Writing Treatments That Sell: How to Create and Market Your Story Ideas to the Motion Picture and TV Industry
Kenneth Atchity - 1997
Now including updates on the latest trends in the industry, writers-producers Kenneth Atchity and Chi-Li Wong tell readers everything they need to know to create an effective and saleable treatment, one that incorporates such key elements as conflict, likeable characters, plot twists, a climax, and visual drama.Using dozens of the latest examples from actual productions, Writing Treatments That Sell distinguishes between scripts designed for feature films, episodic television, and made-for-TV movies, and shows step-by-step how to prepare a selling treatment for each. Also included is essential information on copyrighting and acquiring rights along with a comprehensive glossary of industry terms. This book is essential for anyone hoping to get a foot in the door of the exciting scriptwriting business.
100 Great Copywriting Ideas: From Leading Companies Around The World (100 Great Ideas)
Andy Maslen - 2011
The Copywriter's Handbook: A Step-By-Step Guide to Writing Copy That Sells
Robert W. Bly - 1985
. . even entrepreneurs and brand managers. It reveals dozens of copywriting techniques that can help you write ads, commercials, and direct mail that are clear, persuasive, and get more attention--and sell more products. Among the tips revealed are• eight headlines that work--and how to use them• eleven ways to make your copy more readable• fifteen ways to open a sales letter• the nine characteristics of successful print ads• how to build a successful freelance copywriting practice• fifteen techniques to ensure your e-mail marketing message is openedThis thoroughly revised third edition includes all new essential information for mastering copywriting in the Internet era, including advice on Web- and e-mail-based copywriting, multimedia presentations, and Internet research and source documentation, as well as updated resources. Now more indispensable than ever, The Copywriter's Handbook remains the ultimate guide for people who write or work with copy."I don't know a single copywriter whose work would not be improved by reading this book." --David Ogilvy
How to Write a Book This Weekend, Even If You Flunked English Like I Did
Vic Johnson - 2013
And he gives you step-by-step detail of everything he did, including the resources he uses to turn out content-rich books in no time at all. How To Write a Book This Weekend is a perfect strategy for first-time book writers who have been discouraged by the thought of pounding out words for months at a time. You'll learn:Where to find idea "factories" that allow you to "crowdsource" the hottest trending topics.Where to find idea "factories" that allow you to "crowdsource" the hottest trending topics.The little-known secrets used by a 19th century Russian immigrant to sell over 100 million print books.The "can't fail" method of choosing a title that makes your book irresistible to prospective buyers.A "backdoor" Google code that will instantly reveal a treasure trove of valuable research material for your book.The magic method that eliminates writers block and produces top quality content in a fraction of the time of other methods.Please note: This method has had proven success on many occasions when applied to non-fiction books. It may or may not be useful for fiction writers.
The 7 Secrets of the Prolific: The Definitive Guide to Overcoming Procrastination, Perfectionism, and Writer's Block
Hillary Rettig - 2011
How perfectionism plays a more serious role in underproductivity than most writers realize. And how some criticisms and rejections can linger, hidden, for years and even decades, undermining your productivity.Then she shows you how to interrupt the Cascade, recognize and defuse the perfectionism, and recover from the criticisms and rejections so that you can regain your energy and commitment and do more great writing than you might have ever thought possible.Unlike the superficial and gimmicky solutions some other books offer, Hillary's are based on a new way of looking at yourself, your work, and the world. She developed her method over more than a decade of teaching at some of the country's premier literary and cultural organizations, including Mark Twain House & Museum, Grub Street Writers, and The Loft, and while coaching hundreds of successful creative, business, and academic writers.The 7 Secrets of the Prolific also features unique and timely sections on writing for the Internet (and coping with its hypercritical culture), and how to respond to the many clueless and/or challenging comments and questions people direct at writers (e.g., 'When will you get that thing done?'). And the section on Values-Based Time Management will help you reclaim time for your writing (and other priorities) you never knew you had.Whether you write for work, school, or fun, The 7 Secrets of the Prolific will help you become the productive, fulfilled, and joyful writer you always wanted to be.
Writing for Story: Craft Secrets of Dramatic Nonfiction
Jon Franklin - 1986
And now Jon Franklin, himself a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and undisputed master of the great American nonfiction short story, shares the secrets of his success. Franklin shows how to make factual pieces come alive by applying the literary techniques of complication/resolution, flashback, foreshadowing, and pace. He illustrates his points with a close analysis and annotation of two of his most acclaimed stories, so that the reader can see, step-by-step, just how they were created. This lively, easy-to-follow guid combines readability and excitement with the best of expository prose and illuminates the techniques that beginning journalists—and more experienced ones, too—will find immensely helpful:Stalking the true short storyDrafting an effective outlineStructuring the rough copyPolishing like a proand the tips, tools, and techniques that will put your stories on the cutting edge
Romance-Ology 101: Writing Romantic Tension for the Inspirational and Sweet Markets
Julie Lessman - 2013
NOR IS A SIGH JUST A SIGH ... In ROMANCE-ology 101, Award-winning "Passion Most Pure" expert Julie Lessman tackles the subject of romantic tension in today's inspirational/sweet markets with humor and heart. Offering tips for ramping up the WOW factor with romance that is both sweet and swoon-worthy, Lessman highlights tried-and-true methods with before-and-after examples to illustrate the following points: -- Getting inside the Hero's Head with Internal Monologue -- Maximizing Use of Beats in Dialogue -- Effectively Using Dialogue to Escalate Tension -- Utilizing Dual Point of View -- Escalating Romantic Tension with Anger -- Using All Five Senses for Heightened Effect -- Cashing In on the Kid and Pet Factor -- Enhancing Mood with Emotionally Charged Words/Verbs -- Capitalizing on the Element of Surprise -- Exposing Desire in an Unwilling Character -- Immediate Hero/Heroine Confrontation -- Making the Most of Touch and Response -- Implementing the Concept of Forbidden Fruit -- Words with a Hint of Taboo -- Appropriate "Bleep" Words for Inspirational Romance -- KISS-ology 101: The Many Faces of a Kiss TESTIMONIALS: "Julie is one of the best there is today at writing intensely passionate romance novels. Her ability to thread romance and longing, deception and forgiveness, and lots of humor are unparalleled by anyone else in the Christian market today." - Rachel McRae of LifeWay Stores "Julie Lessman writing a book on romantic tension is a perfect fit. This is a writing book that needs to be on the shelf of every author because nobody does romantic tension better." - Mary Connealy, bestselling author of The Kincaid Bride and Trouble in Texas series "I've always referred to Julie Lessman as the Queen of Romance and her new craft book is proof. Passionate and practical, humorous and savvy, Romance-ology 101 is a must-read for Lessman fans and all who desire to create pulse-pounding romance. A keeper!" - Laura Frantz, award-winning author of The Colonel's Lady and Love's Reckoning "Passion with a Purpose, Julie's tagline says it all! She's the queen of romantic tension that stirs both your body and your soul." - MaryLu Tyndall, award-winning author of Escape to Paradise trilogy
The Plot Skeleton
Angela Elwell Hunt - 2013
But rarely did any teacher tell us how to write fiction--they simply urged us to write a story. But how is that done? Angela Hunt has been writing and teaching for thirty years, and she has boiled plotting down to the basics in thirty pages. Not only will you come away knowing how to plot, you'll be able to point the important structural points in movies and other books you read. It's all about the skeleton, Hunt says, and every working story has one. (A condensed version of this lesson was originally published in A NOVEL IDEA, a collection of writer's tips and techniques by published novelists.) Enjoy this writing lesson for a fraction of the cost of attending one of Angela's writing classes--your writing will never be the same.
The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous & Broke
Suze Orman - 2004
They're called "Generation Debt" and "Generation Broke" by the media -- people in their twenties and thirties who graduate college with a mountain of student loan debt and are stuck with one of the weakest job markets in recent history. The goals of their parents' generation -- buy a house, support a family, send kids to college, retire in style -- seem absurdly, depressingly out of reach. They live off their credit cards, may or may not have health insurance, and come up so far short at the end of the month that the idea of saving money is a joke. This generation has it tough, without a doubt, but they're also painfully aware of the urgent need to take matters into their own hands.The Money Book was written to address the specific financial reality that faces young people today and offers a set of real, not impossible, solutions to the problems at hand and the problems ahead. Concisely, pragmatically, and without a whiff of condescension, Suze Orman tells her young, fabulous & broke readers precisely what actions to take and why. Throughout these pages, there are icons that direct readers to a special YF&B domain on Suze's website that offers more specialized information, forms, and interactive tools that further customize the information in the book. Her advice at times bucks conventional wisdom (did she just say use your credit card?) and may even seem counterintuitive (pay into a retirement fund even though your credit card debt is killing you?), but it's her honesty, understanding, and uncanny ability to anticipate the needs of her readers that has made her the most trusted financial expert of her day.Over the course of ten chapters that can be consulted methodically, step-by-step, or on a strictly need-to-know basis, Suze takes the reader past broke to a secure place where they'll never have to worry about revisiting broke again. And she begins the journey with a bit of overwhelmingly good news (yes, there really is good news): Young people have the greatest asset of all on their side -- time.