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Julia Bell
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The Creative Writing Coursebook: Forty Authors Share Advice and Exercises for Fiction and Poetry Kindle Edition

by Julia Bell (Author), Paul Magrs (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 out of 5 stars 329 ratings

A fully updated comprehensive guide for improving and practicing your creative writing, including contributions from Ali Smith and Kit de Waal

The Creative Writing Coursebook, edited by Julia Bell and Paul Magrs, takes aspiring writers through three stages of essential practice: Gathering – getting started, learning how to keep notes, making observations and using memory; Shaping – looking at structure, point of view, character and setting; and Finishing – being your own critic, joining workshops and finding publishers.

Fully updated and including a foreword by Marina Warner and contributions from forty-four authors such as Kit de Waal and Amy Liptrot, this is the perfect book for people who are just starting to write as well as for those who want some help honing work already completed. Filled with a wealth of exercises and activities, it will inspire budding writers to develop and hone their skills. Whether writing for publication, in a group or just for pleasure this comprehensive guide is for anyone who is ready to put pen to paper.

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  1. Print length
    449 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Macmillan
  4. Publication date
    January 28, 2016
  5. Reading age
    18 years and up
  6. File size
    2.8 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Not Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Julia Bell and Paul Magrs are both novelists and teachers of Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B018XQPZKW
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Macmillan; Main Market edition (January 28, 2016)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 28, 2016
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.8 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 449 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 329 ratings

About the author

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Julia Bell

Julia Bell

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
329 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book's writing style positive, with easy-to-read instructions for each assignment. They appreciate its readability, with one customer noting it serves as a great resource.

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7 customers mention "Writing style"7 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the writing style of the book, finding it easy to read with clear instructions for each assignment, and one customer notes it covers many aspects of writing.

"...The instructions are simple and easy enough for a 16 year old to follow. I put together a pamphlet of lessons for her but this will be more helpful...." Read more

"The book is well organized, I've found it very helpful. I've been writing for six years and some of the ideas were new to me...." Read more

"...is full of wonderful assignments that have given me a new outlook on writing short stories, with its easy to read instructions of each assignment...." Read more

"Great Help. As a beginning writer I found it difficult to organize my writing into an efficient process...." Read more

5 customers mention "Readability"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book readable, with one mentioning they enjoyed the lessons.

"...The recommending of books to read is also an advantage that I found to be helpful." Read more

"Great read" Read more

"A great resource book for me at a very cheap price. Good seller, good sale, great deal!" Read more

"Great workbook..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • moonlightflower
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great workbook
    Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    This book was for my step granddaughter who wants to be a writer like me. The instructions are simple and easy enough for a 16 year old to follow. I put together a pamphlet of lessons for her but this will be more helpful. Thanks.
    8 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Viktorin
    5.0 out of 5 stars Worth the investment
    Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    The book is well organized, I've found it very helpful. I've been writing for six years and some of the ideas were new to me. And those that weren't, that have taken me years to realize on my own, were summarized neatly in this book.
    5 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Amazon Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars The Creative Writing Coursebook
    Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    I have enjoyed the lessons in this book. It is full of wonderful assignments that have given me a new outlook on writing short stories, with its easy to read instructions of each assignment. The recommending of books to read is also an advantage that I found to be helpful.
    3 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • ireadbooks
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
    Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Great read
    Helpful
     Report
  • Rodger B.
    3.0 out of 5 stars Boring
    Reviewed in the United States on August 2, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Too Boring
    Helpful
     Report
  • Russell M. Ogg
    5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect Service!
    Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Great Help.
    As a beginning writer I found it difficult to organize my writing into an efficient process.
    I was struggling with keeping my focus on one book at a time. This book is also an invaluable tool for developing a critical editing eye for your own work.
    8 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Gracie DeSantis
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great gift for writer buddy
    Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Gave as a Christmas gift for a writer friend. She loves it.
    Helpful
     Report
  • P Heatley
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good practical guide
    Reviewed in the United States on June 16, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I bought this book after reading Celebrity Authors' Secrets Celebrity Authors' Secrets: The World's Greatest Living Authors Reveal How They Sell Millions of Books. The Creative Writing Coursebook is perfect if you want to set up a writers' group or you want to run a creative writing class. It's full of great ideas and covers many aspects of writing such as: characterisation, plot, setting, editing and revision. I found it useful and liked the emphasis on using detail in writing.
    7 people found this helpful
    Helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Heather
    5.0 out of 5 stars Writing Advice and Exercises from Experenced Authors
    Reviewed in Canada on May 19, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    I'm still working my way through this book, but I can honestly say that I have never been so inspired. The encouragement provided by all the contributors to this book have helped me overcome a lot of my fears about writing. It is presented as a series of short essays in a variety of subjects written my experienced authors. Many of the essays contain exercises to work through. And even those essays that don't have explicit exercises have still provided me with lots of ideas to get me writing.

    The Creative Writing Coursebook works through all aspects of the writing process. It begins with some thoughts on keeping a writer's notebook and developing a daily practice. From there it progress through developing your writer's eye (e.g. looking for story ideas in everyday life), characterization, setting, revising, and more. It ends with a few pieces on how to get the most out of workshops.

    This is an excellent book if you are looking to create your own creative writing program.
    Report
  • AN
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent assistant for the creative writing student
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 22, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    I am attending a creative writing course. Purchased this book, although it's not part of our recommended reads, to help me get more on track with technicalities and to find the right terminology for what I neede to say.

    It is just perfect for my needs. Explains the theory behind writing structures and compiles a great set of rules in a non-intrusive, rather easy to read way.

    You can find quotes and technique explanations to use in your argumentative texts, as well as basic explanations for most styles of writing and base techniques. Recommended!
    Report
  • Tracey duff
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fat packed of info
    Reviewed in Australia on January 15, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    It’s thick full of information and exercises. Heaps of tips,
    Report
  • Andrea
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very helpful.
    Reviewed in Canada on May 29, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    It provides lots of insight and practical information. My version is lacking the last chapter or so of the latest edition but I can get that from my library since they have the most current. Not a big deal.
    Report
  • Kirsty Leanne Brice
    5.0 out of 5 stars So good
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 10, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Such a lovely easy book to read and help with your writing
    Report

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