I am a vocal advocate of the ONE TRUTH when it comes to writing and publishing – that the only thing which comes close to a guarantee of success in this field is to Get Good At Writing. At which point someone inevitably shouts DAN BROWN at me and I say, yesbut even Dan BrownContinue reading “Damien Walter’s 4 step crash course in learning to write good”
Category Archives: Teaching
The one key secret of creating compelling characters
I had never heard of Emily Gould until I learned that she was being reinvented in the pages of the New York Times. Gould, I have learned, was a particularly aggressive blogger of personal confession and celebrity gossip, who has now graduated to becoming a semi-auobiographical novelist. Not an uncommon progression, in a time whenContinue reading “The one key secret of creating compelling characters”
Use Fiction Techniques to Write a Great Journal Article
It’s really hard to overstate how much I agree with this post on using fiction techniques in journalism. Short form and blogging may not leave much scope for storytelling, but once you get up in to long form and feature writing, narrative techniques become essential. Facts nad information won’t hold a reader for thousands ofContinue reading “Use Fiction Techniques to Write a Great Journal Article”
Capitalism dialogues with Creativity
Capitalist – Right. We need you to create something so we have something to sell. Creator – oh ok no problem just give me a moment here. Capitalist – noweneeditnow Creator – But I’m kind of busy… Capitalist – NOW! Creator – …creating something here. Capitalist – What? What are you creating? Tell us tellContinue reading “Capitalism dialogues with Creativity”
The improvised word leaves space for you
Improvisation is a powerful part of art. Dancers, musicians and actors – those things we name the performing arts – all learn to improvise as part of their craft. Their work is temporal and transient. Once the move or note is performed it is gone forever. A recording of Miles Davis playing Kind of BlueContinue reading “The improvised word leaves space for you”
Can you teach writing?
Is the wrong question. What we should ask is, can you learn writing? To which the answer is an unequivocal YES! All writers teach themselves, through an intense and lifelong process of reading, writing, critiquing, editing, rewriting and rereading. This is how we learn. In this process, a good teacher can save you immense timeContinue reading “Can you teach writing?”
Workshop : Narrative
The second in a short series of posts accompanying workshops being taught for the Certificate in Creative Writing at Vaughan College. This post is on narrative, and why it is both a simple and deliciously complicated idea. In Reading Like a Writer, novelist Francine Prose says that the true problem with narration is not whoContinue reading “Workshop : Narrative”
Workshop : Imagination
Term has begun at the Certificate in Creative Writing at Vaughan College, University of Leicester, of which I am very proud to be course director. We have 20 new keen creative writing students this year, of all ages and backgrounds. As part of this year’s course, I am going to open a general discussion followingContinue reading “Workshop : Imagination”
Some thoughts on teaching creative writing
I get to start this post with some good news which I have been sitting on for a while now. As of later this year I will be taking over as Course Director for the Certificate in Creative Writing at the Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Leicester. I was extremely excited to be offeredContinue reading “Some thoughts on teaching creative writing”
Damien Walter 