Creative Writing: How to unlock your imagination, develop your writing skills - and get published

194 Pages·2007·0.68 MB·English

by  Adele Ramet

If you want to know how...
HandbookforWritersofEnglish
Punctuation,commonpracticeandusage
PracticalResearchMethods
Up-to-datewaystomasterresearchinsixstages
WritingYourLifeStory
Howtorecordandpresentyourmemories
forfuturegenerationstoenjoy
TouchTypingin10Hours
Gainavaluableskillthatwilllastalifetime
QuickSolutionstoCommonErrorsinEnglish
AnA–Zguidetospelling,punctuationandgrammar
howtobooks
Pleasesendforafreecopyofthelatestcatalogue:
HowToBooks
SpringHillHouse,SpringHillRoad,
Begbroke,OxfordOX51RX,UnitedKingdom
[email protected]
www.howtobooks.co.uk
howtobooks
Published by How To Content
A division of How To Books Ltd
Spring Hill House, Spring Hill Road,
Begbroke, Oxford OX5 1RX. United
Kingdom.
Tel: [phone]. Fax: [phone].
email: [email protected]
www.howtobooks.co.uk

All rights reserved. No part of this work may
be reproduced or stored in an information
retrieval system (other than for purposes of
review) without the express permission of the
publisher in writing.

The right of Ade` le Ramet to be identified as
author of this work has been asserted by her
in accordance with the Copyright, Designs
and Patents Act 1988.

© Copyright 2007 Ade` le Ramet

First published 1997
Second edition 1999
Third edition 2001
Fourth edition 2003
Fifth edition 2004
Sixth edition 2006
Seventh edition 2007
First published in electronic form 2007

British Library Cataloguing in Publication
Data
A catalogue record for this book is available
from the British Library

ISBN 978 1 84803 222 4

Cover design by Baseline Arts Ltd, Oxford
Produced for How To Books by Deer Park
Productions, Tavistock
Typeset by PDQ Typesetting, Newcastle-
under-Lyme, Staffs
NOTE: The material contained in this book is
set out in good faith for general guidance and
no liability can be accepted for loss or
expense incurred as a result of relying in
particular circumstances on statements made
in the book. Laws and regulations are
complex and liable to change, and readers
should check the current
position with the relevant authorities before
making personal
arrangements.
Contents
Listofillustrations ix
Preface xi
Acknowledgements xii
1 Gettingstarted 1
Makingtimetowrite 1
Wheredoyougetyourideas? 3
Writingaurallyandvisually 5
Drawingonyourownexperiences 6
Lookingbackintoyourpast 7
Read,read,read 9
Checklist 11
Assignment 11
2 Writingnon-fiction 12
Writingaboutwhatyouknow 12
Casestudy 12
Lettingoffsteam 12
Changingworkintoleisure 14
Relatingyourlife-story 18
Tellingtravellers’tales 23
Casestudy 27
Findingfunnymoments 28
Followingwhereyourideasleadyou 29
Checklist 29
Assignment 30
3 Creatingfictionalcharacters 31
Basingcharactersonrealpeople 31
Casestudy 35
Visualisingbackgrounds 36
Involvingyourselfinyourcharacters’lives 38
Changingthecharacter 41
Relatingtoyourcharacter 44
Casestudy 45
v
vi / CREATIVE WRITING
Howwouldyoureactiftheyapproachedyou? 46
Creatingconflict 48
Checklist 50
Assignment 50
4 Settingandatmosphere 52
Gettingafeelofplaceandtime 52
Visitinglocations 55
Casestudy 57
Casestudy 61
Imaginingwhatitwouldbeliketobethere 62
Wearingdifferentclothesandcostumes 63
Checklist 66
Assignment 66
5 Showingnottelling 68
Reactingandinteractingwithpeopleandsurroundings 68
Feelingtheheat 70
Shiveringagainstthecold 72
Casestudy 73
Revealingemotions 74
Expressingfeelings 75
Casestudy 77
Movingyourcharactersaroundtheroom 78
Speedingandslowingthepacewithvocabulary 78
Flashingbackandforthintime 80
Checklist 83
Assignment 84
6 Writingrealisticdialogue 85
Developingagoodear 85
Actingoutasituation 87
Losingyourtemper 92
Fallinginlove 93
Creatingrealisticaccentsanddialects 94
Casestudy 94
Swearingandslang 96
Casestudy 97
Checklist 98
Assignment 98
CONTENTS / vii
7 Findingtruelove 100
Writingaromance 100
Findingflawsattractive 101
Overcominginsurmountableobstacles 102
Drivingfastcarsandwearingfancyclothes 105
Enjoyingsexandfood 106
Heighteningallthesenses 107
Bringingtheheroandheroinetogether 108
Historicalsettings 108
Checklist 110
Assignment 110
8 Haunting,thrillingandkilling 111
Introducinganoteofsuspense 111
Confrontingthefearswithin 112
Casestudy 113
Contrastingnormalitywithterror 115
Writingamurdermystery 116
Casestudy 118
Choosingamurderweapon 118
Plottingandplanning 120
Twistingthetale 123
Lookingtothefuture 125
Checklist 128
Assignment 128
9 Writingforchildren 129
Thinkingbacktoyourchildhood 129
Lookingatlifethroughachild’seyes 130
Casestudy 132
Playingaroundwithideas 134
Writingforeducationalmarkets 135
Casestudy 138
Anthropomorphisinganimals 139
Writingaboutchildren 141
Writingpicturebooks 142
Checklist 144
Assignment 145
viii / CREATIVE WRITING
10 Sendingyourworktoapublisher 146
Seeingyourworkinprint 146
Playwritingforyourlocaldramagroup 147
WritingforestablishedTVcharacters 148
Enteringcompetitions 149
Vanitypublishing 150
Self-publishing 151
Writingasynopsis 156
Presentingyourmanuscript 157
Approachinganeditor 161
Copyrightingandsyndication 162
Keepingrecords 164
Findingsupportfromotherwriters 165
Glossary 169
Answerstoassignments 172
Usefuladdresses 173
Usefulwebsites 175
Onlinedictionaries 175
Furtherreading 176
Index 179