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Creative writing and critical reading
Creative writing and critical reading

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You’ve now come to the end of this free course, Creative writing and critical reading.

Reading critically should be a central part of your writing practice. Seeking out work by other writers that intrigues, inspires, or provokes you is not simply useful but offers a never-ending source of pleasure. Reading, like writing, is a lifelong activity.

A crucial step in reading as a writer is relating your reading back to your own writerly practice. However, try not to be too utilitarian about it. Don’t just limit yourself to books or media works that you think will be of immediate use to your latest project – reading as a writer involves following your nose and being open to surprise as much as it does seeking particular things out. In the end, reading widely and thoughtfully will help you develop your own personal aesthetic and voice.

This OpenLearn course is an adapted extract from the Open University course MA in Creative Writing [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] .