The Practice of Creative Writing A Guide for Students
, by Sellers, Heather
- ISBN: 9780312676025 | 0312676026
- Cover: Paperback
- Copyright: 8/10/2012
Designed for all students in the introductory course, The Practice of Creative Writing has a simple message: you can do this, and it’s worthwhile to try. Heather Sellers, who writes in multiple genres herself, has developed an approach that focuses on the habits and strategies that produce good writing in any genre: Images; Energy; Tension; Pattern; Insight; and Revision. She teaches students how to focus, to generate lots of writing, and to get to the good stuff — the powerful imagery and the stories they really want to tell. She provides opportunities to be playful and to experiment at the same time she teaches students the importance of discipline and craft. This new edition gives students even more support and encouragement, with earlier attention to structure — because students struggle with this strategy — and with expanded coverage of revision and a wider range of genres they can use as generative tools.
Introduction
What Creative Writers Do
Questions Creative Writers Ask
The Four Parts of Creative Writing Writing: Your Audience and Your Tools
Writing for Yourself
Writing for Others
Energy
Images
Tension
Pattern
Insight
Revision
Reading
Working With Other Writers
Publication
PART 1: BASICS
1. Finding Focus
The Mind’s Eye
Write What You See
Moving Images
Subject: Focus on What?
Write What You Know
Explore What Makes Us Human
Practicing Focus
The Writing Habit
Writing Rituals
Flow
Lack of Focus
Writer’s Block
Distraction
Procrastination
Judgment
Writing Projects
2. Reading to Write
Reading Work in Progress Workshop
Revision
Editing
Reading Finished Work
Types of Creative Writing
Fiction
Creative Nonfiction
Poetry
Prose Poems
Plays, Screenplays, Teleplays
Graphic Novels, Comics, and Experiments
Reading to Write: The Art of Imitation
Imitation: Guided Practice
Types of Imitation
Scaffolding: Writing Between the Lines
Scaffolding a Poem
Narrative Scaffolding
Filling in the Blanks
Writing Projects
Readings
*Bob Hickok, A Primer (poetry)
*Betsy Sholl, Genealogy (poetry)
*Greg Allen, Title (drama)
Lorraine Lopez, The Night Aliens in a White Van Kidnapped My Teenage Son Near the
Baptist Church Parking Lot (fiction)
*Lynda Barry, Super Marlys Guide to Running in the Sprinkler (graphic narrative)
Sebastian Matthews, Buying Wine (poetry)
Billy Collins, Introduction to Poetry (poetry)
A. Van Jordan , af.ter.glow (poetry)
Jamaica Kincaid, Girl (fiction)
Amy Fusselman, from The Pharmacist’s Mate (nonfiction)
3. Building Blocks
Parts of Narrative Sentences
Conflicts
Scenes
Building Narratives Using Conflict-Crisis-Resolution
Pulling it All Together: Writing Scenes for Narrative
Parts of Poems
A word on words
Lines
*Ciara Shuttlesworth, Sestina [poetry]
Gwendolyn Brooks, We Real Cool [poetry]
Turns
Stanzas
Playing with Poetry
Writing Projects
Building Blocks Workshop
Readings
*Kim Addonizio, First Poem for You (poetry)
*Sherman Alexie, Bird-watching at Night (fiction)
*Gregory Corso, Marriage (poetry)
Wesli Court, The Obsession (poetry)
Dylan Thomas, Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night (poetry)
Brenda Miller, Swerve (nonfiction)
Raymond Carver, Cathedral (fiction)
PART 2: STRATEGIES
4. Images
The Principles of Images
Images are Active
Reading is Image Viewing
The Opposite of Thought
Generating Images
Creating With Images
Focus on People in Action
Think From Within Images
Use Specifics
Move Around in Images
One Sentence, One Action
Summary Images
Sliding
A Word on Ideas
Writing Projects
Images Workshop
Readings
*Tony Hoagland, Personal (poetry)
Gary Soto, Everything Twice (poetry)
*Sufjan Stevens, Casimir Pulaski Day (song lyrics)
*Suzan-Lori Parks, Father Comes Home from the Wars (Part 1) (drama)
*David Owen, The Dime Store Floor (nonfiction)
*Mary Robison, Pretty Ice (fiction)
Akhil Sharma, Surrounded by Sleep (fiction)
5. Energy
The Principles of Energy
Subject: Focus on What’s Fascinating
Guidelines for Increasing Energy Using Subject
Leaps: The Power of Gaps
David Chase, excerpts from The Sopranos
Words
Specificity
Verbs
Muscles
Filters
Manipulating Energy
Pace: Choose when to "go for it"
Slow Down to Increase Energy
Vary the Pace to Sustain Energy
Camera Work
Too Much Energy?
Troubleshooting: Energy
Writing Projects
Energy Workshop
Readings
Rick Moody, Boys (fiction)
Brian Arundel, The Things I’ve Lost (nonfiction)
*Brian Turner, What Every Soldier Should Know (poetry)
6. Tension
The Principles of Tension
Desire + Danger = Tension
Setting the Thermostat: The Four Elements of Tension
Maintaining Tension
Work With Two or Three Characters
Match Your Opponents
Stay Specific
Write From Close Up
Manipulating Tension
Thermostat Control: Adjusting the Temperature
Layers: Adding Dimension
Layering Images
Layering with Triangles
Layering Dialogue and Action
Façade
Writing Projects
Tension Workshop
Readings
*Aimee Nezhukumatahil, Dog Custody (poetry)
*Theodore Roethke, The Waking (poetry)
*Agha Shahid Ali, Even the Rain (poetry)
Marisa Silver , What I Saw From Where I Stood (fiction)
Jessica Shattuck, Bodies (fiction)
Peter Morris, Pancakes (drama)
7. Pattern
Pattern by Ear Rhyme and Echoes
Consonants and Vowels
Word Order
ee cummings "me up at does"
Rhythm
Meter
Iambic Pentameter
Free Verse
Pattern by Eye
Objects
Gestures
Pattern on the Page
Layering Patterns
Writing Projects
Pattern Workshop
Readings
*Gregory Orr, The River (poetry)
Ellen Dore Watson, Ghazal (poetry)
Carolyn Kizer, Parent’s Pantoum (poetry)
*Marion Winik, from The Glen Rock Book of the Dead (nonfiction)
*Amy and David Sedaris, Relationship Quiz (nonfiction)
Lorrie Moore, How to Become a Writer (fiction)
Dinty Moore, Son of Mr. Green Jeans: An Essay on Fatherhood, Alphabetically Arranged (nonfiction)
8. Insight
Principles of Insight
Accuracy
Gestures
Dialogue
Generosity
Trust Your Experience
Ways to Be Wise: Creating Insight
Images
Questions
Lists
Reversals
Go Big
Go Tiny
Sneak Up
Ways to Be Unwise: What Not To Do
Writing Projects
Insight Workshop
Readings
*Kevin Young, Ode to the Midwest (poetry)
*Gerald Stern, Strauss Park (poetry)
Lynne McMahon, Carpe Diem (poetry)
*Amy Lee Scott, This is Not to Say (nonfiction)
*Marjane Satrapi, The Veil (graphic narrative)
*Amy Krouse Rosenthal, from Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life (nonfiction)
Michael Cunningham, White Angel (fiction)
9 Revision
Revision is Seeing Again
Writing is Seeing and Seeing Again
Conquering Common Blocks
What if I make it worse?
I’m overwhelmed. I love my piece, sort of, and I know it could be better. But where do I start?
What if I don’t want to change it?
Principles of Revision
Limit your time
Sketch It, Then Write It
Read to get unstuck
Revise by hand
Don’t start at the beginning
Delete, don’t Fix
Play with Questions
Approaches to Revision: Student Writers Use the Strategies
Energy, Images, and Tension as Revision Strategies: Meghan Wilson Revises
Images Plus Scissors: Charlie Walter Revises
Editing
Questions to Ask: Editing for Flow
Questions to Ask: Editing for Common Grammar Errors
Questions to Ask: Editing for Presentation
Principles of Revision
Writing Projects
Revision Workshop
Readings
Charlie Walter, I’ve Never Been Here Before (memoir)
Jack Ridl, Repairing the House (poetry)
Jack Ridl and "Repairing the House," The Poem and I Have a Little Conversation (interview)
PART THREE: FORMS
10. Recipes
Experiment
Showcase the Strategies
Abecedarius Reading Abecedarii
David Lehman, Abecedarius (poetry)
Writing an Abedcadrius
Anaphora
Reading Anaphora
Writing an Anaphora
Braid
Reading Braids
Writing a Braid
Ghazal
Reading Ghazals
Writing a Ghazal
Graphic
Reading Graphics
*Matthew Baker and Susanna Kwan, excerpt from The Dinner Party (graphic narrative)
Writing a Graphic
Journey
Reading Journeys
Writing a Journey
Manifesto
Reading Manifesto
Elaine Sexton, Manifesto (nonfiction)
Writing a Manifesto
One-Act Play
Reading One-Act Plays
Writing a One-Act Play
Pantoum
Reading Pantoums
Writing a Pantoum
Sestina
Reading Sestinas
Writing a Sestina
Sonnet
Reading Sonnets
David Livewell, Fatigues (poetry)
Writing a Sonnet
Villanelle
Reading Villanelles
Writing a Villanelle
APPENDIXES
Appendix A Publication Public Readings
Literary Magazines
Research a Wide Range of Publications
Submit Your Work to Literary Magazines
Decide Where to Send your Work
How to Send Your Work Out
Accept Rejection
Chapbooks and Portfolios
Creating a Chapbook
Writing An Artist’s Statements
Appendix B Resources for Writers
Smart Searching
General Resources
Creativity and Inspiration
In Print
Online
Images: Seeing More Closely
Self -Expression and Personal Writing
In Print
Online
Literary News
Instruction in Specific Genres
Fiction
In Print
Online
Short Short Stories
In Print
On line
Poetry
In Print
On line
Form Poetry
In Print
On line
Nonfiction
In Print
On line
Plays and Screenplays
In Print
On Line
Children’s Books
Graphic Narratives
In Print
On Line
Teaching Creative Writing
In Print
On Line
The Business of Writing: Agencies, Freelancing, Book Proposals, Publishing
In Print
On Line
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