Doing Creative Writing

by May, Steve

• ISBN13: 9780203939826
• ISBN10: 0203939824
• Copyright: 2007-08-01
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Summary

The ideal guide to the 'what, how and why' of creative writing courses, designed for anyone beginning or contemplating a course and wondering what to expect and how to get the most from their studies.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. xi
Acknowledgements	p. xiii
General introduction	p. 1
Who is this book for?	p. 1
How will you benefit from it?	p. 2
What's in this book	p. 3
The context
Creative writing: can it be taught?	p. 7
Practice makes perfect - or does it?	p. 8
Pressing the brake to go faster	p. 10
Craft and mystery	p. 15
Summary	p. 17
Creative writing: why take a university course?	p. 19
A course is a course, isn't it? What makes a degree course different	p. 20
Process and product: authors, dead or alive	p. 22
Writer, reader and reality	p. 25
Summary	p. 30
Creative writing now	p. 31
Creative writing - where to find it	p. 31
The history of creative writing - what's it to you?	p. 33
Creative writing within other subjects	p. 35
The growth of creative writing - how it affects your course	p. 36
Who's teaching creative writing, and why?	p. 38
Who's doing creative writing, and why?	p. 44
Summary	p. 46
Studying creative writing
How courses are organised and how you will learn	p. 49
Choices, units and contact time	p. 49
How are creative writing courses taught?	p. 50
Lectures, tutorials and virtual learning environments	p. 51
Seminars and workshops	p. 53
Get-to-know-you and guidelines	p. 54
Training and the real event	p. 54
Games and exercises within the workshop	p. 55
Something you prepared earlier	p. 57
Dealing with feedback	p. 59
Giving good feedback	p. 61
How much do I have to tell them?	p. 64
Progression	p. 66
Summary	p. 66
Assessment	p. 69
It's subjective, isn't it?	p. 69
Assessment in the writing industries	p. 70
Assessment criteria	p. 71
Non-creative assessment items	p. 76
Other assessment methods	p. 80
Assessment, feedback and monitoring	p. 81
Attendance	p. 82
Final word	p. 84
Summary	p. 84
Writers' habits, writers' skills
Developing your own working habits	p. 87
Tough to do at home...	p. 87
Where to write	p. 88
When to write	p. 89
Word counts: the false gods	p. 91
Writing isn't just writing	p. 92
Reading as a writer	p. 94
Exemplary books on a similar topic	p. 95
Factual books	p. 95
Books with a style or a voice	p. 96
Books as market research	p. 96
A note on plagiarism	p. 98
Organising yourself	p. 99
Summary	p. 101
Writing and editing	p. 103
How do you write?	p. 103
The necessity of editing	p. 104
Levels of editing: how to edit, and when	p. 105
Too Much for Normous	p. 107
The naming of files	p. 109
Task avoidance	p. 110
Word counts again	p. 112
Presentation and layout: make your work a pleasure to read	p. 113
Summary	p. 115
Conclusion: beyond the course	p. 117
Had enough?	p. 117
The academic route: further study	p. 118
Writing	p. 120
Journalism	p. 120
Books	p. 122
Scriptwriting	p. 123
Poetry	p. 123
Writing-related careers	p. 124
And finally...	p. 124
Case studies: James Joyce and other writers	p. 125
Further reading	p. 137
Index	p. 151
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