The Bloomsbury Introduction to Creative Writing

Covering all of the major genres of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, dramatic writing and writing for digital media, this 3rd edition of the book is a practical, complete, introductory manual for students of creative writing. The Bloomsbury Introduction to Creative Writing now features: - new sections and exercises for editing and revising across the genres and hybrid forms - a new chapter on intersectionality and writing alongside interviews with practitioners from a host of backgrounds and experiences - an updated and expanded chapter on writing for digital media that explores the role of AI - an updated and fully expanded glossary of key terms Through a structured series of practical writing exercises – perfect for the classroom, the writer's workshop or the creative writing autodidact – the book helps build the new writer from the first explorations of voice and the relationship between writing and knowledge, through to mastery of a wide range of genres and forms. With practical guidance on writing scholarly critiques of your own work, The Bloomsbury Introduction to Creative Writing is an essential guide for any introductory creative writing course and a practical companion for more advanced writers.

Table of Contents:
Contents Acknowledgments Introduction: The Knowing Writer On writing On knowing Tips on attacking the practical exercises 1 . Writing and Knowledge The writers' block myth The reading writer Knowing Your writer self Emotion as material 2. Writing the Self Memoir and autobiography Reflective writing Human interest features Personal essays, and “Why I Write” 3. Poetics and Poetry Composition Poetic movements: An abridged whirlwind history Poetry as “language distilled” Sound devices Poetry and orality Form and meaning Finding your poem Editing poems 4. Fiction Conventions Fiction and creativity: The anecdote, the muse, and the visionary Often forgotten forms of fiction Ideas and themes Narrative structure Narrative structure toolbox Plot and conflict Characterization Setting: Time, place, and context Finding your voice Genre fiction Editing fiction 5. Screenwriting Screenwriting as literary form The slug line Action Dialogue Characterization Theme and narrative Screenwriting technical toolbox Editing screenplays 6. Writing for Performance Performance as hybrid art One-act plays Monologue and soliloquy Spoken word Editing performance writing 7. Writing for Digital Media The dark side of content Video scripts for social media Writing for video games Writing for virtual reality Online media toolbox Personal publishing Artificial intelligence 8. Critique and Exegesis Critique Referencing scholarly texts Referencing creative texts Analyzing your creative work Conclusions Critique writing toolbox Exegesis Exegesis research methods Identifying your exegetical thesis Hermeneutics and close reading as primary research Exegesis planning and structure Linking creative and scholarly writing 9. Writing, Culture, and Intersectionality Writing your own identities Writing cultures and identities not your own Appropriation Responsible practices Diversity in the Writing Workshop Some Dos and Don'ts Glossary of Terms Works Cited Index

About the Author :
Tara Mokhtari is an Assistant Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences at Bronx Community College, USA, and has taught creative writing, literature, and communications at universities in Australia and the United States since 2007, and is the author of Anxiety Soup (2013).

Review :
The Bloomsbury Introduction to Creative Writing is quite possibly the most densely packed guide of its kind. With its depth, breadth and rigor, those who read it can feel confident that in studying its pages, and completing its many exercises, they will have taken the first step in a writer's education of the highest order, one that grounds itself in the literary tradition while at the same time, by examining issues such as intersectionality and AI, looking forward at the horizon. The Bloomsbury Introduction to Creative Writing by Tara Mokhtari is a work of creative instructional art. Many argue that Creative Writing can't really be taught, only faciliatetd, but the skills and challenges needed for being a creative writier in the 21st century are covered wonderfully in this book. The inclusion of classic themes like revision and new challenges like AI gives it breadth. The inclusion of exercises and interviews with practitioners reflecting on their practices gives it depth. A creative and very user friendly text for the Creative Writing Course or for anyone wanting to include more creative writing in the classroom.