Creative Writing

Working in Other Genres

Creative Non-Fiction

Creative Non-Fiction has seen an unprecedented rise in sales over the last decade.

Perhaps the most familiar ‘genre within the genre’ is that of the Memoir or Life Writing, such as the late great Lorna Sage’s Whitbread-winning account of her early life in Wales, Bad Blood, Lloyd Robson’s highly entertaining, gonzo picaresque Oh Dad! A Search for Robert Mitchum or Owen Sheers’ Wales Book of the Year 2005 winner The Dust Diaries. Peter Finch’s Real Wales series from Seren blends memoir with psychogeography and history.

Life Writing proved its commercial possibilities with the release of Frank McCourt’s 1996 international bestseller, Angela’s Ashes. Today, the market is saturated with Life Writing of variable literary quality from commercial publishers and the Independents. It’s not without controversy, either. In 2006, American author James Frey’s best-selling ‘misery memoir’, A Million Little Pieces, based on his early life as a drug addict and alcoholic, was exposed as being substantially based on complete fiction – a cause of much embarrassment to the publisher. And similar cases are being reported with increasing regularity. The line between Fiction and Fact is, it would seem, often blurred - not only for the reader but sometimes the writer, too.

And with saturation comes a very real problem. The critics are getting jaded. Is the boom-time for Life Writing heading for a bust? For now, the public appetite seems to remain high; so too, the number of aspiring practitioners of the form. Life Writing is a firmly established, ever popular element on the syllabus for most creative writing courses in the UK.

Though Creative Non-Fiction is closely associated with Life Writing and the Memoir, and while arguably these do make up a substantial amount of sales within the genre, Creative Non-Fiction can also very commonly incorporate many different types of fact-based creative writing, sometimes all at the same time. Rachel Trezise’s acclaimed Dial M for Merthyr skilfully and poignantly interweaves Music Journalism and Memoir with social and cultural history. Robert Minhinnick’s Wales Book of the Year 2006 winner, To Babel and Back, is a lyrical and compelling blend of personal essays, travelogue, politics and life writing.

Some exceptional writers, such as Wales’s own Jan Morris and Jim Perrin on Travel or the eminent biologist Richard Dawkins on Science, take Non-Fiction to new literary heights and reach wide, general audiences in the process.

The market for Creative Non-Fiction is buoyant but it remains a competitive field for new writers. If you wish to develop your skills, as well as reading widely, you are strongly advised to attend courses in the genre. Most general creative writing courses in adult education offer a basic grounding in the key skills required for Creative Non-Fiction, including those for Life Writing and the Memoir. Some courses focus exclusively on Creative Non-Fiction. Adult education courses are inexpensive and if you are in receipt of state benefits you may be able to attend a course for free. You may also wish to join a local writers’ group to get constructive criticism and support. Click here, for further details on writers’ groups and courses.

Most Creative Writing degrees, certificates and diplomas at universities offer modules devoted to the practice of Creative Non-Fiction. Click here, for further information on Creative Writing programmes at universities.

Literature Wales support for creative non-fiction writers

For a very modest fee, the Literature Wales Critical Service, can provide a detailed critical assessment by an established practitioner of a sample of your Creative Non-Fiction writing, with useful tips on how to improve and develop your work.

Literature Wales offers support for both new and established Welsh-based writers of Creative Non-Fiction of literary merit seeking to buy time to complete a work or who require financial support towards any associated costs involved, such as research, through its Bursaries Scheme. In addition, an Enabling Bursary is available to disabled writers and can provide help with travel costs, secretarial assistance and specialist equipment.

Literature Wales also annually invites applications for its Mentoring Service, providing new writers of great promise currently engaged in a work in progress in which a publisher has expressed an interest to work one to one with experienced practitioners.

Playwriting, Writing for Radio and Screenwriting

The outlook for Welsh playwrights and screenwriters is looking increasingly bright. Cardiffian Andrew Davies has carved out a stellar career with his inventive and engaging television adaptations of classics such as Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, as well as modern fare such as Sarah Waters’ Tipping the Velvet. Swansea born Russell T Davies has become a household name with his groundbreaking drama Queer as Folk and, of course, Doctor Who. Abi Morgan, who began her career in theatre with the Olivier award winning Splendour and the highly acclaimed Tender and Tiny Dynamite, has moved into Television Screenwriting with the BAFTA award-winning Sex Traffic for Channel 4, and now film with Brick Lane and Birdsong. Gary Owen, one of Wales’s foremost and most acclaimed talents in theatre, remains a true original with work such as Crazy Gary’s Mobile Disco and Ghost City. Young Aberdare-born playwright and screenwriter Tim Price landed a Welsh BAFTA nomination for his S4C drama The Cockle Farmer, as well as very recently a place on the BBC and Royal Court’s ‘50’ list for the best new writers in the UK, and looks all set for a glittering career.

If you are interested in a career in playwriting, it’s vital to attend as many productions – large and small - as possible. Keep in touch with the culture. The Theatre in Wales website maintains an up to date and comprehensive list of productions now showing across Wales, along with reviews, features, comment and profiles of playwrights, and comes highly recommended for providing a ‘heads up’ on the theatre scene in Wales today.

Get the history. Read classic play texts from Wales, such as Alan Osborne‘s The Merthyr Trilogy. Get the now. Read recent work from Wales and new writing about drama in Wales. Parthian have a good list of Drama titles. Methuen and Faber both carry an extensive list of twentieth century British and American Drama, and also publish many very recently produced plays.

In 2007, Script Cymru merged with the Sherman Theatre in Cardiff to form Sherman Cymru, a new company dedicated to providing a much needed platform for new writing from Wales and to nurturing new playwrights of promise and distinction from Wales or with Welsh links. The company maintains strong links with the Royal Court and the cutting edge touring company Paines Plough in London. Sherman Cymru offers a comprehensive website with listings for current and upcoming productions, and offers support and information on opportunities for new playwrights. In line with its emphasis on developing the best new writing, Sherman Cymru will accept unsolicited scripts - through post only - and may choose to workshop new plays, put them into development and/or provide mentoring and training development for new playwrights.

Tŷ Newydd annually runs residential courses tailored specifically for playwrights, both at the beginners and advanced level, and led by distinguished practitioners. Click here for further details on Tŷ Newydd residential courses. The Arvon Foundation also runs residential courses.

For those wishing to break through into Screenwriting or Writing for Radio, competition is particularly fierce.

Nonetheless, the foundation of Fiction Factory Films in the 1990s has increased opportunities for the best and most promising Welsh writers both in television and film. Fiction Factory Films will not accept unsolicited scripts through the post but remains open to ’pitches’ for new ideas for television or film. If they like what they read, they’ll contact you.

The BBC Writers Room offers an invaluable resource for general tips, good advice on narrative development, characterisation and how to avoid the pitfalls of writing for Television and Radio Drama. The BBC Wales Writers Room also provides examples of scripts from some of its notable drama and comedy productions, a very useful resource for getting a handle not only on the art but the presentation of scripts. The BBC Wales Writers Room will accept unsolicited scripts through post. They do receive an extraordinarily high volume in any given week, but they endeavour to support writers of promise and originality where they find them.

Anyone considering a career in Screenwriting for Film should, of course, watch Film and should also buy screenplays. Most of the larger bookshops carry a good range, some may be available from your local library, and Faber have the monopoly on mainstream publication, with a back catalogue of everything from Alan Bennett to Quentin Tarantino. Whether intending to write for Film or Television, as well as taking a look at examples of scripts, you are strongly advised to get hold of, at the very least, a basic book on practice. Screenwriting for Dummies, for example, will give you some good tips on layout and presentation of screenplays according to industry standards and is very reasonably priced.

Many university colleges in Wales and other adult education providers now offer full and part-time degrees, certificates and accredited courses in Screen- and Scriptwriting, which provide training in practice and can help equip you for the challenges of the industry. Click here for information on workshops and courses. Click here for details on degree programmes.

TAPS offers courses and opportunities, as well as relevant news for those seeking to develop a career writing for television. The Wales Screen Commission also lists details of courses and opportunities for professional development.

Tŷ Newydd provides both specific and general courses for the scriptwriter, whether working in the media of Television, Film or Radio. Bursaries from Tŷ Newydd may be available for those who require them. Click here for further details on the Tŷ Newydd experience.

Courses and seminars are also offered on ad hoc basis by Literature Wales and other providers. Check the Literature Wales Opportunities for Writers pages regularly for details.

Please note that Literature Wales does not provide Writers Bursaries for those undertaking Screenwriting projects or provide any funding towards professional training.