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Creative writing and critical reading

This free course, Creative writing and critical reading, explores the importance of reading as part of a creative writer’s development at the postgraduate level. You will gain inspiration and ideas from examining other writers’ methods, as well as enhancing your critical reading skills. Examples will cover the genres of fiction, creative ...

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Level: 3 Advanced

Writing what you know

Do you want to improve your descriptive writing? This free course, Writing what you know, will help you to develop your perception of the world about you and enable you to see the familiar things in everyday life in a new light. You will also learn how authors use their own personal histories to form the basis of their work.

Level: 1 Introductory

Start writing fiction

Have you always wanted to write, but never quite had the courage to start? This free course, Start writing fiction, will give you an insight into how authors create their characters and settings. You will also be able to look at the different genres for fiction.

Exploring books for children: words and pictures

Many people have fond memories of the stories they encountered in childhood, perhaps especially of those wonderful picture books and illustrated tales which fired our young imaginations and transported us to magical worlds. To an adult’s eye, some picture books may seem remarkably simple, even oversimplified. However, in this free course, ...

Level: 2 Intermediate

Reading Shakespeare's As You Like It

Do you enjoy watching Shakespeare's plays and like the idea of finding out more about them? This free course, Reading Shakespeare's As You Like It, will guide you through some of the most important speeches and scenes from one of Shakespeare's best-loved comedies.

Icarus: entering the world of myth

This free course, Icarus: entering the world of myth, will introduce you to one of the best-known myths from classical antiquity and its various re-tellings in later periods. You will begin by examining how the Icarus story connects with a number of other ancient myths, such as that of Theseus and the Minotaur. You will then be guided through an...

Sam Selvon, The Lonely Londoners

This free course concentrates on Sam Selvon's twentieth-century novel, The Lonely Londoners. It considers the depiction of migration in the text as well as Selvon's treatment of memory as a vital part of the migrant's experience.

Introducing Virgil’s Aeneid

This free course offers an introduction to the Aeneid. Virgil’s Latin epic, written in the 1st century BCE, tells the story of the Trojan hero Aeneas and his journey to Italy, where he would become the ancestor of the Romans. Here, you will focus on the characterisation of this legendary hero, and learn why he was so important to the Romans of ...

Exploring Thomas Hardy's Far From the Madding Crowd

This free course, Exploring Thomas Hardy's Far From the Madding Crowd, is designed to tell you something about Hardy's background, and to introduce you to the pleasures of reading a nineteenth-century novel. Why do we believe in fictional characters and care about what happens to them? You will discover some of the techniques that Hardy ...

John Webster, The Duchess of Malfi

This free course, John Webster, The Duchess of Malfi, concentrates on Acts 1 and 2 of John Webster's Renaissance tragedy, The Duchess of Malfi. It focuses on the representation of marriage for love and the social conflicts to which it gives rise. The course is designed to hone your skills of textual analysis.

Christopher Marlowe, Doctor Faustus

What does Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus tell us about the author and the time at which the play was written? This free course, Christopher Marlowe, Doctor Faustus, will help you to discover the intricacies of the play and recognise how a knowledge of the historical and political background of the time can lead to a very different ...

Approaching poetry

Do you want to get more out of your reading of poetry? This free course, Approaching poetry, is designed to develop the analytical skills you need for a more in-depth study of literary texts. You will learn about rhythm, alliteration, rhyme, poetic inversion, voice and line lengths and endings. You will examine poems that do not rhyme and learn ...

Approaching prose fiction

Do you want to get more out of your reading? This free course, Approaching prose fiction, is designed to develop the analytical skills you need for a more in-depth study of literary texts. You will learn about narrative events and perspectives, the setting of novels, types of characterisation and genre.

Approaching plays

Do you want to get more out of drama? This free course, Approaching plays, is designed to develop the analytical skills you need for a more in-depth study of literary plays. You will learn about dialogue, stage directions, blank verse, dramatic structure and conventions and aspects of performance.

Approaching literature: reading Great Expectations

This free course, Approaching literature: reading Great Expectations, considers some of the different ways of reading Great Expectations, based on the type of genre the book belongs to. This is one of the most familiar and fundamental ways of approaching literary texts. The novel broadens the scope of study of a realist novel, in both literary ...

The poetry of Sorley MacLean

Sorley MacLean (1911-1996) is regarded as one of the greatest Scottish poets of the twentieth century. This free course, The poetry of Sorley MacLean, will introduce you to his poetry and give you an insight into the cultural, historical and political contexts that inform his work. MacLean wrote in Gaelic and the importance of the language to ...

Exploring Virginia Woolf’s Between the Acts

This free course introduces Virginia Woolf’s last novel, Between the Acts (1941), with the aim of understanding how she writes about time, memory, and ideas about identity. It also considers why Woolf’s fiction is often considered difficult. Selected extracts from her essays on writing help to clarify some of these perceived difficulties, ...

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Creative reading

Do you want to improve your creativity? Being more flexible in our thinking allows us to innovate and create connections between disparate sets of information.

To enhance this skill, creative reading might be the answer. Perhaps it’s already a technique you employ instinctively, but in this article, we’ll cover exactly how to develop the skill and use it to your advantage.

What is creative reading?

We can’t define creative reading without first touching upon critical reading, which forms part of the critical-creative reading process.

Critical reading is the analysis and interpretation of the text in order to test its accuracy and validity, judging perspectives and synthesising various topics into a congruent whole. It’s a method which allows us to evaluate arguments and draw conclusions.

• This is step one in the critical thinking process.
• Step two is creative reading, which is required to make use of this analysis.

Creative reading is based upon imagination, innovation and originality. It’s taking what you’ve read and evaluated through critical reading and using creative writing to build upon it, developing new ideas and problem-solving approaches.

Why is creative reading important?

We can’t simply stop at analysing the information we read, judging its veracity and understanding it. Although these are essential skills, we must put this information to use.

Because we use information to solve the many daily problems that life presents.

Creating innovative solutions from what we read is, therefore, an essential skill.

Although many educational systems fail to adequately prepare students in this core component of creativity, the success we experience in life appears directly correlated to our critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.

How to practice creative reading

For me, creative reading is an essential part of reading non-fiction and self-help material.

Although many people might use the genre as a form of escapsim, it’s often more useful to approach it from a problem-solving mindset.

The problem-solving exercise covers the following three creative reading activities, an assessment developed by Johnasson in 2010.

• Finding the problem and the root of the problem
• Planning and executing at least three alternative solutions
• Expressing the best solution in the form of creative texts

Finding the problem

Starting with number, one it’s important to find the root of your personal problems. Some primer questions that might help with this are:

• What problems do you face in your life? E.g. Is it that you feel stuck or directionless, with a lack of life purpose?
• What goals do you want to achieve? E.g. Do you want to start your own business?

The answers to these questions probably aren’t clear or straightforward and the exact solution or steps involved to make progress are ambiguous. Writing these down ahead of time is good practice.

When you read a pertinent non-fiction book, it’s good to have these questions in mind and even in a notebook by your side.

Planning 3 alternative solutions

A useful technique to drill down to the essence of these issues is to keep asking ‘why’ after you produce every question, until you can go no further, before then asking a what and how.

• Why do you feel stuck? Because I don’t like my job
• Why don’t you like your job? Because I don’t have enough autonomy
• Why don’t you have enough autonomy? Because of the bureaucracy in the workplace

The for the what and how:

• What is the solution? To secure a role with more freedom
• How can I do this? To start my own business on the side and try to develop a full-time income from it

You can perform this exercise for each of the primary problems you identify.

Creative texts

Now it’s time to get your creative cap on. If you’ve read other articles on this site, you’ll know that I’m a huge proponent of journaling.

I feel that long-form handwriting can unlock elements of your subconscious that can provide valuable hidden insights.

The key here is to relax enough to switch off your analytical mind and allow your creativity to take over.

You’ve identified your problem and the solution, so simply write anything around the topic that comes to mind in a stream of consciousness style exercise – don’t censor yourself.

Silence that inner critic initially, as your writing isn’t intended to be perfect on the first attempt – the work can always be polished later.

What you will find from this exercise is that you uncover new and novel ways to address your problems.

You might approach these issues from various angles in your creative writing piece, probing the potential solutions to identify which is most suitable.

And it needn’t simply be constrained to writing – if you’re a more visual person seeking to develop your artistic skills, you could adapt the technique to include doodles or sketches.

After all, as Austin Kleon says in his book, Steal Like an Artist,

“Every new idea is just a mashup or a remix of one or more previous ideas.” “If we’re free from the burden of trying to be completely original, we can stop trying to make something out of nothing, and we can embrace influence instead of running away from it.”

Creative reading is an essential technique that many people might not have been taught in school.

But it’s never too late to develop the skill and become a flexible thinker.

By reading the right books, we can unlock the answers which already reside within us. Let me know how you get on!

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Elements of Creative Writing

(4 reviews)

J.D. Schraffenberger, University of Northern Iowa

Rachel Morgan, University of Northern Iowa

Grant Tracey, University of Northern Iowa

Copyright Year: 2023

ISBN 13: 9780915996179

Publisher: University of Northern Iowa

Language: English

Formats Available

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Reviewed by Samar Fitzgerald, Fiction Writing Instructor, James Madison University on 11/12/24

It's as thorough as one could ask of a multi-genre, introductory-level textbook. read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

It's as thorough as one could ask of a multi-genre, introductory-level textbook.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

The authors are appropriately candid regarding biases. Creative-writing courses are process-oriented, so accuracy is not the best metric for a textbook. But the authors present paradigms for understanding the creative process and specific techniques for developing material that resonate with this reader--with only a few small exceptions. At the same time, I did not encounter here new ideas or ways of thinking about the creative process.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

That the authors are also editors of a small press enhances relevancy. An added advantage: the textbook creates an opportunity for students to be made aware of and potentially explore a small press. I would hope to see here links to interviews with journal authors or similar content. A section on a story or a poem before revision and after editorially work would be interesting and useful for students as well.

Clarity rating: 5

Overall, the writing is cogent and appropriately inviting to the entry-level student.

Consistency rating: 4

Again, consistency may not be the most useful metric in this case. The three authors have notably different voices, but this is ultimately a strength of the book. I appreciate that they did not attempt to merge their prose styles into a single voice.

Modularity rating: 5

Yes. The text is very user-friendly and versatile.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 3

In a few places, I found the organization of ideas more obfuscating than clarifying. For example, the topic of narrative structure was mentioned in different (sometimes overlapping, sometimes conflicting) chapters in the fiction section. Moreover, my instinct is not to start students off with the complicated matter of structure as this text does, but with the smallest unit of creative writing--the image--and to build from there.

Interface rating: 5

I did not note any interface concerns.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I noted very few typos.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

One can always strive for greater relevancy, of course. But I did appreciate this textbook's emphasis on works published in the North American Review. That helps ensure the referenced works are not the same, heavily anthologized content one usually encounters in a creative writing textbook.

Reviewed by Colin Rafferty, Professor, University of Mary Washington on 8/2/24

Fantastically thorough. By using three different authors, one for each genre of creative writing, the textbook allows for a wider diversity of thought and theory on writing as a whole, while still providing a solid grounding in the basics of each... read more

Fantastically thorough. By using three different authors, one for each genre of creative writing, the textbook allows for a wider diversity of thought and theory on writing as a whole, while still providing a solid grounding in the basics of each genre. The included links to referred texts also builds in an automatic, OER-based anthology for students. Terms are not only defined clearly, but also their utility is explained--here's what assonance can actually do in a poem, rather than simply "it's repeated vowel sounds,"

Content Accuracy rating: 5

Calling the content "accurate" requires a suspension of the notion that art and writing aren't subjective; instead, it might be more useful to judge the content on the potential usefulness to students, in which case it' s quite accurate. Reading this, I often found myself nodding in agreement with the authors' suggestions for considering published work and discussing workshop material, and their prompts for generating creative writing feel full of potential. It's as error-free, if not more so, than most OER textbooks (which is to say: a few typos here and there) and a surprising number of trade publications. It's not unbiased, per se--after all, these are literary magazine editors writing the textbook and often explaining what it is about a given piece of writing that they find (or do not find) engaging and admirable--but unbiased isn't necessarily a quantity one looks for in creative writing textbooks.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

The thing about creative writing is that they keep making more of it, so eventually the anthology elements of this textbook will be less "look what's getting published these days" and more "look what was getting published back then," but the structure of the textbook should allow for substitution and replacement (that said, if UNI pulls funding for NAR, as too many universities are doing these days, then the bigger concern is about the archive vanishing). The more rhetorical elements of the textbook are solid, and should be useful to students and faculty for a long time.

Very clear, straightforward prose, and perhaps more importantly, there's a sense of each author that emerges in each section, demonstrating to students that writing, especially creative writing, comes from a person. As noted above, any technical jargon is not only explained, but also discussed, meaning that how and why one might use any particular literary technique are emphasized over simply rote memorization of terms.

It's consistent within each section, but the voice and approach change with each genre. This is a strength, not a weakness, and allows the textbook to avoid the one-size-fits-all approach of single-author creative writing textbooks. There are different "try this" exercises for each genre that strike me as calibrated to impress the facets of that particular genre on the student.

The three-part structure of the book allows teachers to start wherever they like, genre-wise. While the internal structure of each section does build upon and refer back to earlier chapters, that seems more like an advantage than a disadvantage. Honestly, there's probably enough flexibility built into the textbook that even the callbacks could be glossed over quickly enough in the classroom.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

Chapters within each genre section build upon each other, starting with basics and developing the complexity and different elements of that genre. The textbook's overall organization allows some flexibility in terms of starting with fiction, poetry, or nonfiction.

Interface rating: 4

Easy to navigate. I particularly like the way that links for the anthology work in the nonfiction section (clearly appearing at the side of the text in addition to within it) and would like to see that consistently applied throughout.

A few typos here and there, but you know what else generally has a few typos here and there? Expensive physical textbooks.

The anthology covers a diverse array of authors and cultural identities, and the textbook authors are not only conscious of their importance but also discuss how those identities affect decisions that the authors might have made, even on a formal level. If you find an underrepresented group missing, it should be easy enough to supplement this textbook with a poem/essay/story.

Very excited to use this in my Intro to CW classes--unlike other OERs that I've used for the field, this one feels like it could compete with the physical textbooks head-to-head. Other textbooks have felt more like a trade-off between content and cost.

Reviewed by Jeanne Cosmos, Adjunct Faculty, Massachusetts Bay Community College on 7/7/24

Direct language and concrete examples & Case Studies. read more

Direct language and concrete examples & Case Studies.

References to literature and writers- on track.

On point for support to assist writers and creative process.

Direct language and easy to read.

First person to third person. Too informal in many areas of the text.

Units are readily accessible.

Process of creative writing and prompts- scaffold areas of learning for students.

No issues found.

The book is accurate in this regard.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

Always could be revised and better.

Yes. Textbook font is not academic and spacing - also not academic. A bit too primary. Suggest- Times New Roman 12- point font & a space plus - Some of the language and examples too informal and the tone of lst person would be more effective if - direct and not so 'chummy' as author references his personal recollections. Not effective.

Reviewed by Robert Moreira, Lecturer III, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley on 3/21/24

Unlike Starkey's CREATIVE WRITING: FOUR GENRES IN BRIEF, this textbook does not include a section on drama. read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

Unlike Starkey's CREATIVE WRITING: FOUR GENRES IN BRIEF, this textbook does not include a section on drama.

As far as I can tell, content is accurate, error free and unbiased.

The book is relevant and up-to-date.

The text is clear and easy to understand.

Consistency rating: 5

I would agree that the text is consistent in terms of terminology and framework.

Text is modular, yes, but I would like to see the addition of a section on dramatic writing.

Topics are presented in logical, clear fashion.

Navigation is good.

No grammatical issues that I could see.

Cultural Relevance rating: 3

I'd like to see more diverse creative writing examples.

As I stated above, textbook is good except that it does not include a section on dramatic writing.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Chapter One: One Great Way to Write a Short Story
• Chapter Two: Plotting
• Chapter Three: Counterpointed Plotting
• Chapter Four: Show and Tell
• Chapter Five: Characterization and Method Writing
• Chapter Six: Character and Dialouge
• Chapter Seven: Setting, Stillness, and Voice
• Chapter Eight: Point of View
• Chapter Nine: Learning the Unwritten Rules
• Chapter One: A Poetry State of Mind
• Chapter Two: The Architecture of a Poem
• Chapter Three: Sound
• Chapter Four: Inspiration and Risk
• Chapter Five: Endings and Beginnings
• Chapter Six: Figurative Language
• Chapter Seven: Forms, Forms, Forms
• Chapter Eight: Go to the Image
• Chapter Nine: The Difficult Simplicity of Short Poems and Killing Darlings

Creative Nonfiction

• Chapter One: Creative Nonfiction and the Essay
• Chapter Two: Truth and Memory, Truth in Memory
• Chapter Three: Research and History
• Chapter Four: Writing Environments
• Chapter Five: Notes on Style
• Chapter Seven: Imagery and the Senses
• Chapter Eight: Writing the Body
• Chapter Nine: Forms

Back Matter

• Contributors
• North American Review Staff

Ancillary Material

• University of Northern Iowa

About the Book

This free and open access textbook introduces new writers to some basic elements of the craft of creative writing in the genres of fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. The authors—Rachel Morgan, Jeremy Schraffenberger, and Grant Tracey—are editors of the North American Review, the oldest and one of the most well-regarded literary magazines in the United States. They’ve selected nearly all of the readings and examples (more than 60) from writing that has appeared in NAR pages over the years. Because they had a hand in publishing these pieces originally, their perspective as editors permeates this book. As such, they hope that even seasoned writers might gain insight into the aesthetics of the magazine as they analyze and discuss some reasons this work is so remarkable—and therefore teachable. This project was supported by NAR staff and funded via the UNI Textbook Equity Mini-Grant Program.

About the Contributors

J.D. Schraffenberger  is a professor of English at the University of Northern Iowa. He is the author of two books of poems,  Saint Joe's Passion  and  The Waxen Poor , and co-author with Martín Espada and Lauren Schmidt of  The Necessary Poetics of Atheism . His other work has appeared in  Best of Brevity ,  Best Creative Nonfiction ,  Notre Dame Review ,  Poetry East ,  Prairie Schooner , and elsewhere.

Rachel Morgan   is an instructor of English at the University of Northern Iowa. She is the author of the chapbook  Honey & Blood , Blood & Honey . Her work is included in the anthology  Fracture: Essays, Poems, and Stories on Fracking in American  and has appeared in the  Journal of American Medical Association ,  Boulevard ,  Prairie Schooner , and elsewhere.

Grant Tracey   author of three novels in the Hayden Fuller Mysteries ; the chapbook  Winsome  featuring cab driver Eddie Sands; and the story collection  Final Stanzas , is fiction editor of the  North American Review  and an English professor at the University of Northern Iowa, where he teaches film, modern drama, and creative writing. Nominated four times for a Pushcart Prize, he has published nearly fifty short stories and three previous collections. He has acted in over forty community theater productions and has published critical work on Samuel Fuller and James Cagney. He lives in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

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