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[Page 3] If you want to know how. . . The Five-minute Writer Exercise and inspiration in creative writing ^ in ¢ve minutes a day Writing for Magazines How to get your work published in newspapers and magazines Writing from Life How to turn your personal experience into pro¢table prose How toWrite aThriller howto books Send for a free copy of the latest catalogue to: How To Books Spring Hill House, Spring Hill Road, Begbroke, Oxford OX5 1RX, United Kingdom info@howtobooks.co.uk www.howtobooks.co.uk [Page 4] howto books [Page 5] Published by How To Content, A division of How To Books Ltd, Spring Hill House, Spring Hill Road, Begbroke, Oxford OX5 1RX. United Kingdom. Tel: (01865) 375794. Fax: (01865) 379162. info@howtobooks.co.uk www.howtobooks.co.uk All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or stored in an information retrieval system (other than for purposes of review) without the express permission of the publisher in writing. © 2009 Cathy Birch First edition 1998 Second edition 2001 Reprinted 2002 Third edition 2005 Fourth edition 2009 First published in electronic form 2009 ISBN: 978 1 84803 313 9 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Produced for How To Books by Deer Park Productions, Tavistock Typeset by PDQ Typesetting, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffs. NOTE: The material contained in this book is set out in good faith for general guidance and no liability can be accepted for loss or expense incurred as a result of relying in particular circumstances on statements made in the book. The laws and regulations are complex and liable to change, and readers should check the current position with the relevant authorities before making personal arrangements. [Page 6] Contents List of illustrations vii Preface ix 1 Writing ^ A Way of Life 1 Writing is a physical activity 1 Writing and your lifestyle 15 Your writers’ tool kit 22 Writing and your identity 24 2 Tune In 26 To yourself 26 To another person 37 Using the techniques you have learned 37 To your characters 38 To an object 45 To settings 46 To a situation 47 3 Discover the Plot 50 Whose story is it anyway? 50 Invent an audience 56 Play all the parts 58 Let fate take a hand 59 Work with astrology 67 4 Develop Atmosphere, Pace and Mood 72 Create an atmosphere 74 Set the pace 79 Get into a mood 85 5 Work With Beginnings and Endings 90 Start with a bang 90 Round things off 95 Fill in the middle 98 Try different routes 99 v [Page 7] 6 Surprise Yourself 102 Work in depth 102 Play with words and images 110 7 Work With Your Dreams 117 A different world 117 Using dream experiences 119 Work with dream images 122 Aware dreaming 127 8 Recycle 131 Give old characters a makeover 131 Give old settings a facelift 134 New plots from old 135 New text from old 144 9 Craft Your Work 148 Weave your