Story Craft

This book is designed to assist students understand the way story works, how it is created and some of the key tools writers use to create and write stories. It is through story that we learn to understand the world, to accept and contemplate change, form opinions and alter them, see the world differently and see different worlds. Story is a fundamental way in which we share the human condition. Learning to write stories is an important part of developing self-expression, self-confidence and critical awareness. It is at the same time a creative practice and a demanding discipline and requires a growing understanding of the world around us, gathered not only from reading practice, but also from learning how to observe, record and imagine. Story Craft places story at the heart of Creative Writing studies for students in formal and informal learning environments. It offers an effective adjunct to the Australian Curriculum, providing guidance on the creation of literary texts, key practices for developing writing skills, using language and understanding the relationship between reader and writer. This (in)complete guide to understanding the craft of writing stories is set out in three parts: Theories of story and the impacts of the structural elements; a project workbook to guide the student in planning a story; additional group and individual discussions and exercises to help students develop a deeper understanding of the theories and their project practice.