This is not one of those books. On the contrary, this is a collection of terrible, awkward, and laughably unreadable excerpts that will teach you what to avoid—at all costs—if you ever want your novel published.In How Not to Write a Novel, authors Howard Mittelmark and Sandra Newman distill their 30 years combined experience in teaching, editing, writing, and reviewing fiction to bring you real advice from the other side of the query letter. Rather than telling you how or what to write, they identify the 200 most common mistakes unconsciously made by writers and teach you to recognize, avoid, and amend them. With hilarious "mis-examples" to demonstrate each manuscript-mangling error, they'll help you troubleshoot your beginnings and endings, bad guys, love interests, style, jokes, perspective, voice, and more. As funny as it is useful, this essential how-NOT-to guide will help you get your manuscript out of the slush pile and into the bookstore.

    With Art Doodle Love, art journal expert Dawn DeVries Sokol provides the perfect jump start: an interactive fill-in book of prompts that will motivate women to “discover” themselves and their inner creative goddesses. Loosely inspired by Eat Pray Love, Elizabeth Gilbert’s memoir of self-discovery, Art Doodle Love overflows with colorful pages for recording thoughts and collecting ideas, as well as venting, soul-searching, and documenting everyday life. By following the insightful prompts, the journal keeper develops her artistic skills, gains confidence in her natural creativity, and learns about herself through self-reflection.Praise for Art Doodle Love:“The author offers readers art journaling supply recommendations, then eases them into doodling and documenting on pages that have been prepped with vibrant and inspiring background.”  —Grand Rapid Press and Kalamazoo Gazette

    Build confidence, ditch your inner critic, and finally write your book with simple habits you can start today. You can read this short read (~7,000 words) in about 30 minutes, so it won't get in the way of the one thing standing between you and your book: Action! Download today and make the book you've dreamed of a reality. Now includes a free sample chapter of David Kadavy's latest book, The Heart to Start.

    Then, the 50 projects are divided into five sections: Ageing and Distressing; Working with the Base; Working with Colour; Handpainting; and Crackle, Gilding and Decoupage. There are step-by-step images showing how to achieve the finished look, before shots and inspirational photography showing the effects used on walls and doors, furniture and floors. Learn how to bring old second-hand furniture bang up to date, or how to give modern pieces a softly aged appearance, as well as ways to treat and transform floorboards, doors and plastered walls. Whatever the style of your interiors, Quick and Easy Paint Transformations will show you the best way to makeover your home."

    Here's an exhilarating, easy way to learn a word...and never forget it! With games, puzzles, exercises, and whole battery of challenging tests.

    That is what is strange—that friends, even passionate love,are not my real life, unless there is time alone in which to explore what is happening or what has happened." In this journal, she says, "I hope to break through into the rough, rocky depths,to the matrix itself. There is violence there and anger never resolved. My need to be alone is balanced against my fear of what will happen when suddenly I enter the huge empty silence if I cannot find support there."In this book, we are closer to the marrow than ever before in May Sarton's writing.

    You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

    Shimmering Images teaches the aspiring memoirist how to locate key memories using Lisa's technique for finding, linking, and fleshing out those vibrant recollections of important moments and situations.Shimmering Images will address:*the difference between memoir and autobiography*how to claim your voice*the art of storytelling*honesty, truth, and compassion in writing*authentic dialogue and the need for specificityReaders will learn how to craft a short piece of narrative nonfiction grounded in their core memories and master a technique they can use over and over again for writing other narratives.A must-have book for anyone who has treasured Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott or Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg.

    Learn terms for the sunlight that filters through the leaves of trees, for dancing awkwardly but with relish, and for the look shared by two people who each wish the other would speak first. Other-Wordly is an irresistible gift for lovers of words and those lost for words alike.

    Anna Karenina, Clarissa Dalloway, Daisy Buchanan...each seems to live on the page through celebrated artist Samantha Hahn's evocative portraits and hand-lettered quotations, with the pairing of art and text capturing all the spirit of the character as she was originally written. The book itself evokes vintage grace re-imagined for contemporary taste, with a cloth spine silk-screened in a graphic pattern, debossed cover, and pages that turn with the tactile satisfaction of watercolour paper. In the hand and in the reading, here is a new classic for the book lover's library.

    At last, a place to record the books you've read. Months and years from now, this journal will help you instantly recall long-forgotten details of your reading experience. This is also the place to record books you'd like to read next (take it with you to the bookstore or library). You'll find pages to list books borrowed, lent, or given (even a place to list books you'd like to give) your book sources, and book group contact information, plus lists of acclaimed authors and titles to inspire future reading choices and a section devoted to your reading life.

    Put down your phone and pick up a pencil. Give yourself some space. The Internet will still be there. Start with one page at a time, and you'll be surprised at just how much you can create.Each of the 365 prompts in 1 Page at a Time will encourage you to draw, write, list, reflect, and share. This book is your new best friend.Let's get started!Now available in red, blue, and yellow!

    

    With the officiating trend on the rise, novice officiants need a resource to guide them. In The Wedding Officiant's Guide, interfaith minister Lisa Francesca breaks down the entire officiating process, from becoming an ordained officiant and interviewing the couple to drafting and performing a moving ceremony. Written in an engaging and friendly tone, and featuring empowering advice, suggested readings, stories and lessons learned from new officiants, and practical tips from wedding planners, this inviting handbook will help new officiants write and deliver a wedding ceremony that fulfills marriage laws, delights guests, and honors the marrying couple.

    Publish. Repeat., Fiction Unboxed offers something that’s never been offered before: a naked look into two writer’s process, as they wrote and published a book in 30 days, from scratch, in front of the world.In 2013 Sean Platt & Johnny B. Truant wrote and published 1.5 million words (a Harry Potter series and a half worth of fiction). The next year they showed the world how they did it.In May 2014, Johnny and Sean, along with their third partner David Wright, launched a Kickstarter campaign to see if their fans wanted to see how they wrote behind closed doors. They promised to start their newest project without knowing their story, characters, or even their genre, and publish the final draft before their 30 days were up. They promised to capture every email, every story meeting, and every word from every draft. They promised to show every molecule of their process, warts and all.They had 30 days for their fans to green light the campaign. It fully funded in 11 hours. Fiction Unboxed is as revealing as it is inspiring, empowering readers and writers as much as it will entertain them. With actionable advice that will benefit any writer, this book is a true gem for anyone who loves a well told story.