Umbhali ngumuntu osebenzisa amagama abhaliwe ngezitayela namasu ahlukene ukudlulisa imibono.Ababhali bakhiqiza izinhlobo ezahlukahlukene zobuciko bemibhalo nokubhala kokuqamba njengamanoveli, izindaba ezimfishane, izincwadi, izinkondlo, imidlalo yeshashalazi, imidlalo yesikrini, izingcingo, izingoma nezindatshana kanye neminye imibiko nezindatshana zezindaba ezingaba nentshisekelo emphakathini.Imibhalo yabalobi ishicilelwa kwimidiya ehlukahlukene. Ababhali abanekhono abakwazi ukusebenzisa ulimi ukuveza imibono kahle, bavame ukufaka isandla kakhulu kokuqukethwe kwamasiko emphakathini. Igama elithi "umbhali" liphinde lisetshenziswe kwenye indawo kwezobuciko nasemculweni - njengombhali wezingoma noma umbhali wesikrini - kepha njenge "mbhali" ozimele ngokuvamile kubhekiswa ekwakhiweni kolimi olubhalwayo.Abanye ababhali basebenza ngokwesiko lomlomo. Ababhali bangakhipha okokusebenza ezinhlotsheni eziningi, eziqanjiwe noma ezingezona eziqanjiwe.Abanye ababhali basebenzisa imidiya eminingi - ngokwesibonelo, ihluzo noma umfanekiso - ukuthuthukisa ukuxhumana kwemibono yabo.Esinye isidingo sakamuva senziwe ngabafundi bakahulumeni kanye nohulumeni ngomsebenzi wabalobi bezobuchwepheshe abangaqanjiwe, abanamakhono adala imibhalo eqondakalayo, etolikekayo yohlobo olusebenzayo noma lwesayensi.Abanye ababhali bangasebenzisa izithombe (ukudweba, ukudweba, ihluzo) noma i- multimedia ukukhulisa ukubhala kwabo. Ezimweni ezingavamile, ababhali bokudala bayakwazi ukudlulisa imibono yabo ngomculo nangamagama. Nobel prize winner Rabindranath Tagore is an example.