The Cambridge Companion to Creative Writing

The Cambridge Creative Writing is aimed at two groups: students and teachers of creative writing, and anyone who aspires to be a published writer.It looks at a wide range of creative writing genres including short and full-length fiction, drama, poetry, and travel writing.

In each case it discusses basic concepts of the genre and goes on to demonstrate the craft of translating those concepts into copy on the page. The concepts themselves are interesting: in fiction, the book looks at the 180 degree rule that develops both characterisation and plot; in terms of drama, it focuses on writing dialogue as a way of shaping the imagination into form on the page; in discussing poetry it has a great deal to say about organising patterns of sound; and when it comes to travel writing, the emphasis is on creating a strong sense of place and a meaningful, engaging narrative of a journey. It adds up to a book with a focus on creativity.