Write Moves: A Creative Writing Guide and Anthology - by Nancy Pagh (Paperback)

About the Book

An introductory creative writing textbook that bridges the warmth of trade writing with the expertise of a textbook, presented in a flexible and compact form.

From the Back Cover

Write Moves is an invitation for the student to understand and experience creative writing in the larger frame of humanities education. The practical instruction offered comes in the form of "moves" or tactics for the apprentice writer to try. But the title also speaks to a core value of this project: that creative writing exists to move us. The book focuses on concise, human-voiced instruction in poetry, the short story, and the short creative nonfiction essay.

Emphasis on short forms allows the beginning student to appreciate lessons in craft without being overwhelmed by lengthy model texts; diverse examples of these genres are offered in the anthology.

Review Quotes

"Within a semester of starting to use Write Moves I realized that not only did my students find it both accessible and inspirational, but that the book covered the subjects I wanted covered with surprising sophistication and depth. The bottom line: since I started using Write Moves, my Intro to Creative Writing students have consistently produced the best work I've ever gotten from these classes. This book is magic, and I regularly recommend it to my colleagues." -- John Reimringer, Normandale Community College, author of Vestments: A Novel (named a Publishers Weekly best book of 2010)

"Write Moves lays out the essential matters of the writer's craft with precision. It takes the reader on a journey across three distinct genres--poetry, short story, and essay--offering a wealth of practical advice on the way. Nancy Pagh's writing exercises and thoughtfully chosen anthology are a gift for creative writing students." -- Raza Ali Hasan, author of Sorrows of the Warrior Class

"Inspiring and comprehensive, Write Moves takes a friendly, colloquial tone, gently guiding aspiring writers through the often intimidating process of putting pen to paper and then reworking (and reworking!) those initial words until they're just right. Pagh succeeds in creating a fun, flexible, and energetic approach to writing. The selection of readings hits on traditional favorites as well as contemporary and innovative works; the blend is bound to spark creativity." -- Angie Abdou, Athabasca University

"A sharp, keenly perceptive guide and anthology, distinguished from its peers in imagination and scope. By imbuing each chapter with examples from her own process, Pagh eschews the stuffiness one typically associates with guides of this sort. Far from prescriptive, the effect is welcoming and formative. This anthology will prove valuable for student and teacher alike." -- Rod Moody-Corbett, University of Calgary

"Write Moves is an excellent resource for those teaching and studying Creative Writing. It is comprehensive, rigorous, and highly readable. No matter what sort of imaginative work you are interested in bringing into this world, you will find much here to focus and illuminate your practice." -- Wayde Compton, Simon Fraser University

About the Author

Nancy Pagh teaches creative writing, literature, and Canadian-American studies at Western Washington University. She is the author of the poetry collections No Sweeter Fat (Autumn House Press, 2007) and Once Removed (MoonPath Press, 2016) and of At Home Afloat: Women on the Waters of the Pacific Northwest (University of Calgary Press, 2001). Her work has appeared in Prairie Schooner, Canadian Literature, RHINO, Valparaiso Poetry Review, Rattle, Crab Creek Review, The Bellingham Review, Poetry Northwest, O magazine, and many other journals.