How Writers Write

If you've ever been on a creative writing course, are thinking of going on one, or you simply love writing — then this book is the ideal companion. Most courses will teach you the mechanics of how to write — choosing the right words, plot-building, developing characters and the like — which are all absolutely essential, but are only half the ingredients of your novel, story, poem or play. How Writers Write is a no-nonsense, practical and approachable book that supplies the missing half, taking one step back and helping you understand why successful writers make the creative decisions they do; in short, what goes on in their imaginations as perception leads to thought, and thought ultimately finds form in expression. So this book won't tell you which adjective is the right one or whether the hero should get the girl at the end. But it will provide the essential background that enables you to put your own creative decisions in context; not just what decisions you make, but how and why you make them. Each chapter contains practical exercises, allowing you to work through what you've learned and, at the end, there's a useful list of topics and texts for further reading and thinking. Along the way, we'll learn about what's been going on in writers' minds these last four thousand years or so; how different social attitudes have shaped their creativity; how they've tried to understand themselves and their role; and how technical advances have allowed them to express themselves in an ever-expanding variety of ways. How Writers Write + practical creative writing course = all you need to know about what makes great writing great… and achievable.