Whether puncturing the lies of politicians, wittily dissecting the English character or telling unpalatable truths about war, Orwell's timeless, uncompromising essays are more relevant, entertaining and essential than ever in today's era of spin.Contents:"Why I Write", first published 1946"The Lion and the Unicorn", first published 1940"A Hanging", first published 1931"Politics and the English Language", first published 1946

    Foreword by James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief Midwest Book Review Winner, ForeWord Magazine 2008 Book of the Year Award in the category of Writing

    You can't eat artistic integrity. It tastes like sawdust.’ This gonzo guide is a lesson in the practicalities of writing: how to be productive, professional and maybe one day even pay the rent. Topics covered include ‘How to slay writer’s block’, ‘What the hell is workflow?’, ‘How to write 10,000 words in a day’ and ‘The best apps for writers’. How to Be a Writer is a kick-ass writing guide with a tough-love approach, written for the internet generation. John Birmingham is lauded as a prolific writer working across multiple genres. Here he shares his secrets. And some hard-core, real-world practical advice. And a few excellent descriptions of explosions.

    Chock-full of treasures of the English language, the diversity of terms collected here covers topics from plants and animals (a parade of elephants, an embarrassment of pandas) to people and things (a pomposity of professors, an exultation of fireworks) and range from the familiar (a pride of lions) to the downright obscure (an ooze of amoebas). Pronunciations, definitions, etymologies, and historical anecdotes make this beautiful book an entertaining read, a standout reference, and a visual treat. Language lovers and art appreciators alike will be captivated by this gem, rich in word and image.

    In a series of first-person letters, essays, manifestos, and notes to the reader, Kim Stafford shows what might happen at the creative boundary he calls "what we almost know." On the boundary's far side is our story, our poem, our song. On this side are the resonant hunches, griefs, secrets, and confusions from which our writing will emerge. Guiding us from such glimmerings through to a finished piece are a wealth of experiments, assignments, and tricks of the trade that Stafford has perfected over thirty years of classes, workshops, and other gatherings of writers.Informing The Muses Among Us are Stafford's own convictions about writing--principles to which he returns again and again. We must, Stafford says, honor the fragments, utterances, and half-discovered truths voiced around us, for their speakers are the prophets to whom writers are scribes. Such filaments of wisdom, either by themselves or alloyed with others, give rise to our poems, stories, and essays. In addition, as Stafford writes, "all pleasure in writing begins with a sense of abundance--rich knowledge and boundless curiosity." By recommending ways for students to seek beyond the self for material, Stafford demystifies the process of writing and claims for it a Whitmanesque quality of participation and community.

    How? By taking the fear and mystery out of dictation. By providing exercises designed to nurture and connect parts of the brain used during dictation. By offering specific tips to remove the discomfort that causes most writers to abandon dictation. Fool Proof Dictation is the only ebook of its kind, focusing primarily on the mental process of dictation. It’s a self-paced training system that streamlines the dictation process. There are warm-ups, practical exercises, and an easy to follow routine for dictating your scenes.Fool Proof Dictation serves both absolute beginners and writers who’ve tried dictation but grew discouraged, eventually giving it up. This system offers an ease-of-use that will surprise everyone with how effective and gratifying dictation can be!This ebook details the method I use when I dictate fiction. It also explains all the exercises I’ve used over time to train my brain for effective dictation. On top of that, it includes enough prompts to keep those exercises working for months!

    It's great for decoding your favorite pulp fiction or noir classic.

    But what about those special situations that every girl encounters—the wince-inducing, hair-curling dilemmas and debacles that can rattle even the most fabulous woman to her core? For those times when perfect table manners won’t save the day, The Fabulous Girl’s Guide to Grace Under Pressure offers a crash course in extreme etiquette—a scenario-by-scenario, must-have manual for surviving the stickiest, trickiest situations that come your way. What should you do if you catch your boyfriend in bed with another woman? What if that woman is your best friend? What happens if you get a bit too tipsy at your company party and make an inappropriate comment to your boss? Tackling all areas of urban life—from the workplace, to friendships, to sex and courtship—authors Kim Izzo and Ceri Marsh show you how to overcome even the most excruciating circumstances with the Audrey Hepburn-esque style and finesse that are the hallmark of the Fabulous Girl. You’ll learn how to gracefully handle predicaments such as: • Your ex-boyfriend becomes famous• Your credit card is declined while you’re dining with a client• Your assistant is trying to get your job• You get caught having broom-closet sex with a coworker• You catch your friends complaining about you• Your shopping buddy gets caught shoplifting• You decide to call off your wedding at the last minuteNo matter how poised and well-mannered you are, the adventurous life of a Fabulous Girl inevitably leads to a few high-stakes dilemmas. Charming, witty, and eminently practical, The Fabulous Girl’s Guide to Grace Under Pressure arms you with the know-how to stylishly deal with whatever insanity life throws your way—and remain fabulous throughout it all.

    They do, however, reveal some interesting things about his insomnia and persistent fears (he hates darkness), his literary sources, work habits (he writes two hours a day, seven days a week) and how his scary novels are linked to his childhood insecurities and feelings of inadequacy. The interviews, conducted by various journalists over the past decade, originally ran in media ranging from Penthouse to the Baltimore Sun. Shrugging off critics who dismiss his work as derivative, King explains his fascination with the horrific and calls himself a good writer, not a great one. His comments on his novels and their movie adaptations are often astute, as when he interprets Carrie as a parable of women's consciousness or pans Stanley Kubrick's frigid direction of The Shining.

    You’ve accumulated hardwon knowledge and mastered the solution to a difficult problem. Now you want to put it out into the world— and be recognized for your expertise, like those you’ve watched reap the benefits of a published book. You know you have to write it. You’ve heard it from people for years: you should really write a book. They’re right. It’s time for you to write the book that cements your legacy and impacts other people—and maybe even the world. So why haven’t you done it yet? The truth is, writing a book is scary. Is your idea good enough? How do you structure it, write it, and stay motivated? What if you actually finish it, and it’s bad? Worst of all: what if you publish it, and no one cares? If this sounds familiar, The Scribe Method will help you navigate these fears on your journey to becoming a published author. Guided by experts Tucker Max and Zach Obront, you’ll overcome the obstacles that have held you back with a simple, time-saving, effective method to writing a great book, and learn the step-by-step process that has created hundreds of bestselling titles.

    It talks about how to do research on the Internet and how to differentiate between reliable and unreliable historical information on the Web.

    Grammar is about much more than rules: it’s about choices, too—since a thought can always be expressed correctly in multiple ways.In Grammar for a Full Life, author Lawrence Weinstein reveals how our grammatical choices either stifle or boost our…sense of agency in lifecreativitydepth of connection to othersand mindfulness.Weinstein shows that certain tweaks to a person’s grammar can bring consequential changes in his or her fulfillment and well-being. In this wonderfully readable book, he describes some forty transformative moves that can be made with English punctuation and syntax. In the book, you’ll learn, for instance, why a greater use of active voice constructions builds assertive energy in us. You’ll discover how—paradoxically—cutting back on the “intensifiers” (exclamation marks and words like really, absolutely) heightens our awareness of the world.There is not too much about personality and life that Weinstein doesn’t see benefitting from a wiser use of grammar. In a chapter titled “Bonding,” even sex comes in for some grammatical attention. Even fear of death receives its own, almost lyrical chapter near book’s end.The farther one gets into this remarkable book, the clearer it becomes that Weinstein’s wish—for both himself and us—is actualization of “the whole person,” through language.No reader should be intimidated by Weinstein’s university credentials. As important a book as his is, it’s conversational throughout—and it’s packed with numerous compelling, clear examples. You will never think of commas or possessive pronouns in the same way again. Your regard for the conjunction “but” is likely to soar.Praise for Grammar for a Full Life has been coming in from thought leaders of all kinds, ranging from well-known authors on language, such as Anne Fadiman, Lynne Truss, and Richard Lederer, to influential spiritual thinkers, like Rabbi Lawrence Kushner. Cornel West calls it “brilliant and original.” Pioneer in mind-body studies Joan Borysenko writes, “If you read just one book this year, let this be the one.” (For a sampling of endorsements, see Editorial Reviews, below.)[PLEASE NOTE: Grammar for a Full Life is not a book intended for the person new to the English language. It assumes familiarity with many of the basics of English.]

    S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and the other members of the Inklings circle had a tremendous influence on one another; this book explains why. It also paints a lively and compelling picture of the way that writers, artists, and other innovators can (and should) challenge, correct, and encourage each other.

    Regardless of the wealth of book marketing tools and resources available to writers and artists today, most highly creative people still feel suspicious, confused, or just plain turned off by marketing and sales. The hidden reason behind this resistance is a deeply rooted fear that marketing for writers always results in a loss of integrity for the writer. Almost all highly creative people are also Highly Sensitive People, many of which are INFJ or INFP personality types. These Highly Sensitive Writers feel any possible threat to their integrity intensely. The fear they feel around marketing takes root in limiting beliefs that shut them down before they even begin. Lauren Sapala shares stories and strategies to help Highly Sensitive Writers shift their mindset and open up to new ways to promote their work. She helps all writers realize that—due to their Highly Sensitive nature—they might just make the best salespeople of all.

    By inviting the reader to explore the imagination's grip on daily life and how one lives in the pressure of that grip, Baxter offers his own perspective on reading and writing contemporary fiction.