Investigative Creative Writing is Mark Spitzer's lively and original
treatment of creative writing practice and teaching within a
college/university environment. The author presents an experiential,
discovery-based approach that builds on teaching theories of established
writers and scholars as well as current innovators and his own extensive
experience as a creative writer, editor, and university academic.
Teachers, students, and writers in the fields of English, literary
studies, composition and rhetoric, applied linguistics, and education
should find this book, written by a prolific creative writer and
enthusiastic writing teacher, not only enlightening and engaging, but
also useful. Investigative Creative Writing can be envisioned as a
practical tool illustrating ways of overcoming hurdles that impede
writers from venturing into unknown territory where discoveries take
place. In addition to assisting in developing and honing cutting-edge
creative writing programs, this book will be helpful for writers in
getting to the meat of the matter, generating narratives and dialogue,
identifying arguments, fleshing out character traits, discovering
direction for plots, and developing a host of other skills that foster
and embolden a literary freedom of the imagination. The text includes
examples of teaching techniques and assignments from the author's
classes which are intended for instructors to adjust according to their
needs, along with extensive discussion of his own practices of
investigative creative writing and experience in teaching and developing
writing curricula.
