What are the best answers of 2017 in Creative Writing?

To get better at creative writing, and specifically at narrative, you can start here: Don’t beat yourself up when you write “rubbish” (or “crap,” as we call it here in the States.) Even seasoned writers will have barf sessions on a bad day or with a new project. Sometimes our creative bodies need to rid themselves of some toxins first, just like our physical ones do. Write down a short list of writers’ whose work you love. Then: Read a piece of work, and in your case, pay close attention to how they handle narrative. Analyze what makes their writing so appealing (especially the narrative for you). They likely use phrases that “show instead of tell.” For example, instead of saying, “He ran quickly through the forest,” the passage may say, “He ran through the forest as though pursued by a maniacal killer, the bushes and limbs ripping at his face and clothes with each stride.” That creates a sense of tension and urgency, maybe a little panic, for the reader—certainly much more so than “quickly.” Write down what you analyze and practice writing narratives like that. In fact, you could use one of those passages as a prompt to rewrite the scene in your own words. Don’t assume what you write is rubbish. Get some feedback from a friend, a family member, a writers’ group (in person or online) or in a class environment. Read articles online from such publications as Writer’s Digest(R) Magazine and The Writer Magazine. There are lots of smaller publications with sites, too. You get informational articles, samples, advice from famous writers, contests to enter…you name it. Have some fun practicing with short fiction, anything from a sentence to a couple thousand words. The library and bookstore have plenty of books with writing prompts, and they can be found online as well. Experiment with different voices—the page is your stage! Characters don’t always demonstrate their feelings with dialogue. What narrative would you give to describe the old fellow on the park bench? The 5-year-old girl arguing with her mother for five more minutes on the playground, as seen by a woman who cannot bear children? We all get discouraged at one time or another. But let it pass and try again. When your effort yields that one paragraph at last that makes you leap out of your chair in victory, when you get a tear out of a writing buddy, when you support your dialogue with an active voice (not passive) description of action… You realize the rubbish was just the tinder for the fire. read less