Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION 1
PART 1: GETTING STARTED 5
CHAPTER 1: You and Your Writing 7
CHAPTER 2: Getting into the Write Mindset 25
CHAPTER 3: Finding Material to Work With 39
PART 2: INTRODUCING THE ELEMENTS OF CREATIVE WRITING 51
CHAPTER 4: Creating Characters 53
CHAPTER 5: Giving Characters a Voice with Dialogue 67
CHAPTER 6: Choosing a Narrator 81
CHAPTER 7: Describing Your World 95
CHAPTER 8: Plotting Your Way 107
CHAPTER 9: Setting Up a Solid Structure 125
CHAPTER 10: From Drafting to Rewriting and Editing: Making Your Work Shine 141
PART 3: WRITING FICTION 153
CHAPTER 11: When Less is More: Crafting Short Stories 155
CHAPTER 12: Writing the Novel 171
CHAPTER 13: Once Upon a Time: Writing for Children 187
CHAPTER 14: Penning Plays 201
CHAPTER 15: Writing Screenplays 213
CHAPTER 16: Rhymes and Reasons: Writing Poetry 227
PART 4: EXPLORING NONFICTION 239
CHAPTER 17: Breaking into Journalism 241
CHAPTER 18: Writing from Life: Giving a Voice to the Past 255
CHAPTER 19: Crafting Narrative Nonfiction 273
CHAPTER 20: Travel Writing: Tales for Armchair Explorers 285
CHAPTER 21: All About Blogging 293
PART 5: FINDING AN AUDIENCE 301
CHAPTER 22: Finding Professionals to Publish Your Book 303
CHAPTER 23: Staying in Control with Self-Publishing 321
CHAPTER 24: Becoming a Professional 341
PART 6: THE PART OF TENS 357
CHAPTER 25: Ten Top Tips for Writers 359
CHAPTER 26: Ten Ways to Get Noticed 365
INDEX 371