The Practice of Creative Writing
A Guide for Students
by Heather Sellers
4th Edition
Publisher: Bedford/St. Martin's
Book Details
| Print ISBN | 9781319215958 |
| eText ISBN | 9781319321161 |
| Publisher | Bedford/St. Martin's |
| Publishing Year | 2021 |
| Edition | 4th Edition |
| Language | English |
| Pages | 544 |
The Practice of Creative Writing: A Guide for Students, 4th Edition, by Heather Sellers, is a textbook that teaches essential techniques across fiction, poetry, drama, and memoir. Published by Bedford/St. Martin's, the volume supports developing writers through guided creative play and craft exploration.
The text focuses on building compositions from core components and finding focus in personal work. In addition to conventional structures, it introduces concise options such as five-minute, flash, and micro writing.
Designed for student writers, the volume features dozens of prompts, selections from contemporary authors, and practical advice on reading critically and presenting work to audiences.
Table of Contents
Chapter Preface: Preface
Chapter Introduction: Introduction
- • How The Practice of Creative Writing Works
- • Asking Generative Questions
Part One: FOUNDATIONS
Chapter 1: Finding Focus
- • The Mind’s Eye
- • Subject as Focus
- • Developing Focus
- • Lack of Focus
- • *Neil Gaiman’s “8 Rules for Writing”
- • Writing Projects
- • Readings
- • *Jarod Rosello, Robot Camp
- • *Writers on Writing (Jarod Rosello)
- • *John Brehm, The Poems I Have Not Written
- • *Writers on Writing (John Brehm)
- • *Och Gonzalez, What I Do on My Terrace Is None of Your Business
- • Writers on Writing (Och Gonzalez)
Chapter 2: Reading as a Writer
- • Tips for Reading as a Writer
- • To Read Is To Travel
- • Strategies for Close Reading
- • Genres: An Overview
- • Closely Reading Your Own Work
- • Reading Work By Peers
- • Reading to Write
- • WRITING PROJECTS
- • READINGS
- • Van Jordan, af•ter•glow
- • Sebastian Matthews, Buying Wine
- • *Lee Herrick, My California
- • *Writers on Writing (Lee Herrick)
- • *Ira Sukrungruang, Chop Suey
- • *Nancy Stolham, I Found Your Voodoo Doll on the Dance Floor After Last Call
- • Vincent Scarpa, I Go Back to Berryman’s
- • *Writers on Writing (Vincent Scarpa)
- • * Ted Chiang, The Great Silence
- • Marco Ramirez, I am not Batman
Chapter 3: Creating from Components
- • Core Components of Creative Writing
- • Genre-Specific Components
- • Components of Narrative: Memoir, Creative Nonfiction, Fiction
- • Components of Poetry
- • Gwendolyn Brooks, We Real Cool
- • Components of Plays
- • WRITING PROJECTS
- • COMPONENTS WORKSHOP
- • READINGS
- • Kim Addonizio, First Poem for You
- • Terrance Hayes, Liner Notes for an Imaginary Playlist
- • Dylan Thomas, Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night
- • Brenda Miller, Swerve
- • Writers on Writing (Brenda Miller)
- • Raymond Carver, Cathedral
Part Two: STRATEGIES
Chapter 4: Images
- • The Principles of Images
- • Creating with Images
- • A Word on Ideas
- • WRITING PROJECTS
- • IMAGES WORKSHOP
- • READINGS
- • *Ross Gay, Ode to Sleeping in My Clothes
- • Natalie Diaz, My Brother at 3 a.m.
- • Dylan Landis, In My Father’s Study upon His Death
- • Writers on Writing (Dylan Landis)
- • *Thao Thai, Counting Bats
- • Mary Robison, Pretty Ice
- • Akhil Sharma, Surrounded by Sleep
Chapter 5: Energy
- • The Principles of Energy
- • Manipulating Energy
- • TROUBLESHOOTING ENERGY
- • WRITING PROJECTS
- • ENERGY WORKSHOP
- • READINGS
- • Betsy Sholl, Genealogy
- • Brian Turner, What Every Soldier Should Know
- • *Jamila Osman, Fluency
- • *Beth Ann Fennelly, One Doesn’t Always Wish to Converse on Airplanes
- • *Beth Ann Fennelly, Small Talk at Evanston General
- • *Beth Ann Fennelly, Why I’m Switching Salons
- • *Beth Ann Fennelly, Two Phone Conversations
- • Writers on Writing (Beth Ann Fennelly)
- • Brian Arundel, The Things I’ve Lost
- • Rick Moody, Boys
- • *Brenda Peynado, What We Lost
- • *Rebecca Roanhorse, Welcome to Your Authentic Indian Experience™
- • *Kristina Halvorson, Now We’re Really Getting Somewhere
Chapter 6: Tension
- • The Principles of Tension
- • Maintaining Tension
- • Manipulating Tension
- • WRITING PROJECTS
- • TENSION WORKSHOP
- • READINGS
- • *Natalie Diaz, Abecedarian Requiring Further Examination of Anglikan Seraphym Subjugation of a Wild Indian Rezervation
- • Jenifer Hixson, Where There’s Smoke
- • Rod Kessler, How to Touch a Bleeding Dog
- • Marisa Silver, What I Saw from Where I Stood
- • Jessica Shattuck, Bodies
- • Peter Morris, Pancakes
Chapter 7: Pattern
- • Pattern by Ear
- • E. E. Cummings, (Me up at does)
- • Pattern by Eye
- • WRITING PROJECTS
- • PATTERN WORKSHOP
- • READINGS
- • Gregory Orr, The River
- • Randall Mann, Pantoum
- • *Edna St. Vincent Millay, What Lips My Lips Have Kissed, and Where, and Why
- • *Julie Azzam, How to Erase an Arab
- • *Writers on Writing (Julie Azzam)
- • *Ken Liu, Paper Menagerie
Chapter 8: Insight
- • Reading for Insight
- • Principles of Insight
- • PRACTICING INSIGHT
- • Three Pitfalls
- • WRITING PROJECTS
- • INSIGHT WORKSHOP
- • READINGS
- • *Julia Koets, Boys
- • *Writers on Writing (Julia Koets)
- • * Pablo Neruda, Ode to My Suit
- • *Joy Harjo, She Had Some Horses (part one)
- • *Dana Spiotta, Control
- • Brian Doyle, Two Hearts
- • Michael Cunningham, White Angel
Chapter 9: Shape
- • Principles of Shape
- • Additional Techniques for Shaping Your Work
- • Pitfalls
- • Shaping a Story: A Writer at Work
- • EDITING AND PROOFREADING
- • WRITING PROJECTS
- • SHAPE WORKSHOP
Part Three: FORMS
Chapter 10: Finding Form
- • Forms: Recipes for Writers
- • Creating a Portfolio of Forms
- • Abecedarius
- • Anaphora
- • Braid
- • Comics and Graphic Narratives
- • Flash
- • Ghazal
- • Journey
- • List
- • Monologue
- • Pantoum
- • Play/Screenplay
- • Sestina
- • Sonnet
- • Villanelle
Part Four: THE WRITING LIFE
Chapter 11: Reaching Readers
- • Preparing to Publish
- • Live Readings
- • Literary Magazines: Print and Digital
- • Portfolios and Chapbooks
- • QUESTIONS TO ASK: Writing an Artist’s Statement
Chapter 12: Writing Resources
- • Smart Searching
- • Social Media
- • Resources
- • Instruction in Specific Genres
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