Book picks similar to
The Playwright's Process: Learning the Craft from Today's Leading Dramatists by Buzz McLaughlin
writing
theatre
non-fiction
writing-books
Keep Your Pants On!: How to Outline a Romance Novel When You Are an Intuitive Writer
Nina Harrington - 2015
When you are planning to write a new story, all you need to focus on are the characters, and how they are going to change during the course of the romance as a result of the relationship. That is what will make your story both unique and compelling. Advanced story craft techniques are very handy at the editing and revision stage when you shape your story for the reader – but not here! Instead, we use the power of character arc and emotional conflict to create a simple but effective emotional story map for your romance novel. As you write your romance, your characters will come to life on the page, and reveal their true personalities through what they say and do. But first you have to get those characters onto the page and interacting with one another – fast! This is the six-step writing process professional romance authors use to develop their novels – and stay motivated and excited by their story. Now you can do the same. And keep your pants on! Find out how to outline your romance novel when you don’t know a thing about story structure and the whole ideas of pre-planning your story freezes you. And enjoy doing it!
The Five Minute Writer: Exercise And Inspiration In Creative Writing In Five Minutes A Day
Margret Geraghty - 2007
It may also change the way you think about writing. Drawing on a mix of disciplines, including psychology, art, linguistics, and advertising, each chapter offers you a writing-related discussion, followed by a five-minute exercise. Whether you are a beginner writer, an experienced writer looking for new ideas, or you simply want to use writing to gain self-awareness, the book will help you to: * Access your inner self, the personal memories that reflect universal patterns of the total human narrative. * Gain fresh insight into the nature of stories and storytelling. * Recognise your own life as an inexhaustible source of story ideas. * Stimulate creative thought, including right-brain techniques for 'stepping outside the box'. * Escape writing blocks. * Establish an enjoyable writing routine. Just pick a page and begin your writer's journey.
Make a Scene: Crafting a Powerful Story One Scene at a Time
Jordan E. Rosenfeld - 2007
This title explains the fundamentals of strong scene construction and how other useful fiction-writing techniques, such as character development, description, and transitions must function within the framework of individual scenes.
The Artful Edit: On the Practice of Editing Yourself
Susan Bell - 2007
Brimming with examples, quotes, and case studies that include an illuminating discussion of Max Perkins's editorial collaboration with F. Scott Fitzgerald on The Great Gatsby, this book proves how fundamental editing is to great writing. Bell also offers strategic tips and exercises for self-editing, and a series of remarkable interviews, that take us into the studios of established authors such as Michael Ondaatje, Tracy Kidder, and Ann Patchett to learn from their various approaches to shaping their work after its initial creation. Much more than a manual, The Artful Edit inspires readers to think about both the discipline and the creativity of editing and how editing can enhance their work. A vigorous investigation into the history and meaning of the edit, this book, like The Triggering Town and The Elements of Style, is a must-have companion for every writer.
Flash Feedback [Grades 6-12]: Responding to Student Writing Better and Faster - Without Burning Out
Matthew M Johnson - 2020
Inundated with seemingly insurmountable piles of papers to read, respond to, and grade, many teachers often find themselves struggling to balance differentiated, individualized feedback with the one resource they are already overextended on--time.Flash Feedback seeks to alleviate these struggles by taking teachers to the next level of strategic feedback by sharing:How to craft effective, efficient, and more memorable feedback Strategies for scaffolding students through the meta-cognitive work necessary for real revision A plan for how to create a culture of feedback, including lessons for how to train students in meaningful peer response Downloadable online tools for teacher and student use
Beckett Remembering/Remembering Beckett: A Centenary Celebration
James Knowlson - 2006
A collection of the notoriously private Beckett's reminiscences about his life and remembrances of Beckett fromthose who knew him.
Zen of eBook Formatting: A Step-by-step Guide To Format eBooks for Kindle and EPUB
Guido Henkel - 2014
Formatter to New York Times bestselling writers and indie authors alike, Henkel makes the process understandable and easy to follow for anyone.Whether you want to create an eBook for Kindle, or you want to format your manuscript as an ePub file, "Zen of eBook Formatting" is the perfect companion for the task.“Zen of eBook Formatting” covers the entire process from basic clean-up of the manuscript to basic HTML tagging, all the way to advanced features, and error-checking, teaching you the skills necessary to give your own eBooks the professional polish they deserve.Here is a look at the Table of Contents, to give you an impression of the breadth of subjects covered in the book. Table of Contents
Preface
Introduction
1 - The Road to Right
2 - Data Structure
3 - Cleaning Up the Manuscript
4 - From Word Processor to Programming Editor
5 - General Techniques
6 - Advanced Techniques
7 - eBook Generation
8 - eBooks Outside the Box
Parting Thoughts
Appendices
Note:I would like to point out that the “Look Inside” preview is currently garbled and the formatting is off. Amazon is aware of the problem and working on it, hopefully rectifying the error in their previewer as soon as possible. I think it is important o point out that the formatting in the actual eBook is working correctly and does not suffer from the same flaws.
Aspects of the Novel
E.M. Forster - 1927
Forster's Aspects of the Novel is an innovative and effusive treatise on a literary form that, at the time of publication, had only recently begun to enjoy serious academic consideration. This Penguin Classics edition is edited with an introduction by Oliver Stallybrass, and features a new preface by Frank Kermode.First given as a series of lectures at Cambridge University, Aspects of the Novel is Forster's analysis of this great literary form. Here he rejects the 'pseudoscholarship' of historical criticism - 'that great demon of chronology' - that considers writers in terms of the period in which they wrote and instead asks us to imagine the great novelists working together in a single room. He discusses aspects of people, plot, fantasy and rhythm, making illuminating comparisons between novelists such as Proust and James, Dickens and Thackeray, Eliot and Dostoyevsky - the features shared by their books and the ways in which they differ. Written in a wonderfully engaging and conversational manner, this penetrating work of criticism is full of Forster's habitual irreverence, wit and wisdom.In his new introduction, Frank Kermode discusses the ways in which Forster's perspective as a novelist inspired his lectures. This edition also includes the original introduction by Oliver Stallybrass, a chronology, further reading and appendices.E. M. Forster (1879-1970) was a noted English author and critic and a member of the Bloomsbury group. His first novel, Where Angels Fear To Tread appeared in 1905. The Longest Journey appeared in 1907, followed by A Room With A View (1908), based partly on the material from extended holidays in Italy with his mother. Howards End (1910) was a story that centered on an English country house and dealt with the clash between two families, one interested in art and literature, the other only in business. Maurice was revised several times during his life, and finally published posthumously in 1971.If you enjoyed Aspects of the Novel, you might like Forster's A Room with a View, also available in Penguin Classics.
The Teacher's Guide to Self-Care: Build Resilience, Avoid Burnout, and Bring a Happier and Healthier You to the Classroom
Sarah Forst - 2020
Life on the Tenure Track: Lessons from the First Year
James M. Lang - 2005
Engaging and accessible, Life on the Tenure Track will delight and enlighten faculty, graduate students, and administrators alike.
The Actor and the Target
Declan Donnellan - 2000
. . . It isn’t ‘second nature,’ it is ‘first nature.’”—Declan Donnellan This immensely popular and ever-practical book on acting takes a scalpel to the heart of actors’ persistent fears, helping them to release their talent on stage. It is straightforward and unpretentious, with a spirit of artistic and personal freedom.
No Plot? No Problem!: A Low-Stress, High-Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days
Chris Baty - 2004
. . just haven't gotten around to it. No Plot? No Problem! is the kick in the pants you've been waiting for.Let Chris Baty, founder of the rockin' literary marathon National Novel Writing Month (a.k.a. NaNoWriMo), guide you through four exciting weeks of hard-core noveling. Baty's pep talks and essential survival strategies cover the initial momentum and energy of Week One, the critical "plot flashes" of Week Two, the "Can I quit now?" impulses of Week Three, and the champagne and roar of the crowd during Week Four. Whether you're a first-time novelist who just can't seem to get pen to paper or a results-oriented writer seeking a creative on-ramp into the world of publishing, this is the adventure for you.So what are you waiting for? The No Plot? approach worked for the thousands of people who've signed up for NaNoWriMo, and it can work for you! Let No Plot? No Problem! help you get fired up and on the right track.
Writing the Paranormal Novel: Techniques and Exercises for Weaving Supernatural Elements Into Your Story.
Steven Harper - 2011
It takes an original idea, believable characters, a compelling plot, and surprising twists, not to mention great writing.This helpful guide gives you everything you need to successfully introduce supernatural elements into any story without shattering the believability of your fictional world or falling victim to common cliches.You'll learn how to:Choose supernatural elements and decide what impact the supernatural will have on your fictional worldCreate engaging and relatable characters from supernatural protagonists and antagonists to supporting players (both human and non-human)Develop strong plots and complementary subplotsWrite believable fight scenes and flashbacksCreate realistic dialogueAnd much moreComplete with tips for researching your novel and strategies for getting published, Writing the Paranormal Novel gives you everything you need to craft a novel where even the most unusual twist is not only possible-it's believable.
The World Only Spins Forward: The Ascent of Angels in America
Isaac Butler - 2018
Mike Nichols' 2003 HBO adaptation starring Meryl Streep, Mary-Louise Parker, and Al Pacino was itself a tour de force, winning 11 Emmys and introducing the play to an even wider public. This generation-defining classic continues to shock, move, and inspire viewers worldwide.Now, on the 25th anniversary of that Broadway premiere, Isaac Butler and Dan Kois offer the definitive account of Angels in America in the most fitting way possible: through oral history, nearly 200 voices in vibrant conversation and debate. The intimate storytelling of actors (including Streep, Parker, Jeffrey Wright, and Nathan Lane), directors, producers, and Kushner himself reveals the turmoil of the play's birth-a hard-won miracle in the face of artistic roadblocks, technical disasters, and disputes both legal and creative. And historians and critics help to situate the play in the arc of American culture, from the staunch activism of the AIDS crisis through civil-rights triumphs to our current era, whose politics are a dark echo of the Reagan '80s. The World Only Spins Forward is both a rollicking theater saga and an uplifting testament to one of the great works of American art of the past century, from its gritty San Francisco premiere to the starry revival that electrified London in 2017.
Pricing Strategies: Maximize your bottom line for long-term financial health (Successful Indie Author Book 5)
Craig Martelle - 2019
Pricing Strategies is about making the most from your work by understanding what your genre will support. It’s not hard, but you have to have a plan. Over the course of a year, you might change your book’s price five or ten times. That’s perfectly fine, when done for the right reasons as part of an overall marketing strategy. What is one reader worth to you as an entry point into your author world? What is that reader worth if they stay on board?Pricing Strategies explains why and how you would vary price points, whether you are exclusive to Amazon or distribute on multiple platforms. Book pricing is about getting the most money from your book or box set, not just one time but for the long term. It is how you can be a successful indie author. Without buyers for your books, self-publishing is just a hobby. Look at your words as your profession and earn your just desserts by pricing your books appropriately and intentionally to improve your bottom line.That’s what Pricing Strategies is all about. Understand the why and let the money flow.
Pricing Strategies. The book you need.