visitors since 25 May 2007
The Five Senses (Do Not A Nickel Make) is a book for the novice on how to become a creative writer. It is written with the assumption that everyone can be a writer, but most do not understand the tools and disciplines necessary to be successful. C. A. Tetro has drawn on her lifetime of experience as a writer to develop a book for those who want to write, but don't know where to start.
You may purchase an electronic copy of The Five Senses (Do Not A Nickel Make) at Leithauser Reasearch. It is listed as The Five Senses.
Below is the Introduction from her book. If this appeals to you, refer to the Where to Buy section.
When I was in the fourth grade, we were given an assignment to write a poem. The title of my poem was the lighthouse. How many years ago it seems now. I was so very proud of my little poem. I knew, even then, that being a solitary person even at that young age I learned to love books and would be a writer one-day. My poem was prominently displayed and won high awards.
My next taste of writing came in the form of a journalism class, followed by a creative writing class while in high school. The creative writing class yielded many awards and accolades. I have been writing ever since.
In my adult years, I have written a column for a local, mid west music review paper. I have won several awards for my poetry and they have been published in the International poetry annual books. I can also add composing to the list, and my latest endeavor of teaching a creative writing class at the adult community center in my hometown. I bring these credentials to this book.
I cannot count the many times I have heard people say,”I wish I had the talent to use words the way you do”. I have had people ask where I find the words or material to write about. Most of my work I base upon people and places that I have met and seen throughout my life. I have found that this is the way most writers find their material and I am confident that when you begin to write you will use whatever source is most familiar to you as well.
You may already have and idea for writing project and just lack the procedure and training of how to find the words. This book will instruct you systematically to help reach your goal. Whether you would like to write a book poem or a piece of music I can assure you that you have the ability to write as well as the next person. What you might be lacking is “structure and tools” Perhaps that phrase sounds like we should be in Oz. However, it is my belief that everyone has the potential to be a writer and with the use of this book I have proven that very fact in my writing class. It is this books job to bring that writer out into the open.
Consider this for a moment. Have you ever told a little white lie, or have you ever made up a silly story to amuse a child? Have you ever written a love letter to someone special? These are all forms of creative writing and if you answered yes to even one then you are already on your way to being a writer. Think of this book as a writing primer.
It is another belief of mine that the only way to learn is by doing. That being said, you will therefore be asked to complete exercises. You will be given examples of what will be expected of you. I will also be completing these exercises with you. You will also learn where to find ideas or topics for your work. Once the project is completed, you will be given suggestions as to what avenues you may pursue to see your work in print.
What this book will not do is guarantee that your work will be published. It will not assure that you will be another James Patterson or whoever your favorite writer might be. For that, you will have to join the ordinary people of all the unpublished writers with a dream and a manuscript.
The concept of “free scripting” will be used. Free scripting is writing without stopping for punctuation, word usage, grammar or spelling. These technicalities can be edited at the end of your writing for that day. Our main goal is to find the words to put onto the paper. I am going to concern myself with the aspect of being creative. The gradual metamorphism of a word to a sentence to a paragraph and so on and so forth. Please do not misunderstand me. The proper use of grammar, spelling etc. is essential to a well-written and presentable product. They are as important as the words and ideas that you put down on paper. This book merely concerns itself with the latter. Even I must confess to using the spelling and grammar check on my computer.
I did not put a time limit on the lessons as in some instruction books; however my suggestion is do not dwell on one lesson too long. If you find you are spending too much time on one lesson go on to the next. You will glean the most this book has to offer by completing ALL of the lessons, so it is important that you do go back to any lesson you may have skipped. I have designed each lesson to be brief for those that are using this book as an adult enrichment tool and find your time is limited. The lessons were also designed for ease and made as user friendly as possible. Therefore, you should be able to follow along without difficulty of understanding what is being asked of you or without being bogged down with technical language.
There is no tried and true method when it comes to creative writing. Authors lend their very own flavor to their work. Many books have been written on this subject, hundreds in fact. While each one deserves credit, they all seem to fall short and are lacking in certain elements. I am sure that somewhere in an obscure bookstore there is a how to book written in form of a guide and workbook. In my research I did find several that met these criteria however, they still did not work systematically with the reader. Many of the books that have been written address a specific type of writing such as writing a thesis or a term paper or a fiction etc. When I sat down to write this book I too had a goal in mind. This book was to be used as an aide for my adult enrichment class. I felt there was a need to reach the general populace that wanted to dabble in the art of writing. This does not mean it is age or experience specific. It is written in easy to follow exercises that anyone can use. I would like to see this book used by any age any group or any background. The art of writing is there for the asking and the taking. It is there for everyone.
It is said that one should write about what they know. I have done just so. So to those who wish to write a story for their child or anyone’s child for that matter. For the musician that would like to perform his original work or the lover in search of words to woo. I invite all of you to see how easily you can become the writer you have always dreamed of being. Good luck and happy writing
You may purchase an electronic copy of The Five Senses (Do Not A Nickel Make) at Leithauser Reasearch. It is listed as The Five Senses.
Send questions regarding her book to ctetro_NOSPAM@mythramuse.com. Be sure to delete the "_NOSPAM" from within the e-mail address before sending it, otherwise, it will be sent off into cyberspace, never to be seen again (except, maybe, a return message saying the address doesn't exist.)
visitors since 25 May 2007