Many of us may have reached a season in life when we feel a creative urge springing up, perhaps for the first time, perhaps for the umpteenth, to take up strands of creativity that have perhaps lain dormant and underdeveloped under the layers of busyness that other seasons bring – or indeed to explore new ones. it is precious to record memories and experiences on paper, and to search out language, pictures or music to express deep feelings – in which case it is well worth taking some time out to explore the techniques involved in the whole creative process.

I wrote The Art and Craft of Creative Writing shortly after we moved to Shetland. It is packed with interesting perspectives and examples, and I think you might find it to be a really helpful resource as well as an enjoyable read – especially because a goodly number of the principles can be applied to creative spheres beyond the purely literary.

Part One ~ Writing as a Lifestyle 
The Four Keys
The One Per Cent of Inspiration
Excruciating Excuses
Moment-Mosting
Cultivating a Receptive Spirit
Tuning Up and Tuning in

Part Two ~ Starting Scenarios:
Lead on Macduff
The Big Bang
In Medias Res
Scene-Setting
Flashback and Prediction
Inside the Protagonist’s Mind
Information-Sharing
Endings that do Justice to the Beginning

Part Three ~ The Art that conceals Artistry
Select-a-Style
Read in order to Write
Tell me a Story!
Purposeful Plots
Convincing Characters
Distinguished Description
Dynamic Dialogue
Humorous Happenings

Part Four ~ In Pursuit of the right Viewpoint
A Robust Viewpoint
A Focused Viewpoint
A Roving Viewpoint
A Propagandist’s Viewpoint
Passionate Prose

Part Five ~ The Writer’s Two Hats
Animus and Anima
The Art of Rewriting
Script Sequencing
Recurrent Themes
Ragged Writing
Stilted Stuff
Sharing with Others
Motivated Mentors

Part Six: ~ The Tools of the Trade
The Paras are coming
Verbalise your Longings
Drop the Adjective?
Adverbs: Brilliant Metaphors or P45 Candidates?
The Dashing Colons
Watch the Screamer!
Miscellaneous Muddles
A Which Hunt
Male or Female?
Red your Roofs (and Read your Proofs)
Summary of Parts Five and Six

Part Seven ~ The Still Small Voice
Affirming and Protecting our Calling
Carping Critics
The Mind Field Maze
The Condemnation Trap
A far from passive Perseverance
Green-Eyes the Envious
Writer’s Block
Dealing with Disappointments
The Still Small Voice
A Book of Gratitudes
Preparing for Tomorrow
Books that will take you further