With elegance, humor, and sophistication, Gardner describes the life of a working novelist; warns what needs to be guarded against, both from within the writer and from without; and predicts what the writer can reasonably expect and what, in general, he or she cannot. "For a certain kind of person," Gardner writes, "nothing is more joyful or satisfying than the life of a novelist." But no other vocation, he is quick to add, is so fraught with professional and spiritual difficulties. Whether discussing the supposed value of writer's workshops, explaining the role of the novelist's agent and editor, or railing against the seductive fruits of literary elitism, On Becoming a Novelist is an indispensable, life-affirming handbook for anyone authentically called to the profession. "A miraculously detailed account of the creative process."—Anne Tyler, Baltimore Sun

    M. Forster's Aspects of the Novel and Milan Kundera's The Art of the Novel, How Fiction Works is a scintillating study of the magic of fiction--an analysis of its main elements and a celebration of its lasting power. Here one of the most prominent and stylish critics of our time looks into the machinery of storytelling to ask some fundamental questions: What do we mean when we say we "know" a fictional character? What constitutes a telling detail? When is a metaphor successful? Is Realism realistic? Why do some literary conventions become dated while others stay fresh?James Wood ranges widely, from Homer to Make Way for Ducklings, from the Bible to John le Carré, and his book is both a study of the techniques of fiction-making and an alternative history of the novel. Playful and profound, How Fiction Works will be enlightening to writers, readers, and anyone else interested in what happens on the page.

    From the 100 Years War to the Gulf Wars, and from the wisdom of Aristotle to the Civil Rights movement, this book distils the major events in human history into easily digestible chunks. Each essay is accompanied by an image - or a clear diagram to illustrate complex ideas - and will plug the gaps in your knowledge of the most important eras, movements and events in the history of humankind. World History in Minutes is the perfect introduction to this expansive subject. Contents include: Neanderthals, Babylonians, Attilla the Hun, Abyssinian Empire, Magna Carta, Black Death, Inca, Henry VIII Reformation, Ulster Plantations, Rousseau and the Enlightenment, Declaration of Independence, French Revolution, Tonga Civil War, Universal Suffrage, Spanish Influenza, Great Depression, Pearl Harbour, The Space Age, Civil Rights, Environmentalism, Oligarchs and Tiger Economies.

    president's daughter?Brimming with answers to popular questions like these, The Best Bar Trivia Book Ever arms you with the knowledge your team needs to annihilate your bar trivia competition. This must-have guide features hundreds of facts, covering everything from sports and pop culture to history and science, so that you're always ready to deliver the ultimate trivia smackdown. You'll also get all the ins and outs of your favorite event with information on important bar trivia rules, assembling a team, and claiming victories week after week.Whether you're new to the scene or want to dominate at your local bar, this book will help your team outsmart the competition every single week!

    A celebrated writing coach with a sense of humor and a gentle touch, she’s also a master writer herself with a long and distinguished career in both teaching and practicing the art of writing.The Book on Writing contains 25 chapters in three sections: A dozen essential but easy-to-apply guidelines to good writing, from the importance of clarity to the value of a conversational tone. Paula LaRocque believes learning is easier and more successful when we are not only told but also shown. So her Book on Writing is chockfull of actual writing examples that supplement and illustrate principles that apply as naturally to fiction as they do to nonfiction.How to tell a story—from building suspense, to effective description, to the uses of metaphor and literary devices. Paula LaRocque also deals with the narrative “engine” and the value of the archetype in plotting and characterization—as well as with pace and speed and leveling what she terms writing’s “speedbumps.” A clear and concise handbook that deals with common problems in grammar, usage, punctuation, and style—the kind of problems that often trouble even wordsmiths. The handbook also debunks pesky language “rules” that are actually myths. The Book on Writing is one-stop shopping for writers. Read it once, and you’ll be a better writer. Read it often, and you’ll be among the best.

    Hairspray (978-1-5578-3514-7); Rent (978-1-5578-3737-0); Fiddler on the Roof (978-0-8791-0136-7)

    George combines clear, intelligent, and functional advice on fiction writing with anecdotes from her own life, the story of her journey to publication, and inside information on how she meticulously researches and writes her novels. George's solid understanding of craft is conveyed in the enticing manner of a true storyteller, making Write Away not only a marvelous, interesting, and informative book but also a glimpse inside the world of a beloved writer.

    The guide also includes a section on child personality types.

    of the APA manual (2nd printing) < < < This handbook is ideal for preparing undergraduate essays. It was specifically designed with the average student's needs in mind. The book is intended to cover the vast majority of situations that the normal student will encounter while writing a college essay. Organized for speed and brevity, the book is primarily a concentrated, up-to-date guide on APA format (11 pages) and documentation requirements (12 pages In-Text, 19 pages References) with a heavy emphasis on examples and visual aids (90 to be exact). Additionally the book contains pointers on how to get started, what to document, what notes to take (by source type), and how to handle quotes of varying length. All of this in a book designed to fit in a shirt pocket. Product Dimensions: 60 Pages - 5 5/16" x 3 3/4" x .166 " Continuously Updated - Coincides with most recent APA standards (APA Manual 6th Edition) Last Update 6/2/10

    In A Swim in a Pond in the Rain, he shares a version of that class with us, offering some of what he and his students have discovered together over the years. Paired with iconic short stories by Chekhov, Turgenev, Tolstoy, and Gogol, the seven essays in this book are intended for anyone interested in how fiction works and why it’s more relevant than ever in these turbulent times.In his introduction, Saunders writes, “We’re going to enter seven fastidiously constructed scale models of the world, made for a specific purpose that our time maybe doesn’t fully endorse but that these writers accepted implicitly as the aim of art—namely, to ask the big questions, questions like, How are we supposed to be living down here? What were we put here to accomplish? What should we value? What is truth, anyway, and how might we recognize it?” He approaches the stories technically yet accessibly, and through them explains how narrative functions; why we stay immersed in a story and why we resist it; and the bedrock virtues a writer must foster. The process of writing, Saunders reminds us, is a technical craft, but also a way of training oneself to see the world with new openness and curiosity.A Swim in a Pond in the Rain is a deep exploration not just of how great writing works but of how the mind itself works while reading, and of how the reading and writing of stories make genuine connection possible.

    Armed with a newfound swagger, the author transforms a much anticipated, romantic holiday with his wife into a decidedly unromantic, though highly romanticized roots tour with comic results. Crammed into their tiny rental car (a Fiat Crumb or some such model), the couple scour the countryside, from castles to trailer parks, looking for something more to commemorate Crawford history than a family crest refrigerator magnet - and ultimately discover something altogether richer: a thriving country with the most beautiful and haunting scenery imaginable, a romantic history full of blood, intrigue and heroism, and some of the friendliest and most fiercely loyal people in the world. Award-winning travel writer Scott Crawford resides in the British Virgin Islands. A professional educator, he has a keen interest in travel and history, which infuse his writings. Where's Me Plaid is his first book.

     What if a few new habits could dramatically improve your book sales? What if you could grow your business and increase your revenue with a few simple steps? Imagine making passive income 24 hours a day, 7 days a week while having the opportunity to be your own boss, set your own hours, and achieve your life-long goals. Eleven-time Amazon bestselling author, Paul G. Brodie, covers how to become a #1 bestselling author and grow your business. Here are a few things that you will get out of Book Publishing for Beginners. In this book, you will learn how to: • Edit Your Book • Proofread Your Book one final time with a method that Paul uses exclusively with his books • Utilize Freelancers to have an Outstanding Book Cover created for a low price • Get your book Converted from a Manuscript to Kindle format • Convert your Book Description into Sales Copy that will Increase Book Sales • Get honest Reviews for your book from your first book launch and future launches • Learn about different Book Launches from Case Studies • Utilize a Free Launch Strategy to generate Thousands of potential Downloads while your book is free • Take advantage of your Book Price Conversion from free to 99 cents and get enough downloads to launch your book to #1 in its category • Maximize your Earnings with converting the price from 99 cents to either $2.99 or $3.99 at the right time • Record your Audiobook by doing it yourself or having someone narrate it for you • Convert your Manuscript to Paperback for CreateSpace • Get your Kindle book cover converted to CreateSpace • Build your Email List • Utilize different Lead Magnets • Offer different Back End Products to generate significant income • Maximize multiple Revenue Streams to Grow Your Business including Public Speaking, Coaching, and Book Signings •BONUS: Invitation to book a 15-minute call with Paul to get help with your book •BONUS: FREE Online Training to help you Get Published •BONUS: Invitation to join FREE private Facebook Community to help you Get Published •BONUS: FREE Audiobook Scroll up to the top of the page and click on the BUY NOW button and start your journey towards becoming a #1 bestselling author today!

    You need a System. Step-By-Step - Amazon's Paperback and E-Book Publishing Systems Explained In CreateSpace and Kindle Self-Publishing Masterclass, top-selling independent author Rick Smith demonstrates a logical, step-by-step system which new Authors can use to succeed. This book will fast-track you through the Jungle! Writing, Publishing, and Marketing Your Books Here you'll find the truth about what to write and how to get it finished. You'll learn the 16 Golden Rules for Successful Amazon Authors. You'll be shown the important things that must be done correctly, and the other stuff which just slows you down. Why you should publish both Paperback and Kindle formats Why you should always do Createspace first What are the best software tools for organisation, creativity, and productivity How to create or source amazing low-cost Covers that drive your sales How to build world-class Sales Pages on Amazon's storefront, with no technical skills required In fact, everything you'll need to take your book to market. Marketing 101 for New Independent Authors You’ll also discover the right moves to achieve commercial success for your book; Where to find your first willing customers who'll kick-off your sales The importance of Reviews and how to get genuine customers to write them Using the right Keyword tactics to get your book onto Page 1 in Amazon's Category Search How to price, track, and promote your book, and when to write the next one Brand New Chapters on Kindle Unlimited, Countdown Deals, and Pre-Order, the powerful new Amazon Marketing Programs As you follow these step-by-step instructions you'll quickly learn everything you need to know in order to start a new career as an Independent Self-Published Author. Along the way, you'll acquire a few Secret Weapons that could propel your book to it's Category's Top-Row, where every author wants to be and every potential buyer can see you. Publishing your first book is the ride of your life; get it right first time!Rick Smith is an independent Author and Publisher on Amazon, with multiple Top-Ten books in their categories, and numerous Best Seller badges. Click on “Look Inside” to Find Out Much More!

    Biographer and broadcaster Lucinda Hawksley gains unprecedented access to a treasure trove of Doyle’s never-before-seen personal letters and diaries. This is a chance for Sherlock fans to see their detective hero and his creator as they’ve never seen them before. Through interviews with Doyle aficionados, academics, actors and family members, we explore Doyle’s travels and sailing adventures across the globe, his pioneering work as a doctor, his life in the Freemasons and his fights against miscarriages of justice. As well as his many triumphs, we will also explore the challenges he faced, from the death of his first wife and son to the initial rejection he faced as an author. We will also look beyond Sherlock to Doyle’s other great works including his fantasy and science fiction novels and hear how one of his most famous, The Lost World, part-inspired Michael Crichton’s book of the same name, which became the successful Jurassic Park film franchise.

    [It] was due the next day. We were out at our family cabin in Bolinas, and he was at the kitchen table close to tears, surrounded by binder paper and pencils and unopened books on birds, immobilized by the hugeness of the task ahead. Then my father sat down beside him, put his arm around my brother's shoulder, and said. 'Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.'"With this basic instruction always in mind, Anne Lamott returns to offer us a new gift: a step-by-step guide on how to write and on how to manage the writer's life. From "Getting Started,' with "Short Assignments," through "Shitty First Drafts," "Character," "Plot," "Dialogue." all the way from "False Starts" to "How Do You Know When You're Done?" Lamott encourages, instructs, and inspires. She discusses "Writers Block," "Writing Groups," and "Publication." Bracingly honest, she is also one of the funniest people alive.If you have ever wondered what it takes to be a writer, what it means to be a writer, what the contents of your school lunches said about what your parents were really like, this book is for you. From faith, love, and grace to pain, jealousy, and fear, Lamott insists that you keep your eyes open, and then shows you how to survive. And always, from the life of the artist she turns to the art of life.