These days, it is normal for authors to go to writing workshops – or teach them. So why does the idea they produce derivative writers persist?What makes a writer? How do you become one? When I was younger, even asking those questions seemed to disqualify me: a writer isn’t something one becomes, I thought, a writer just is. Despite writing, rewriting and reading all through my 20s, I was no closer to completing, let alone publishing, a novel. I realised I would need help if I was going to succeed, and I applied to several creative writing MAs.This was, depending on who you ask, either a decision that condemned my writing to being forever derivative and tired, or, an important step on the path towards the publication of my first book. The debate about the value of a degree in creative writing has been done, one might think, to death – good writing depends on an innate facility that cannot be taught, versus good writing depends on devoted time, support, and elements of craft that can be studied – yet it continues to rage. This week, a much-lauded debut novel was criticised in a review by an author for its “MA creative writing-speak” and “oh so tediously writing workshop description”. For some, “writing workshop” is shorthand for bad. But why?'One must have in mind between 68 and 73% of the ending' before starting a story, my teacher once advised Related: Buy a cat, stay up late, don't drink: top 10 writers’ tips on writing Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2018-04-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards teams up with his artist daughter to write a picture book inspired by his own granddad teaching him to play the guitar. Continue reading at BBC News
[ BBC News | 2014-03-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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IPPR report calls for advertising, film and TV to support businesses outside London and to help develop non-white talentThe UK's creative industries need to embrace regional and ethnic diversity if they are to play an improved role in helping the economy, warns a report from a leading... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-02-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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WikiLeaks founder a mercurial character who could not bear his own secrets, according to writer Andrew O'HaganThe ghostwriter who collaborated with Julian Assange on his abortive 2011 autobiography has broken his silence to describe his months working with the WikiLeaks founder, which culminated... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-02-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Writer to adapt her new novel, called Tennison, for TV in 2016, the 25th anniversary of the hit ITV drama starring Helen MirrenLynda La Plante is writing a prequel to Prime Suspect which she will adapt for TV in 2016, the 25th anniversary of the hit ITV drama.The prequel will be called Tennison,... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-02-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Chatto & Windus is to publish a memoir about daughterhood by social historian Juliet Nicolson... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-02-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Strict currency controls that experts say have crippled economy are preventing publishers from importing newsprintFor the editors of Venezuela's oldest newspaper, going web-only is not a commercial strategy to reflect dwindling circulation figures. El Impulso halved its print edition from four... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-02-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Duchess of Cambridge has written the foreword for a book which reveals “what life as an... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-02-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Simon & Schuster's new science fiction imprint, Simon451, has launched a writing contest for college students. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-01-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The singer will release a children's book later this year, based on her twins Moroccan and Monroe. Continue reading at BBC News
[ BBC News | 2014-01-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In an eye-catching pairing, Man Booker Prize-winning novelist Roddy Doyle is to partner with ex-... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-01-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Booker-winning author to help legendary midfielder with 're-evaluation of the meaning of success'The Booker prize-winning novelist Roddy Doyle is to team up with Roy Keane to write a motivational memoir which, according to its publisher, "re-evaluates the meaning of success". The midfield... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-01-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Agent Scully actress will use her 'ingrained knowledge and rhythm' for SF to pen multi-volume EarthEnd SagaAfter delving into the paranormal for years as The X-Files' resident sceptic Dr Dana Scully, actor Gillian Anderson is set to create her own science-fictional universe – but this time in... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-01-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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If these are the end times for literature, then we must be traveling in circles, for the death of storytelling looks an awful lot like its birth. The novel itself isn’t all that old. Sure, we can find a handful of examples going back thousands of years, but you have to stretch your definition of... Continue reading at Slate
[ Slate | 2014-01-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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And it's a mess in there! Here's proof that you don't have to be a neat freak to be wildly successful.Swiss-born curator and art historian Hans Ulrich Obrist is arguably one of the most active minds in the art world today. Named art's second most powerful figure by Art Review in 2010, he's... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2014-01-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Morrissey is writing a novel, following the success of his memoir released last year.... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-01-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Open sharing has been around forever, accelerating progress in diverse fields. Computing (e.g., Homebrew Computer Club), code (open source), and even academic publishing ("open access", which goes beyond peer review) are just a few that have multiplied their social impact thanks to this... Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2013-12-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Kurt Vonnegut worked at a car dealer after publishing his first novel, and Philip Glass worked as a plumber while crafting his music. So while you may be itching to ditch your 9 to 5, take a lesson from these legendary creatives and pursue your passions while still collecting a pay check.No... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2013-12-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Anthony Marra, author of 'The Constellation of Vital Phenomena,' one of the most highly praised novels of 2013, took a gamble when he set his debut novel in a country he barely knew. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-12-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The University of Kent has apologised for a statement on its website that seemingly belittled... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-12-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Michelle Knight will write a book on the 11 years she spent as a captive in the Cleveland home of Ariel Castro. Weinstein books will publish the as yet untitled memoir in spring 2014.Michelle Knight will write a book on the 11 years she spent as a captive in the Cleveland home of Ariel Castro.... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2013-11-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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