Who’s a crafty fella?

Today’s challenge in the A to Z Blogging Challenge is dedicated to C for Craft.

I’m rather obsessed with the idea of perfecting my writing craft. If I’m not listening to podcasts on writing, I’m researching writing excersizes and printing off the ones I like most.

I thought I’d share some of my favourite ones with you today.

First up is a podcast from the Warwick University Writing Programme. I love how David Morley (the director and speaker) talks in depth about each of the areas of creative writing, before setting out the challenges, which include: Conflict and Crisis, Points of View and Murdering your darlings. Have a gander by clicking here.

Next is a website called Story Is Promise. The author, Bill Johnson, says “many writers who struggle and get rejected–myself included–fail because they
violate the same foundation issues of storytelling” and he provides an Index of Essays dedicated to exploring these issues. It’s really interesting; click here to have a peek.

PoeWar has a list of excellent writing excersizes. Their outlook: “Writing exercises are a great way to both increase your skill as a writer and to generate new ideas for future work. They can also give you a new perspective on your current project.” If you’re feeling uninspired, look at these Fifteen Writing Excersizes. If you’re looking to give your main character a bit of misery, read How to create fictional characters using adversity.

Last (but not least) is one of my favourite writing podcasts: Bailey’s Writing Tips. Morgen Bailey is fiercely passionate about the writing craft, which you can tell by her schedule: This lady breathes writing. I especially love listening to the author interviews, where the craft of writing is often discussed at length. Find out more about the podcasts here.