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Creative Writing Exercises For Dummies 1st Edition, Kindle Edition

Creative Writing Exercises For Dummies is a step-by-step creative writing course designed to hone your craft, regardless of ability. Written by the founder of the Complete Creative Writing Course at London's Groucho Club, this activity-based guide walks you through the process of developing and writing in a wide range of genres including novels, short stories and creative nonfiction. The book includes writing prompts, exercises, mind maps, flow charts and diagrams designed to get your ideas flowing. You'll get expert guidance into character development, plot structure and prose, plus extensive insight into self-editing and polishing your work.

Whether you're a new writer with a seed of an idea you would like to develop, or are looking to strengthen your creative writing skills, this book has you covered. Covering every aspect of narrative, from setting initial goals to formatting a manuscript, Creative Writing Exercises For Dummies provides the tools and instruction you need to make your story the best it can be.

• Learn to spark your imagination and sketch out ideas
• Create compelling characters and paint a picture with description
• Develop your plot and structure and maintain continuity
• Step back from your work and become your own ruthless editor

The rise of e-books has opened up the publishing world, even to non-established writers. If you have a story you're dying to tell but aren't sure how, Creative Writing Exercises For Dummies is the clear, concise solution you need.

• ISBN-13 978-1118921050
• Edition 1st
• Publisher For Dummies
• Publication date September 11, 2014
• Language English
• File size 1709 KB
• See all details

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From the inside flap.

Whether you’re a new writer or looking to strengthen your skills, this step-by-step creative writing course is designed to help you hone your craft, spark your imagination and become your own ruthless editor. Inside, you’ll find writing prompts, exercises, flow charts and diagrams designed to get your ideas flowing – and put on paper.

• Take first things first – set your writing goals, define your genre and start using some writing exercises to brainstorm and sketch out your ideas
• Know your characters – get guidance on creating believable and in-depth characters, developing your dialogues, exploring points of view and effectively conveying your characters’ thoughts
• Map the world of your story – find out how to paint a picture with words, from describing senses and actions to observing objects and creating suspense
• Plot your course – discover how to expertly develop your writing’s plot and structure, keep up the tension, expand the narrative and tie up loose strands for a killer ending
• Put on your editor’s cap – get helpful tips on revising and editing your own work to make it shine

From the Back Cover

About the author.

Maggie Hamand, a novelist, journalist and nonfiction writer, is the founder of the popular Complete Creative Writing Course at the Groucho Club, London, and has been teaching aspiring writers there for 15 years.

Product details

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00NJOLKNK
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ For Dummies; 1st edition (September 11, 2014)
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 11, 2014
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• File size ‏ : ‎ 1709 KB
• Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
• Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
• Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 344 pages
• #171 in Authorship
• #355 in Authorship Reference
• #884 in Fiction Writing Reference (Books)

About the author

Maggie hamand.

Maggie Hamand is a journalist, novelist and non-fiction author. She was the winner of the first World One-Day Novel Cup and her novel, "The Resurrection of the Body", was first published by Michael Joseph and has been optioned for film and television. She has also had short stories published and shortlisted for prizes. She taught creative writing at Morley College, was Writer in Residence at Holloway Prison, London and a Royal Literary Fund Fellow at London University of the Arts. She founded and was director of the acclaimed small independent publisher The Maia Press. She runs the Complete Creative Writing Course at The Groucho Club and has published "Creative Writing For Dummies" and "Creative Writing Exercises for Dummies". Her novels, "The Rocket Man" and "Dr Gavrilov", are now available as ebooks.

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9781118921050

Maggie Hamand

03 October 2014

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Creative Writing Exercises For Dummies is a step-by-step creative writing course designed to hone your craft, regardless of ability. Written by the founder of the Complete Creative Writing Course at London's Groucho Club, this activity-based guide walks you through the process of developing and writing in a wide range of genres including novels, short stories and creative nonfiction. The book includes writing prompts, exercises, mind maps, flow charts and diagrams designed to get your ideas flowing. You'll get expert guidance into character development, plot structure and prose, plus extensive insight into self-editing and polishing your work.

Whether you're a new writer with a seed of an idea you would like to develop, or are looking to strengthen your creative writing skills, this book has you covered. Covering every aspect of narrative, from setting initial goals to formatting a manuscript, Creative Writing Exercises For Dummies provides the tools and instruction you need to make your story the best it can be.

• Learn to spark your imagination and sketch out ideas
• Create compelling characters and paint a picture with description
• Develop your plot and structure and maintain continuity
• Step back from your work and become your own ruthless editor

The rise of e-books has opened up the publishing world, even to non-established writers. If you have a story you're dying to tell but aren't sure how, Creative Writing Exercises For Dummies is the clear, concise solution you need.

• Writing Activities

105 Creative Writing Exercises To Get You Writing Again

You know that feeling when you just don’t feel like writing? Sometimes you can’t even get a word down on paper. It’s the most frustrating thing ever to a writer, especially when you’re working towards a deadline. The good news is that we have a list of 105 creative writing exercises to help you get motivated and start writing again!

What are creative writing exercises?

Creative writing exercises are short writing activities (normally around 10 minutes) designed to get you writing. The goal of these exercises is to give you the motivation to put words onto a blank paper. These words don’t need to be logical or meaningful, neither do they need to be grammatically correct or spelt correctly. The whole idea is to just get you writing something, anything. The end result of these quick creative writing exercises is normally a series of notes, bullet points or ramblings that you can, later on, use as inspiration for a bigger piece of writing such as a story or a poem. 

Good creative writing exercises are short, quick and easy to complete. You shouldn’t need to think too much about your style of writing or how imaginative your notes are. Just write anything that comes to mind, and you’ll be on the road to improving your creative writing skills and beating writer’s block . 

Use the generator below to get a random creative writing exercise idea:

List of 105+ Creative Writing Exercises

Here are over 105 creative writing exercises to give your brain a workout and help those creative juices flow again:

• Set a timer for 60 seconds. Now write down as many words or phrases that come to mind at that moment.
• Pick any colour you like. Now start your sentence with this colour. For example, Orange, the colour of my favourite top. 
• Open a book or dictionary on a random page. Pick a random word. You can close your eyes and slowly move your finger across the page. Now, write a paragraph with this random word in it. You can even use an online dictionary to get random words:

• Create your own alphabet picture book or list. It can be A to Z of animals, food, monsters or anything else you like!
• Using only the sense of smell, describe where you are right now.
• Take a snack break. While eating your snack write down the exact taste of that food. The goal of this creative writing exercise is to make your readers savour this food as well.
• Pick a random object in your room and write a short paragraph from its point of view. For example, how does your pencil feel? What if your lamp had feelings?
• Describe your dream house. Where would you live one day? Is it huge or tiny? 
• Pick two different TV shows, movies or books that you like. Now swap the main character. What if Supergirl was in Twilight? What if SpongeBob SquarePants was in The Flash? Write a short scene using this character swap as inspiration.
• What’s your favourite video game? Write at least 10 tips for playing this game.
• Pick your favourite hobby or sport. Now pretend an alien has just landed on Earth and you need to teach it this hobby or sport. Write at least ten tips on how you would teach this alien.
• Use a random image generator and write a paragraph about the first picture you see.

• Write a letter to your favourite celebrity or character. What inspires you most about them? Can you think of a memorable moment where this person’s life affected yours? We have this helpful guide on writing a letter to your best friend for extra inspiration.
• Write down at least 10 benefits of writing. This can help motivate you and beat writer’s block.
• Complete this sentence in 10 different ways: Patrick waited for the school bus and…
• Pick up a random book from your bookshelf and go to page 9. Find the ninth sentence on that page. Use this sentence as a story starter.
• Create a character profile based on all the traits that you hate. It might help to list down all the traits first and then work on describing the character.
• What is the scariest or most dangerous situation you have ever been in? Why was this situation scary? How did you cope at that moment?
• Pretend that you’re a chat show host and you’re interviewing your favourite celebrity. Write down the script for this conversation.
• Using extreme detail, write down what you have been doing for the past one hour today. Think about your thoughts, feelings and actions during this time.
• Make a list of potential character names for your next story. You can use a fantasy name generator to help you.
• Describe a futuristic setting. What do you think the world would look like in 100 years time?
• Think about a recent argument you had with someone. Would you change anything about it? How would you resolve an argument in the future?
• Describe a fantasy world. What kind of creatures live in this world? What is the climate like? What everyday challenges would a typical citizen of this world face? You can use this fantasy world name generator for inspiration.
• At the flip of a switch, you turn into a dragon. What kind of dragon would you be? Describe your appearance, special abilities, likes and dislikes. You can use a dragon name generator to give yourself a cool dragon name.
• Pick your favourite book or a famous story. Now change the point of view. For example, you could rewrite the fairytale , Cinderella. This time around, Prince Charming could be the main character. What do you think Prince Charming was doing, while Cinderella was cleaning the floors and getting ready for the ball?
• Pick a random writing prompt and use it to write a short story. Check out this collection of over 300 writing prompts for kids to inspire you. 
• Write a shopping list for a famous character in history. Imagine if you were Albert Einstein’s assistant, what kind of things would he shop for on a weekly basis?
• Create a fake advertisement poster for a random object that is near you right now. Your goal is to convince the reader to buy this object from you.
• What is the worst (or most annoying) sound that you can imagine? Describe this sound in great detail, so your reader can understand the pain you feel when hearing this sound.
• What is your favourite song at the moment? Pick one line from this song and describe a moment in your life that relates to this line.
•  You’re hosting an imaginary dinner party at your house. Create a list of people you would invite, and some party invites. Think about the theme of the dinner party, the food you will serve and entertainment for the evening. 
• You are waiting to see your dentist in the waiting room. Write down every thought you are having at this moment in time. 
• Make a list of your greatest fears. Try to think of at least three fears. Now write a short story about a character who is forced to confront one of these fears. 
• Create a ‘Wanted’ poster for a famous villain of your choice. Think about the crimes they have committed, and the reward you will give for having them caught. 
• Imagine you are a journalist for the ‘Imagine Forest Times’ newspaper. Your task is to get an exclusive interview with the most famous villain of all time. Pick a villain of your choice and interview them for your newspaper article. What questions would you ask them, and what would their responses be?
•  In a school playground, you see the school bully hurting a new kid. Write three short stories, one from each perspective in this scenario (The bully, the witness and the kid getting bullied).
• You just won $10 million dollars. What would you spend this money on?
• Pick a random animal, and research at least five interesting facts about this animal. Write a short story centred around one of these interesting facts. 
• Pick a global issue that you are passionate about. This could be climate change, black lives matters, women’s rights etc. Now create a campaign poster for this global issue. 
• Write an acrostic poem about an object near you right now (or even your own name). You could use a poetry idea generator to inspire you.
• Imagine you are the head chef of a 5-star restaurant. Recently the business has slowed down. Your task is to come up with a brand-new menu to excite customers. Watch this video prompt on YouTube to inspire you.
• What is your favourite food of all time? Imagine if this piece of food was alive, what would it say to you?
• If life was one big musical, what would you be singing about right now? Write the lyrics of your song. 
• Create and describe the most ultimate villain of all time. What would their traits be? What would their past look like? Will they have any positive traits?
• Complete this sentence in at least 10 different ways: Every time I look out of the window, I…
• You have just made it into the local newspaper, but what for? Write down at least five potential newspaper headlines . Here’s an example, Local Boy Survives a Deadly Illness.
• If you were a witch or a wizard, what would your specialist area be and why? You might want to use a Harry Potter name generator or a witch name generator for inspiration.
• What is your favourite thing to do on a Saturday night? Write a short story centred around this activity. 
• Your main character has just received the following items: A highlighter, a red cap, a teddy bear and a fork. What would your character do with these items? Can you write a story using these items? 
• Create a timeline of your own life, from birth to this current moment. Think about the key events in your life, such as birthdays, graduations, weddings and so on. After you have done this, you can pick one key event from your life to write a story about. 
• Think of a famous book or movie you like. Rewrite a scene from this book or movie, where the main character is an outsider. They watch the key events play out, but have no role in the story. What would their actions be? How would they react?
• Three very different characters have just won the lottery. Write a script for each character, as they reveal the big news to their best friend.  
• Write a day in the life story of three different characters. How does each character start their day? What do they do throughout the day? And how does their day end?
•  Write about the worst experience in your life so far. Think about a time when you were most upset or angry and describe it. 
• Imagine you’ve found a time machine in your house. What year would you travel to and why?
• Describe your own superhero. Think about their appearance, special abilities and their superhero name. Will they have a secret identity? Who is their number one enemy?
• What is your favourite country in the world? Research five fun facts about this country and use one to write a short story. 
• Set yourself at least three writing goals. This could be a good way to motivate yourself to write every day. For example, one goal might be to write at least 150 words a day. 
• Create a character description based on the one fact, three fiction rule. Think about one fact or truth about yourself. And then add in three fictional or fantasy elements. For example, your character could be the same age as you in real life, this is your one fact. And the three fictional elements could be they have the ability to fly, talk in over 100 different languages and have green skin. 
• Describe the perfect person. What traits would they have? Think about their appearance, their interests and their dislikes. 
• Keep a daily journal or diary. This is a great way to keep writing every day. There are lots of things you can write about in your journal, such as you can write about the ‘highs’ and ‘lows’ of your day. Think about anything that inspired you or anything that upset you, or just write anything that comes to mind at the moment. 
• Write a book review or a movie review. If you’re lost for inspiration, just watch a random movie or read any book that you can find. Then write a critical review on it. Think about the best parts of the book/movie and the worst parts. How would you improve the book or movie?
• Write down a conversation between yourself. You can imagine talking to your younger self or future self (i.e. in 10 years’ time). What would you tell them? Are there any lessons you learned or warnings you need to give? Maybe you could talk about what your life is like now and compare it to their life?
• Try writing some quick flash fiction stories . Flash fiction is normally around 500 words long, so try to stay within this limit.
• Write a six-word story about something that happened to you today or yesterday. A six-word story is basically an entire story told in just six words. Take for example: “Another football game ruined by me.” or “A dog’s painting sold for millions.” – Six-word stories are similar to writing newspaper headlines. The goal is to summarise your story in just six words. 
• The most common monsters or creatures used in stories include vampires, werewolves , dragons, the bigfoot, sirens and the loch-ness monster. In a battle of intelligence, who do you think will win and why?
• Think about an important event in your life that has happened so far, such as a birthday or the birth of a new sibling. Now using the 5 W’s and 1 H technique describe this event in great detail. The 5 W’s include: What, Who, Where, Why, When and the 1 H is: How. Ask yourself questions about the event, such as what exactly happened on that day? Who was there? Why was this event important? When and where did it happen? And finally, how did it make you feel?
• Pretend to be someone else. Think about someone important in your life. Now put yourself into their shoes, and write a day in the life story about being them. What do you think they do on a daily basis? What situations would they encounter? How would they feel?
• Complete this sentence in at least 10 different ways: I remember…
• Write about your dream holiday. Where would you go? Who would you go with? And what kind of activities would you do?
• Which one item in your house do you use the most? Is it the television, computer, mobile phone, the sofa or the microwave? Now write a story of how this item was invented. You might want to do some research online and use these ideas to build up your story. 
• In exactly 100 words, describe your bedroom. Try not to go over or under this word limit.
• Make a top ten list of your favourite animals. Based on this list create your own animal fact file, where you provide fun facts about each animal in your list.
• What is your favourite scene from a book or a movie? Write down this scene. Now rewrite the scene in a different genre, such as horror, comedy, drama etc.
•  Change the main character of a story you recently read into a villain. For example, you could take a popular fairytale such as Jack and the Beanstalk, but this time re-write the story to make Jack the villain of the tale.
• Complete the following sentence in at least 10 different ways: Do you ever wonder…
• What does your name mean? Research the meaning of your own name, or a name that interests you. Then use this as inspiration for your next story. For example, the name ‘Marty’ means “Servant Of Mars, God Of War”. This could make a good concept for a sci-fi story.
• Make a list of three different types of heroes (or main characters) for potential future stories.
• If someone gave you $10 dollars, what would you spend it on and why?
• Describe the world’s most boring character in at least 100 words. 
• What is the biggest problem in the world today, and how can you help fix this issue?
• Create your own travel brochure for your hometown. Think about why tourists might want to visit your hometown. What is your town’s history? What kind of activities can you do? You could even research some interesting facts. 
• Make a list of all your favourite moments or memories in your life. Now pick one to write a short story about.
• Describe the scariest and ugliest monster you can imagine. You could even draw a picture of this monster with your description.
• Write seven haikus, one for each colour of the rainbow. That’s red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. 
• Imagine you are at the supermarket. Write down at least three funny scenarios that could happen to you at the supermarket. Use one for your next short story. 
• Imagine your main character is at home staring at a photograph. Write the saddest scene possible. Your goal is to make your reader cry when reading this scene. 
• What is happiness? In at least 150 words describe the feeling of happiness. You could use examples from your own life of when you felt happy.
• Think of a recent nightmare you had and write down everything you can remember. Use this nightmare as inspiration for your next story.
• Keep a dream journal. Every time you wake up in the middle of the night or early in the morning you can quickly jot down things that you remember from your dreams. These notes can then be used as inspiration for a short story. 
• Your main character is having a really bad day. Describe this bad day and the series of events they experience. What’s the worst thing that could happen to your character?
• You find a box on your doorstep. You open this box and see the most amazing thing ever. Describe this amazing thing to your readers.
• Make a list of at least five possible settings or locations for future stories. Remember to describe each setting in detail.
• Think of something new you recently learned. Write this down. Now write a short story where your main character also learns the same thing.
• Describe the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen in your whole life. Your goal is to amaze your readers with its beauty. 
• Make a list of things that make you happy or cheer you up. Try to think of at least five ideas. Now imagine living in a world where all these things were banned or against the law. Use this as inspiration for your next story.
• Would you rather be rich and alone or poor and very popular? Write a story based on the lives of these two characters. 
• Imagine your main character is a Librarian. Write down at least three dark secrets they might have. Remember, the best secrets are always unexpected.
• There’s a history behind everything. Describe the history of your house. How and when was your house built? Think about the land it was built on and the people that may have lived here long before you.
• Imagine that you are the king or queen of a beautiful kingdom. Describe your kingdom in great detail. What kind of rules would you have? Would you be a kind ruler or an evil ruler of the kingdom?
• Make a wish list of at least three objects you wish you owned right now. Now use these three items in your next story. At least one of them must be the main prop in the story.
• Using nothing but the sense of taste, describe a nice Sunday afternoon at your house. Remember you can’t use your other senses (i.e see, hear, smell or touch) in this description. 
• What’s the worst pain you felt in your life? Describe this pain in great detail, so your readers can also feel it.
• If you were lost on a deserted island in the middle of nowhere, what three must-have things would you pack and why?
• Particpate in online writing challenges or contests. Here at Imagine Forest, we offer daily writing challenges with a new prompt added every day to inspire you. Check out our challenges section in the menu.

Do you have any more fun creative writing exercises to share? Let us know in the comments below!

Marty the wizard is the master of Imagine Forest. When he's not reading a ton of books or writing some of his own tales, he loves to be surrounded by the magical creatures that live in Imagine Forest. While living in his tree house he has devoted his time to helping children around the world with their writing skills and creativity.

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Creative Writing For Dummies Cheat Sheet

Creative writing for dummies.

Sign up for the Dummies Beta Program to try Dummies' newest way to learn.

Do you want to be the next best-selling author and dream up a new iconic character? Follow this handy Cheat Sheet, which breaks down the creative writing process into manageable tasks and helps you to develop your writing style and become a confident and accomplished writer.

Gather your creative writing tools

Always be prepared! Here’s a checklist of useful writing aids to have with you as you begin to write – just don’t forget the tea and coffee!

• A desk or other writing space and a comfortable chair
• A good notebook
• Your favorite pen
• A dictionary and thesaurus
• A computer, laptop, or tablet
• A printer (or access to one)
• A suitable notes app on your cellphone
• Software that provides grammar and spellcheck capabilities

How to generate creative writing ideas

Writer’s block affects all writers from time to time. If you feel a bit stuck for inspiration, try these techniques to get your creative juices flowing:

• Find an image (postcard, photograph, painting) depicting two or more people and write a story about them. Who are these characters? What might they be thinking?
• Look at any object and write about it – where does it come from, who does it belong to, what memories does it trigger, who might want it and why?
• Read local news for unusual and interesting stories and develop them as fiction. Take the basic idea but set the story in a different time and place with your own characters.
• Listen to conversations on the bus, in a coffee shop, or at the supermarket. Jot down a particular exchange and carry it on, seeing where the characters lead you.
• Pick up a book you really like and open it at a random page. Pick a sentence you like and write it down, and then carry on writing your own story from here, using your own characters and setting.
• Pick an emotion and create a story around it complete with characters who are feeling that emotion. Pick another emotion and carry on writing. Make the characters move from the first emotion to the second – from hope to fear, from hatred to love.

Writing a solid first draft

Writing a first draft of your creative project – whether a novel, short story, poem, or play – can be a bit daunting. Follow these handy hints to help you organize your thoughts and manage your time:

• Don’t worry about a great opening line yet. Simply start writing wherever you like. After you know where your story is going, you can go back and rewrite the beginning.
• Keep the flow going in the early stages — keep writing without stopping, going back, re-reading, or changing what you’ve written. Don’t block yourself by starting to edit before you’ve got a good chunk written.
• Remember to show not tell — think about how to dramatize what you’re writing about and create visual images.
• If you become stuck on a particular passage, start somewhere else or write a different scene. You’ll soon get going again!

Rewriting and editing your creative writing project

Rewriting and editing helps to tighten up your work. But it can be difficult — what to chop and when to stop may not be clear, and you may change your mind more than once during the process.

Ask yourself whether you need to take out:

Unnecessary information and explanation

Passages of dialogue that go on too long

Clunky descriptions that give too much detail

Clumsy images that don’t really work

Too many adjectives and adverbs

You may need to add or expand:

Something you know but have forgotten to tell the reader; perhaps the age of the main character

More specific descriptive information that shows instead of tells; instead of describing a man as “old,” describe his white hair, slow gait and mottled hands

Dialogue of what the characters actually say, rather than summaries

Material to add interest or create suspense

A better opening or closing line

You may need to move:

Dramatic sections to make a stronger opening

Early information to where the reader really needs to know it

Essential information nearer the beginning of the book

Descriptive passages to add tension and suspense to incidents

Words, phrases and sentences to make a better rhythm

In your final edit:

Check for grammar, punctuation and spelling mistakes

Ensure you have no continuity errors

Pay particular attention to the first and last lines of any section or scene

Smooth out any awkward words and phrases

Clarify anything that isn’t clear

Ways to develop and improve your creative writing

Here are some top tips for developing your creative writing. No writing is ever a finished product — there are always ways to improve and refine your style. Here are several things you can do:

• Take a course on creative writing techniques and get constructive feedback on your work from a tutor and other students.
• Join a writers’ circle to get support, encouragement, and feedback from other writers.
• Find a good library and use it.
• Read and re-read good writing — books that have been successful or stood the test of time.
• Attend book festivals, readings, and bookshop events to see what published authors say, meet other writers, and contact book industry professionals.

About This Article

This article is from the book:.

• Creative Writing For Dummies ,

About the book author:

Maggie Hamand is a novelist, non-fiction author and journalist. In 1998, Maggie founded the hugely successful Complete Creative Writing Course at the Groucho Club in London, and has been teaching there since: her students have included many published authors. She is the author of two novels, The Resurrection of the Body and The Rocket Man .

This article can be found in the category:

• Rewriting and Editing Your Creative Writing Project
• Before You Begin Your Creative Writing
• Writing Your First Draft
• How to Generate Creative Writing Ideas
• Ways to Develop and Improve Your Creative Writing
• View All Articles From Book

• General & Introductory Education
• Curriculum Tools- General

Creative Writing Exercises For Dummies

ISBN: 978-1-118-92105-0

November 2014

Digital Evaluation Copy

Maggie Hamand

Creative Writing Exercises For Dummies is a step-by-step creative writing course designed to hone your craft, regardless of ability. Written by the founder of the Complete Creative Writing Course at London's Groucho Club, this activity-based guide walks you through the process of developing and writing in a wide range of genres including novels, short stories and creative nonfiction. The book includes writing prompts, exercises, mind maps, flow charts and diagrams designed to get your ideas flowing. You'll get expert guidance into character development, plot structure and prose, plus extensive insight into self-editing and polishing your work.

Whether you're a new writer with a seed of an idea you would like to develop, or are looking to strengthen your creative writing skills, this book has you covered. Covering every aspect of narrative, from setting initial goals to formatting a manuscript, Creative Writing Exercises For Dummies provides the tools and instruction you need to make your story the best it can be.

• Learn to spark your imagination and sketch out ideas
• Create compelling characters and paint a picture with description
• Develop your plot and structure and maintain continuity
• Step back from your work and become your own ruthless editor

The rise of e-books has opened up the publishing world, even to non-established writers. If you have a story you're dying to tell but aren't sure how, Creative Writing Exercises For Dummies is the clear, concise solution you need.

Maggie Hamand, a novelist, journalist and nonfiction writer, is the founder of the popular Complete Creative Writing Course at the Groucho Club, London, and has been teaching aspiring writers there for 15 years.

Tver Oblast

• 2 Other destinations
• 3 Understand
• 6 Get around
• 11 Stay safe

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Tver Oblast is a region in Central Russia , which borders Smolensk Oblast to the southwest, Pskov Oblast to the west, Novgorod Oblast to the north, Vologda Oblast to the northeast, Yaroslavl Oblast to the east, and Moscow Oblast to the southeast.

• 56.857828 35.921928 1 Tver — the capital and only major city of the region; an ancient city with a prestigious past that once contended with Moscow for control of Russia, that is now a shell of its former self following widespread destruction from cultural vandalism at the hands of the Soviet government and the Nazi Wehrmacht

Other destinations

• Nilov Monastery — a fantastically beautiful and enormous monastery on Stolbny Island in Lake Seliger ; served as a gulag for many of the Polish prisoners of war who were massacred at Katyn
• 57.251242 32.473697 2 Volgoverkhovie

Russian is the principal language in all aspects of life in the region. However, English is now taught regularly in most Russian schools, and more and more Russians nationals can speak English, some quite fluently.

There is a still vivid Karelian minority (1   %, 6.7   % in 1897), who originally moved here following the Treaty of Stolbova 1617. People in the conceded areas would have to convert to Lutheranism, which was the only legal religion in Sweden – and pay heavy taxes – and many chose to move to land still Russian. There is also a Ukrainian minority (1,5   %).

Tver does have an international airport (Migalovo), but most travelers arrive via the well-traveled railroad running between Saint Petersburg and nearby Moscow .

Within the city limits of Tver, there are several small shuttle vans available and a dated, but generally reliable, electric trolley system, at nominal cost. Commercial taxicabs should be avoided, however, as they can be very expensive, especially if the driver discovers that the passengers are foreigners. There is also a bus service connecting Tver with Moscow. There is also rail service as Tver is a major stop on the regular trains that operate between Moscow and St Petersburg.

Fast food restaurants have taken root in Tver, including fast-food chicken and hamburger outlets. Prices are reasonable in most cases. Some of the independent restaurants tend to be a bit pricey and intentional overcharges often occur, especially if foreigners are the customers.

There are a few nightclubs and restaurants that serve liquor in Tver; however, some of them has cover charges.

• Novgorod is an easy and rewarding destination to get to from Tver Oblast, which could be done as a day trip.

• Has custom banner
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• Outline regions
• Outline articles
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• Has Geo parameter
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Crash of an Antonov AN-22A in Tver: 33 killed