The Portable Creative Writing Workshop

by Pat Boran

How do writers practice? What do they do to warm up? When they have no ideas, do they write at all? Whether you belong to a writing workshop running low on steam, or you're struggling to continue working on your own, The Portable Creative Writing Workshop offers a wide range of games and exercises to help stimulate you in your writing. In three main sections covering The Raw Material, Poetry and Fiction, prize-winning poet and fiction writer Pat Boran takes a hands-on approach to the creative writing process, not only explaining many of the techniques and central concepts (from rhyme and rhythm, through scenes and dialogue to plot and resolution), but showing how these can be put to work in your writing. In addition, for the fourth section, Pat Boran is joined by more than two dozen other Irish and international poets, fiction writers and playwrights - including Maeve Binchy, Eavan Boland, Roddy Doyle, Seamus Heaney and Marina Warner - who offer their own writing ideas and advice. Creative writing can be a lonely activity. Sit down to it and, even in a crowded room, you're on your own. But if you'd welcome a supportive, encouraging and at times challenging companion, this is the book for you.

Genres: Writing, Reference

204 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1999

Reviews

[Clodagh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I normally can't bring myself to read creative writing books as they're often full of silly self reflections or pretty obvious ideas. This is an interesting read, very helpful and won't drive you to the streets to throw books at traffic! The best one of it's type I have read yet

[Marcas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boran has fashioned an incredible guide to creative writing. He covers a lot of ground: Poetry in meter and rhyme, one foot at a time; and fiction in character, plot and symbol. Pat reminds us of the utter centrality of character to plot and how essential it is to bring characters to life, if our dialogue is to flourish. He shares an array of fun practical games throughout, to repeatedly incarnate the experience and, for the reader to come intimately to terms with the art of creative writing.