Creative Writing For Dummies

Unlock your creativity and choose the genre of writing that suits you bestDo you have an idea that you're burning to get down on paper? Do you want to document your travels to far-flung places, or write a few stanzas of poetry? Whether you dream of being a novelist, a travel writer, a poet, a playwright or a columnist, Creative Writing For Dummies shows you how to unlock your creativity and choose the genre of writing that suits you best. Walking you through characterisation, setting, dialogue and plot, as well as giving expert insights into both fiction and non-fiction, it's the ideal launching pad to the world of creative writing. Creative Writing For Dummies covers: Part I: Getting started Chapter 1: Can Everyone Write? Chapter 2: Getting into the Write Mind Chapter 3: Finding the Material to work with Part II: The Elements of Creative Writing Chapter 4: Creating Characters Chapter 5: Discovering Dialogue Chapter 6: Who is telling the story? Chapter 7: Creating your own world Chapter 8: Plotting your way Chapter 9: Creating a Structure Chapter 10: Rewriting and editing Part III: Different Kinds of Fiction Writing Chapter 11: Short stories Chapter 12: Novels Chapter 13: Writing for children Chapter 14: Plays Chapter 15: Screenplays Chapter 16: Poetry Part IV: Different kinds of Non-fiction writing Chapter 17: Breaking into journalism - Writing articles/ magazine writing Chapter 18: Writing from life and autobiography Chapter 19: Embroidering the facts: Narrative non-fiction Chapter 20: Exploring the world from your armchair - Travel writing Chapter 21: Blogging – the new big thing Part V: Finding an audience Chapter 22: Finding editors/ publishers/ agents Chapter 23: Becoming a professional Part VI: Part of Tens Chapter 24: Ten top tips for writers Chapter 25: Ten ways to get noticed About the Author......Page 5 Contents at a Glance......Page 7 Table of Contents......Page 9 About This Book......Page 19 How to Use This Book......Page 20 How This Book Is Organised......Page 21 Where to Go from Here......Page 23 Part I: Getting Started......Page 25 Chapter 1: You and Your Writing......Page 27 Examining Why You Want to Write......Page 28 Identifying the Kind of Writing You Want to Do......Page 30 Discovering Your Own Specific Talent......Page 31 Practising Your Writing......Page 32 Overcoming Obstacles......Page 33 Letting the Ideas Come......Page 36 Offering Tips for New Writers......Page 37 Playing with Words......Page 39 Playing with Words......Page 0 Finding a Time to Write......Page 45 Writing in a Room of Your Own......Page 46 Assembling Your Writing Tools......Page 48 Avoiding Distractions......Page 50 Overcoming the Blank Page Syndrome......Page 51 Separating Drafting and Editing......Page 54 Developing a Routine and Sticking to It......Page 55 Learning to Live with a Degree of Chaos......Page 57 Writing from Experience......Page 61 Engaging Emotions......Page 66 Taking a Step Back......Page 67 Trying Techniques to Transform Your Experiences......Page 68 Part II: Introducing the Elements of Creative Writing......Page 73 Defining Different Kinds of Characters......Page 75 Discovering Where Characters Come From......Page 76 Detailing Clues about Your Characters......Page 77 Portraying Personality......Page 78 Revealing Character Indirectly......Page 81 Avoiding Stereotypes and Tapping into Archetypes......Page 85 Remembering that Dialogue a Two-Way Street......Page 89 Distinguishing Voices......Page 90 Talking in Varied Situations......Page 92 Creating a Dynamic......Page 95 Revealing the Subtext......Page 96 Using Accents and Dialect......Page 98 Laying Out Dialogue......Page 99 Defining Voices......Page 101 Finding the Right Point of View......Page 106 Deciding How Close to Be to the Character......Page 112 Handling Multiple Narrators......Page 113 Recognising the Power of Description......Page 115 Using All the Senses......Page 119 Employing the Tools of Description......Page 121 Creating a Sense of Place......Page 123 Creating Mood and Suspense......Page 125 Listing the Seven Basic Plots......Page 127 Plotting Consciously and Unconsciously......Page 130 Asking the Central Question and Including the Essential Elements......Page 132 Hooking Your Reader......Page 139 Dividing Your Work into Chapters and Parts......Page 145 Following the Three-Act Structure......Page 147 Writing within a Timeframe......Page 155 Producing the First Draft......Page 159 Becoming Your Own Editor......Page 161 Finding a Trusted Reader......Page 168 Part III: Writing Fiction......Page 171 Defining the Short Story......Page 173 Writing the Short Story......Page 174 Exploring Short-Story Genres......Page 178 Finding Story Ideas......Page 179 Entering Short-Story Competitions......Page 180 Finding an Outlet for Your Short Fiction......Page 182 Growing a Story into a Novella......Page 185 Aspiring to the Literary Novel......Page 187 Writing Commercial Fiction......Page 190 Dispelling the ‘It’s Easy to Write for Kids’ Myth......Page 201 Before Schooling Begins: Writing for the Under 5s......Page 202 Learning to Read Alone: Writing for 5-to 9-Year-Olds......Page 206 Moving Towards Adulthood: Teenagers......Page 208 Crafting Comic Books......Page 210 Considering Non-Fiction for Children......Page 211 Setting Up the Dramatic Structure......Page 213 Putting a Play Together......Page 216 Sorting Out Types of Play......Page 217 Formatting Your Script......Page 218 Writing for Radio......Page 220 Tapping into Resources for Playwrights......Page 222 Breaking Down the Stages of a Screenplay......Page 225 Speculating on a Screenplay......Page 227 Adapting an Existing Story......Page 228 Formatting a Screenplay......Page 229 Writing for TV......Page 234 Getting Started......Page 237 Considering the Elements of Poetry......Page 238 Listening to the Language of Poetry......Page 242 Finding a Form......Page 244 Performing Poetry......Page 246 Getting Your Poetry Published......Page 247 Part IV: Exploring Non-Fiction......Page 249 Chapter 17: Breaking into Journalism......Page 251 Writing the Facts: News and Features......Page 252 Putting out Press Releases......Page 255 Penning Features......Page 256 Lining up Columns......Page 257 Transcribing Interviews......Page 258 Pitching Stories......Page 259 Considering Radio and Television Journalism......Page 260 Writing about Yourself......Page 263 Finding the Form......Page 265 Writing about Others......Page 271 Structuring Your Book......Page 279 Exploring the World of Narrative Non-Fiction......Page 281 Writing Narrative Non-Fiction......Page 283 Examining Genres within Narrative Non-Fiction......Page 286 Reporting about Places: Travel Journalism......Page 291 Doing the Actual Travelling......Page 293 Tackling a Travel Book......Page 296 Making Your Blog Work for You......Page 299 Setting about Blogging......Page 303 Publicising Your Blog......Page 305 Part V: Finding an Audience......Page 307 Chapter 22: Finding Professionals to Publish Your Book......Page 309 Getting to Know the World of Publishing......Page 310 Looking at How Publishing Houses Are Organised......Page 314 Tallying the Mathematics of Publishing......Page 316 Being Accepted into the Publishing Process......Page 317 Finding Out About Agents......Page 320 Getting Your Book Ready to Send Out......Page 324 Doing It Yourself: Self-Publishing......Page 325 Joining a Writing Circle......Page 329 Attending Writing Courses......Page 330 Focusing on Literary Festivals......Page 337 Attending Bookshop Readings, Events and Launches......Page 338 Getting Your First Work into Print......Page 339 Entering Competitions......Page 341 Part VI: The Part of Tens......Page 343 Enjoy the Journey......Page 345 Show, Don’t Tell......Page 346 Read and Re-read......Page 347 Be Open to What’s Around You......Page 348 Accept Rejection......Page 349 Don’t Give Up......Page 350 Practise Your Pitch and Keep it Short......Page 351 Perfect Your Work First......Page 352 Don’t Argue with Editors and Agents......Page 353 Attend Events and Maintain Your Profile......Page 354 Don’t Take a Rebuff Too Personally......Page 355 Stay Positive and Believe in Yourself......Page 356 Short Story: ‘The Dead’ from Dubliners by James Joyce......Page 357 Contemporary Novel: The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro......Page 358 Play: Hamlet by William Shakespeare......Page 359 Poetry: The Oxford Book of English Verse and The Oxford Book of Twentieth Century English Verse......Page 360 Journals: The Diary of Anaïs Nin (Volume One) by Anaïs Nin......Page 361 Narrative Non-Fiction: In Cold Blood by Truman Capote......Page 362 Autobiography: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou......Page 363 Index......Page 365 Uploaded by [StormRG]......Page 382

Do you have an idea that you’re burning to get down on paper? Do you want to document your travels to far-flung places, or write a few stanzas of poetry? Whether you dream of being a novelist, a travel writer, a poet, a playwright or a columnist, Creative Writing For Dummies shows you how to unlock your creativity and choose the genre of writing that suits you best. Walking you through characterisation, setting, dialogue and plot, as well as giving expert insights into both fiction and non-fiction, it’s the ideal launching pad to the world of creative writing.

Creative Writing For Dummies covers:

Part I: Getting started        

• Chapter 1: Can Everyone Write?
• Chapter 2:  Getting into the Write Mind
• Chapter 3: Finding the Material to work with   

Part II: The Elements of Creative Writing     

• Chapter 4: Creating Characters
• Chapter 5: Discovering Dialogue
• Chapter 6: Who is telling the story?
• Chapter 7: Creating your own world
• Chapter 8: Plotting your way
• Chapter 9: Creating a Structure
• Chapter 10: Rewriting and editing              

Part III:   Different Kinds of Fiction Writing

• Chapter 11: Short stories
• Chapter 12: Novels
• Chapter 13: Writing for children
• Chapter 14: Plays
• Chapter 15: Screenplays
• Chapter 16: Poetry

Part IV: Different kinds of Non-fiction writing                                             

• Chapter 17:  Breaking into journalism - Writing articles/ magazine writing
• Chapter 18: Writing from life and autobiography
• Chapter 19: Embroidering the facts: Narrative non-fiction
• Chapter 20: Exploring the world from your armchair - Travel writing
• Chapter 21: Blogging – the new big thing

Part V: Finding an audience                                             

• Chapter 22: Finding editors/ publishers/ agents            
• Chapter 23: Becoming a professional

Part VI: Part of Tens                          

• Chapter 24: Ten top tips for writers      
• Chapter 25: Ten ways to get noticed

"Develop the writing know-how that will keep your readers hooked. Do you have an idea for a novel (or a poem, or an article, or a play) that you'd love to finally get down on paper? Whatever your aim, inside you'll find the advice and support to get you started and keep you going. From preparing a writing work-space to marshalling your material into both fiction and non-fiction genres, this book has everything you need to help you unlock your creativity and make your writing sparkle. Pick and choose between genres, gather the materials you need and develop the right routines."--Global Books in Print Creative writing, from short stories to novels, travel writing to memoirs, is an imaginative outlet that relieves tensions and creates new worlds. This book is essential reading for all those who have aspirations to write novels, poetry, plays, travel writing and everything in between, but lack the confidence or expertise to get started.