The Creative Writing Handbook is a new kind of textbook which will prove an indispensable guide for anyone who wants to develop and improve their writing. Written by professional writers and teachers it covers all aspects of the writing process, from drafting first thoughts to shaping them into polished and publishable work. In a series of lively and stimulating chapters all major areas of writing are explored, from journalism, play-scripting and screen writing to short fiction, autobiography, poetry and experimental prose. The Handbook combines an approachable and accessible style with an informed and perceptive view of creative writing and its place in our contemporary world. The Handbook offers the new writer a whole range of creative ideas, sound advice and open-ended tasks for exploring experience, mastering technique and thereby releasing the full potential of the imagination. The workshop descriptions are full of invaluable ideas on how to run group sessions and offer a rich fund of suggestions for developing writing beyond the classroom. The emphasis throughout is on the play of the imagination, on the discipline of crafting and on the inventive and original use of language. Above all it's about making words work, and making them work well.