Book picks similar to
Ink Spots by Brian McDonald


writing
nonfiction
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FLASH!: Writing the Very Short Story


John Dufresne - 2018
    But now a brave new genre has emerged: very brief fiction. FLASH! identifies the qualities that make for excellent flash fiction, demystifies the writing process, and guides writers by exercise and example through the world of the very short story. John Dufresne’s characteristic warmth, wit, and humor remind writers of the joy in the creative process, making this a perfect guide for any writer interested in trying a new form.

The Story Book: A Writer's Guide to Story Development, Principles, Problem-solving and Marketing


David Baboulene - 2010
    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...

Dialogue: Techniques and Exercises for Crafting Effective Dialogue


Gloria Kempton - 2004
    Craft Compelling DialogueWhen should your character talk, what should (or shouldn't) he say, and when should he say it? How do you know when dialogue—or the lack thereof—is dragging down your scene? How do you fix character who speaks with the laconic wit of the Terminator?Write Great Fiction: Dialogue by successful author and instructor Gloria Kempton has the answers to all of these questions and more! It's packed with innovative exercises and instructions designed to teach you how to:•Create dialogue that drives the story•Weave dialogue with narrative and action•Use dialogue to pace your story•Write dialogue that fits specific genres•Avoid the common pitfalls of writing dialogue•Make dialogue unique for each characterAlong with dozens of dialogue excerpts form today's most popular writers, Write Great Fiction: Dialogue gives you the edge you need to make your story stand out from the rest.

A Novel in a Year


Louise Doughty - 2007
    'The art of writing, ' Kingsley Amis said, 'is the art of applying the seat of one's trousers to the seat of one's chair.' Looking at different aspects of writing, this book features set exercises to help the reader improve their confidence and technique, covering essential skills for all would-be novelists

The Everything Guide to Writing a Romance Novel


Christie Craig - 2008
    This simple guide—written by two awardwinning romance novelists—will show readers what it takes to break into this highly competitive market and will provide them the information they need to get their manuscript out of the slush pile and onto the bookshelf. Readers will learn how to do the following techniques: build a story from premise to plot; add a fresh twist to a classic storyline; create compelling characters; write sizzling sex scenes that carry an emotional punch; research agents and markets; write a story that an editor can’t reject; and promote themselves and their work. New writers, and even experienced writers, will find the solid howto information here invaluable. This is a musthave for aspiring writers who want to write the perfect love story.

Conflict, Action and Suspense


William Noble - 1994
    You make your reader burn to know what's going to happen next. You create tension…and build it…to the breaking point.William Noble shows you how to intensify that pressure throughout your story. You'll learn exactly what constitutes conflict, action and suspense, how they relate to other important ingredients in your story, and—perhaps most important—how to manipulate them.Through thorough, step-by-step instruction, you'll learn how to…• set the stage with techniques and devices that enhance drama.• introduce suspense from the very beginning of your story.• build suspense through cliff hangers, dialogue, mood, character    development, point of view, subtlety and indirection, and time and    place.• bring all that conflict, action and suspense to a gripping    conclusion.There are all sorts of ways to create tension in your prose—from using adjectives and nouns that drip with imagery to making quick scene cuts and transitions to accelerating the pace. Learn them here. Then use them, and your story will plunge your readers into a river of worry…and the current will carry them to The End.About the AuthorWilliam Noble is the author of several writing books, short fiction and nonfiction pieces. He has taught and lectured about writing at the Breadloaf Writer's Conference and others.

You Can't Make This Stuff Up: The Complete Guide to Writing Creative Nonfiction -- from Memoir to Literary Journalism and Everything in Between


Lee Gutkind - 2012
    Whether you're writing a rags-to-riches tell-all memoir or literary journalism, telling true stories well is hard work. In You Can't Make This Stuff Up, Lee Gutkind, the go-to expert for all things creative nonfiction, offers his unvarnished wisdom to help you craft the best writing possible. Frank, to-the-point, and always entertaining, Gutkind describes and illustrates every aspect of the genre. Invaluable tools and exercises illuminate key steps, from defining a concept and establishing a writing process to the final product. Offering new ways of understanding the genre, this practical guidebook will help you thoroughly expand and stylize your work.

Story Trumps Structure: How to Write Unforgettable Fiction by Breaking the Rules


Steven James - 2013
    With Story Trumps Structure, you can shed those rules - about three-act structure, rising action, outlining, and more - to craft your most powerful, emotional, and gripping stories.Award-winning novelist Steven James explains how to trust the narrative process to make your story believable, compelling, and engaging, and debunks the common myths that hold writers back from creating their best work. Ditch your outline and learn to write organically. Set up promises for readers - and deliver on them. Discover how to craft a satisfying climax. Master the subtleties of characterization. Add mind-blowing twists to your fiction. When you focus on what lies at the heart of story - tension, desire, crisis, escalation, struggle, discovery - rather than plot templates and formulas, you'll begin to break out of the box and write fiction that resonates with your readers. Story Trumps Structure will transform the way you think about stories and the way you write them, forever.

The Screenwriter's Bible: A Complete Guide to Writing, Formatting, and Selling Your Script


David Trottier - 1994
    A standard by which other screenwriting books are measured, it has sold over 200,000 copies in its twenty-year life. Always up-to-date and reliable, it contains everything that both the budding ... Available here:blubbu.com/download?i=1935247107The Screenwriter's Bible, 6th Edition: A Complete Guide to Writing, Formatting, and Selling Your Script (Expanded & Updated) PDF by David TrottierRead The Screenwriter's Bible, 6th Edition: A Complete Guide to Writing, Formatting, and Selling Your Script (Expanded & Updated) PDF from Silman-James Press,David TrottierDownload David Trottier’s PDF E-book The Screenwriter's Bible, 6th Edition: A Complete Guide to Writing, Formatting, and Selling Your Script (Expanded & Updated)

How to Write a Damn Good Novel: A Step-by-Step No Nonsense Guide to Dramatic Storytelling


James N. Frey - 1987
    Talent and inspiration can't be taught, but Frey does provide scores of helpful suggestions and sensible rules and principles.An international bestseller, How to Write a Damn Good Novel will enable all writers to face that intimidating first page, keep them on track when they falter, and help them recognize, analyze, and correct the problems in their own work.

The Author Blog: Easy Blogging for Busy Authors


Anne R. Allen - 2017
    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?

Write The Fight Right


Alan Baxter - 2011
    Baxter's experience from decades as a career martial artist make this book a valuable resource for writers who want to understand what fighting is all about - what it really feels like and what does and doesn't work - and how to factor those things into their writing to make their fight scenes visceral, realistic page turners. Baxter won't tell you how to write, but he will tell you what makes a great fight scene.

Thesaurus of the Senses


Linda Hart - 2015
    Throughout history, the timely use of the apt word has held enormous sway, in literature, speeches, and texts. How is it that some words hold such power? One thing we know: great words often engage the senses. Thesaurus of the Senses expands your possibilities to see, hear, touch, taste, and smell to describe the world around you. It collects some of the best English sensory words in one place to enliven your writing and help you build persuasive description. It's an indispensable tool for writers, poets, bloggers, editors, storytellers, students, teachers, communicators, and word lovers alike — anyone wanting to add more spark to his or her writing.

Time to Write: More Than 100 Professional Writers Reveal How to Fit Writing Into Your Busy Life


Kelly L. Stone - 2007
    Light bulbs went off in my head as I read Kelly L. Stone's Time to Write with its shrewd observations and sage, practical advice for making time to write." -Hallie Ephron, author of Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel and 1001 Books for Every Mood"When it's a writing day, I'm writing. Period."—Jodi Picoult "I set myself a 500 word a day goal. . . . If I can do that, I can finish a first draft in six months."—Hallie Ephron "If the trouble is just getting started in the morning, I often change my writing place or method."—Jennifer Blake In Time to Write, more than 100 professional writers from across genres-including Sandra Brown, Catherine Coulter, Wendy Corsi Staub, Merline Lovelace, Steve Berry, Tess Gerritsen, Ann Major, Cherry Adair, Christine Feehan, Julia London, and Eloisa James-share their secrets to finding time to write. And if they could find the time to write, then so can you. The time is now.

The Power of Point of View: Make Your Story Come to Life


Alicia Rasley - 2008
    It's the unique worldview that intrigues readers–persuading them to empathize with your characters and invest in their tale. It's the masterful concealing and revealing of detail that keeps pages turning and plots fresh. It's the hidden agenda that makes narrators complicated and compelling.It's also something most writers struggle to understand. In The Power of Point of View, RITA Award-winning author Alicia Rasley first teaches you the fundamentals of point of view (POV)–who is speaking, why, and what options work best within the conventions of your chosen genre. Then, she takes you deeper to explain how POV functions as a crucial piece of your story–something that ultimately shapes and drives character, plot, and every other component of your fiction.Through comprehensive instruction and engaging exercises, you'll learn how to:choose a point of view that enhances your characters and plots and encourages reader involvementnavigate the levels of a character's point of view, from objective viewing to action to emotioncraft unusual perspectives, including children, animal narrators, and villainsA story changes depending on who's telling it, and The Power of Point of View will help you determine which of your characters can make your story come to life.