Have I got the right book?

So, 'The Creative Writing Student's Handbook' doesn't, on reading the first chapter, appear to be designed for me. I read what it appears to be advice on what to expect from my creative writing teacher, what they can and cannot do and how you can be a good student. Thinking that I’m not, in any traditional sense, a creative writing student, I re-inspected the cover. “The Creative Writing Student’s Handbook” ah, so the clue is in the name, if you are a “Creative Writing Student” then this would be good “Handbook”. Turning the book over I read the back cover, the blurb goes like this:

“This new handbook takes students through the entire creative writing process.

You will find plenty of practical advice, helpful exercises, lots of tips and links to useful websites in this indispensable manual for new and seasoned writers alike.”

 Actually, that sounds a lot more like it. I’ll push on (it’s only day two after all) and let you know how it goes, in fact I've found an exercise at the end of the chapter so I’ll sit down and do that then post it on here.

The first thing I have actually done, as a result of chapter one is pick up a writer's notebook. I thought this one might inspire a good work ethic.

It's day one.

So I want to be a writer and I think a few people know this. Some friends and family have given me  a variety of books over the years to help me achieve my ambition and to my shame I haven't properly read or done the exercises in any of them. Today I'm going to start.

I should point out that I'm not really a writer. In fact simply the statement 'not really a writer' greatly overstates how much of a writer I am. So I consider myself a relatively blank slate, I love words though, I love finding great descriptions in books or a clever use of a word. From this lowly base I would love to write a book but I simply am not yet clever enough. That's where the books/workshops/online courses on writing come in. I'm going to get on with being a bit more clever and learn the difference between arse and elbow. 

 

First up is 'The Creative Writing Student's Handbook' by Cathie Hartigan and Margaret James, seen here amongst the clutter of my desk. The first thing you might notice is that I've actually started it. I found a piece of paper tucked inside on page 32 which I assume is as far as I got last time. This will be different, I'm going to post any excercises I do on here as well as my impressions and thoughts as the process goes on.

The words, unwritten.

'Have something to say?' Says my little writing app.  That feels a little aggressive and in all honesty I'm not sure I do. I want to write something and I want people to feel moved to read it. It's a thin starting point I suppose but it does leave me free to write about anything. Admittedly, I have this dream of writing a great science fiction novel and stepping into the shoes of Iain M Banks, a man whose passing saddened me greatly. It's not that I grieved him, I would no more have expected him to grieve me, I was saddened because of the work he would have done, the words he didn't get to write and, most selfishly, that I didn't get to read. So that's the way I want write. Here's to small ambitions!