Skip to main content
Humanities LibreTexts

8.2: Alternative Style

  1. Last updated
  2. Save as PDF
  • Page ID
    132195

    • \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

    alternative style

    Alternative Style is the category used for those pieces of writing and literature that don't fit perfectly into any of the other categories of creative writing. 

    • Perhaps, it's a piece of writing that has three poems with different points-of-view mixed with made-up definitions and cartoon images of the imaginary people behind each poem. Sure, some people might say: "Oh, that's multi-genre since it's using many genres: poems, definitions, and images," but others would say: "Wait, there's a change in point-of-view? These people are made-up? Multi-genre pieces usually stick with one voice, etc. 

    • Perhaps, it's a poem done complete in emoticons. 

    • Or it's a piece of writing that plays with punctuation in a way that suggests it is its own alien language. 

     

    definition of a similar term:

    Alternative Literature\(^{86}\) (often stylized as Alt Lit or Alt-Lit) is a term used to describe a particular literature community that publishes and/or draws its motifs from the internet, internet culture, and "a population of people that are connected with one another through their interest in the online publishing world." It includes various forms of prose, poetry, and new media. 

    Alt Lit writers share Gmail chat logs, image macros, screenshots, and tweets, which are then self-published as poetry books and/or novels.

    tips for writing in alt style: 

    1. Start with a brief genre, like a poem or definition 

    2. Then ask yourself: 

      1. What have I not seen done to a poem or definition? 

      2. What else can be merged into this genre to make it really, really different? 

      3. Can you play with point-of-view, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, voice, format, etc.? 

    3. After answering those questions, ask yourself more questions. 

    4. Push beyond "normal." Play around. Get crazy with your creativity. 

    5. Then draft it out.

     

    student example #1:\(^{87}\)

    Emojis are used to tell this story: One day I was walking to my aunty house, on the way I encountered a dog, I was so scared, the dog started barking at me, no one was nearby to help chase the dog away, I grabbed a stick and chase the dog until I made it to my aunty house. My aunty was cooking, she welcomed me to a dinning table, we started to eat. I told my aunt about the dog chase on me to her house, and she was terribly angry at the own of the dog. She called a cop to come and arrest the owner to the dog that almost hurt me. It was dark and I was scare to go back home by myself, my sweet aunty walks with me back home, and I was very happy and appreciate her help, my aunty is amazing.

    Transcription: One day I was walking to my aunty house, on the way I encountered a dog, I was so scared, the dog started barking at me, no one was nearby to help chase the dog away, I grabbed a stick and chase the dog until I made it to my aunty house. My aunty was cooking, she welcomed me to a dinning table, we started to eat. I told my aunt about the dog chase on me to her house, and she was terribly angry at the own of the dog. She called a cop to come and arrest the owner to the dog that almost hurt me. It was dark and I was scare to go back home by myself, my sweet aunty walks with me back home, and I was very happy and appreciate her help, my aunty is amazing.

     

    student example #2:\(^{88}\)

    My rules:

    1. No capitalization

    2. No formatting

    3. Incorrect punctuation

    4. Incorrect spelling

    5. Bad spacing in sentences

     

    hello everyone ! today I talk bout this class & how much i enjou be in it. and what is has taught me, 

    I like this class coz it tort me how to write  and b creative. It tort me to use my imagination &  think off all tha things I could ever thinked of an just write bout it. I like how it look into many. Different type of genre  which allow me too explore all the different kind off writing pieces 

     

      That can be written. my favourite 1 out of all off them wuld have 2 be the POETRY unit bcoz I really enjoy riting poems & seen how creative u can get wit it.   i especially like. to read or wrote poems that rhyme , coz it make me wanna keep readin along and see. all that things that can be rhymed with. overallll i don’t minded  writing at ALLL wich is why I think 

     

    I’m don’t struggle with this class.

     

    But. I didn’t expect there to be as much writing as there was wich was silly of me coz it is a      writing class.. so I should’ve    have know. but I still  got everything done so it was not really an issue for me . THIS CLASS HAS MAKE ME FEEL LIKE I AM IMPROVED ? I think my writing has 

     

    Became.   a lot more creative ANDDD it has made me  use my head a lot more ANd actually think outside the box  wen coming up with cREAtive pieces to write…

     

       

    what i also enjoy from dis class. Is , readingg other classmates! Pieces and also hearing their point of view in  . our weekly discussion posts.  It allow me 2 open upp & see other ppl’s point of view on all the different genres.  We covered IN THIS CLASSSS, I have A Lot of RESPECT. for authors and wriiters ANDD I.    believed any 1 who is consdaring taking a writin class but is unsure. I think they shold take it. everyone should. Even tho it’ s a fpcus on writing I THINK IT ALSO IMRPOVES<<  YOUR READING AS WELL,  Thanku <3

    \(^{86}\)Wikipedia contributors. "Alternative literature." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 11 Oct. 2016. Web. 11 Oct. 2016. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.

    \(^{87}\)This emoji story by Panther Geu is licensed CC-BY-NC-SA; it was created for NDSCS English 211 in the Spring of 2021.

    \(^{88}\)This piece of experimental literature by Ambah is licensed CC-BY-NC-SA; it was created for NDSCS English 211 in the Spring of 2021.

    This page titled 8.2: Alternative Style is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Sybil Priebe (Independent Published) via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.