Fundamentals of Creative Writing, Revised and Expanded Edition

CONTENTS

PREFACE

Since the publication in 1987 of my first book Woman with Horns and Other Stories, I have published over twenty books, including three novels, four short story collections, three books of nonfiction, and other literary works such as children’s books, an experimental dugtungan (connecting) novel, and books which I collected and edited.

While doing all this work, I was invited by universities to teach writing classes, and so even though my training was that of a writer not an academic, I taught or lectured at UCLA’s Writers Program, UCLA, the University of Southern California, the California State Summer School for the Arts, and other university and literary arts centers.

When I started teaching, I had to intellectualize what I had been doing instinctively. I had to think about characters, how to create them, how to develop them; I had to consider plot, conflict, dialogue, point of view. Something that seemed simple like voice and style had to be thought through, given words so my students would comprehend the various elements that are involved in writing creatively, whether it be the writing of poetry or memoirs or short stories or novels.

In this book, Fundamentals of Creative Writing, Revised and Expanded Edition, I am sharing these fundamentals of creative writing which I had broken down in a step-by-step manner to guide my students. I witnessed my students blossom in six or nine weeks. The best students were the ones who admitted they knew very little. They were more receptive than the ones who came in with two novels in their computers and who had the attitude of knowing everything—I often wondered why they would take a beginning writing class if they knew everything. From knowing nothing or very little, my students would learn a concept or two each week and they would try their hand at dialogue or creating a character for instance, and next week they would learn some new concepts. In this way they would build on top of what they had already learned. By the end of the six or nine week quarter, many of them were writing stories or personal essays.

I know therefore that it can be done. One can improve one’s writing skills. This book will share some fundamentals in creative writing, building blocks if you will, to guide the readers to better writing.

I should add that while one can learn the concepts and improve the surface of their writing, the success of the piece does not rely entirely on clever writing, but on the ability of the writer to delve deep, to be fearless in sharing one’s soul. It is a gift, this ability, and this can no longer be taught; one has it or doesn’t. A teacher can encourage students to create deeper characters, to go deeper into their psyche, but just how deep a writer can go depends on how deep the writer is in the first place.

In 2009 an earlier version of this book called Fundamentals of Creative Writing was released. It was used for years by teachers, students, and those who wanted to learn creative writing. This version expands and revises that earlier edition and offers more to the reader.

In Part 1 we look at the basics of setting, scene, character, conflict, dialogue, plot, point of view, voice, style, theme, and tone. I also share some rules and advice. Each section starts with a writing concept, followed by related exercises, and a story or two to illustrate the creative writing component just discussed.

Part 2, One Writer’s Journey, Cecilia Manguerra Brainard is based on an interview conducted by Dr. Hope Sabanpan Yu of me for a documentary video entitled, The Cebuana in the World: Cecilia Manguerra Brainard Writing Out of Cebu (produced by the Cebuano Studies Center and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts).

Responding to Dr. Sabanpan Yu’s questions allowed me to verbalize the influences on my writings and the origins of some of my stories and characters. Her interview allowed me to express my thoughts about the creative process and my overall journey as a writer.

Part 2 gives readers the opportunity to see my background and development as a writer. Being a writer is sometimes a lonely and frightening task, and it can be comforting to realize that one is not alone in this effort. I should point out that a writer develops in his or her own way. There is no formula on how to succeed. What works for me, may not work for you. But readers can realize that my stories did not just fall out of the sky, but that they demanded from me hard work, courage, and humility, among other qualities.

I hope that readers will find information, guidance, inspiration, and courage in Fundamentals of Creative Writing, Revised and Expanded Edition.

Many years ago, in my very first published book, I included in my Acknowledgement these words: To the Supreme Creator, thanks for blessing me with these tales.

I continue to be grateful to the Creator for my stories, writings, books, and other creative work.

~ Cecilia Manguerra Brainard

INTRODUCTION

CREATIVE WRITING:

FINDING VOICE, FINDING FREEDOM

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I taught high school and middle school English in the Philippines and the United States. I am now a teacher educator in the United States and I teach classes on language learning, cultural diversity, and literacy. My approach to teaching literacy focused more on developing whole language rather than on structure. I acknowledged the need to study language structure (grammar or spelling) but studying language structure was a means to an end. The reward in learning language was the application in writing and reading fiction and non-fiction.

Many of my students found grammar and spelling exercises to be quite tedious. However, my students lit up when they were asked to write a story, a poem, or even a non-fictional journal entry. For many of them, creating stories was a way to share their realities in a way that was colorful and exciting. Creative writing allowed students to express their thoughts, hopes, and fears in a safe venue. Some writing was shared while other pieces were kept private. Teenagers have complicated lives and creative writing proved to be a way for them to clarify their thoughts as they tried to work out a problem in their minds. Creative writing also allowed others to see the aspirations of my students. They wrote about characters they wanted to be when they grew up and described scenarios of the kind of a world they would like to live in when they have completed school. While some students did struggle to express themselves on paper, they eventually picked up the tools to be a creative writer and with enough practice, they learned to develop their own voice. Creating writing was a liberating experience for them. In finding their voice, they found freedom.

Creative writing builds community in classroom. While not everyone can excel in Science or Math, everyone can write a story. Some stories were complex while others were quite simple. But, nonetheless, when it came time to complete the class book (a compilation of stories written by students in my class), everyone had a contribution. While my students had varying degrees of giftedness when it came to creative writing, they all recognized that they had a gift to share.

Reading and writing clearly go hand in hand. In my classes, we learned how to write by reading the stories of excellent authors who provided wonderful examples of settings that provoked images of places that we could probably never experience in real life. Many authors introduced us to characters that became our best friends and helped us understand solutions to conflicts in our lives.

Cecilia Manguerra Brainard has written a wonderful resource for students of creative writing. This book, Fundamentals of Creative Writing, Revised and Expanded Edition, provides students with practical steps that truly work. The strategies presented in this book are a product of the author’s many years of teaching creative writing. She is also a prolific writer who has written numerous short stories, novels, and non-fiction books.

In Part 1 of this book, Cecilia Manguerra Brainard takes students on a guided journey on topics such as setting, character, plot, conflict, and voice. Cecilia Manguerra Brainard does not tell the readers how to write, she shows them how to write. Each chapter has stories that illustrate the creative writing component that was just discussed. She also describes the theoretical rationale behind her strategies for creative writing, and she gives sound advice to beginning writers.

Part 2 of this book provides readers a candid look into Cecilia Manguerra Brainard’s personal journey as a writer. She discusses the inspiration of some of her writings, the struggles she faced in ushering the work from idea to completion.

This book is an excellent resource for students of creative writing. The beginner will be able to develop skills that will serve as a foundation for future writing activities. The more advanced writer can use the strategies described in the book to refine writing skills that have proved to be effective.

The renowned educator, Paolo Freire, often described literacy skills as a tool for liberation. Freire spent a big portion of his life teaching the poorest people in Brazil how to read and write. Freire felt that reading and writing allowed his people to become more conscious of their day to day realities. Some of the events in the lives of his people were clearly unjust and had to be changed. Literacy made people aware of these unjust situations. And once they were aware of the unjust situation, or they had knowledge, it was very difficult to ignore these unjust situations. Creative writing, and other forms of literacy, is a wonderful way for students to develop an awareness of their lives. In so doing, they are more apt to create change. Creative writing allows students to express their voice and find freedom in the world. Education should be liberating. This book by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard will surely help teachers and students attain this goal.

Edmundo Edward F. Litton, Ed.D.

Distinguished Professor of Education

Loyola Marymount University

January 2024

1

SETTING AND SCENE

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Setting is the time and place where your story takes place. For instance, a story may be set in contemporary Manila in the summertime.

Scene is a specific place where action happens. Your character will move and act in specific places, and each place is a scene. There could be a scene, for instance, where your character is walking down the street to the market; this could be followed by a scene in the market itself; and so on.

It is said that the basic unit of story-telling is the scene. You the writer will have to imagine this specific place within which your character moves, and you will have to use words to describe it. Some writers use a lot of words in describing their scenes; others are very spare. It is a matter of style.

Once you know how to write a scene, you can write an entire book, because, as the saying goes, the basic unit of story-telling is the scene. You have to think visually; try to see the scenes in your imagination, and use words to let your readers know what is going on in those scenes. As if by magic, your readers will be able to see these scenes too.

Here are additional points to consider about scene:

1. Each scene should move your story forward in terms of both plot and character. A scene should be motivated by a previous scene and it should motivate the next scene. There is a cause-and-effect relationship.

2. Scenes should direct us to the high point of the story. Ask: What is the payoff in this scene? Why do I need this scene? What is my purpose for this scene? At the end of this scene, does the audience want to know what happens next?

3. Scenes should be as visual as possible.

4. Do not rely on your characters talking about the story; let them act—Show, don’t tell.

5. Every scene has a beginning, middle, and end. Scenes should culminate in something dramatic, a decision made perhaps, or some kind of revelation. Maintain suspense.

6. Strive to create smooth transitions between scenes. Transitions are words, phrases, sentences, paragraphs that ease the reader from one scene to the next, to avoid confusion. It can be as short as, Later that day ... or The next place he visited was ...

7. Each scene should have an emotion or mood. Focus on that emotion. Ask: what is my character’s intention or goal in this scene? What is my character’s feeling? What is my character’s attitude?

8. Focus your scene on well-motivated conflict. Conflict is important in story-telling.

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ACTIVITIES

1. Write a scene from your own life when you felt a strong emotion such as anger or joy.

2. Write one perfect scene.

3. Identify some scenes, with beginning, middle, and end, in the stories that follow.

THE DIRTY KITCHEN

My favorite room was the outdoor kitchen, which we called the dirty-kitchen. It was a separate structure in the back of the house, a place with a huge cooking hearth, a place where the servants sat around, talked, and ate.

The main house was huge, Spanish-style, with marble floors, crystal chandeliers, very formal. My mother ruled the main house, and she shouted a lot. The dirty-kitchen felt like another world. The floor was simple cement; the roofing was made of corrugated sheets that threatened to blow off during the typhoon season. It always smelled of fried garlic.

I enjoyed my visits there. Sometimes the driver would play the guitar, sad songs full of longing for home or a loved-one. The servants liked to discuss the Big Dance, an outdoor affair open to the public, which was held across the river. Friday nights I’d hear the loud music coming from the Big Dance. They also talked about the Amateur Hour, a talent show open to the public, which was held at the Fuente Osmeña.

Every night, they switched on the transistor radio to listen to the evening soap operas. Sitting on the wooden bench, legs swinging, I got lost in the dramatic stories that involved infidelity, out-of-wedlock children, lost loves, every twist and turn in the human drama that one could imagine.

I listened until it was time to return to the main house for supper. Before opening the door to the main house, I often took a deep breath to brace myself.

BUTTERSCOTCH MARBLE ICE CREAM

Friday night Mark wanted to go to Swensen’s. I need butterscotch marble ice cream, he