Creative Writing

Sally O’Reilly has taught at The Open University, Brunel University and the University of Portsmouth, and holds a PhD in Creative Writing from Brunel University. Her publications include Dark Aemilia (Myriad Editions/Picador US, 2014), which was nominated for the Kirkus Reviews Fiction prize in the US, and How to be a Writer (Piatkus, 2011). She has been shortlisted for the Ian St James short story award and the Cosmopolitan short story prize. She also writes for the Guardian, The Sunday Times, The Conversation, the Evening Standard and New Scientist.Jane Yeh holds degrees in English and Creative Writing from Harvard University, the University of Iowa, Manchester Metropolitan University, and Royal Holloway, University of London. Her publications include Marabou (Carcanet, 2005), which was shortlisted for the Whitbread, Forward and Aldeburgh poetry prizes, and Discipline (Carcanet, 2019), which was a Poetry Book Society recommendation. She has been a mentor for the Ledbury Poetry Critics programme and is a Lecturer in Creative Writing at The Open University.

‘A wonderful, invaluable resource, full of useful frameworks and ideas. Highly recommended.’ Irenosen Okojie FRSL MBE, Vice Chair of the Royal Society of Literature‘Offers pertinent, perceptive and plentiful advice for those first starting out or building their skills in creative writing. Enlivening chapter discussions rub shoulders with well-chosen readings to create dynamic conversations which it feels a pleasure to eavesdrop on.’ Andrew McMillan, Manchester Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan University‘A refreshingly practical book that invites writers at whatever stage to dive in and out with exercises, encouragement, information, reading and guidance.’Yvonne Battle-Felton, fiction writer, Sheffield Hallam University‘Creative Writing is astonishing in its thoughtfulness: there's a calm, authoritative thoroughness about the way skills and topics are introduced, supported by readings, and paired with exercises. This would be a very useful workbook for instructors as well as new writers.’ Marshall Moore, Course Leader in Creative Writing at Falmouth University‘Offers practical, clear, and substantial advice for writing in a range of genres. As you will find from using this imaginative, generous and ingenious book, the journey will surprise and transform you.’ David Morley FRSL, Warwick Writing Programme at Warwick University, author of The Cambridge Introduction to Creative Writing‘This distils the basic elements of complicated artistic practice into inspiring guidelines that will enhance the work of both students and teachers of creative writing.’ Winsome Pinnock FRSL, Associate Professor Emerita at Kingston University

• ContributorsIntroductionPart 1: The creative process1: Stimulating creativity and imagination2: Writing what you know3: Writing what you come to knowPart 2: Writing fiction4: Character5: Setting6: Point of view7: Showing and telling8: Structure and time9: The story and your readers10: Editing fictionPart 3: Writing poetry11: Introduction to poetry12: Voice and language 13: Poetic structure 14: Rhyme and metre 15: Revising poetry Part 4: Life writing16: Starting out 17: Finding a form 18: Using memory 19: Versions of a life 20: Life characters Part 5: Going public21: Going public 22: Presenting your work READINGSPart 1: The creative process1.1 from ‘Fires’1.2 from ‘A Real-life Education’ 2.1 ‘Death of a Naturalist’ 2.2 from ‘Netherley’ 2.3 from ‘Tomorrow is Too Far’ 2.4 ‘Memory: The True Key to Real Imagining’ 3.1‘The Captain of the 1964 Top of the Form Team’ 3.2 from Backtalk: Women Writers Speak Out Part 2: Writing fiction4.1 from ‘A Sheltered Woman’ 5.1 from ‘The Edge of the Shoal’ 6.1 ‘First Journeyman’ 6.2 ‘Becky Finch’ 6.3 ‘Love Silk Food’ 7.1 ‘Going the Last Inch: Some Thoughts on Showing and Telling’ 7.2 ‘The Dream’ 7.3 ‘Moonlight’ 7.4 from ‘Freddy Barrandov Checks … in?’ 7.5 from ‘Byron Francis’ 7.6 ‘I Could See the Smallest Things’ 7.7 ‘Tomorrow is Too Far’ 8.1 from The Art of Writing Fiction 8.2 ‘Pigeons at Daybreak’ 9.1 ‘Bodies’ 9.2 ‘Tattoo’ 10.1 ‘Through a Tangle of Branches: Reworking the Poem’ 10.2 from ‘Putting Coyolxauhqui Together: A Creative Process’ 10.3 from ‘Redrafting and Editing’ 10.4 from Steering the Craft Part 4: Life writing16.1 from Long Time No See 16.2 from ‘Little Boxes’ 17.1 from The Haunting of Alma Fielding 17.2 ‘Red Riviera’ 17. 3 ‘Well done, No. 3777!’ 18.1 from Giving Up the Ghost: A Memoir 18.2 from Shame on Me: An Anatomy of Race and Belonging 18.3 from Shame on Me: An Anatomy of Race and Belonging 19.1 from The Diary of a Young Girl 19.2 ‘Darkness and Light’ 19.3 from Footsteps: Adventures of a Romantic Biographer 19.4 from ‘Time Travel on the St. Lawrence River’ 20.1 from Bad Blood 20.2 from Bedsit Disco Queen: How I Grew Up and Tried to Be a Pop Star 20.3 from Foreigners: Three English Lives Part 5: Going public21.1 from Tips From a Publisher 21.2 ‘Considering Self-Publishing: A Guide’ 22.1 Synopsis for Dark Aemilia Glossary Acknowledgements Index