Check out some books by your tutor Fiona Veitch Smith … (click on the book covers to find out more)
Hello everyone, welcome to the first session of our free online creative writing course. Over the next eight sessions we will be looking at different aspects of creative writing and trying our hand at various forms. I’d strongly encourage you to have a go at the exercises along the way, and please feel free to leave comments or ask questions at the end. If you have arrived on this page without first reading the home page and frequently asked questions page (on tab above) please go back and do so now. If you have read them, enjoy the course!
Creativity and Art
What is creativity? The Collins dictionary defines it as ‘the ability to cause something to exist’. Without getting into too much of an existential discussion, I would say that with every thought that is expressed, something has been created. It was Descartes who said: ‘I think, therefore I am’; well I would add, ‘I think, therefore I create’ (do you feel a God complex coming on?). But how do we express our thoughts? Sometimes we do it verbally, other times by body language and still again through what is loosely termed ‘art’.
Art takes place when a thought is expressed and fixed in a way that other people may experience it on an aesthetic level – through music, writing, painting, sculpture, choreography and so on. Many artists say that their best work takes place when they ‘by-pass’ the thought and simply express the feeling. This may be true, but for writers, who use a verbal medium, a feeling must first be converted into a thought before it can be put into words. Don’t over analyse the thought before you express it, as this way you can ‘channel’ the purest interpretation of the feeling, but some cognitive process needs to take place. Some writers prefer to mull over a thought and give it form before they put pen to paper – I’m one of them – but it’s good practice to try and switch off the ‘editor’ at least for the first draft. First response trigger exercises are useful in this regard and can release some unexpected words and images.
Exercise 1:
Write down your first response to these words or phrases:
- Blue ball
- And that’s when the sadness came
- Coffee
The first task of a good writer is to convert feelings into thoughts and then into words. This is the raw material that can then be converted into something more permanent. Some writers refuse to toy with their first drafts, believing their creativity will be diluted; I disagree. Allowing your critical mind to improve a piece of writing is where the craftsman meets the artist. Something produced only by the former will lack soul and something by the latter will lack form. Good writing is a combination of art and craft.
For public consumption
Art, of course, is highly subjective and one woman’s masterpiece is another woman’s unmade bed. We all have the ability to create, but whether or not our creation is ‘art’ must be left to the eye or ear of the beholder.
In this session we will look at how you can craft those creative thoughts into creative writing to share with other people. And that’s what sets ‘public’ writing apart from ‘private’ scribblings – there’s a perceived readership in mind. When I ramble on in my journal, I am the only one who will read it (hopefully!) so my only concern is getting my thoughts down on paper. The moment I want someone else to read it I begin to consider ways to improve the presentation and craft it into something more aesthetically pleasing. I consider which words may sound more colourful, whether or not my sentence structure is grammatically correct, whether I’m using evocative imagery, and so on.
Story, feeling or image?
What is it about those creative thoughts that you think might be of interest to other people? Do they speak of an eternal truth or a common experience? Do they make you laugh or cry? Do they suggest a story that will entertain or a poem that captures a moment that must be shared?
Exercise 2: In 50 words or less write down why you want to write then list three creative thoughts that you’ve had lately (each 10 words or less). These may be an image, a musing, a ‘truth’, a story, or so on. If you haven’t had any, take yourself for a walk and look around; what grabs your imagination? Browse through a newspaper or a magazine; do any stories or pictures catch your attention? Think back over your day; did anything funny, charming, shocking or unusual happen to you or someone you know?
Poetry or prose?
Some people are more suited to writing poetry than prose and some people do well at both. Although we won’t be discussing it in this course, other people are more suited to script. I’m one of them. I’ve had relative success as a prose writer and in fact have managed to earn a living from it, but it’s taken years of hard work to get to this point. I recently branched out into scriptwriting and found that I had much more of a natural ability. (If you’re interested in finding out more about scriptwriting, check out getting started in playwrighting). You may find that you’ve been trying to make it as a poet when actually you’re more suited to prose. Now I don’t want to pigeonhole anyone, but ask yourself the following questions:
- Are you more attracted to films than stills?
- Do you enjoy telling people ‘stories’ from your life?
- Do you prefer to read stories or poems?
If yes, to these, then you may be more suited to prose than poetry. If no, then the opposite may be true. If it’s ‘sometimes yes, sometimes no’ then perhaps you are suited to both. We shall be looking at how to write poems in more detail in session 7, but suffice to say, a poem is like a snapshot of a moment. If you can’t rest until you know what happened before and after, then prose may be your genre.
Exercise 3: Take one of the three creative thoughts you wrote down in Exercise 2, then list 20 separate words that communicate or describe that thought. Do not, at this stage, link the words into sentences. Once you have your 20 words use them in a poem of 16 lines or less. Then, take the same 20 words and work them into a short story of under 300 words. Which exercise came more easily? Which form has best communicated your creative thought?
Further Resources:
There are some excellent resources out there for creative writers. To get quick ‘starter’ images when your own well is dry I recommend The Writer’s Block by Jason Rekulak. I’m currently working through The Creative Writing Coursebook by Julia Bell and Paul Magrs and finding it very useful.
The next creative writing course session is how to write a short story. But before you move on to that, please feel free to leave a comment or ask a question in the box below.
Welcome to The Crafty Writer's free online creative writing course, presented by Fiona Veitch Smith, a freelance journalist, editor, author, playwright, screenwriter and writing teacher. I hope that you'll see a dramatic improvement in the quality of your writing as you work through this course.
Thank-you for this site. I have been procrastinating but have found this very helpful.
Glad it’s helped you get off your procrastinating body part
Thank you for this website. There should be more people like yourself creating website such as these to help people realise their creativity.
Thanks again.
You’re welcome, Carla.
hello i have decided to do the course and i am on ex.2 where your asked to write down why u want to write and 3 creative thoughts….a creative thought? does that consist of an idea youve had dealing with writing? okay if a picture jumps out at u why it jumped out at u? what do u mean by creative thought?
Hi Jabari. A creative thought is simply a thought, idea, image, word etc that comes into your mind and you would like to expand on creatively. These are some creative thoughts I’ve had today and could write about if I wanted to: ‘autumn leaves’, ‘mothers in law’, ‘revolution’, ‘when the tumble drier stops tumbling’, ‘the joys of cheese’.
ooo okay i understand…thank you so much
This first module has really pushed my want and eagerness to write. As it’s on line and free, the lack of pressure is really beneficial yo me as I can pursue my interest at my own pace!
Glad to hear that, Anna. That’s what I hoped the course would do when I put it up there. It’s wonderful to know that people are being ‘set free’ to explore their creativity.
oh it left me felling so so delighted…this is the first time i came to know about the poet inside me…thanx a lot…
I’m really happy for you, Mandeep. It’s wonderful when we unleash our hidden talents, isn’t it? Happy writing.
Fiona
Geez this is really working. I actually enjoyed writing a really short story.
Good to hear it!
Thank you for these exercises. I came here solely for the purpose of helping me along on my path to better my short story and novel writing endeavors. Thanks to you though my love of writing piety has been religion. I haven’t written any poems in years, until tonight, and I do believe that I will keep at it. Thank you!
That’s great news, Lea/ And long may it continue!
I really enjoyed the first three exercises and look forward to continuing. I have always wanted to write, and think I am finally serious enough to see if I am any good. This is a stepping stone for me.
Thanks, I am really trying to see if I can do something with my desire to write!
Well having the desire is the first step. Hope it turns into something fruitful for you.
Thank you for your willingness to help others. I have made a commitment to myself to follow at least one of my dreams and believe I have the stories to possibly make it a reality.
I like that attitude, Vicky. When pursuing one dream you may fulfil others. But as you go, don’t forget to help others on the way.
Happy writing
Fiona
Have always want to write a story about my childhood.your free lessons will just help me get it right.thanks a lot dear
You’re welcome, Nkami. Enjoy!
Wow, never thought of myself as a poet but your exercise three highlighted the fact that I was all about the poetry.
Thank you, you course have spurred me on to unveil my creative persona.
Glad to be of service, Sam!
Since I was young I have had a desire to be writer, short stories is where i have always wanted to be. I got away from writing for reasons that now don’t matter. I’m now in a position to give it a try again. Words and ideas used to come easily to me now it’s much harder. At almost 59 years old I suppose i would like to at least try to fulfill my dream. this course may just get me going.
Hope so, Tim!
thanks Fiona
you are really a great help and a wonderful person
those starting exercises,practically slapped my thinking cap on my head.
hope to make something out of this course.
and is there a need to submit those exercises?
Hello Odun, I don’t mind giving someone a good slap around the head if it will help them get started! Regarding submitting, a few years ago there was a facility to submit the exercises for a cost of £5 a time. However, I became too busy to deal with them so I have removed that facility. The exercises were originally designed as a means to help writers self-analyse their creative process, so you should still get a lot out of it even without my input.
Happy writing
Fiona
Wow! I wrote down words to describe my Mother and wrote both the poem and the short story. I am totally overwhelmed with the emotion that came from that exercise. I realize the power of words if they are combined correctly to express an important message. I actually cried when I read back what I had put down on paper. I know that I love my Mother, but today I realize why! Thanks for this initial exercise.
Glad to hear it, Liz. Hope you have a chance to read the poem to you mother.
So far I am already enjoying the exercises!
This Is awesome!
Really enjoyed the first session and looking forward to the second. I am an aspiring writer and currently working on my first novel. I have put it on hold and decided to write a few short stories first as well as competitions. Basically sharpen my pencil so that when i get back to the novel i should have better direction, skills and a much more creativity.
Happy sharpening!
Thanks! Great tips so far.