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.
Hello,
I assume I am quite late in discovering these page. But they say, “Late is better than never.”
Most of the time I lost my feel in the middle of a story. Is there any session on how to continue.
BTW, thanks for the session. I feel enthusiastic!!
I found this website very useful. I can’t wait to read the Creative Writing Coursebook. Thanks.
You’re very welcome.
This is amazing! I wanted to write short stories and completely disregarded poetry; it wasn’t even something that crossed my mind! But I followed the steps of your course and found that I express myself much more freely through poetry than regular story-telling. Thank you so much, this has been a great help!
Ha! That’s marvellous.
How do I join?
Hi Chidi. YOu don’t join. You just get started. Everything you need is already on the website. Just start at lesson one and get going.
Ive enjoyed the first part. Looking forward to tomorrow. Thanks for making these available. I feel myself happier for doing something positive. Again thanks.
I’m glad you’re feeling more positive, Marie. It’s a crazy time at the moment. Hope you continue enjoying the course.
Well… this has me so intrigued. The first two exercises will most likely keep my brain going for hours tonight. I was able to release one of my ideas on paper with exercise 3!
Question: Do you feel it is necessary to complete a BA degree in English-Creative Writing to build a career? I am thinking, I may give earning my degree another shot.
Thank you! This lesson has provoked some serious thinking on myself and what I would like to accomplish.
Dear Fiona
Thank you for your kind support I am receiving here through your blog. I am switching to a writing career after having been retired from the school.
It has been my dream to be a screen and story writer. Following to my desire, Although I had joined your course few months back but could not continue due to the unavailability of the internet facility in the area I live in.
However, after much ado, the arrangements have been made to ensure participation.
Once again gratitude for this highly valued course that you have offered to aspiring writers like me.
Course features are relevant to my goals and hope this will be
This is really helpful. Thank you so much for helping the beginners in becoming more confident writers. The first session is amazing. I look forward to to reading the next.
Thank you for your article. I discovered that I had a story within me that I can work on just by doing the three exercises outlined in your first lesson. This is a fantastic course. Am looking forward to the next creative writing session.
Your stimuli was effective. I gleefully and faithfully completed of your exercises. Thank you.
I started writing poetry over 30 years ago and have been told I should be a writer. Now that I’m retired I have decided to persue publication and new writing forms. Thank you for sharing this information. I have completed your first lesson on this course and am excited to continuing learning as I complete the remainder of your course.
Thank you so much for the free course. I am just beginning it today.
Enjoy!
Just found this helpful free writing course! Thank you for being so
generous.I finished my first lesson & very interested to follow through.,
I am a first time writer with EXTREMELY ambitious goals for my first collection. I actually just finished the first book of what I hope to be a connected multi-series. The world I have created so far is pretty extensive, although the details expand and deepen as the days goes by (think Harry Potter’s world, but without such direct magic and with more of the feel of Marvel characters and abilities) I wanted to sharpen my creative writing skills and found this course!! This session alone has surprisingly helped me gather some of my creative thoughts and I think I have a solid foundation on book 2′s “prophecy” for the main character’s that is alluded to in book one, and the summary (loosely) for the first book. I am SO excited to go through this course. THANK YOU!!
Hi Jordan, you’re welcome! I am delighted to hear the course has given you food for thought. Happy writing and good luck with the rest of the series.
Fiona
I just found your website and I enjoyed the first course. I love writing and the exercises help to narrow down what I feel and how to say it. Thank you for offering this to whoever wants it!
Hi Heather. You’re most welcome. I’m very glad you feel inspired to write. Strength to your pen! Fiona x
Thank you for this training and this first part- Releasing your creativity!
I have grabbed some very useful information about writing that I have not heard of before probably because am a novice.
Hoping to learn more and able to put into use to overcome this terrible period and beyond and what’s more,,, you are giving this for free!
Thank you so so much
Just completed a writer’s conference. I am trying to learn as much as possible. After the Pandemic, I just want to write. Thank you for your lessons-Great information for a good start.
You’re most welcome, Brenda. Happy writing!
I loved your introduction! I have been journaling since 1996, and writing poetry since age 12, (’99)
I really have wanted to branch out into the sorld of fiction, where my reality gets twisted into fantasy, an alice in wonderland, what happens next, down the rabbit hole type. One of my favorite spoken writers was the movie basketball diaries. The way the words cut you but soothe the soul, anyway looking forward to this course!
Hello Daniella! I hope you find some food for your soul here. Welcome and happy writing.
I hope
I can do it
for easily
Inshallah
Good luck Fizza!
Thank you Fiona for your valuable information, tips and exercises. I am on my way to my first book…
You’re welcome. Good luck with that book!