Ekphrasis and the writing process

ABSTRACT

In contemporary literary studies, the term ekphrasis refers almost exclusively to a poem created by a poet looking at a painting. In the visual arts and music it is used more broadly to describe intermedial creative processes where, for example, a painting is inspired by a piece of music, or the composition of a piece of music is inspired by a poem. The ekphrasis concept is based on the ancient Greek ἔκϕρασις, which were rhetorical ‘description’ exercises considered important for developing written and perceptual skills. This article considers the gradual recognition by creative writers, and especially novelists, that ekphrasis is a key aspect of their practice. It examines the original purpose of ekphrasis as a rhetorical exercise, then considers how this was interpreted in the time of the first novel writers. It assesses how a technology that changed the way we see – photography – influenced prose writing in the modern era. It looks at how neuroscience and cognitive psychology have attempted to explain what goes on in our minds when we do ekphrasis. And it reports on what writers themselves have said about their visualising techniques. Overall, this article analyses ekphrasis as a key element in the creative writing process.

KEYWORDS:

• Ekphrasis
• creative writing process
• fiction
• the mind’s eye
• the inner voice

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Nigel Krauth is head of the writing programme at Griffith University, Queensland, Australia. He has published novels, stories, essays, articles and reviews. His research investigates creative writing processes and the teaching of creative writing. He is the General Editor of TEXT: Journal of Writing and Writing Courses, see www.textjournal.com.au. His latest book is Creative Writing and the Radical (Multilingual Matters, 2016).

Christopher Bowman has a PhD from Griffith University, Queensland, Australia. He lectures and tutors undergraduate writing courses, and works as a freelance academic editor. His refereed publications have appeared in TEXT: Journal of Writing and Writing Courses, see www.textjournal.com.au .