’s artificial intelligence (AI) generated work bears coherent meaning through the context and perception we give to it. It explores the distrust of machine-made artistic prowess paralleling the distrust of technological development of the Rembrandt era. However, in fostering meaning to the narrative structure of the work, it requires a certain amount of prior knowledge, symbolism, and abstract thought. In Rembrandt’s work the focus is equal parts on the cadaver as it is on the spectators and Dr Tulp, the intimately drawn expressions on the faces of the attendees depict their psychological state, a feature completely absent in Agrawal’s work, which is acutely focused on the insides of the cadaver. The distance in the visual narrative is created by depersonalising the work which is occupied with blood, muscle and sinew, dependent more on abstractly communicating this distrust of technology and the loss of agency rather than through a sequential or even scenario-based expression.

The lure of the abstract thought lies in that it conveys an idea, a thought, an emotion that often deceives logic. Boundless and free the visuals are tied to philosophical concepts which find a playpen in the forms and formats of digital art such as computer-generated codes, sound installation , graphic design and illustration . The variety that the virtual environment can provide in terms of tools of expression and narratology has perhaps added to the popularity of the medium in the past decade or more. It is this variety that is also perhaps imbuing a more diverse narrative framework in the tales we are learning to tell through our art.

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About Author

Girinandini Singh

Girinandini has a Master's degree in Creative Writing from Newcastle University, UK. She has published with literary magazines like Prufrock, Waccamaw; a journal of contemporary literature, and Litro Magazine. Her work has been included in Waccamaw Journal’s anthology of Best in Publishing:10 Years Retrospective and was nominated for the prestigious American Pushcart Award in 2018. She has written for Outlook, Vogue, Architectural Digest, and Critical Collective.

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Abstract Writing Exercises

Abstract writing exercises give you less information than other exercises.

These exercises take the smallest of situations as a starting point and allow your imagination to expand from there.

Think of abstract writing exercises as visual triggers.

For example, think about this sentence for a moment: ‘The scraping sound grew louder.’

Try and hear the scraping sound and follow it in your imagination to its origins.

Begin to ask yourself questions and remember – write down your answers immediately.

Key Tip – Do not mentally edit your thoughts.

ASK CREATIVE QUESTIONS

• Was it a butcher’s knife being sharpened?
• Is somebody having their teeth scraped by a dentist?
• Could it be a cat sharpening its claws on a tree stump?
• Somebody scraping the remains of dried up pizza from a plate ?

Think of as many scraping sounds as you can, write them down and choose one.

So, if you chose the sound of  ‘somebody scraping the remains of dried up pizza from a plate,’ your next step is to begin a process of asking yourself more questions.

Who is doing the scraping? Where are they? Are they in a good or bad mood?  Why? What could have happened to them? What is about to happen to them?

You can see how a story is beginning to emerge .

ABSTRACT WRITING EXERCISES

Apply this process to the following writing sentences.

•  The scraping sound grew louder.
• The painting was familiar.
• The stone was covered in a fine green moss.
• A small mound of stones.
• The outline of a small building
• The liquid was dark.
• The fine sand stuck between his/her toes.
• The coat was shabby.
• The light shone directly on to the boat.
• The pavement was cracked.
• The buildings were tall.
• A slow blink.
• The scent of rosemary.
• The bottles clanked.
• The white daisies were outlined in black.
• His hand was freckled.
• The tree was bare, black against the orange sky.
• She took a deep breath.
• The seat was warm.
• The wind blew directly into his face.
• The mug was stained.
• Just an ordinary toothbrush.
• The corners of her mouth turned down a little.
• A torn coat.
• A dead dog.
• A bare tree.
• A chipped cup.
• Freshly cut grass.
• Rules and Regulations.
• Lost at sea.
• An overgrown garden.
• Small feet.
• Bad Temper.
• The candle went out.
• A sunny day.
• Broken helmet.
• A wooden bird table.
• A sharp cut.
• The smell of grass.

I hope you enjoyed these exercises – best of luck with your writing.

These exercises and all the information on this site is free. If you want to help me continue this work please support the site by liking, commenting and sharing.

Another way you can show your support for the site is to buy and review Practical Creative Writing Exercises .  

You won’t be sorry because this book is packed full of inspiring exercises to get your ideas flowing right away.

Many writers will say that the hardest thing to face is that blank page.

But not if the page isn’t blank, practical creative writing exercises.

Leave the blank page behind and become a productive writer.

Never Be Stuck Again!

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3 Responses to Abstract Writing Exercises

I love the abstract excersises more than anything! I like to make up the details and let my brain roam through the words. I’m 14 and I’ve been searching for what I want and I finally found it. Please post more! Thank you Lilly

Hi Lily, Great to hear from you. I am glad you like the abstract exercises. I will post more as soon as I can. Take care, Grace

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Two HFA Students Awarded Five College Prose and Poetry Prize for Creative Writing

UMass Amherst undergraduate students Andrea Peter ’25, a comparative literature major, and Livvy Krakower ’24, an English major, were among the 2024 Five College Prose and Poetry Prize recipients honored at a reading and reception April 18 in Hampshire College's Harold F. Johnson Library.

Celebrating creative writing of all genres, the Five College Prose and Poetry Prize, formerly PoetryFest, was reinstated in 2023 after a hiatus due to the pandemic. The contest received 150 total submissions from students representing UMass Amherst, Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke and Smith colleges, and The Care Center of Holyoke this year.

“For me the most amazing thing about the Five College Poetry and Prose competition is to meet fellow writers from other institutions,” says Krakower, a winner for prose who also won the prize in 2023. “Each college in the consortium is so unique and I am thankful that I have been able to hear pieces I would never hear if not for the competition.”

Peter won a poetry prize in the competition.

“Thanks to Five Colleges, Inc., and our English departments for supporting this work,” says Donna LeCourt, chair of the UMass Amherst English department. “Prizes to undergraduates are important and help to build their reputations in literary and professional communities. The opportunity for our graduate students to judge and manage literary awards provides exceptional professional development and helps distinguish them as creative leaders. I’m happy to see this prize come back to the Five College community.”

“I had a wonderful time judging the prose prize,” says 2024 prose judge and UMass Amherst MFA candidate Danielle Bradley, who was joined on the judging panel by fellow UMass Amherst MFA candidate and poet Ide Thompson ’24. “All of the submissions were impressive, and it was so special to hear many of the winners read their submissions at the reception.”

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Creative Aging: Memoir Writing at 58th Street Library

• Wednesday, May 1, 2024, 2 - 4 PM
• Wednesday, May 8, 2024, 2 - 4 PM
• Wednesday, May 15, 2024, 2 - 4 PM

Continue where we left off at the end of our Memoir Writing workshops for adults 50 and older.

This program will be held in person at 58th Street Library and online.

Teaching artist Frank Ingrasciotta will continue to guide participants through the art of writing over 5 extra sessions.

Storytelling is our most ancient art form and everyone has a story in us that wants to be told. When powerful storytelling resonates, it creates shared experiences of commonality that bonds us as a community. In this eight-session memoir writing class, we will examine various aspects of storytelling. Through writing exercises, we will explore the tools of your personal expression that bring writing to life.

Materials will be provided for this program. 

Attendance at all sessions is recommended as this is a series of classes and those who miss the first few may be lost. Space is limited and priority will be given to those who attended the first 8 sessions last year.  

Registration is mandatory.  Register for April and May events above with your email address. 

About the Artist

Frank Ingrasciotta (Actor/Playwright/Director/Educator) is the writer/performer of the award winning Off-Broadway solo play Blood Type: RAGU, performing over 1,000 shows nationally and internationally. As an actor, Frank has appeared in numerous stage productions, daytime dramas, and episodic TV shows. He has also directed many theatrical productions for numerous theatre companies. As an arts educator, he conducts workshops in acting, and creative writing with diverse populations and students of all ages. He holds a Theatre Arts in Education degree from SUNY Empire State College.

• Class Format: Hands on
• Skill prerequisites: No prior experience required. This program is perfect for all skill levels.
• Audience: Adults, 50+

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Writing the Cityscape: Narratives of Moscow since 1991

This thesis considers how continuity and transformation, the past and the future, are inscribed into the cityscape. Drawing on Roland Barthes’ image of the city as ‘a discourse’ and Michel de Certeau’s concept of the Wandersmänner, who write the city with their daily movements, this thesis takes urban space as both a repository of, and inspiration for, narratives. In few cities is the significance of writing narratives more visible than in Moscow. In the 1930s, it was conceived as the archetypal Soviet city, embodying the Soviet Union’s radiant future. Since the deconstruction of this grand narrative and the fall of the Soviet Union, competing ideas have flooded in to fill the void. With glass shopping arcades, a towering new business district, and reconstructed old churches, Moscow’s facelift offers only part of the picture. A number of other visions have been imprinted onto the post-Soviet city: nostalgic impulses for the simplicity of old Moscow; the search for a new, stable, powerful centre; desires for luxury, privatized gated communities; and feelings of abandonment in the grey, decaying, sprawling suburbs. Following an overview of recent changes to Moscow’s topography, these four major themes are investigated through the prism of post-Soviet Russian literature. Retro-detective fiction offers insight into nostalgia for the past and the temporal layers that build up the palimpsestic cityscape. Descriptions of Moscow after the apocalypse shed light on the city’s traditional concentric structure and the concomitant symbolism of hierarchy. Glamour literature challenges this paradigm by focusing on the gated community, a topographical form that splinters the city. Images of the supernatural and the Gothic lead to an alternative vision of the hybrid city, embracing multiplicity. In this way, fictional works defy the physical world’s constraints of time and space, revealing a kaleidoscope of different perspectives on post-Soviet Muscovite experiences.

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