The romance arc is made up of its own story beats, and the external plot and theme need to be braided to the romance arc—not the other way around. Told in conversational (and often irreverent) prose, Romancing the Beat can be read like you are sitting down to coffee with romance editor and author Gwen Hayes while she explains story structure. The way she does with her clients. Some of whom are regular inhabitants of the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists. Romancing the Beat is a recipe, not a rigid system. The beats don’t care if you plot or outline before you write, or if you pants your way through the drafts and do a “beat check” when you’re revising. Pantsers and plotters are both welcome. So sit down, grab a cuppa, and let’s talk about kissing books.

    Finally, the collection turns to remembrances of "The Great Conroy," as he is lovingly titled by friends, and concludes with a eulogy. The inarguable power of Conroy's work resonates throughout A Lowcountry Heart, and his influence promises to endure.This moving tribute is sure to be a cherished keepsake for any true Conroy fan and remain a lasting monument to one of the best-loved masters of contemporary American letters.

    The reader's experience must be an emotional journey of its own, one as involving as your characters' struggles, discoveries, and triumphs are for you.That's where The Emotional Craft of Fiction comes in. Veteran literary agent and expert fiction instructor Donald Maass shows you how to use story to provoke a visceral and emotional experience in readers. Topics covered include: emotional modes of writing beyond showing versus telling your story's emotional world moral stakes connecting the inner and outer journeys plot as emotional opportunities invoking higher emotions, symbols, and emotional language cascading change story as emotional mirror positive spirit and magnanimous writing the hidden current that makes stories move Readers can simply read a novel...or they can experience it. The Emotional Craft of Fiction shows you how to make that happen.

    She'll help you understand what show, don't tell means, teach you how to spot told prose in your writing, and reveal why common advice on how to fix it doesn't always work. With in-depth analysis, Understanding Show, Don't Tell (And Really Getting It) looks at what affects told prose and when telling is the right thing to do. It also explores aspects of writing that aren’t technically telling, but are connected to told prose and can make prose feel told, such as infodumps, description, and backstory. Her easy-to-understand examples will show you clear before and after text and demonstrate how telling words change the prose. You'll learn how to find the right balance between description, narrative, and internalization for the strongest impact. These examples will also demonstrate why showing the wrong details can sound just as dull as telling. This book will help you: Understand when to tell and when to show Spot common red flag words often found in told prose Learn why one single rule doesn't apply to all books Determine how much telling is acceptable in your writing Fix stale or flat prose holding your writing back Understanding Show, Don't Tell (And Really Getting It) is more than just advice on what to do and what not to do—it’s a down and dirty examination and analysis of how show, don’t tell works, so you can adapt the “rules” to whatever style or genre you’re writing. By the end of this book, you’ll have a solid understanding of show, don’t tell and the ability to use it without fear or frustration.

    But many writers struggle to understand this powerful principle or have difficulty applying it to their own work. Even experienced authors sometimes don’t grasp the finer nuances of showing and telling. In this book, Sandra Gerth draws on her experience as an editor and a best-selling author to show you how to show and tell you when to tell. Each chapter includes concrete examples and exercises that will hone your writing skills. Whether you’re a novice writer working on your first story or an established author who has already learned the basics of showing and telling, this book will help you to: - Grasp the difference between showing and telling. - Understand why showing is such a powerful tool. - Spot telling in your own manuscript. - Fix bland passages and turn them into compelling scenes. - Keep from telling what you have already shown. - Avoid the three danger areas of telling. - Describe your characters and your setting in interesting ways. - Put powerful emotions into your writing. - Incorporate backstory into your novel without resorting to telling. - Recognize telling in dialogue. - Avoid overshowing and swamping your readers with too many details. - Learn when telling is actually a good thing. - Immerse your readers into your story and keep them captivated from beginning to end.

    Informed by story consultant Lisa Cron's science-based insights into how story structure is built into the architecture of the brain, this guide shows writers how to plumb the nitty-gritty details of their raw idea to organically generate a story scene by scene. Once writers reach the end of Cron's program, they will have both a blueprint that works and plenty of compelling writing suitable for their finished novel--allowing them to write forward with confidence.

    How exactly is a plot put together? How do you know if your idea will support an entire novel? How do you grab reader attention and keep it? How do you create dynamic, multi-dimensional characters? What is viewpoint and do you handle it differently in urban fantasy than in traditional epics? What should you do if you're lost in the middle? How do you make your plot end up where you intend it to go?From the writing of strong, action-packed scenes to the handling of emotions, let award-winning fantasy author Deborah Chester guide you through the process of putting a book together. Convinced there's no need to shroud the writing process under a veil of mystery, Chester supplies tips that are both practical and proven. They are exactly what she uses in writing her own novels and what she teaches in her writing courses at the University of Oklahoma.Along with explaining story construction step-by-step, Chester illustrates each technique with examples drawn from both traditional and urban fantasy. The technique chapters include exercises to assist novices in mastering the craft of writing fantasy as well as suggestions for avoiding or solving plot problems. More experienced writers will find tips for taking their work to the next level.With an introduction by author Jim Butcher, The fantasy fiction formula provides the information you need to gain skill and proficiency in writing fantasy like a pro.

    Now, in his first book of nonfiction, Percy challenges the notion that literary and genre fiction are somehow mutually exclusive. The title essay is an ode to the kinds of books that make many readers fall in love with fiction: science fiction, fantasy, mysteries, horror, from J.R.R. Tolkien to Anne Rice, Ursula K. Le Guin to Stephen King. Percy's own academic experience banished many of these writers in the name of what is "literary" and what is "genre." Then he discovered Michael Chabon, Aimee Bender, Cormac McCarthy, Margaret Atwood, and others who employ techniques of genre fiction while remaining literary writers. In fifteen essays on the craft of fiction, Percy looks to disparate sources such as Jaws, Blood Meridian, and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo to discover how contemporary writers engage issues of plot, suspense, momentum, and the speculative, as well as character, setting, and dialogue. An urgent and entertaining missive on craft, Thrill Me brims with Percy's distinctive blend of anecdotes, advice, and close reading, all in the service of one dictum: Thrill the reader.

    The list of alumni with Oscars runs off the page. The cornerstone of his program is his singular book, Story, which has defined how we talk about the art of story creation. Now, in Dialogue, McKee offers the same in-depth analysis for how characters speak on the screen, on the stage, and on the page in believable and engaging ways. From Macbeth to Breaking Bad, McKee deconstructs key scenes to illustrate the strategies and techniques of dialogue. Dialogue applies a framework of incisive thinking to instruct the prospective writer on how to craft artful, impactful speech. Famous McKee alumni include Peter Jackson, Jane Campion, Geoffrey Rush, Paul Haggis, the writing team for Pixar, and many others.

    Authors will learn to how to cut through pop culture noise and win over a jaded modern audience by rediscovering the heart of writing: shaping stories that ring true to our shared understanding of human nature. Providing conversational advice that spans multiple disciplines - from fiction to film to creative nonfiction - Matt Bird's insightful techniques allow characters to come alive and stories to reach a new level of appeal.

    When you're going through these things, it can feel like you're alone. But actually, they are part of the creative process, and every author goes through them too.This book collects the mindset issues that writers experience, that I have been through myself over the last nine years, and that perhaps you will experience at different times on the creative journey.Each small chapter tackles a possible issue and then offers an antidote, so that you can dip in and out over time. It includes excerpts from my own personal journals as well as quotes from well-known writers. I hope it helps you on the road to becoming a successful author.The book includes:Part 1: Mindset Aspects of Creativity and WritingSelf-doubt and imposter syndrome Need for validation Fear of failure Fear of rejection and criticism Your inner critic Fear of judgment Perfectionism Writer's block and procrastination "I'm not creative. I don't have any ideas" "My writing isn't original" "Why write? There are too many books in the world already" "I don't have the time or self-discipline to write" "I'm not finding writing much fun. It's hard work." "I keep starting things and not finishing them" Dealing with friends, family and writer's groups "How do I find my voice?" Comparisonitis or "Everyone is better than me" Part 2: Mindset Aspects after PublishingAnti-climax and creative dissatisfaction What is your definition of success? What happens when you tell people that you're an author? "I'm overwhelmed" Dealing with fans, authenticity and drawing the line Haters gonna hate Ambition, fame and fortune Giving up Part 3: Tips for Success on the Author JourneyKnow thyself Understand and hone your creative process Develop professional habits Manage professional relationships Take control of your writing career Find your community Keep learning Schedule rest and take time off Think long term. Create a body of work

    Let him show you exactly how to craft the copy you need to hook new readers. After writing hundreds of book descriptions for other authors and helping thousands with informative training, Bryan has learned what all the best book synopses have in common. Through easy-to-follow tips and helpful examples in a variety of genres, How to Write a Sizzling Synopsis gives you the tools you need to get a steady stream of online book browsers to click the Buy button every single day. In this book, you’ll discover: How to simplify your plot to create a short, engaging synopsis Why using certain words can make customers fall in love with your story How to shed unnecessary subplots and make writing your blurb a joy instead of a chore The step-by-step system for writing and editing your synopsis for rhythm, momentum, and clarity Why you need a synopsis cliffhanger, and much, much more! Finally, you no longer have to take on the challenge of copywriting alone. With a more intriguing synopsis in place, all your future promotions, ads, and marketing campaigns can perform significantly better. You want more readers to buy your books, and Bryan’s system is a great way to make it a reality. If you like detailed writing guides, plenty of examples, and a touch of humor, then you’ll love Bryan Cohen’s look behind the scenes at how he creates copy that sells. Buy How to Write a Sizzling Synopsis today to get new readers excited to buy your books!

        Everything You Need to Ace English Language Arts . . .takes students from grammar to reading comprehension to writing with ease, including parts of speech, active and passive verbs, Greek and Latin roots and affixes; nuances in word meanings; textual analysis, authorship, structure, and other skills for reading fiction and nonfiction; and writing arguments, informative texts, and narratives. The BIG FAT NOTEBOOK™ series is built on a simple and irresistible conceit—borrowing the notes from the smartest kid in class. There are five books in all, and each is the only book you need for each main subject taught in middle school: Math, Science, American History, English Language Arts, and World History. Inside the reader will find every subject’s key concepts, easily digested and summarized: Critical ideas highlighted in neon colors. Definitions explained. Doodles that illuminate tricky concepts in marker. Mnemonics for memorable shortcuts. And quizzes to recap it all. The BIG FAT NOTEBOOKS meet Common Core State Standards, Next Generation Science Standards, and state history standards, and are vetted by National and State Teacher of the Year Award–winning teachers. They make learning fun, and are the perfect next step for every kid who grew up on Brain Quest.

    And the secret phrase is this:NOBODY WANTS TO READ YOUR SH*T. Recognizing this painful truth is the first step in the writer's transformation from amateur to professional. From Chapter Four: “When you understand that nobody wants to read your shit, you develop empathy. You acquire the skill that is indispensable to all artists and entrepreneurs—the ability to switch back and forth in your imagination from your own point of view as writer/painter/seller to the point of view of your reader/gallery-goer/customer. You learn to ask yourself with ev­ery sentence and every phrase: Is this interesting? Is it fun or challenging or inventive? Am I giving the reader enough? Is she bored? Is she following where I want to lead her?"

    In The Magic Words, editor Cheryl B. Klein guides writers on an enjoyable and practical-minded voyage of their own, from developing a saleable premise for a novel to finding a dream agent. She delves deep into the major elements of fiction—intention, character, plot, and voice—while addressing important topics like diversity, world-building, and the differences between middle-grade and YA novels. In addition, the book’s exercises, questions, and straightforward rules of thumb help writers apply these insights to their own creative works. With its generous tone and useful tools for story analysis and revision, The Magic Words is an essential handbook for writers of children’s and young adult fiction.

    Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and the Inklings met each week to read and discuss each other's work-in-progress, offering both encouragement and blistering critique. How did these conversations shape the books they were writing? How does creative collaboration enhance individual talent? And what can we learn from their example?

    Using the insights gleaned from these clients, as well as her own personal story, Sapala shows us how the experience of the intuitive writer can be radically different from the norm. INFJ writers don’t think like anyone else, and their highly creative brains take a toll on them that they rarely share with the outside world. The INFJ Writer discusses such topics as:How an INFJ writer’s physical health is tied to their creative outputWhy INFJ writers are more likely to fall prey to addictionsWhen an INFJ writer should use their natural psychic ability to do their best creative workWhether looking to start writing again or to finish the novel/memoir they started so long ago, any writer with the self-awareness to identify themselves as highly sensitive and intuitive will benefit from this book that helps them to find their own magic, and to finally use it to build the creative life that actually works for them.

      “Ask me to your bed,” he said. “I shall come to ye.”   In this revealing compendium, acclaimed writer Diana Gabaldon shares her invaluable lessons for creating an immersive reading experience, from evoking a mood to using the power of emotions to communicate physical intimacy. You’ll learn the difference between gratuitous sex and genuine encounters that move the story forward, and how to handle less-than-savory acts that nevertheless serve a narrative purpose. Gabaldon also notes that sex can be conveyed instead of described. With such tips as “The Rule of Three” for involving the senses, handy lists of naughty euphemisms (with instructions for use), and Gabaldon’s own examples from the Outlander novels, “I Give You My Body . . .” is a master class in writing to draw readers in and keep them riveted to the page.

    Yet so many writers, from beginners to veterans, find their careers stuck in neutral.The solution is simple: Just write. Write yourself past fears, doubts, and setbacks, and use your desire for writing excellence to deeply immerse yourself in the craft.In Just Write, best-selling author and veteran writing coach James Scott Bell shows you how to develop unforgettable stories while leading a rewarding writing life. You'll learn how to master the nuances of fiction, discover what readers really want, and persevere through the challenges of getting started, conquering writer's block, and dealing with rejection. Look inside to discover how to:BRAINSTORM NEW CONCEPTS for your fiction and develop a believable premise.CREATE MEMORABLE CHARACTERS that keep your readers coming back for more.STUDY CLASSIC & CONTEMPORARY NOVELS to improve your writing.EFFECTIVELY MARKET YOURSELF as a writer.MANAGE YOUR TIME to maintain peak efficiency.Fulfilling writing careers are developed through hard work, an investment in practice, and complete dedication to the process. Don't succumb to excuses or procrastination. Dive into your career with gusto and enthusiasm. Fall in love with writing every day. Just write.

    How To Write Copy That Sells is a step-by-step guide to writing fast, easy-to-read, effective copy. It's for everyone who needs to write copy that brings in cash – including copywriters, freelancers, and entrepreneurs. Inside, you'll find copywriting techniques for email marketing, web sites, social media, sales pages, ads, and direct mail. You'll also discover: The universal hidden structure behind all persuasive copy. How to avoid the most common copywriting mistakes. A simple technique for writing copy that’s easy to read. How to write powerful short copy for social media. Sample headlines, bullet points, and openings – yours to “swipe” and use as your own! Tons of templates, examples, and checklists guaranteed to improve your copy. ...And much, much more! Writing Copy That Sells is your indispensable guide to creating fresh, fast, effective copy that generates sales like magic.

    You dream of sharing your words with the world, and you're willing to put in the hard work to achieve success. You may have even considered earning your MFA, but for whatever reason--tuition costs, the time commitment, or other responsibilities--you've never been able to do it. Or maybe you've been looking for a self-guided approach so you don't have to go back to school. This book is for you."DIY MFA" is the do-it-yourself alternative to a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing. By combining the three main components of a traditional MFA--writing, reading, and community--it teaches you how to craft compelling stories, engage your readers, and publish your work. Inside you'll learn how to: Set customized goals for writing and learning.Generate ideas on demand.Outline your book from beginning to end.Breathe life into your characters.Master point of view, voice, dialogue, and more.Read with a "writer's eye" to emulate the techniques of others.Network like a pro, get the most out of writing workshops, and submit your work successfully.Writing belongs to everyone--not only those who earn a degree. With "DIY MFA," you can take charge of your writing, produce high-quality work, get published, and build a writing career.

    The only failure now is pulling back from that quest because of fear.”Expanding upon his short original “Blessed Are the Weird” piece that became a viral phenomenon, he traces the roots of soulful artistry and creation to ancient times and back again to reveal the insistent, eternal quest of our true natures that demands something real—as if our very existence depends upon it.This book is a call to creatives (and those who want to be) with the clear message that it has never been more critical to heed the call of soul than it is during this exciting, dangerous new renaissance epoch on Planet Earth.Heartfelt and sometimes humorous, it lights a signal fire for all who feel out of place in the modern world and invites them to claim their heritage as members in an ancient lineage—those tenders of soul and beauty who have always kept the flame alive for humanity.This is a book for everyone who wants to lead a deep, true, and passionate life and leave the world better for having passed this way.Blessed Are the Weird. Your time has come to define the new normal.

    The Scientist's Guide to Writing provides practical advice to help scientists become more effective writers so that their ideas have the greatest possible impact.Drawing on his own experience as a scientist, graduate adviser, and editor, Stephen Heard emphasizes that the goal of all scientific writing should be absolute clarity; that good writing takes deliberate practice; and that what many scientists need are not long lists of prescriptive rules but rather direct engagement with their behaviors and attitudes when they write. He combines advice on such topics as how to generate and maintain writing momentum with practical tips on structuring a scientific paper, revising a first draft, handling citations, responding to peer reviews, managing coauthorships, and more.In an accessible, informal tone, The Scientist's Guide to Writing explains essential techniques that students, postdoctoral researchers, and early-career scientists need to write more clearly, efficiently, and easily.Emphasizes writing as a process, not just a productEncourages habits that improve motivation and productivityExplains the structure of the scientific paper and the function of each partProvides detailed guidance on submission, review, revision, and publicationAddresses issues related to coauthorship, English as a second language, and more

    Written for aspiring authors, previously published authors, and independent publishers, it explains the ever-shifting publishing landscape and helps indie authors understand that they're up against the status quo, and how to work within the system but also how to subvert the system in order to succeed. Publishing expert and independent publisher Brooke Warner is fearless in her critique of an industry that's lost its mandate, and in so doing has opened the door wide for indie publishers to thrive. While she does not shy away from calling out the bias against indie authors, she also asserts that it's never been a more exciting time to be in book publishing--and her passion and enthusiasm are contagious. "If you're going to green-light your work, you have to wow," Warner writes. But to surpass expectations, you also need to be a student of publishing and to be able to hold your own with book buyers, event coordinators, librarians, wholesalers, distributors, and reviewers. Green-Light Your Book seeks to equip authors and publishers with the language, knowledge, and skill sets they need to play big.

    without the frustration, heartache, and the dreaded staring at a blank page?In this conversational and action-oriented book, Chandler Bolt presents a proven solution that will take from blank page to published author in 90 days. In Published. you will find: Chandler's 3-step method that takes you from blank page to rough draft finished, in less than one week (write a better book in 1/10th of the time!) How to save $1,000's of dollars in the editing & book production process... producing a "traditionally-published quality" book on a budget Four launch strategies you can use to successfully launch your book... even if you don't have an audience or any marketing skills How to keep book sales going after your launch Easy ways you can use your book to drive sales of your product & service offerings Published. equips readers with the key to unlocking the story that has been burning inside them, calling them to share their wisdom with the world.Published. turns aspiring writers into published authors.Published. helps you grow your income, authority, and business through writing a book. Don't wait. Read this book and unlock the benefits of being an author today!​

    These icons of science fiction are now in our daily news. Science fiction, once maligned as mere pulp, has motivated cutting-edge scientific research, inspired new technologies, and changed how we view everyday life - and its themes and questions permeate popular culture. Take an unparalleled look at the influence, history, and greatest works of science fiction with illuminating insights and fascinating facts about this wide-ranging genre. If you think science fiction doesn't have anything to do with you, this course deserves your attention. And if you love science fiction, you can't miss this opportunity to trace the arc of science fiction's evolution, understand the hallmarks of great science fiction, and delve deeply into classics while finding some new favorites.These 24 captivating lectures reveal the qualities that make science fiction an enduring phenomenon that has been steadily gaining popularity. You'll grasp the context and achievements of authors like Arthur C. Clarke, H.G. Wells, Isaac Asimov, Ursula K. LeGuin, and many more. You'll experience the wonder, horror, and incredible imagination of works like Frankenstein, the Foundation series, Stranger in a Strange Land, and dozens of more recent stories as well. You'll also see this genre's influence in movies like Star Wars and TV shows like The Twilight Zone.Science fiction can take us places in time and space where no other form of fiction can - outer space, the far future, alternate universes, unfathomable civilizations. The best science fiction expands our imaginations and makes its mark on our reality. And while few writers would ever claim to predict the future, sometimes authors get it almost eerily right: Gernsback describing radar in 1911, Bradbury describing giant flatscreen TVs in 1951, Gibson inventing "cyberspace" in 1984, and so on.

    Nobody gets tapped with a magic wand and suddenly has the ability to produce art, music, photos, films, or writing—they just do it. And you probably should too. Make It Till You Make It breaks down 40 myths and truths about the pursuit of creative expression, whether you want to make $0 a year doing your thing or $100,000 a year.

    Agoraphobia, the challenges of parenting a child with special needs, and the legacy of a formidable father all shaped that journey. In these deeply personal and instructive essays, the author of the internationally acclaimed If I loved you, I would tell you this and Life Drawing explores the making of art through the experiences of building a life. Engaging, challenging, and moving, Crash Course is full of insight into how to write—and why.From "Autumn, 1972, A Moment at Which I Became a Writer":I sense, even now, the reverberations of a kind of shattering of my foundation and a quick rebuild, a change at a molecular level of who I understood myself to be. No longer someone who could look at another person without wondering what their life was like, but someone with a new curiosity about what people's stories might actually be.Robin Black is the author of the story collection, If I loved you, I would tell you this and the novel Life Drawing, both critically acclaimed, and both published in multiple languages. She has developed a loyal, enthusiastic following for her essays on life and writing, online and in such publications as the New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, and O Magazine. She lives with her husband in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where the house is always open for their three grown children.

     You will learn how to generate hundreds of story ideas, cover designs, and characters. How to get past writer’s block. How to use the monster mirroring technique. The most profitable keywords, word counts, kinks. THE EROTICA HANDBOOK also includes a thesaurus with a mountain of sexy synonyms to help speed up your writing. Working from home has never been easier, and erotica is the only genre where new authors can price a short story at $2.99 and sell 100 copies in three weeks. THE EROTICA HANDBOOK is the cutting-edge blueprint to obtaining pleasure and money. Don’t deny yourself the joy of making $200 while you sleep.

    For the first time, authors have direct access to the public via the Internet and can create a community eagerly awaiting their book. But where do new authors start? How do they sort through the dizzying range of online options? Where should they spend their time online and what should they be doing? Enter Fauzia Burke, a digital book marketing pioneer and friend of overwhelmed writers everywhere. She takes authors step-by-step through the process of identifying their unique personal brand, defining their audience, clarifying their aspirations and goals, and setting priorities. She offers advice on designing a successful website, building a mailing list of superfans, blogging, creating an engagement strategy for social media, and more. By following Burke's expert advice, authors can conquer the Internet and still get their next manuscript in on time. "

    It enables us to write faster and avoid the dangers of RSI and a sedentary lifestyle. But many of us give up on dictating when we find we can't get the accuracy we need to be truly productive. This book changes all of that. With almost two decades of using Dragon software under his belt and a wealth of insider knowledge from within the dictation industry, Scott Baker will reveal how to supercharge your writing and achieve sky-high recognition accuracy from the moment you start using the software. You will learn: - Hidden tricks to use when installing Dragon NaturallySpeaking on a Windows PC or Dragon Dictate for Mac; - How to choose the right microphone and set it up perfectly for speech recognition; - The little-known techniques that will ensure around 99% accuracy from your first install – and how to make this even better over time; - Setting up fail-safe dictation profiles with multiple microphones and voice recorders, without impacting your accuracy; - How to train the software to adapt to you and avoid your accuracy declining; - Strategies for achieving your entire daily word count in just one or two hours; - Many more tips and tricks you won't find anywhere else. At the end of the book, you'll also find an exclusive list of resources and links to FREE video training to take your knowledge even further. It's time to write at the speed of speech – and transform your writing workflow forever!

    Jessa Crispin guides you through the intuitive world of the tarot to get those creative juices flowing again. Thought to be esoteric and mystical, tarot cards are approachable and endlessly helpful to overcoming creative blocks. Crispin offers spiritual readings of the cards, practical information for the uninspired artist, and a wealth of fascinating anecdotes about famous artists including Virginia Woolf, Rembrandt, and David Bowie, and how they found inspiration. With five original tarot spreads and beautiful illustrations throughout, The Creative Tarot is an accessible, colorful guide that demystifies both the tarot and the creative process.

    Whether it’s a memoir of an exciting life, or fictional characters in your head trying to get out. Perhaps you’ve thought it might be cool to write a book, but always believed it was beyond your reach and ability.It’s not.To be more precise, it doesn’t have to be. All you lack is the motivation to get started, the tenacity to stay with it, and the expertise in self publishing to get it finished. I can help you with these things.In this book, I’ll show you some of the rewards that might come your way by becoming an self published, or independent author. I also provide a few tips on how to overcome certain common stumbling blocks.But, this isn’t a how-to book. There are many learned scholars publishing books about the craft of creative writing. This is more of a motivational book, giving you an idea of what you might expect in the trenches, as a mid-level self published author. Whether you’re just thinking about writing or already have several books published, we could all use a little motivation.Who am I? Just an old truck driver, who is now off the road and living the life I’ve always dreamed of, after just two years of writing and self publishing.

    It is my attempt to answer, ‘What next?’ for students who are embarking on their ‘second act.’”—Julia Cameron   Julia Cameron has inspired millions with her bestseller on creativity, The Artist’s Way. In It’s Never Too Late To Begin Again, she turns her eye to a segment of the population that, ironically, while they have more time to be creative, are often reluctant or intimidated by the creative process. Cameron shows readers that retirement can, in fact, be the most rich, fulfilling, and creative time of their lives. When someone retires, the newfound freedom can be quite exciting, but also daunting. The life that someone had has changed, and the life to come is yet to be defined. In this book, Cameron shows readers how cultivating their creative selves can help them navigate this new terrain. She tells the inspiring stories of retirees who discovered new artistic pursuits and passions that more than filled their days—they nurtured their souls.   A twelve-week course aimed at defining—and creating—the life you want to have as you redefine—and re-create—yourself, this book includes simple tools that will guide and inspire you to make the most of this time in your life: -  Memoir writing offers an opportunity to reflect on—and honor—past experience. This book guides you through the daunting task of writing an entire memoir, breaking it down into manageable pieces.  -  Morning Pages—private, stream-of-consciousness writing done daily—allow you to express wishes, fears, delights, resentments, and joys, which in turn, provide focus and clarity for the day at hand. -  Artist Dates encourage fun and spontaneity. -  Solo Walks quell anxiety and clear the mind.This fun, gentle, step-by-step process will help you explore your creative dreams, wishes, and desires—and help you quickly find that it’s never too late to begin again.

    If you haven’t released your book yet, this book will help you set the stage necessary to build the strongest foundation possible for success. Topics include: *Twitter secrets *Facebook page must-do’s *Social media ideas you might not know or haven’t thought of *Promotion, giveaways, and other book marketing secrets *Website, blogging, and SEO tips designed just for authors This book is a must-read and must-DO for any aspiring, new, or veteran author! Bloggers and small businesses can also benefit from this guide as well. I have been encouraging (pleading with?) Rachel to write this book since we met years ago. Rachel is, quite simply, a force of nature, and if you take the challenge the way she has laid it out and actually do the assignments (imagine that!), you will not only find yourself with a greater understanding of social media, you will also start to sell more books. I say enthusiastically: GET THIS BOOK AND START THE CHALLENGE. There is no time to waste. You’ll be glad you did. Seriously. Go get the book and start the challenge. I wish I’d had this book when I was promoting my first novel. It would have saved me so much time! Lori Culwell, Author and SEO expert, Creative Director of Get Creative, Inc, a national SEO agency When it comes to social media marketing for authors, no one knows more than Rachel Thompson. She practices what she preaches and has helped dozens of our authors enjoy significant leaps in their social media standing. Steve Bennett, Founder and Creative Director, AuthorBytes This book is an amazing compilation of data and resources that only someone with years of experience could pull together. As a book marketing specialist myself, I’m still blown away by the amazing content Rachel provides. If you’re writing or marketing a book, this is a MUST-HAVE. Alexa Bigwarfe, Author Coach & Owner of Kat Biggie Press Digital Media Company

    These writers may know how to format a script, write snappy dialogue, and set a scene. They may have interesting characters and perhaps some clever plot devices. But, invariably, while they may have the kernel of a good idea for a screenplay, they fail to tell a story. What the 99 percent do instead is present a situation. In order to explain the difference, Chamberlain created the Nutshell Technique, a method whereby writers identify eight dynamic, interconnected elements that are required to successfully tell a story.Now, for the first time, Chamberlain presents her unique method in book form with The Nutshell Technique: Crack the Secret of Successful Screenwriting. Using easy-to-follow diagrams ("nutshells"), she thoroughly explains how the Nutshell Technique can make or break a film script. Chamberlain takes readers step-by-step through thirty classic and contemporary movies, showing how such dissimilar screenplays as Casablanca, Chinatown, Pulp Fiction, The Usual Suspects, Little Miss Sunshine, Juno, Silver Linings Playbook, and Argo all have the same system working behind the scenes, and she teaches readers exactly how to apply these principles to their own screenwriting. Learn the Nutshell Technique, and you'll discover how to turn a mere situation into a truly compelling screenplay story.

    Garner. The author of The Chicago Manual of Style’s popular “Grammar and Usage” chapter, Garner explains the vagaries of English with absolute precision and utmost clarity. With The Chicago Guide to Grammar, Usage, and Punctuation, he has written the definitive guide for writers who want their prose to be both memorable and correct. Throughout the book Garner describes standard literary English—the forms that mark writers and speakers as educated users of the language. He also offers historical context for understanding the development of these forms. The section on grammar explains how the canonical parts of speech came to be identified, while the section on syntax covers the nuances of sentence patterns as well as both traditional sentence diagramming and transformational grammar. The usage section provides an unprecedented trove of empirical evidence in the form of Google Ngrams, diagrams that illustrate the changing prevalence of specific terms over decades and even centuries of English literature. Garner also treats punctuation and word formation, and concludes the book with an exhaustive glossary of grammatical terms and a bibliography of suggested further reading and references.The Chicago Guide to Grammar, Usage, and Punctuation is a magisterial work, the culmination of Garner’s lifelong study of the English language. The result is a landmark resource that will offer clear guidelines to students, writers, and editors alike.

    You’ll learn how to build the external and internal journey of your characters, create a theme, build story and scene tension, create the character change journey and even pitch and market your story. All with one amazing question. Learn: The amazing trick to creating unforgettable, compelling characters that epic movies use! How to create riveting tension to keep the story driving from chapter to chapter The easy solution to plotting the middle of your novel The one element every story needs to keep a reader up all night How to craft an ending that makes your reader say to their friends, “Oh, you have to read this book!” Using the powerful technique that has created over fifty RITA, Christy and Carol award-winning, best-selling novels, Susan May Warren will show novelists how to utilize The Story Equation to create the best story they’ve ever written.

    

    For writers, the mind fuels the imagination and creates stories. But for authors who are productive and resilient, and see a good return on their efforts, there is another factor at work. They are winning the mental game of writing. Successful writers have the ability to inspire themselves to produce consistently, improve systematically, overcome obstacles and keep up a positive mental attitude. In this book, #1 bestselling writing teacher James Scott Bell takes you through the mental landscape of the successful author. He shows you not only how to stay on your game, but how to improve it. He gives you insights, strategies and techniques for blasting through walls and jumping over hurdles, setting you free to concentrate on what you love most – writing. You'll learn how to define true success, formulate goals and plans, find courage and commitment to write, unleash your creativity and write with joy. You'll also be given steps to handle challenges like stress, burnout, envy, expectations and the trap of comparison. In short, you'll learn to get all your mental jets going full blast so your writing can reach new heights! "I need three things before I tackle a new novel: Diet Coke, a laptop, and my dog-eared copies of James Scott Bell's books on writing craft." - #1 NYT Times Bestselling Author Kami Garcia

     In Write. Publish. Repeat., bestselling authors Johnny B. Truant, Sean Platt, and David Wright explained how to build a thriving international publishing empire with no luck required. Rather than resting on their laurels in the years since WPR was written, they’ve been evolving their once-fledgling business a little bit at a time: expanding to eight publishing imprints, ten high-profile podcasts, a coordinated staff working behind the scenes, millions of words published and hundreds of thousands of books in the hands of eager readers. In Iterate and Optimize, they show you how they grew their business from the ground up in tiny, incremental steps — and give you a road map so that you can do it, too. More than “just another self-publishing guide,” this book delves deep into the business behind the success of Platt, Truant, and Wright’s company Sterling & Stone, making it the essential “advanced course” follow up to Write. Publish. Repeat. It explains how to tweak your processes over time while maintaining momentum, wringing more profit out of assets you already have. You’ll learn how to diversify and create more products with less work, generate more money doing what you already do now, and set yourself up so you can build a readership who will support you in the specific ways you intend to evolve. You’ll learn how to grow from a bare-bones, minimum-viable-product business into a slightly larger business or an outright empire — not with massive, flashy (and risky) moves, but by the sustainable magic of incremental growth: small improvements made consistently over time. In this book, Platt, Truant, and Wright give you all the nitty-gritty they’ve learned and implemented since their last nonfiction publishing bestseller. You’ll learn how to “iterate and optimize” the way you handle: • Exclusive versus “going wide” distribution • International and multi-format sales • Advertising and marketing • Optimizing book covers, descriptions, and metadata to increase conversion • Slowly and sustainable building your assistants or contractors, plus outsourcing right • Advanced product funnels, including the changed role of free books • Networking and in-person meet-ups • Workflow management and systems • The writing and pre-writing process so you can “write better faster” • Social media • Podcasting • Crowdfunding - what works and what doesn’t • And much more! This book isn’t for the faint of heart! It’s only for serious “authorpreneurs” who’ve read and internalized the lessons of its predecessor Write. Publish. Repeat. and are ready to kick their businesses up a notch. In Iterate and Optimize, the authors hold nothing back … giving you a true insider’s look at all the details that make Sterling & Stone run. There has never been a “gold rush” or “magic button,” despite the flood of online marketers who want to convince you otherwise.

    “As a first-time author this book made a huge positive impact on my ability to write and publish my own book.” –Amazon Customer THE SINGLE BEST TOOL EVERY ENTREPRENEUR NEEDS TO BUILD, BOOST, AND GROW THEIR BUSINESS. Beyond technology, software, social media networks, even advertising and marketing campaigns, the biggest and best tool you’ll ever have in your belt is a business book with your name on the cover. Authority and Credibility—Nothing establishes your authority faster or better, making it easier to attract investors, clients, and customers. Brand recognition—Nothing makes your name and your brand easier to recognize, giving you greater reach with no additional overhead. The ultimate business card—We’re hard-wired to hold on to books, to keep and care for them, and to share them with others. When’s the last time someone did that with your business card? You Must Write a Book introduces you to these concepts and digs further—revealing not only the benefits of how a book can help you to build and grow your business and your brand, but how you can put your ideas on the page. You’ll learn: Why a book matters to your business Pre-planning and strategic thinking, before putting even the first word on the page How to write your book by committing to only a few words per day How to hire ghostwriters or other professionals to get your ideas on the page, without writing a word The steps for launching your book like a champ Marketing plans—both for your book, and using your book to market yourself and your business You’ll also learn from the masters—gain insight from some of the most advanced thinkers in publishing, so that you can skip level one and build from their success. Get in on the wisdom from thought leaders such as Hal Elrod, Bryan Cohen, Pat Petrini, J.A. Huss, Steve Scott, James Altucher, Kevin Tumlinson, and many more. Honorée Corder is the author of Tall Order!, Prosperity for Writers, and many more volumes, and Hal Elrod’s business partner in The Miracle Morning series. She is a coach and consultant working with high profile entrepreneurs and businesses, guiding them into some of the best decisions they’ve ever made. In You Must Write a Book, she has culled together some of the finest examples of publishing and marketing wisdom available, from some of today’s most successful and influential masters. IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A SINGLE TOOL TO ACHIEVE NEXT-LEVEL SUCCESS, PICK UP YOUR COPY OF ‘YOU MUST WRITE A BOOK’ RIGHT NOW!

    It is a renaissance born not in Italian cathedrals or Harlem jazz clubs but in kitchens and nurseries and living rooms around the world. But when Christian women become mothers, they often feel expected to lay down their creative pursuits in order to properly parent.Wendy Speake and Kelli Stuart know that struggle. While they acknowledge that some seasons of mothering require setting artistic pursuits aside, they also argue that these seasons don't have to last until empty nest time. Instead, mothers with creative gifts are called to actively use them in order to bless their families, their communities, and everyone they encounter.Inspiring and encouraging, Life Creative celebrates the ways mothers can live their art in the midst of their mothering. They tell the stories of women such as author and speaker Angie Smith, recording artist Ellie Holcomb, and jewelry designer Lisa Leonard who do just that. By following God's leading to embrace His gifts, renaissance moms can model the joy of obedience for their families.

    It was written for both graduate and undergraduate students who already know the basics of academic writing but may still struggle to express their ideas using the right words. The Only Academic Phrasebook You’ll Ever Need contains 600 sentence templates organized around the typical sections of an academic paper. Here are some examples: 1. Establishing a research territory: The last few years have seen an increased interest in ____. 2. Describing research gaps: To date, no study has looked specifically at ____. 3. Stating your aims: The aim of this study is to discuss the extent to which ____. 4. Describing the scope and organization of your paper: In chapter ____ , the concept of ____ is further explored. 5. General literature review: A number of scholars have attempted to identify ____. 6. Referencing: In his 1799 study, Smith argued that ____. 7. Sampling and data collection: Participants were randomly selected based on ____. 8. Data analysis and discussion: The data provide preliminary evidence that ____. The Only Academic Phrasebook You’ll Ever Need also contains 80 grammar and vocabulary tips for both native and non-native speakers. For example: 1. What's the difference between "effect" and "affect"? “Imply” and “infer”? "They're", "their" and "there"? 2. Is "irregardless" correct? 3. Do you say "the criteria was" or "the criteria were"? The Only Academic Phrasebook You’ll Ever Need is NOT a comprehensive academic writing textbook. It will NOT teach you key academic skills such as choosing the right research question, writing clear paragraphs, dealing with counter arguments and so on. But it will help you find the best way to say what you want to say so you can ace that paper!

    Weiland With over 300 pages of step-by-step guidance, these two individual books have 440+ five star reviews on Amazon and have helped thousands of authors write better books. Can Outlining Help You Write a Better Story? These bestselling guides will help you choose the right type of outline to unleash your creativity, guide you in brainstorming plot ideas, and aid you in discovering your characters. --OUTLINING YOUR NOVEL-- Award-winning author K.M. Weiland’s bestselling Outlining Your Novel shows you how to embrace outlines in a way that makes the writing process fun, inspiring, and easy. Writers often look upon outlines with fear and trembling. But when properly understood and correctly wielded, the outline is one of the most powerful weapons in a writer’s arsenal. Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success will help you choose the right type of outline for you, guide you in brainstorming plot ideas, aid you in discovering your characters, show you how to structure your scenes, explain how to format your finished outline, instruct you in how to use your outline when writing the first draft, reveal the benefits of outlining, and dispel the misconceptions. --OUTLINING YOUR NOVEL WORKBOOK— Now it’s time to put those lessons to use! The Outlining Your Novel Workbook presents a guided approach to getting the bones of your story down on paper, identifying plot holes, and brainstorming exciting new possibilities. Containing hundreds of incisive questions and imagination-revving exercises, this valuable resource will show you how to: Create your own personalized outlining process Brainstorm premise and plot ideas Discover your characters Choose and create the right settings Organize your scenes And so much more! This accessible and streamlined workbook will empower you to create a powerful outline—and an outstanding novel. Start writing your best book today!

     This Unofficial Guide unveils many of the hidden secrets to promoting your published book. How can I get my book into the Hot New Releases? How can I get my book to appear along side the Best Sellers on Amazon? How can I pick the best book category for my book, and why are they hidden from me in Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP)? I’m now going to show you the answers. I’m going to tell you what is really going on. This Kindle book is quite literally a cheat sheet, a short cut to your biggest challenge on Amazon: Getting discovered. Get your copy now!

    It's near impossible for customers to cut through the "innovative solutions" and "passion for customer service," and find out who can actually give them what they need.For the business owner who's willing to do something different, though, it represents a major - and inexpensive - competitive advantage.May I Have Your Attention, Please? lays out 12 simple principles that allow business owners - even those with no writing experience - to attract and enchant their dream customers. With clear and concise explanations of what works and why, and examples of the best and worst text out there, you'll have all the tools you need to turn readers into buyers into raving fans. Give your writing skills an instant upgradeIn this short book, you'll learn: Simple techniques to turn your dull-as-dishwater business marketing into "can't resist" copy - even if you don't think of yourself as a "good writer." How to make price irrelevant and be the only choice for your ideal customer - by changing nothing except your copywriting. The business writing "rules" you should revel in breaking. Why copying your competitors is a dangerous waste of time... and what to do instead (without spending hours searching for ideas). The easily avoidable mistakes that are turning your customers off - even if they don't know it. A simple framework to help you blast through writer's block and know exactly what to say in any piece of writing. How to "read your customers' minds," and get them looking for reasons to buy from you. Who is this book for? Business owners looking to breathe more life into their website, content marketing or sales materials. Employees who want to gain a new skill and have more impact in their work. Anyone who has something great to offer - but is struggling to get the message across.

    With humour and passion, she explains the struggles all writers face and reveals how to overcome them. Whether you’re already published or just starting out, writing for others or purely for self-expression, Use Your Words has the tips, tricks, techniques and honest truths to get you writing. You’ll learn how creativity is a like a vending machine, how writing is like a magnet and how not to die with your light inside you.Wait no longer – smash through procrastination and fear and get those words on the page.

     In this book, Sandra Gerth draws on her experience as an editor and a best-selling author to teach you how to handle point of view in a way that will make your readers identify with your main character, draw them into the story, and keep them captivated until the very last page. The book provides concrete examples and exercises that will hone your writing skills. Whether you’re a novice writer working on her first story or an established author, this book will help you to: - Discover what point of view is and why it’s so important. - Understand the different types of point of view such as first-person, third-person, omniscient, and deep POV. - Choose the point of view that works best for your story. - Write a novel from multiple viewpoints without confusing your readers. - Avoid head-hopping and other POV violations that would throw your readers out of the story. - Write internal monologue and take your readers deeply into your character’s mind. - Create suspense and tension by using POV techniques. - Let your readers experience events through your main character’s eyes to get them emotionally involved in your story.

    (Regularly priced at $19.99). Or download it for free with your Kindle Unlimited subscription. Read on your PC, Mac, smartphone, tablet or Kindle device.Do you want a guide that: Takes you through the entire book launch process step-by-step from preparation to celebration? Answers all your questions and breaks through all the myths and misconceptions out there? Prepares you for every accident, mishap, and eventuality? Teaches you how to launch a successful book without depending on an army of friends, followers or a massive mailing list? After years working as one of the most prolific ghostwriters and authors in the world, Jonathan is finally ready to reveal his secret method for launching books on Amazon. Get the exact secrets that his coaching clients pay thousands of dollars for. This system works for every single niche and category - from romance novels to children’s books, from parenting to cookbooks. Whether you have never written a book before or are about to launch your 100th novel, you are sure to find value in Breaking Orbit. Breaking Orbit: Shows you how to design a cover that flies off the shelf Guides you in gathering reviews, without begging your friends and family Teaches you how to turn writing a novel into an easy and manageable task Ensures you have an audience before you write the first word in your book Helps you build an entire business behind your book Shows you how to make a real living from your books Teaches you how to make ten times more money from your backend than you do from Amazon Removes the fear and trepidation that stops most authors from releasing that first book… Jonathan also covers everything you need to know to continue your success after your first book, from building a mailing list to maintaining momentum.This book will teach you everything you need to know to get ready for the great Kindle adventure. From choosing the right tools and strategies all the way through dealing with writer’s block.You do not need to waste hours reading conflicting advice on flashy websites. This book will provide you a simple path to starting your new career as a writer.Many people use this training to launch their first book in under thirty days. This book has every single tool, answer and piece of information you need to launch a bestseller without stress or anxiety. Jonathan saves you time and money by providing a system that works fast, and DOESN’T come with a massive shopping list.

    

    As soon as you name an emotion, readers go into thinking mode. And when they think about an emotion, they distance themselves from feeling it. A great way to show anger, fear, indifference, and the whole range of emotions that characterize the human experience, is through beats. These action snippets that pepper dialogue can help describe a wide range of emotions while avoiding lazy writing. The power of beats lies in their innate ability to create richer, more immediate, deeper writing. This emotional thesaurus includes hundreds of examples that you can use for your inspiration, so that you, too, can harness this technique to easily convert your writing into palpable feelings. Genre fiction authors can use Emotional Beat as a feeling thesaurus and watch their writing take off! Emotional Beats was an award-winning Finalist in the IPA 2017 Awards.

    The grammar book for the 21st century has arrived, from the language experts at Farlex International and TheFreeDictionary.com, the trusted reference destination with 1 billion+ annual visits. Farlex brings you the most comprehensive grammar guide yet: all the rules of English grammar, explained in simple, easy-to-understand terms. Over 500 pages of proper grammar instruction—2X more than the leading grammar book! Whether you're an expert or a beginner, there's always something new to learn when it comes to the always-evolving English language. Don't rely on multiple incomplete textbooks that contradict each other—fill in all the gaps in your grammar knowledge with one go-to guide. Only Complete English Grammar Rules gives you key exceptions, common grammar mistakes, thousands of real-world examples, and hundreds of grammar quizzes designed to help you retain what you've learned. With Complete English Grammar Rules, you'll be able to: • Quickly master basic English grammar and tackle more advanced topics. • Properly use every type of noun, verb, and even the most obscure grammar elements. • Master verb tenses, including irregular verbs and exceptions. • Avoid embarrassing grammar errors. • Immediately put your skills into action! Become a more effective writer and communicator in school, at work, and in everyday conversation.

    That s step one. Book publicist Dana Kaye now takes you through step two: getting your book into the hands of legions of readers. How we read books is changing rapidly, and so is where we buy them. From the rise of eBooks to the impact of online retail sales through companies like Amazon to the wide acceptance of self-publishing as a natural path countless authors are writing books and then wondering what to do with them. If they decide to bring their book to market themselves, how do they ensure they will reach audiences without a marketing or publicity department and without the budgets and outreach that publishers have? If a house has acquired the rights and promises to publish, how does that writer supplement the work of those publicity managers and develop a direct relationship with everyone from the media to potential fans? Throughout her career, Dana Kaye has helped authors raise their profiles. As the head of her own independent PR firm, Kaye Publicity, Dana Kaye has succeeded in getting her client s books into the hands of as many readers as possible. She has been a driving force behind numerous bestselling authors across all genres, from thriller authors like Gregg Hurwitz and Jamie Freveletti to children's authors like Liz Climo and Claudia Gray, and now she brings her insights to you. Kaye walks writers through all of their options, taking the anxiety out of the pitching process and teaching them how to be their own best promoters. Sharp, intuitive, and user-friendly, Dana Kaye s guide is a must-have for all authors with bestselling aspirations. "When it comes to professionalism, hard work and dedication, Danais the best there is! She has been invaluable in helping me build mybrand, and has come up with really inventive ways to promote mybooks(like fun contests, which help me not only promote mybooksbut also connect with my fans!)" Liz Climo, Author and Illustrator ofLobster is the Best Medicine"

    In order to increase your chances of getting a literary agent, selling your manuscript to a publisher, or garnering an audience for your self-published work, you need targeted, practical instruction on tackling the problem areas and weak spots in your story. You need Troubleshooting Your Novel.In this hand-on, easy-to-use guide, award-winning author Steven James provides helpful techniques and checklists, timesaving tricks of the trade, and hundreds of questions for manuscript analysis and revision. You'll learn how to:ADJUST elements of story progression, from causality, tension, and setbacks to plot twists, climaxes, and endings.DEVELOP authentic, riveting characters by exploring their attitudes, desires, beliefs, and more.LEARN narrative techniques for elements such as dialogue, flashbacks, suspense, voice, subtext, and flow.ENSURE reader engagement by aligning with their expectations, fulfilling promises, and instilling trust.CHECK issues with context and continuity.You owe your book more than just a polish and a proofread. Strengthen your story, prepare it for the marketplace, and make it the best it can be with Troubleshooting Your Novel.

    Learn how to identify your publication goals, judge your own level and find journals that are the right fit for your work.For beginners sending out your first finished pieces and experienced writers breaking into your dream markets, this book will help you develop a submissions process that supports your goals, advances your literary citizenship, and helps you write better.A really practical list of approaches instead of the more common platitudes people hand out (keep trying, etc.) Jocelyn Bartkevicius, former editor of The Florida ReviewAllison Williams separates myth from fact to provide crucial, no-nonsense advice on the practical side of being a writer, and she does it with deft humor. You couldn't ask for a better coach. Dinty W. Moore, author of The Mindful WriterEngaging and straightforward--useful, concrete advice. Workshop attendee, Hippocamp Creative Nonfiction Conference

    Live your best life. Make your greatest impact.You have everything you need--and you are everything you need--to do the writing you are meant to do. And yet the path to success can be difficult to find and follow.Veteran author and writing guide Sage Cohen believes that ferocity is your best compass for finding your true way forward. She shows you how to transform your attitude and practices so you can:- Unleash your creativity - Cultivate your strengths - Overcome resistance, fear, and other obstacles - Define success on your own terms - Move intentionally toward your goals - Become unstoppable in your evolutionIn this collection of contemplative and inspiring essays, you'll unlock the secrets to naming your deepest desires, eliminating the challenges that hold you back, and committing to your practice. Fierce on the Page is your trustworthy companion for crafting your best writing and your best life.Join the conversation about the fierce writing life at fierceonthepage.com.

     Dynamic Story Creation takes an in-depth look at the physical and invisible layer behind stories—the stuff readers expect but don’t know they expect. You’ll learn about Theme, Motifs, Allegories, Reversals, the Cycle of a Protagonist, and how to fulfill a reader's emotional needs. Trust me. Readers are needy buggers. Trust me, if you don’t give them what you want they will give you 1-star ratings and hate-tweets. Dynamic Story Creation has it all—meaning you’ll walk away with everything you need to craft an enjoyable story people want to read. It's yummy writing advice served inside a warm slice of slightly-offensive pie.

    Gerber and award-winning author of forty-three best-selling, independently published books, Carole P. Roman, team up to travel the winding road of self-publishing, promoting, and marketing a book. Join these two self-help experts as they share their vast store of experience in an easy to read, comprehensive guide, complete with end of chapter checklists to keep an author on track. Learn the importance of a beta reader and the value of a good editor. Know what's needed when preparing a list for choosing an illustrator. Compare the many ways to promote your book. Find out what each step can cost and where you can save. This guide takes new independent authors from the first draft, through publication and the complicated world of marketing. Included is a directory of resources to help get there faster. Navigating Indieworld will end up being the ultimate travel guide for writers on their journey to published author.

    By adding a lifetime of experience to the wisdom and examples of other writers (Shakespeare, Goethe, Berry, Chaucer, and many more), he builds for us an intricate picture of the craft and its subtleties. But in revealing his personal missteps, his own processes, and his own story, Wangerin provides lampposts for young writers as they embark on the long road toward mastery.Through practical advice, ethical considerations, and a master's definition of art itself, Wangerin draws us all closer to what it means to write—and to write well.

    We all have stories to tell, and Patty Da....

    Longtime writer, editor, and publisher Kristine Kathryn Rusch knows this better than anyone. So she decided to write a book on the dealbreakers in contracts, agency agreements, and other business things that will ruin a writer’s future.Little did she know that it would take her seven months, lots of hand-wringing, and a lot of help from the readers of her blog. The result, Closing the Deal…on Your Terms, shows how the tiniest of decisions—talking to a Hollywood producer on the phone, falling for a typical agent’s ruse of masking a contract for a letter—can have lifelong consequences.Written for every writer, whether self-published, traditionally published, or hybrid, Closing the Deal…on Your Terms takes writers on a journey that will help them understand what they’re selling and what they could accidentally give away.“[Kristine Kathryn Rusch’s blog,] The Business Rusch…is full of sound advice and analysis about what's going on.”—Jeff Baker, The Oregonian“Kristine Kathryn Rusch’s new book Discoverability is by far the best resource I have read to date to help indie authors succeed after the book is written.”—Chris Syme, Principal of CKSyme Media Group“The bible for the self-employed.”—John Ottinger III, teacher and editor of Grasping for the Wind, on The Freelancer’s Survival Guide

    A story of loss, From My Mother is full of life, a story of beginnings as much as endings, a moving book that transforms suffering into art and inspiration. Darcy Leech was born to Jo Lyn Bartz, a mother who carried myotonic muscular dystrophy, a disease 1 in 8500 suffer from. Jo Lyn’s son, Dustin Ryan Bartz, was born with congenital muscular dystrophy with a high enough frequency of protein repeat mutations that of his 13 years of life, every day defied prior medical knowledge. Leech narrates a moving meditation of the enduring mysteries of what dormant harbingers of genetic disease may lurk within, the surprising possibilities in loss, and the deep resilience of the human spirit as the body weakens.The narrative highlights the relationship between diseased mother and healthy daughter, revealing Jo Lyn as a woman of strength, a caretaker who quietly marched toward her own degenerative weakness, someone grappling for identity while ostracized by an invisible disease, and a resilient spirit who endured holding the child who inherited her genetic misfortune as he took his last breath. From My Mother is the honest story of finding joy through loss, living fully within limitations, and the universal struggle of grappling for identity against the device of innate genetic code through invested love and personal choice. From My Mother leaves the reader pondering the value of genetic testing, the beauty in a disease easy to accept as genetic fault, and the heart wrenching question of when life should be sustained by machine or ended by choice.

    The Science Writers' Essay Handbook will show you how to:*Recognize and develop essay ideas*Research and report for the essay form*Organize your material before you write*Develop a distinctive authorial voice*Revise and polish your essays for publication*Apply your essay-writing skills to stories of all kinds, from magazine features to multimedia productions to social-media postsNo matter what kind of science storyteller you are, The Science Writers' Essay Handbook will give you new tools to bring out the best in your work.

     In this instructional and occasionally hilarious book, James Osiris Baldwin – an author and editor with over 8 years of experience as a freelance and staff editor – explains his technique for painlessly and successfully polishing your manuscript to a perfect glow. Fix Your Damn Book! will: • Introduce you to the seven essential components of successful editing; • Help you get in the right headspace to edit your own work; • Teach you to objectively diagnose problems in your manuscript; • Walk you through the secrets of developmental editing and line editing; • Teach you hacks for sharpening your story, character, and dialogue; • Guide you through copy-editing and grammar, including a copy-editing essentials checklist; • Give you guidelines on recruiting and making the most out of your first readers; • Cover proofreading and publishing. You will also find a special section on writing and editing query letters, advice on developing characters and stories, a list of the best software to help you write and edit, and much more! If you want to write faster, edit stronger, master the craft of storytelling, and ensure your book is something to be proud of before you put it on the market, Fix Your Damn Book! is the how-to book for you.

    What happens next is up to you! A delightfully meta picture book that will set imaginations soaring.It begins with an octopus who plays the ukulele. Since this is a story, the octopus has to want something—maybe to travel to faraway galaxies in a totally awesome purple spaceship. Then the octopus sets out to build a spaceship out of soda cans, glue, umbrellas, glitter, and waffles. OK, maybe the octopus needs some help, like from an adorable bunny friend, and maybe that bunny turns out to be . . . a rocket scientist? (Probably not.) But could something even more amazing come to pass? Debut author Maggie Tokuda-Hall, with the help of illustrator Benji Davies, sets up an endearingly funny story, then hands the baton to readers, who will be more than primed to take it away.

    Annoying, dusty old marketing strategies don't work anymore. Today, it's all about inbound marketing -- drawing (not dragging) customers to your business with helpful information they are actively searching out. It's called content marketing, and it's how marketing happens today. The bad news? It's up to you to create online content that works -- and somehow make it stand out among the sea of information that's already online. No pressure! Enter Master Content Marketing. Pamela Wilson has written a step-by-step guide through the content marketing process. It works for both B2B (business-to-business) and B2C (business-to-consumer) content creation. It works even if you're not a "born writer.""Scores of people profess to be content marketing experts. Who can you trust? You can trust Pamela Wilson." - Brian Clark, CEO Rainmaker Digital, and founder of Copyblogger (from the Foreword)Master Content Marketing is for lazy content marketers. Well ... not lazy, exactly. Let's say efficient. You're about to discover: How to create a content marketing strategy that guides customers to know, like, and trust your business -- and that builds your audience every time you hit publish An ultra-efficient step-by-step process for creating your content in a way that fits into your busy schedule The seven essential elements of a successful piece of content -- once you know what they are, you can snap together content like a simple puzzle How to capture and use your best content ideas so you can avoid the "blank page blues" Easy-to-use templates for your headlines, subheads, first sentences, and more During her award-winning 30+ year marketing career, Pamela Wilson has helped local, national, and international clients communicate their messages effectively. She's the founder of BIG Brand System and the former Executive VP of Educational Content at Rainmaker Digital. Her passion is teaching -- and she has a gift for making complex topics simple and easy to understand. She wrote Master Content Marketing to give you a step-by-step process for creating effective content marketing in a stress-free, fun, and repeatable way. Get Master Content Marketing for all the encouragement, resources, and guidance you need to build your online presence with content marketing.

    And now, he shares how those rules helped shape his successful career. In this WMG Writer’s Guide, Dean takes you step-by-step through Heinlein’s Rules and shows how following those rules can change your writing—and career—for the better. Simple rules, yet deceptively hard to follow. Do you have the courage to take a hard look at your writing process and follow Heinlein’s Rules? Dean shows you how. “Dean Wesley Smith’s blog gives both a slightly different view of the publishing world than I’d seen before and detailed hands-on “here’s how to get from A to B” instruction.” — Erin M. Hartshorn, Vision: A Resource for Writers

    I've recommended it to my entire team and fellow authors!" -Honoree Corder, author of Prosperity for Writers and You Must Write a Book Are you struggling trying to be all things to all people on every social media channel to market your books? Learn how using less social media can actually help you engage more readers and sell more books. This book includes a free online companion course with many bonus tools and videos Does social media marketing wear you out? Do you wish there was an easier way to reach your target audience in fewer places? Award-winning marketer Chris Syme has worked with hundreds of self-published authors to help them streamline and turbo boost their book marketing process. Let Chris show you how to demystify the process of selling books with social media so you can have more time to write.This book is not for hobby writers; it’s for serious authors who want to make a living selling books and are looking to make smart business decisions about marketing their books. In her practical teaching style, Syme imparts all the necessary strategies you’ll ever need to market with social media backed up with marketing best practices and research. In this book you'll discover: The missing chapter: The secrets to selling with social media that nobody else is telling you. How less is actually more: You will learn to designate one primary social media channel for engagement and leave the rest on auto pilot as outposts. The Big Three: How to sell more books with just a website, an email marketing system, and a Facebook business page. Content is the kingdom: How to craft the right content and opens the doors to engagement. Email + social media = winner. How to turbo boost your email marketing with social media campaigns. ˃˃˃ This book includes a free online course to help you make the most of what you learn In addition to chapter-by-chapter Action Points to get you moving in the right direction, the book includes a free online course loaded with tools and videos to help you dig deeper into the most important concepts in the book. Scroll up and grab a copy today.

    In addition to these major projects, Stephens continued his role as a mentor of young writers, actors and directors, and continued to be one of the most frequent, outspoken and fiercely intelligent voices of the playwriting scene.In an exceptionally honest account, Simon Stephens opens up to us, through daily diary entries, his working practices, his inner-most thoughts, his philosophy on theatre, the arts and politics, and his feelings and reactions to specific projects he has worked on. Through this, we are given unprecedented access to the mind of one of the most important playwrights of the twenty-first century.

    LEARN THE RIGHT WAY......to set your book up for long-term success, improve sales opportunities, and protect your investment, including: Everything you need to know about ISBNs, Barcodes, Copyright, & LCCNs.Make sure your book can be distributed by any distributor.Never have to abandon your hard-earned reader reviews.Ensure your book can be printed by any printer.Add your book to the major book industry databases.Prevent your advance reading copies from being re-sold.Avoid legal headaches and missed filing deadlines."Straightforward and easy to digest, this is one how-to that every new author or publisher should have in their arsenal!" --Brooke Warner, Publisher of She Writes Press and author of Green-Light Your Book: How Writers Can Succeed in the New Era of Publishing..".proceed with confidence in spending your time and dollars to get it done right, the first time." --Carla King, Self-Pub Boot Camp..".a thorough and deceptively simple guide for independent authors and publishers..." --Kim Anderson, Founder and CEO, The Reading Room

    What form should the narrator take? An omniscient, invisible force, or one--or more--of the characters? But in what voice, and from what vantage point? How to decide? Avoiding prescriptive instructions or arbitrary rules, Christopher Castellani brilliantly examines the various ways writers have solved the crucial point-of-view problem. By unpacking the narrative strategies at play in the work of writers as different as E. M. Forster, Grace Paley, and Tayeb Salih, among many others, he illustrates how the author's careful manipulation of distance between narrator and character drives the story. An insightful work by an award-winning novelist and the artistic director of GrubStreet, The Art of Perspective is a fascinating discussion on a subject of perpetual interest to any writer.

    Craft tips, model poems, prompts, and Q&As. Includes more than 100 of our finest poets such as Tony Hoagland, Laura Kasischke, Alberto Rios, and Ellen Bass.

    So it is ironic that most scholars who do research on the intimate experiences of ordinary people write their books in a style that those people cannot understand. In recent years, the ethnographic method has spread from its original home in cultural anthropology to fields such as sociology, marketing, media studies, law, criminology, education, cultural studies, history, geography, and political science.  Yet, while more and more students and practitioners are learning how to write ethnographies, there is little or no training on how to write ethnographies well.  From Notes to Narrative picks up where methodological training leaves off.  Kristen Ghodsee, an award-winning ethnographer, addresses common issues that arise in ethnographic writing. Ghodsee works through sentence-level details, such as word choice and structure. She also tackles bigger-picture elements, such as how to incorporate theory and ethnographic details, how to effectively deploy dialogue, and how to avoid distracting elements such as long block quotations and in-text citations. She includes excerpts and examples from model ethnographies. The book concludes with a bibliography of other useful writing guides and nearly one hundred examples of eminently readable ethnographic books.

    It takes an incredible lot of time, and often for no measurable results in sales. Some of you may have spent hours, days, weeks, even months, writing blogs, getting active on Facebook and Twitter in order to promote your book. Then you look at your sales figures for the last weeks or months, and your heart sinks. Why isn’t this working? So, have you ever wondered how other books seem to come out of nowhere and become Best Sellers? Ever suspected that there are some tricks you don’t know about that others are using to promote their book? Well, you would be right. In this book I’m going to show you the secrets many of the more successful authors use to help promote and sell their books on Amazon. These are rock solid proven methods that are sure to make your book more visible on the only online store that counts – Amazon. This Secret Guide To Becoming A Best Seller reveals many of the lesser known tactics to promoting your Book on Amazon, including: The Best Way To Promote Your Book The Wrong Way To Promote Your Book What They Won't Tell You About Promoting Your Book How To Measure The Effectiveness Of Your Marketing Campaigns Finding The Best Revenue Opportunities Finding Engaged Readers Who Will Read Your Book How The Best Seller System Works What It Takes To Get You There Hot New Releases - How To Get Your Book There Investigating The Secrets Of Amazon's Search Box The Best Ways To Advertise Your Book To New Readers Book Reviews And Why They Are So Important And More … This book is literally a secret guide to your biggest challenge on Amazon: getting discovered.

    . . friendly and fun to read." — Albert Zuckerman, founder of Writers House literary agency “Kyle knows her stuff. She’s one of the rare authors who can break down both the art and the craft of writing in a way that is entertaining and easy to understand.” — #1 New York Times bestselling author Kelley ArmstrongABOUT THE BOOKWhat makes a page-turner? What mysterious literary essence holds a reader so hard they feel they must keep reading? And then tell friends, "I couldn't put it down!" And what do literary agents and publishers really look for in a manuscript? Internationally-acclaimed author and story coach Barbara Kyle reveals the answers in Page-Turner with insights into:- the essentials of story structure- how to create a "storyline"- the power of “deep character”- the art of crafting dialogue- mastering point of view- maximizing settings- plus practical advice on how to query agents and get published… and morePage-Turner shows how to create the kind of novel that brings offers from publishers and praise from readers. For emerging writers who want to break in, and published authors who want to produce a breakout book, Page-Turner is an indispensable guide.ABOUT THE AUTHORBarbara Kyle is the author of the Thornleigh Saga series of historical novels and of acclaimed thrillers, with sales of over half a million books. "Kyle is a master at her craft."— RT Book Reviews She has taught writers at the University of Toronto and is a popular presenter at international writers’ conferences. As a story coach, she has launched many writers on the path toward published success, Visit www.BarbaraKyle.com

    A twenty-three year old with model girl looks and a book deal with a major publisher, she's outselling the established names in her field and is fast becoming the darling of the media.Becky Hunter has money problems. Can she earn enough from her light-hearted romance novels to counteract boyfriend Alex's extravagant spending habits, before their rocky world collapses?Hard up factory worker Jan Chilver sees writing as an escape from her troubled, lonely life. She is offered a lifeline—but fails to read the small print...In the competitive world of publishing, success can be merely a matter of who you know—and how ruthless you are prepared to be to get to the top.BEST SELLER is a novella of 40k words (roughly half as long as an average length novel), a slightly dark, slightly edgy drama with a twist or three in the tale.

    ** Do you want to become a best-selling nonfiction author, help thousands of readers, and earn a recurring income? There are many books that teach you how to self-publish on Amazon. Yet few talk about how to make money as an author. There's a good reason for this. Most authors don't earn a living from their books. However, it's not impossible. In Make Money from Kindle Self-Publishing, I not only show you how to earn $120 a month (triple the average earnings of a U.S. nonfiction book), I also show you how to earn $1,000, $5,000, and even $10,000 a month. Writing books is difficult. Publishing your books is even harder. It can be scary putting your book out into the world. What if nobody buys? Or worse, people read your book and don't enjoy it? What if all of your hard work is for nothing? I want to help you overcome your fears. So that you can sell more books, serve more people, and make more money. In this book I show you how you can: * Quickly and easily self-publish your book on Amazon; * Promote your book and reach thousands of readers; * Build a loyal following of email subscribers; * Maximize earnings from your first book and all of your future offerings. When you read this book you're going to save time. You can stop trying to figure things out on your own. You're also going to save money. I tell you exactly how to get your book edited and formatted without breaking the bank. I even give you my day-by-day launch plan that's proven to work. It is the exact plan I used to launch my first Kindle book Make Money On Airbnb. This book reached over 1,500 readers in its first month and I still sell multiple copies every day. These strategies haven't just worked for me. I interviewed other self-published authors. I asked them exactly which promotion and monetization strategies worked for them. Their responses are included in these pages. Are you ready to publish a best seller AND earn a higher income as a nonfiction author? Perhaps you want to stay home with the kids and make money from home. You want to be more than "just a mom." Or maybe you dream of escaping your nine-to-five. You want financial freedom and a more meaningful life. Whatever your reasons, Make Money from Kindle Self-Publishing shows you how to publish your book and start earning an income as an author. Get your copy today by clicking the BUY NOW button at the top of this page!

     In these times when it's easy to self-publish but hard to get noticed, conventions offer a solid, feasible option for the independent author to start on a path to financial sustainability. But becoming a professional denizen of the dealer's room has its challenges. In Working the Table, two veteran indie authors spill their secrets to help you not only survive, but thrive in the book-event environment.

    I have read over 10 books by various authors on self publishing and this will be one of three that I will refer to over and over again. The other authors are Joanna Penn and Steve Scott."  Susan HenryYou could spend $1,000 on a publishing course. OR you could read this book and get everything you need.Before I began my publishing career with Kindle books, I read just about everything out there, looking for real answers to questions I had about the industry. But much to my disappointment, most of the books were filled with fluff or stories of people who “hit it big” without really telling me how or why.I determined to jump in and learn for myself—and that’s exactly what I did. I started with my first book, How to Work from Home and Make Money, and then quickly published three more. I was looking for the topic of my fifth book when it hit me—why not share what I’ve learned with the people who haven’t yet made the leap and published their own book?It all began when I received an email from a book promotion site. One of the features was a how to book about publishing Kindle books, so out of curiosity, I followed the link and read the reviews. And sure enough, the page was full of people complaining that the book didn’t contain any valuable information.So here’s what I decided to do. Write a book that answers all of the real questions without painting an unrealistic view of the possibilities. In my book, I answer things like: How to pick book topics that will sell. (Why it’s important, and what I’ve done right—and wrong.) How to write a book in 30 days or less. (And take weekends off) How to conduct research for your book. How to make your own covers for free. The pros and cons of pre-releasing your book When you should enroll your book in Kindle Unlimited (And when you shouldn’t.) How to format your book yourself. (Including the clickable table of contents) And how to get it done for cheap if you don’t want to do it. Why you need a paperback version. (And how to create one) Why you may need an audio book (And how to get one for free) How to get your book translated into other languages, including Chinese, for free (And why you should) Why ranking matters (And what to do if your book isn’t ranking well.) How to market your book. (Including links and contact information for the people I use) What to do after you publish your first book. How much you can REALLY expect to make with Kindle publishing I talk about the mistakes I’ve made so you don’t make them, too. And I provide you with step-by-step instructions and relevant links for all of the above areas—and more. In other words, this book is the ONLY book you’ll need to start a career publishing Kindle books.

    Long draws from her extensive background as a poet, writer, and master teacher, but also gathers the insights and practices of a wide range of high-achieving artists, including mystery writer Raymond Chandler, choreographer Twyla Tharp, poet and performance artist Patti Smith, and the painter Joan Miró. Beginning with the first sparks of artistic creation—“Gathering, Hoarding, Conceptualizing”—Long moves through the various stages to “Completing Works” and “Poet as Peddler, Painter as Pusher: Marketing.” Every creative worker will find something here to take to heart and into the studio or workroom.

    TL;DR This book summarizes my experience of blogging for two and a half years and growing from zero to 60,000 unique visitors a month at www.yegor256.com; all dirty secrets revealed.

     You need this kind of kick in the pants. The master coach whose credits include writing a play that was turned into a Disney movie offers fresh and practical ideas on writing, including: The 15 Essential Plot Spots-a plotting tool for everything from novels to memoirs to screenplays The big list of 55 Character Archetypes Insights into figuring out how you (yes, you) work as a writer The 5 elements that will ensure you have a compelling story idea A clear explanation of anti-heroes, anti-villains and everything in between The 9 elements of crafting a dynamic character 3 steps to finding and boldly using your unique writer’s voice “Can a book be practical and inspirational at the same time? Offer both structure and soul? Oh, yes it can. Master writing coach and teacher, Marni Freedman, does it all with good humor, a little bit of sass, and a great deal of heart, in her book, 7 Essential Writing Tools. Get it and get to work!” — Judy Reeves, author of Wild Women, Wild Voices and A Writer’s Book of Days "

    Certain to help thousands of would-be writers write." -- Seth Godin, author of The Icarus DeceptionNo matter how proficient or prolific they are, writers always want more: more ideas, more output, more “flow” when working. This book is about finding your own path to a better writing process.Master Your Inner Game of Writing Your most important writing tool, and biggest potential barrier, resides inside your skull. Effective written communication transfers thoughts and ideas from your head into the minds of readers.Why not look to cognitive science for keys to better results?The Writer’s Process combines the field-tested practices of successful and productive writers with insights from cognitive science. By understanding how your mental processes affect the work, you can find your best writing process, using what you know about your own mental habits and preferences.5star-shiny-webTopics include:- How to invite creativity into the writing process- Why separating the writing process into steps improves efficiency - How to overcome writer’s block, negative feedback, and work-related obstacles- How to make time for writing in a busy, interrupt-driven life

     Our solution: a chooseable adventure so you can pick the path toward the career you've always wanted. We offer a promo game plan tailored to your personal style, strategy, and measure of success. Your A Game explains the tools and rules of kickass genre marketing to let you make your best next move. We break down the tricks and traps facing all novelists so you can: * build your personal brand into a professional force. * polish your public presence, online and in person. * reach your ideal market and access your fans. * raise each project to the next level. Your career should be fun. Start playing Your A Game now. Your A Game is a guide to genre fiction promotion built around the idea that playing to win should be fun for everyone involved. Rather than dictating cookie-cutter instructions, the book is structured as a chooseable adventure which examines the unique challenges of genre promo and proposes a strategy of authentic engagement and participation for long-term career success. This book is divided into four sections (Brand, Presence, Market, Project) with appendices including worksheets, game plans, and links to resources and downloadable content. Your A Game is an interactive career adventure that lets any genre fictioneer choose a customized path to their own winning promotional strategy.

    One-size-fits-all writing advice doesn’t work for anyone.In Discover Your Writing Self, you’ll find 31 lessons to help you think through who YOU are as writer. Through shorts essays and questions, you will explore everything from the fears you have as a writer and your reasons for writing to the best times of the day and year and the ideal environment for your writing practice.In these pages, you’ll find no “shoulds” and no shame. Instead, Andi will walk you through honest queries and encouragement designed to help YOU be the best writer YOU can be at this time in your life.If you feel overwhelmed or confused by all the writing advice out there, this book will help you sort through it in a way that is authentic and genuine for you.

     Leaders, entrepreneurs, students, moms, professionals, Christian writers (or those who want to be), and many others who want to share their experiences with God have learned to write sticky devotionals and meditations by using the principles found in this book. It’s a fun and easy-to-use guide packed with examples, writing tips, and “Try This” exercises to help you put the steps into practice right away. Author Kathy Widenhouse shares these principles drawn from 15 years of her experience producing hundreds of devotionals for clients, leaders, and publishers.

    It is a major update to Strunk’s modest, 38-page grammar booklet published in 1921. If you write anything at all for work, school, or your own enjoyment, you should have a copy of this writer’s style guide on your desk. Bestselling author/editor Richard De A'Morelli shares his 30+ years of experience as a senior editor and explains everything you need to know about grammar, style, and punctuation in a clear and simple way. Written in plain English, this book takes the headache out of great writing—and unlike most grammar books, it includes easy-to-follow examples. Read any chapter, follow the practical advice, and you will see an overnight improvement in your writing. Read a chapter a day, and in just two weeks, you will be amazed by the polished quality of your final draft. Clear, concise writing is essential in today's world. For an author, a well-edited manuscript may bring an acceptance letter from a publisher or agent; or if you self-publish, it could generate positive reviews and sales. For students, an impressed instructor could mean an A grade; and in the workplace, a well-written report could mean a pay raise, a promotion, or the success of a business venture. ● Writers of all skill levels will discover quick and easy ways to recognize and fix grammar, style, and punctuation errors in their manuscripts. ● Students can use these rules to edit and polish book reports, essays, and other homework. ● Teachers can use this handbook to help students learn grammar and punctuation rules without the tears. ● Employees can follow these simple guidelines in the workplace to produce well-written reports, brochures, and other materials. Learn how to improve your grammar, style and punctuation, and polish your writing to perfection with Elements of Style 2017.

    The Contemplative Writer helps Christians writers tap into their rich contemplative prayer tradition that includes meditation on scripture, spirituality practices, centering prayer, and fixed hour prayer (such as morning prayer and evening prayer). These practices offer a deeper connection with God’s love and a peaceful foundation for their creative callings. Those who minister through writing will thrive with the guidance provided by Christian spirituality and reflective Bible reading. The Contemplative Writer offers 10 simple practices every writer of faith can learn for daily prayer that cover the basics of Christian spirituality, such as how to pray, how to pray more often, and how to find peace with God. Chapters include topics such as: - Praying the Hours - Centering Prayer - Imaginative Bible Study - Finding God in Silence - Self-Reflection with the Examen This book builds on Ed Cyzewski’s previous books Pray, Write, Grow: Cultivating Prayer and Writing Together and Write without Crushing Your Soul by providing direction and application for contemplative prayer that any follower of Jesus can put into practice.

    Drawing from her career as a successful TV pilot writer, Miller shares her hard-earned knowledge about creating TV series that sell to Hollywood. She covers essential elements such as character, world of the show, story engine, tone, and themes for dramas and sitcoms. In this book, Miller introduces the groundbreaking character-driven structure that will help you solve even the most difficult script problems and create structurally sound, emotionally satisfying stories. Miller illustrates the practical application of her character-driven script structure in current successful TV shows, including Cinemax's The Knick, NBC's Hannibal, Amazon's Transparent, BBC America's Orphan Black, ABC's Modern Family, FOX's Empire, FXX's It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, AMC's The Walking Dead, FOX's Brooklyn Nine-Nine, ABC's How To Get Away With Murder, CBS's The Good Wife, Starz's Outlander, Showtime's Episodes, and many others. The Hero Succeeds shares professional screenwriting expertise, tools, and techniques previously available only to Miller's students at USC's School of Cinematic Arts and Boston University's Film & Television program. Whether you write drama or comedy for broadcast, cable, or digital distribution, The Hero Succeeds is the guide you need to build or expand your TV career.

    Includes references to Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Improve Your Writing with Harry Potter as Your Text!The Harry Potter magic lives on as J.K. Rowling expands her wizarding world into new stories and formats. For five years, writers and fans from all continents have used A Writer's Guide to Harry Potter to delve beneath her pages' surface to discover the skill and artistry which created a story that enchanted audiences across generations. In this newly revised and expanded edition, S.P. Sipal takes you even deeper than before, exploring new techniques, and even peering into the artistic and marketing vision behind the upcoming Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.No matter your genre, this guide will help you strengthen your writing by virtually apprenticing under a bestselling mentor. Through fourteen lessons, discover the expert techniques Ms. Rowling employs which makes her series such a phenomenal success and which will help improve your own craft and style.Topics include: characterization world building backstory mystery plotting myths and archetypes fan interaction social media and author-driven publishing and promotion.

    Is it “happy medium” or “happy median”? My author writes: “We would all be much better served as stewards of finite public funds if we could find that happy median where trust reigns supreme.” Thanks! A. The idiom is “happy medium,” but I like the image of commuters taking refuge from road rage on the happy median. Q. How do I write a title of a song in the body of the work (caps, bold, underline, italics, etc.)? Example: The Zombies’ “She’s Not There” looped in his head. A. Noooo! Now that song is looping in my head (“but it’s too late to say you’re sorry . . .”). Use quotation marks. Thanks a lot.  Every month, tens of thousands of self-declared word nerds converge upon a single site: The Chicago Manual of Style Online's Q&A. There the Manual’s editors open the mailbag and tackle readers’ questions on topics ranging from abbreviation to word division to how to reform that coworker who still insists on two spaces between sentences. Champions of common sense, the editors offer smart, direct, and occasionally tongue-in-cheek responses that have guided writers and settled arguments for more than fifteen years.But Can I Start a Sentence with “But”? brings together the best of the Chicago Style Q&A. Curated from years of entries, it features some of the most popular—and hotly debated—rulings and also recovers old favorites long buried in the archives. Questions touch on myriad matters of editorial style—capitalization, punctuation, alphabetizing, special characters—as well as grammar, usage, and beyond (“How do I spell out the sound of a scream?”). A foreword by Carol Fisher Saller, the Q&A’s longtime editor, takes readers through the history of the Q&A and addresses its reputation for mischief. (“It’s not that we set out to be cheeky,” she writes.) Taken together, the questions and answers offer insights into some of the most common issues that face anyone who works with words. They’re also a comforting reminder that even the best writer or editor needs a little help—and humor—sometimes.

    -Donalyn Miller, author of The Book Whisperer You'll find yourself relying on this book again and again as a trusted source as you help your student writers craft a writing life. -Jennifer Serravallo, author of The Reading Strategies Book and The Writing Strategies Book How do we get students to ache with caring about their writing instead of mechanically stringing words together? We spend a lot of time teaching the craft of writing but we also need to devote time to helping students write with purpose and meaning. For decades, Georgia Heard has guided students into more authentic writing experiences by using heart maps to explore what we all hold inside: feelings, passions, vulnerabilities, and wonderings. In Heart Maps, Georgia shares 20 unique, multi-genre heart maps to help your students write from the heart, such as the First Time Heart Map, Family Quilt Heart Map, and People I Admire Heart Map. You'll also find extensive support for using heart maps, including:tips for getting started with heart maps writing ideas to jumpstart student writing in multiple genres from heart maps suggested mentor texts to provide additional inspiration For twenty years I've been a tour guide of sorts for heart-mapping writers, says Georgia. All you need is paper, pen, an open heart and a willingness to explore what matters to you. It is this freedom, this idea of discovery, that makes heart-mapping so inviting; students find they have a lot to write about both beloved and newly discovered topics.Filled with full-color student heart maps, examples of the resulting writing, along with online access to 20 different uniquely designed reproducible heart map templates, Heart Maps will be a practical tool for awakening new writing possibilities and engaging and motivating your students' writing throughout the year.

     This is Writers on Writing – An Author’s Guide where your favorite authors share their ultimate secrets in becoming and being an author. Ready to unleash the author in you? The Infrastructure of the Gods by Brian Hodge The Writer’s Purgatory by Monique Snyman Why Rejection is Still Important by Kevin Lucia Real Writers Steal Time by Mercedes M. Yardley What Right Do I Have to Write by Jasper Bark Go Pace Yourself by Jack Ketchum A Little Infusion of Magic by Dave-Brendon de Burgh Confronting Your Fears in Fiction by Todd Keisling Once More with Feeling by Tim Waggoner Embracing Your Inner Shitness by James Everington The Forgotten Art of Short Story by Mark Allan Gunnells Adventures in Teaching Creative Writing by Lucy A. Snyder Submit (to psychology) for Acceptance by Daniel I. Russell Character Building by Theresa Derwin Heroes and Villains by Paul Kane Do Your Worst by Jonathan Winn Creating Effective Characters by Hal Bodner Fictional Emotions; Emotional Fictions by James Everington Home Sweet Home by Ben Eads You by Kealan Patrick Burke The art of becoming a book reviewer by Nerine Dorman Treating Fiction like a Relationship by Jonathan Janz How to Write Killer Poetry by Stephanie M. Wytovich Happy Little Trees by Michael Knost In Lieu of Patience Bring Diversity by Kenneth W. Cain Networking is Scary, but Essential by Doug Murano Are You In The Mood? by Sheldon Higdon What if Every Novel is a Horror Novel? by Steve Diamond Description by Patrick Freivald A First-Time Novelist’s Odyssey by William Gorman I Am Setting by J.S. Breukelaar Finding Your Voice by Lynda E. Rucker Interview with the authors: Q: So what makes Writers on Writing so special? Stephanie M. Wytovich: I think what makes Writers on Writing a standout craft book is that Crystal Lake Publishing pulled writers from different genres and different mediums to give readers a massive insight into the industry in regards to film, screenwriting, poetry, prose, etc. It’s a meaty collection of advice that speaks to everyone at any point in their career, and I think readers will be wildly excited about the essays inside. Q: Tell us more about your essay. Jack Ketchum: Mine's about pacing, crucial to grabbing and holding the reader's attention, and music to the reader's ear. Both, I think, important things to consider. Kenneth W. Cain: I speak of using diversity in your fiction, of pulling from the known world to create more realistic characters without relying on stereotypes and generalizations. It’s much a reflection of myself, of course, but I fully believe in letting characters breathe, allowing them to become what they will, good or bad, male or female, deviant or prude. Q: Why should authors read Writers on Writing? Mark Allan Gunnells: There's something for everyone. Many topics of writing and promotion and publishing from people who have experience with these things. Stephanie M. Wytovich: To me, it’s a great way to see how other artists are making things work, while at the same time gain insight into different approaches to the craft.

    She read and commented on her friends' manuscripts. She taught writing classes and she spoke and wrote on the craft of writing. Her own discipline rarely faltered. Her daily practice was to write a new page, then edit the page written the day before, then repeat, until, after a year or so, her book was finished. Now in her own words, as clear and straightforward as a glass of water, comes Startle and Illuminate, the best possible guide to the writing process, from conception to publication. This essential work, drawn by her daughter and grandson from her voluminous correspondence with other writers, essays, notes, comments, criticism and lectures, is a last gift from one of our finest novelists meant for both aspiring and established writers. It helps answer some of the most fundamental questions about writing: such as, why we write at all, whether writing can be taught, what keeps a reader turning the pages, and how a writer knows when a work is done.      For Shields's devoted readers, Startle and Illuminate reveals her own thoughts on why we read--to be the other, to touch and taste the experience of the other; and why we write--for the joy of the making, to reimagine our world, to discover patterns and uncover forms that echo our realities as well as interrogate them, to imagine alternate worlds. It is a beautiful legacy.

    Yet the spelling of words in English is not as random or chaotic as it is often perceived to be; rather, it is a system based on both meaning and a fascinating linguistic history. Misty Adoniou's public articles on the processes of teaching and learning spelling have garnered an overwhelming response from concerned parents and teachers looking for effective solutions to the problems they face in teaching English spelling to children. Spelling It Out aims to ease anxiety and crush the myth that good spelling comes naturally. Good spelling comes from good teaching. Based on Misty Adoniou's extensive research into spelling learning and instruction, this book encourages children and adults to nurture a curiosity about words, discover their history and, in so doing, understand the logic behind the way they are spelled.

    You'll discover how to:• Unleash your creativity• Daydream, journal, and freewrite your way to fresh new writing ideas• Break through limiting beliefs of guilt, doubt, perfectionism, and writer's block• Finish your writing pieces and unapologetically share them with the worldYou are capable of moving from hiding to shining, from apathetic to empowered, from "Maybe I could write someday..." to "I am a writer." The world needs your light, your heartbreak, your dazzling stories, and your unprecedented self-expression. Now is the time to begin.

    The 112 blog posts in this book have been carefully curated and edited from Blake’s originals. We have selected posts that we believe are timeless, resonating as powerfully today as on the day Blake wrote them. In addition, we’ve created 10 chapters in which we’ve bundled posts according to categories, to simplify your search for the information, encouragement and enthusiasm that were Blake’s hallmarks: - Ideas and Concepts - Themes - Titles and Loglines - Genres - Heroes - Structure - Dialogue - The Pitch - Going Pro - Inspiration. Enjoy these meaningful and helpful lessons in screenwriting… and life. Also included are photos that have never been published.

     Writing as Jenny Lawson, Anne is an established and traditionally published non-fiction author, and editor. After 35 years in the publishing world, Anne turned her attention to the challenges facing fiction writers. Aware of the uphill battle and frustrations experienced by writers who received rejection slip after rejection slip, Anne set up her RedPen group in the late 1990s. Her objective was - and still is - to help budding writers to learn how to edit their own words, and therefore to maximise their chances of having their stories and novels accepted for publication. Now, with more writers choosing to self-publish, Anne is making her self-editing RedPen system available to a wider audience. In the indie publishing world, it's sensible to hire an editor before going to print, but a writer who can self-edit will benefit from lower editing costs. With her simple three-task system, Anne shows how EDITING The RedPen Way can become a SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely) route to a polished manuscript. And, she makes it sound fun!

    Find refreshment in short reflections on Scripture and be inspired as you color accompanying intricate illustrations created for meditation and prayer. Both contemplative and imaginative, Restore My Soul is the perfect space for the artist in us all.