How do writers write? What do they do when they're stuck for ideas? Or how do they take those still vague ideas to the next level, maybe even all the way to publication? Whether you belong to a writing group running low on steam, or are struggling on your own and looking for some helpful direction, this book - now in its fifth reprinting and updated for this new edition - offers all the practical assistance you'll ever need. Covering everything from ideas for generating raw material to form and technique in poetry and prose, prize-winning poet and writer Pat Boran (who has conducted hundreds of writing workshops over the years) takes a hands-on approach to the creative writing process, concluding with a new section for those considering their own first steps towards publication. Accessible, enjoyable and stimulating, The Portable Creative Writing Workshop is an ideal starting point (and travel companion) for anyone setting out on the writer's journey. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Poet, fiction writer and publisher Pat Boran has been conducting writing workshops for many years. In that time he has published more than a dozen collections of poetry and prose and has edited more than a hundred books by other poets and writers. He is a former editor of Poetry Ireland Review, has presented poetry and arts programmes on radio and television, and is a member of Aosdana, the Irish affiliation of writers and artists. His most recent publications are The Next Life (poems, 2013) and the prose memoir The Invisible Prison (2009

“Packed with inspirational, useful, and thought-provoking essays on the craft of writing from some of the best writers around.” —Minneapolis Star Tribune Teachers, exercises, mentors, critiques, humor, and inspiration: these form the fuel all writers need when they get down to work every day. For decades the Loft Literary Center has provided this fuel to an enormous community of writers. Views from the Loft brings together the collected wisdom of that community—its authors, students, and editors—giving anyone the tools and inspiration necessary to thrive in the writing life. A who’s who of writers on writing ranging from the National Book Award–winning poet Mark Doty to Newbery Medal–winning children’s author Kate DiCamillo, and touching on issues as delicate as the representation of family in memoir and as hilarious as a “sad-epiphany poem” mad lib for frustrated poets, this book is an essential collection of crucial tips and challenging questions for everyone who puts pen to page. The essays and interviews in this book include superstar writers like Rick Bass, Michael Cunningham, Grace Paley, Jim Moore, Kathleen Norris, Susan Power, Susan Straight, Bao Phi, Marilyn Hacker, Shannon Olson, R.D. Zimmerman, Lorna Landvik, Vivian Gornick, Yehuda Amichai, and many more.

Book offers creative writing suggestions for poets and fiction writers and also offers advice from two dozen Irish and international poets, writers, and playwrights.

As Rember notes in his introduction, "MFA in a Box is not a how to write book. It's a why to write book." By exploring the relationships between the writer and love, grief, place, family, race and violence, Rember helps writers dive deep into their own writing. He tells them how they can breathe down there and how they can get back. "A big part of writing involves grappling with the terrors and discouragements that come when you have writing skills but can"t project yourself or your work into the future," says Rember. "My hope is that MFA in a Box will help writers balance the despair of writing with the joy of writing."--Publisher.

Designed to mentor writers at all levels, from beginning to quite advanced, The Writer's Portable Mentor offers a wealth of insight and crafting models from the author's twenty-plus years of teaching and creative thought. The book provides tools for structuring a book, story, or essay. It trains writers in observation and in developing a poet's ear for sound in prose. It scrutinizes the sentence strategies of the masters and offers advice on how to publish. This second edition is updated to account for changes in the publishing industry and provides hundreds of new craft models to inspire, guide, and develop every writer's work.

The Crafty Poet: A Portable Workshop is a poetry tutorial designed to inform and inspire poets. It includes model poems and prompts, writing tips, and interviews with poets. Organized into ten sections, the book covers such concepts as Diction, Sound, Voice, and Imagery. It is geared towards the experienced poet as well as those just getting started and is ideal for individual use at home or group use in the classroom or workshop. Contributors include fifty-six of our nation's finest poets, thirteen of them current or former state poets laureate. Contributors: Kim Addonizio, JoAnn Balingit, Ellen Bass, Jan Beatty, Jeanne Marie Beaumont, Robert Bense, Pam Bernard, Michelle Bitting, Deborah Bogen, Kathryn Stripling Byer, Edward Byrne, Kelly Cherry, Philip F. Deaver, Bruce Dethlefsen, Caitlin Doyle, Patricia Fargnoli, Ann Fisher-Wirth, Amy Gerstler, Karin Gottshall, Jennifer Gresham, Bruce Guernsey, Marilyn Hacker, Jeffrey Harrison, Lola Haskins, Jane Hirshfield, Gray Jacobik, Rod Jellema, Richard Jones, Julie Kane, Adele Kenny, Dorianne Laux, Sydney Lea, Hailey Leithauser, Jeffrey Levine, Diane Lockward, Denise Low, Jennifer Maier, Marie-Elizabeth Mali, Jeffrey McDaniel, Wesley McNair, Susan Laughter Meyers, Bronwen Butter Newcott, Alicia Ostriker, Linda Pastan, Stanley Plumly, Vern Rutsala, Martha Silano, Marilyn L. Taylor, Matthew Thorburn, Lee Upton, Nance Van Winckel, Ingrid Wendt, Nancy White, Cecilia Woloch, Baron Wormser, Suzanne Zweizig An additional forty-five accomplished poets contributed sample poems inspired by the prompts in this book.

Guides prospective graduate students through the difficult process of researching, applying to, and choosing graduate schools in creative writing. This handbook includes special sections about Low-Residency writing programs, PhD programs, publishing in literary journals, and workshop and teaching advice.