A textbook on creative writing
I recently read the book “Fundamentals of Creative Writing (Revised and Expanded Edition)” by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard, celebrated author and editor of over a dozen books.
Brainard, who hails from a prominent family in Cebu, has received awards, grants and fellowships including a 40th National Book Award for Best Book Short Fiction English. She runs Philippine American Literary House (PALH) and has taught the Writers Program at UCLA-Extension, University of California Los Angeles, University of Southern California and California State Summer School for the Arts. She gives talks, lectures and literary readings at various universities and arts/literary centers. And so, it shouldn’t be a surprise that she’d create a textbook for writers.
In the preface of her book, Brainard narrated her own journey in writing and how she got to where she is today. She shared the fundamentals of creative writing, which she simplified to guide her students.
“I witnessed my students blossom in six or nine weeks. The best students were the ones who admitted they knew very little … My students would learn a concept or two each week. They would try their hand at dialogue or creating a character, for instance, and next week they would learn some new concepts … By the end of the quarter, many of them were writing stories or personal essays,” she said.
Brainard believes “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.”
She added, “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.”
Back in 2009, an earlier version of this book was released. Brainard wrote, “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.”
Two parts
The book is divided into two parts. The first part tackles 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,” she explained.
The second part is based on an interview with Brainard conducted by Dr. Hope Sabanpan Yu for the documentary “The Cebuana in the World: Cecilia Manguerra Brainard Writing Out of Cebu,” which was produced by the Cebuano Studies Center and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.
“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,” Brainard said.
Edmundo Edward F. Litton, professor of Education at the Loyola Marymount University called “Fundamentals of Creative Writing (Revised and Expanded Edition)” “a wonderful resource for students of creative writing.”
He believes that creative writing is an avenue for expression of thoughts, hopes and fears in a safe venue, something he has witnessed with his own students. “Creative writing was a liberating experience for them. In finding their voice, they found freedom,” he shared.
Rocío G. Davis, professor of American Literature at the University of Navarra in Spain, said, “Brainard’s structure reminds us that, above and beyond technique, the most important thing a writer needs is a genuine love of story and a respect for the power of words.”
Vince Gotera, professor of English at the University of Northern Iowa, says that the book will indeed help writing students as the examples cover a variety of story types, techniques, points of view and historical as well as contemporary topics and themes.
In the book, I saw a delicate balance between show and tell. The examples show Brainard’s mastery of the craft and shines a light for aspiring writers.
As a young, novice writer myself, I find this work of Brainard, along with her novels and short stories, to be appealing. With “Fundamentals of Creative Writing (Revised and Expanded Edition),” one can learn and enjoy the process of learning.
The book will be available starting Sept. 1. Email palh@aol.com or palhbooks@gmail.com.
