Here at last is a book by two professional editors to teach writers the techniques of the editing trade that turn promising manuscripts into published novels and short stories.In this completely revised and updated second edition, Renni Browne and Dave King teach you, the writer, how to apply the editing techniques they have developed to your own work. Chapters on dialogue, exposition, point of view, interior monologue, and other techniques take you through the same processes an expert editor would go through to perfect your manuscript. Each point is illustrated with examples, many drawn from the hundreds of books Browne and King have edited.

    Loomers of every skill level will find something new and exciting to make.

    Each book will be a brief, witty, and useful exploration of fiction, nonfiction, or poetry by a writer impassioned by a singular craft issue. The Art Of volumes will provide a series of sustained examinations of key but sometimes neglected aspects of creative writing by some of contemporary literature's finest practioners.In The Art of Time in Memoir, critic and memoirist Sven Birkerts examines the human impulse to write about the self. By examining memoirs such as Vladimir Nabokov's Speak, Memory; Virginia Woolf's unfinished A Sketch of the Past; and Mary Karr's The Liars' Club, Birkerts describes the memoirist's essential art of assembling patterns of meaning, stirring to life our own sense of past and present.

    An author blog doesn't have to follow the rules that monetized business blogs do. This book teaches the secrets that made Anne R. Allen a multi-award-winning blogger and one of the top author-bloggers in the industry.And you'll learn why having a successful author blog is easier than you think.Here are some things you'll learn in this book:1) How an author blog is different—and easier to maintain—than a business blog2) What authors should blog about at different stages of their careers3) Choosing the right blog topics for your genre and audience4) How one type of blogpost can build your platform quickly5) Basic SEO tips that don't make your eyes glaze over with tech jargon6) How to write headers that will grab the attention of Web surfers 7) How to keep your audience by learning the tricks of content writing8) Essential blog and social media etiquette rules9) What happens to your blog when you die?

    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.

    It sounds obvious, but many people who call themselves writers don't produce enough words in a year to fill a postcard. Other writers churn out thousands of words but never sell their work. This book tackles both problems: it gets you writing, easily and painlessly guiding you through the dreaded "writer's block," and it divulges industry secrets that will help you to raise the quality of your work to a professional level. Writing is a business like any other. Successful writers know the rules and conventions that make their work stand out from the rest of the "slush pile"—rules Stewart Ferris now reveals in How to be a Writer that will help launch your writing career.

    Tackling issues such as time, mood, inspiration, and support, she revealed that writing is in fact a natural-and crucial-part of life. Questions of how, when, and why yielded to the virtual tool kit of strategies, tips, and tools she provides in this extremely valuable book. With The Writer's Life, Cameron's pivotal insights and pointers are distilled in a tiny, portable companion that will help readers lead a writer's life more easily, joyfully, and powerfully.

    Novelist David Morrell provides insights and advice learned during 30 years of writing and selling novels - insider secrets to help writers achieve the next level of literary success, whether they are just beginning or already published.

    It can be as inventive and creative as the writer can make it, a whirlwind of images and plot twists, but it cannot be built on a foundation of air. The world must be identifiable with our own, must offer us a frame of reference we can recognize.--Terry BrooksThis is your complete guide to the realm of the fantastic. Whether you write science fiction, fantasy, horror, romance or historical fiction, here you'll find the factual information you need to construct a fantasy world full of wonder, imagination and spellbinding detail.From fabled creatures to occult religions, every page of this intriguing guide reveals the hidden realities of all things mystical, mythical and supernatural.Featuring charts, lists, illustrations and timelines, each chapter focuses on a different facet of fantasy, including:* Pagan orders, secret societies, witchcraft and the rites and rituals of magic* Detailed profiles of fantastic societies and ancient civilizations, from the Incas and Aztecs to Egypt and the Far East* Medieval trades, occupations, laws and punishments* Dragons, naiads, kelpies and other creatures of myth and fantasy* Legendary races, including elves, dwarfs, giants and more* A comprehensive look at the anatomy of a castle, describing the forms and functions of everything from barbicans to trebuchetsThis guide also goes well beyond standard reference books, offering sound advice on the writing styles and structures of this complex genre, with important tips on how to weave the elements of fact and fantasy into an absorbing narrative.Fascinating and authoritative, The Writer s Complete Fantasy Reference is the resource you need to create fiction that is compelling, fresh and wildly fantastic.

    Liberating and emboldening the beginning writer are the goals of Ted Kooser and Steve Cox in this spirited book of practical wisdom that brings to bear decades of invaluable experience in writing, teaching, editing, and publishing. Unlike “how to write” books that dwell on the angst and the agony of the trade, Writing Brave and Free is upbeat and accessible. The focus here is the work itself: how to get started and how to keep going, and never is heard a discouraging word such as “no,” “not,” or “never.” Because of the wealth of their experience, the authors can offer the sort of practical publishing advice that novices need and yet rarely find. Organized in brief, user-friendly chapters—on everything from sensory details to a work environment, from creating suspense to revising and taking criticism—the book allows aspiring (and practicing) writers to dip in anywhere and find something of value.

    With invaluable new thinking on subtext plus insights on story success from: Bob Gale: Legendary Hollywood scriptwriter and producer of the Back to the Future trilogy. Lee Child: 16 million Jack Reacher novels sold in 43 countries and 29 languages. Willy Russell: celebrated playwright and film maker of classics such as Shirley Valentine, Educating Rita, Blood Brothers... John Sullivan: television comedy writing legend - Only Fools and Horses, Citizen Smith, Just Good Friends... Simply a must-read for anyone wanting to understand how to turn ideas into stories that sell."David holds your hand on every step of the magical journey to discover and perfect your story." Janette Innes - Writer/Producer - The Ghost Walker; Rain...

    Traces the evolution of the Dave Matthews Band, and describes their experiences on the road.

    Employing an accessible, example-rich approach, Wonderbook energizes and motivates while also providing practical, nuts-and-bolts information needed to improve as a writer. Aimed at aspiring and intermediate-level writers, Wonderbook includes helpful sidebars and essays from some of the biggest names in fantasy today, such as George R. R. Martin, Lev Grossman, Neil Gaiman, Michael Moorcock, Catherynne M. Valente, and Karen Joy Fowler, to name a few.Praise for Wonderbook: “Jammed with storytelling wisdom.” —Fast Company’s Co.Create blog“This is the kind of book you leave sitting out for all to see . . . and the kind of book you will find yourself picking up again and again.” —Kirkus Reviews online“If you’re looking for a handy guide to not just crafting imaginative fiction like sci-fi, fantasy, and horror, but to writing in general, be sure to pick up a copy of Steampunk Bible author Jeff Vandermeer’s lovingly compiled Wonderbook."  —Flavorwire“Jeff Vandermeer and Jeremy Zerfoss have created a kaleidoscopically rich and beautiful book about fiction writing.”  —Star Tribune“Because it is so layered and filled with text, tips, and links to online extras, this book can be read again and again by both those who want to learn the craft of writing and those interested in the process of others.” —Library Journal

    It is also true that much of the material in this book is freely available online (I know, because I put it there). So why publish this book? A) Free material is useless if nobody finds it. B) Organizing and making sense of online content takes time and effort. I'm reaching out to you through Kindle to share some publishing tools I've made that will save you time and money, while increasing the quality of your finished book. If you don't think that's worth the price of this book - ask for a refund (or better yet, don't buy it). Publishing a book, but not sure where to start? DEREK MURPHY has been a book cover designer, writing coach and publishing consultant for almost a decade, helping thousands of authors put their books out into the world. In WRITE, FORMAT, PUBLISH, PROMOTE Derek reveals the free or low-cost tools, tips and strategies that successful authors can use to get an edge – drastically cutting costs from the expenses of book publishing. Learn how to… WRITE faster and finish more books EDIT your book by identifying common errors FORMAT for print and eBook, with free templates PUBLISH your book and put it up for sale PROMOTE your book with powerful marketing tricks ALL WITHOUT SPENDING ANY MONEY! (The screenshots were made on a Windows PC, although MAC users can still download the free templates and tools, the workflow will be different).

    Just where do successful writers get their ideas? Author Fred White demystifies the creative process of idea generation by breaking it down into six essential stages: idea recognition, idea incubation, outlining, research, drafting, and revision. In Where Do You Get Your Ideas? you will learn:How to create, organize, and keep a writer's notebook.Where to look for ideas--in daily observations, books, news articles, and magazines--and how to recognize a story when you see one.Techniques for developing ideas into creative works of fiction and non-fiction: free-associating, listing, mapping, and collaging.How to transform a good idea into a great story, novel, or memoir.With practical advice, techniques, and exercises, plus 75 seminal ideas to jump-start your creativity, Where Do You Get Your Ideas? will pull back the curtain on the magic of idea generation and reveal the wealth of writing inspiration right in front of you.