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Published:
March 10, 2023

Creative Writing For Dummies

Overview

Unlock your creative potential and write something special

Ever dream of writing a book, article, poem, or play that means something to you—and maybe to someone else as well? Do you have an idea you're ready to get down on paper? In Creative Writing For Dummies, you'll learn how to unleash your creative side and become a confident and productive writer.

Discover the essential elements of storytelling, including structure, characterization, setting, dialogue, and plot, as you navigate the countless ways you can express yourself with the written word. Explore the media and methods you can use to help find an audience—from traditional to self-publishing, social media, blogging, and more!

Creative Writing For Dummies also shows you how to:

  • Write in all sorts of different formats, including screenplays, scripts, creative nonfiction, poetry, short stories, novels, and beyond
  • Navigate the world of social media and learn how it can contribute to getting your work read by more people in more places
  • Understand the new, online nature of contemporary journalism and the proliferation of news and blogging sites

A can't-miss roadmap to getting your first—or hundred-and-first—story, poem, or script committed to paper, Creative Writing For Dummies is an essential read for aspiring, amateur, and professional writers everywhere.

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About The Author

Maggie Hamand, PhD, is a novelist, nonfiction author, journalist, and publisher. She was the winner of the first World One-Day Novel Cup in 1994 with the novel The Resurrection of the Body, which was written in 24 hours and subsequently optioned for film and television. Her novel Virgin & Child was the 2020 Morning Star Book of the Year.

Sample Chapters

creative writing for dummies

CHEAT SHEET

Do you want to be the next best-selling author and dream up a new iconic character? Follow this handy Cheat Sheet, which breaks down the creative writing process into manageable tasks and helps you to develop your writing style and become a confident and accomplished writer.Gather your creative writing toolsAlways be prepared!

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Believable, authentic characters are crucial to great stories and novels. Fictional characters should have the depth and power to inspire varied emotions such as love, hate and fear in a reader.There are a number of ways you can go about creating characters. When writing fiction, you can often use a real-life person as a basis for a character, then change and adapt the person’s characteristics for the story you’re writing.
Effective, compelling and realistic dialogue is crucial to successful creative writing. Without authentic-sounding conversation, your characters and plot will seem undeveloped and unbelievable. At its best, dialogue should be able to build tension, reveal individual character and add sparkle to your fictional storytelling.
Rewriting and editing helps to tighten up your work. But it can be difficult – what to chop and when to stop may not be clear, and you may change your mind more than once during the process. Ask yourself whether you need to take out: Unnecessary information and explanation. Passages of dialogue that go on too long.
Always be prepared! Here’s a checklist of useful writing aids to have with you as you begin to write – just don’t forget the chocolate biscuits. A good notebook A decent pen Plenty of paper A computer or laptop A desk or other writing space A dictionary A thesaurus
Writer’s block affects all writers from time to time. If you feel a bit stuck for inspiration, try these techniques to get your creative juices flowing. Find a postcard, photograph or painting depicting two or more people and write a story about them. Look at any object and write about it – where does it come from, who does it belong to, who might want it?
Writing a first draft of your creative writing project – whether a novel, short story, poem or play – can be a bit daunting. Follow these handy hints to help you organise your thoughts and manage your time: Don’t worry about a great opening line yet. Simply start writing wherever you like. Keep the flow going in the early stages – keep writing without stopping, going back, re-reading or changing what you’ve written.
Here are some top tips for developing your creative writing. No writing is ever a finished product – there are always ways to improve and refine your style. Go on a writing course. Join a writers’ circle. Find a good library and use it. Read and re-read good writing. Attend book festivals, readings and bookshop events.
Blogging is one of fastest growing forms of communication. It’s easy, cheap and is a great way to develop your writing skills and get your voice heard. Blogs can take a number of forms – commentaries, diaries and fiction. The first thing to think about is the title of your blog. This is crucial: Most viewers will decide to visit your blog based on its title.
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Frequently Asked Questions

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