Creative Writing

Learn to write creatively and do it for fun or for money.

Lesson Structure

There are 10 lessons in this course:

1. Introduction
   • What is creative writing
   • What’s different about creative writing
   • Information and creativity
   • Creative genres
   • Forms of Writing
   • Form
   • Structure
   • Purpose
   • Creative Writing resources
   • What is needed for success
   • The business of writing
   • Getting published
   • Self publishing
   • Vanity publishing
   • Terminology.
2. Basic Creative Writing Skills
   • Words and their proper use
   • Types of language
   • Informative language
   • Persuasive language
   • Imaginative language
   • Literal language
   • Figurative language
   • Formal language
   • Colloquial language
   • Parts of language (nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, prepositions, plurals, possessive nouns & pronouns, gender, adjectives, articles)
   • Common grammatical errors (fragmented sentences, run on sentences, comma splices, dangling modifiers).
   • Run on sentences
   • Irregular verbs
   • Whom or who
   • Pronouns and Antecedents
   • Punctuation
   • Creating and critiquing
   • Generating ideas
   • Developing ideas
   • Narrative theory
   • Storyline
   • Narrative structure
   • Settings or scenes
   • Mood or atmosphere
   • Time
   • Voice
   • Point of view
   • Creative reading.
3. Using Concise Clear Language
   • Slice of life fiction
   • Conciseness and Succinctness
   • Understanding ambiguity
   • Causes of ambiguity
   • Doubt and ambiguity
   • Hinge points and ambiguity
   • Defamiliarisation.
4. Planning What You Write
   • Writing routine
   • Establishing a theme
   • Organising ideas
   • Paragraphing
   • Writing a synopsis
   • Titles
   • Developing objectives.
5. Writing Fiction
   • Elements
   • Clues
   • Signs
   • Common errors
   • Scope or Range
   • Theme problems
   • Authenticity problems
   • Tone problems.
6. Writing Non-fiction
   • Creative non fiction
   • Scope
   • Developing ideas
   • Narration
   • Story line
   • Deduction
   • Induction
   • Classical Development
   • Chronological development
   • Analogy
   • Cause and effect
   • Classification
   • Comparison and contrast
   • Definition
   • Analysis
   • Developing a profile
   • Interviews.
7. Newspaper Writing
   • What to write
   • Scope
   • News values
   • Writing guidelines
   • Regular columns
   • Fillers.
8. Writing for Magazines
   • Scope of magazine writing
   • What publishers want
   • Magazine articles
   • Travel writing
   • Writing for public relations
   • Selling your work.
9. Writing Books
   • Themes
   • Consistency
   • Believability
   • Variety
   • Getting started
   • Getting a contract
   • Book publishing
   • Non fiction books
   • Fact finding.
10. Special Project
    • Organising a portfolio to sell yourself.

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school’s tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

Aims

• Explain the components and genres of creative writing.
• Acquire abilities that will assist you in coming up with, analysing, and communicating ideas. Talk about the purposes of clear writing and the craft of
• exposing and hiding information in writing.
• Decide on a theme and a structure for your planning.
• Describe the many genres of fiction writing and the publishing options available.
• Examine several non-fiction genres to identify crucial components and writing techniques.
• Examine many creative writing genres that are frequently found in newspapers.
• Determine what constitutes an excellent feature story by analysing magazine articles.
• Examine the key components of book writing, such as theme, structure, and the integration of several narrative threads into a cohesive whole.
• Create a portfolio of creative writing that is submission-ready and a collection of potential ideas.

How You Plan to Act

• Examine three texts to determine their genres, layout, and any important components.
• Choose a vanity publisher and a reputable publication, then find out what they require for submissions.
• Three separate versions of a newspaper feature article should be written, each utilising a different linguistic style to convey a different impression.
• Review a bit of your own work (at least 250 words) and point out its strengths and shortcomings.
• Create a single, brief scene for each of the three narratives, using the location, the actors, the conversation, and the action to indicate what is occurring,
• what might have happened before, and what might happen next.
• Make notes on how two authors use obscuring and revealing techniques (transparency and ambiguity), and evaluate each one’s success.
• Provide two completely distinct accounts of a location or someone in your life.
• Include a new voice while rewriting an assignment.
• Make a normal object seem intriguing, hazardous, or foreign by defamiliarizing it.
• Explain how texts are organised, taking into account possible reasons why the writers may have done so, and how the structures affect the text’s efficacy as a whole.
• In three hours, compose a first draught without editing.
• Modify the draught for clarity, organisation, content flow, mood, voice, etc.
• Revise three of your writing pieces (one of which should be a short tale) for clarity and conciseness; describe your improvements.
• Before submitting one of your works, do some research on potential publications.
• Create fiction story plans using the opening and closing phrases of published works.
• Create various non-fiction writing projects and then justify your selections to a particular publication.
• Create three non-fiction article outlines based on the readings you did for your three creative writing assignments.
• In order to prepare for writing a profile on someone, do an interview. Describe why you believe others might be interested in that particular person.

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What Creative Writing Is About

Fiction writing, in which the author constructs events, situations, characters, and occasionally even a whole world, is a common definition of creative writing. In actuality, all expressions—aside from those that are produced automatically, like a child’s yell in pain or a person’s exclamation of delight—are spontaneous.

For the purposes of this course, “creative writing” refers to any writing that imaginatively expresses events and emotions and whose main goal is to evoke emotions. Therefore, creative writing can be non-fictional, based on actual events and facts, or it can be fiction, utilising inventive storytelling. The use of imagination by the author to convey his or her thoughts and emotions serves as the common denominator between fiction and non-fiction writing.

Several contexts can benefit from creative writing, including:

Other genres that we may not think of as creative writing are:

• magazine articles, e zines, blogs
• newspaper feature stories
• essays
• biographies
• advertisements
• card greetings
• books or articles on science, history etc.

 

Writing Advice: How to Develop a Theme

Every piece of writing, whether it be a book or a business letter, needs to have a main topic or theme. The theme should be immediately apparent, unambiguous, and stated in business letters and technical writing. In a piece of creative writing, it might be gradually disclosed throughout the course of the work, and the reader might not fully understand it until the very end. Nonetheless, the theme must be evident from the outset and serve as a unifying thread for each chapter and paragraph. Every piece of writing should be connected to that theme in some way. It is what gives literature its coherence and enables it to stand on its own as a meaningful expression.

A creative piece’s concept should never be explicitly expressed. For instance, personal integrity, or being loyal to oneself in thought and deed, is the central theme of Boris Pasternak’s Dr. Zhivago. This is never explicitly stated, but it is demonstrated in the actions of the main characters, who each rely on their own hard-won inner truth for the courage and strength to uphold their morality in a cruel, disorderly, and seemingly unprincipled world.

A theme in a book frequently develops into a number of sub-themes. The novel’s length makes it possible for this kind of theme and idea interweaving. So, there is much potential in Dr. Zhivago to construct a critique of the advent of Communism, of war and aggression in general, of many forms of power, and of love. To improve our comprehension and experience of the dominant notion, however, these must and do make some sort of reference to it.

The short story or poem, in contrast, might be entirely devoted to one theme, though even then, there are typically covert or overt references to other ideas and themes. This is because no idea or experience stands alone; rather, each one inevitably connects to and is supported by a variety of other ideas and experiences.

We can create themes using any method, and we frequently do so from a variety of sources, including:

• images of places, events or characters
• thoughts and speech of characters
• actions of characters
• contrasting societies or generations within a society
• identifying shared values and experiences between groups or generations
• ways to dealing with and coping with the environment
• symbolic use of landscape and nature
• repetition of ideas in different forms
• repeated symbols or cultural items
• contrast of values

Establishing a basic subject, then thinking about how to expand it and how to show its depth and angles through several sub-themes, is one strategy for organising your work. What do I want to say? Then, keep asking yourself, “What else do I have to say about that?” This ongoing contemplation of a subject can produce a wealth of insights.

Read numerous short tales and novels that you truly enjoy to get a better understanding of how topics are developed. Take note of the theme’s introduction and development. Moreover, practise some free association activities. As you focus on a topic, you must simply watch what ideas, pictures, memories, people, events, etc. enter your head. Let’s take the hypothetical situation where you are considering writing about personal responsibility. Instead of initially attempting to consciously explore that theme, simply scribble down any ideas you have. As no two of us have ever lived the same life or have experienced it in the same way, each person will come up with their own unique collection of stuff. You can “grow” and communicate your theme using the seeds from a free-association exercise like this one.

Resource Materials for Writers

There are two types of support available to writers for their work and careers:

• inner resources, such as creativity, persistence, self-discipline, good skills, experience, knowledge, empathy, and a real interest in the world around them;
• outer resources, which are the people and environments that constitute the writer’s support system.

What Does Success Require?

Success as a writer can mean various things to various people. Some people define success as nothing more than having friends and/or family read and enjoy what they have written.

Others may have much loftier objectives, such as publishing and selling books or articles that tens of thousands of people will read.

The Writing Business

 

The business of being a writer involves more than just writing. If your goal is to be published and read by the “masses,” you must be aware of the various aspects of the publishing industry as a whole.

You should also be aware from the start that success does not always come to those who deserve it, and no matter how talented or educated you are, a certain degree of luck is likely to be involved.

Successful writers frequently also happen to be people who were in the right location at the right moment, in addition to being good writers.

By finding reliable sources of assistance and knowledge, you can increase your chances of making a full or partial income from your creative writing or turning it into a career.

They will aid in achieving your two major objectives:

1. To become a better, more effective writer, and
2. To sell and/or publish what you write.

Building a network of connections, contacts, and resources to assist your writing and career is an essential part of being a writer. Family and friends may provide nurturing, assist in setting up a conducive writing environment, and can also help you recognise your writing talents and limitations by providing honest feedback on your work, making their support priceless.

Writers’ manuals, books, and articles on writing and publishing are some more sources. They can be found in the Arts sections of some newspapers, the majority of public libraries, university libraries (where you are permitted to read them even if you are not a student there), writing magazines, local writing clubs, and the occasional newspaper or magazine article.

Publishers and publishing companies

In order to find publishers who might be interested in their genre of work, writers need undertake their own study. Different publishers will have their own requirements and areas of expertise. On author’s guidelines papers or even on their websites, several organisations mention their needs. In order to locate publishers most likely to accept and publish their particular genre of writing, authors—especially those just starting out—should research these requirements. Additionally, publishers have a lot to teach writers about writing, how to get their work published, and what editors are looking for. The vision and insight of committed publishers are responsible for the careers of many authors. This is one of the reasons why authors should put out a lot of effort to build connections with publishers by submitting their work, addressing their criticism, recommendations, and advice in a constructive manner, and persevering in the face of numerous rejections.

Organisations that are professional, amateur, or groups for writers

Local writing organisations can offer beneficial chances to talk about, share, and improve your own work. To increase your network of contacts and resources, look up local writing organisations and clubs in the phone book.

Exhibits and book shows

Every year, a number of highly significant book fairs and markets are conducted in different nations. These events, which are crucial in defining the current book market and trends, draw publishers, book retailers, and book purchasers from all over the world. You may get a sense of what is selling and what is in demand by attending smaller fairs and exhibitions, which are hosted in many nations. They are also great locations to network with folks in the publishing sector.

Trade events and displays

Attend trade conferences and exhibitions to learn about the types of specialised publications published and by whom, as well as to acquire inspiration for writing projects in sectors that interest you. They might occur in expansive settings like exhibition halls and show grounds or in more intimate settings like retail malls.

Commercial entities and enterprises

If you are good at writing persuasively or advertising, or if you have knowledge and abilities to contribute, look into businesses and organisations to see if there are any opportunities to write for them, publish them, and/or market your writing.

Government agencies

Government agencies are reliable sources of information and can be a great resource for authors looking for ideas for nonfiction or fiction writing. A writer would do well to keep track of government grants and other forms of assistance for the arts, which are frequently provided.

Individual contacts

The most efficient approach to let others know what you can do and that you are searching for writing or publishing possibilities is through networking. Individuals with publishing or writing experience are valuable contacts that are well worth fostering and frequently support aspiring authors. Follow some fundamental networking etiquette guidelines to avoid annoying or offending someone, such as:

• Create a wide range of contacts to avoid becoming overly reliant on just one or two.
• Be true, righteous, and honest in all of your interactions.
• Respect others’ time and privacy in both your words and deeds.
• Find ways to say thank you and offer to help out by doing some research or typing.
• Don’t simply think about what they can accomplish for you; show genuine interest in them and their work.
• Even if you believe you know it all, maintain your humility and learn from others.
• To avoid interfering with their schedules, initially reach out to busy folks via letter or email.
• Before contacting an author or publisher, read their writings.
• Recognize and express gratitude for all of the help.

How to Set Up Your Career for Success