But for some reason they choose to ignore those guidelines and churn out turgid, pompous, and obscure prose. Distinguished sociologist Howard S. Becker, true to his calling, looks for an explanation for this bizarre behavior not in the psyches of his colleagues but in the structure of his profession. In this highly personal and inspirational volume he considers academic writing as a social activity.Both the means and the reasons for writing a thesis or article or book are socially structured by the organization of graduate study, the requirements for publication, and the conditions for promotion, and the pressures arising from these situations create the writing style so often lampooned and lamented. Drawing on his thirty-five years' experience as a researcher, writer, and teacher, Becker exposes the foibles of the academic profession to the light of sociological analysis and gentle humor. He also offers eminently useful suggestions for ways to make social scientists better and more productive writers. Among the topics discussed are how to overcome the paralyzing fears of chaos and ridicule that lead to writer's block; how to rewrite and revise, again and again; how to adopt a persona compatible with lucid prose; how to deal with that academic bugaboo, "the literature." There is also a chapter by Pamela Richards on the personal and professional risks involved in scholarly writing.In recounting his own trials and errors Becker offers his readers not a model to be slavishly imitated but an example to inspire. Throughout, his focus is on the elusive work habits that contribute to good writing, not the more easily learned rules of grammar and punctuation. Although his examples are drawn from sociological literature, his conclusions apply to all fields of social science, and indeed to all areas of scholarly endeavor. The message is clear: you don't have to write like a social scientist to be one.

    This is followed by an account of the development of grammar, and a review of modern approaches to this complex subject. The central section of the book is a presentation of current English grammar at sentence, clause, phrase, and word level; with the last chapters covering grammar in relation to discourse, word-formation, lexis, pronunciation and intonation, punctuation, and spelling. A full index is provided, and examples of usage are drawn from a wide range of sources, including use of the new international Corpus of English at University College London. Written in a readable and absorbing style, The Oxford English Grammar is an essential reference for English speakers around the world.

    This edition has been revised and edited by Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Justin Kaplan.

    The guide also includes a section on child personality types.

    An indispensable store of information on the English language, written by some of the best-known grammarians in the world.

    This nuts-and-bolts guide - complete with practical exercises at the end of each chapter - gives you all the tips and techniques you need to:Establish a realistic sense of time and placeUse description and setting to drive your storyCraft effective description and setting for different genresSkillfully master showing vs. tellingWith dozens of excerpts from some of today's most popular writers, Write Great Fiction: Description & Setting gives you all the information you need to create a sharp and believable world of people, places, events, and actions.

    Great storytelling is making readers care about your characters, the choices they make, and what happens to them. It's making your audience feel the tension and emotion of a situation right alongside your protagonist. And to tell a damn fine story, you need to understand why and how that caring happens. Using a mix of personal stories, pop fiction examples, and traditional storytelling terms, New York Times best-selling author Chuck Wendig will help you internalize the feel of powerful storytelling. In Damn Fine Story, you'll explore:Fretytag's Pyramid for visualizing story structure--and when to break away from traditional storytelling formsCharacter relationships and interactions as the basis of every strong plot--no matter the form or genreRising and falling tension that pulls the audience through to the climax and conclusion of the storyDeveloping themes as a way to craft characters with depthWhether you're writing a novel, screenplay, video game, comic, or even if you just like to tell stories to your friends and family over dinner, this funny and informative guide is chock-full of examples about the art and craft of storytelling--and how to write a damn fine story of your own.

    Vocabulary is clearly presented and contextualized on left-hand pages with practice activities on facing right-hand pages. This top-selling vocabulary book is now available with CD-ROM offering hundreds of completely new exercises. The CD-ROM has a built-in dictionary with full definitions and example sentences of key vocabulary. Students can listen to audio recordings, create their own tests and make personal notes within the dictionary. This edition 'with answers' is ideal for self-study.

    In You Can Write a Novel, veteran author James Smith breaks down this complex process into simple, logical steps. His approach will guide you in a practical sequence designed to keep you focused, organized and moving forward while skillfully addressing the essentials, such as plot, character, setting, dialogue and action. Smith also shows how to generate a salable idea, develop that idea into a framework, and build that framework into a finished manuscript. What's more, he sets You Can Write a Novel apart from other how-to-write books by providing these unique features:The Writer's Tool Kit: an indispensable invention for even the most seasoned writer. Using index cards, a file folder, a pocket folder, a legal pad and some tape, you will create a management system for building and keeping track of characters, constructing a main story line, adding subplots, revising on the fly and more!Lifesaving Rules for the Writer: a variety of short technique advisories designed to keep you from wasting time or making fatal errors.These include: The 40 Cardinal Rules of Writing10 blunders that identify you as an amateur8 places to mine or not mine ideasand many moreAn Idea Scoring System: a method used to quantify your story idea's potential for successSmith's upbeat, accessible style will encourage you from start to finish, so don't waste another moment wondering if you have what it takes you succeed! You Can Write a Novel!

    Comprehensive, but not overwhelming, Lester provides students with step-by-step guidance through the research writing process from selecting and narrowing a topic, to formatting the finished document. And it backs up the instruction with the most complete array of samples of any research writing guide on the market. Another of the text's ongoing strengths is its extremely thorough and accurate coverage of citation styles for a wide variety of disciplines. This edition maintains Lester's successful approach while detailing the uses of new computer technologies that are changing the face of research. In addition, an all-new Interactive Edition CD-ROM offers the entire text in an electronic format for easy reference while writing and researching on a computer. Numerous multimedia features include: interactive research activities, weblinks, and resources. The CD is FREE when bundled with the text. spiral-bound with tabs--Lester's text is one that students will keep throughout their college careers.

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

    With clear text, appealing cartoons, and a focus on common errors and how to correct them, this little volume is a real gem that should find a permanent place with companies, universities, and anyone seeking a user-friendly guide to style and usage.

    Compelling opening scenes are the key to catching an agent or editor’s attention, and are crucial for keeping your reader engaged.As a writer, what you do in your opening pages, and how you do it, is a matter that cannot be left to chance. The First 50 Pages is here to help you craft a strong beginning right from the start. You’ll learn how to: introduce your main character establish your story world set up the plot’s conflict begin your hero’s inner journey write an amazing opening line and terrific first page and more This helpful guide walks you through the tasks your first 50 pages must accomplish in order to avoid leaving readers disoriented, frustrated, or bored. Don’t let your reader put your book down before ever seeing its beauty. Let The First 50 Pages show you how to begin your novel with the skill and intentionality that will land you a book deal, and keep readers’ eyes glued to the page.

    Characters paralyzed by the meaninglessness of modern life still have to drink water from time to time.” —Kurt Vonnegut“‘The cat sat on the mat’ is not the beginning of a story, but ‘the cat sat on the dog’s mat’ is.” —John Le CarréNothing is more inspiring for a beginning writer than listening to masters of the craft talk about the writing life. But if you can’t get Vladimir Nabokov, Virginia Woolf, and Gabriel García Márquez together at the Algonquin, The Modern Library Writer’s Workshop gives you the next best thing. Stephen Koch, former chair of Columbia University’s graduate creative writing program, presents a unique guide to the craft of fiction. Along with his own lucid observations and commonsense techniques, he weaves together wisdom, advice, and inspiring commentary from some of our greatest writers. Taking you from the moment of inspiration (keep a notebook with you at all times), to writing a first draft (do it quickly! you can always revise later), to figuring out a plot (plot always serves the story, not vice versa), Koch is a benevolent mentor, glad to dispense sound advice when you need it most. The Modern Library Writer’s Workshop belongs on every writer’s shelf, to be picked up and pored over for those moments when the muse needs a little help finding her way.

    But many writers struggle to understand this powerful principle or have difficulty applying it to their own work. Even experienced authors sometimes don’t grasp the finer nuances of showing and telling. In this book, Sandra Gerth draws on her experience as an editor and a best-selling author to show you how to show and tell you when to tell. Each chapter includes concrete examples and exercises that will hone your writing skills. Whether you’re a novice writer working on your first story or an established author who has already learned the basics of showing and telling, this book will help you to: - Grasp the difference between showing and telling. - Understand why showing is such a powerful tool. - Spot telling in your own manuscript. - Fix bland passages and turn them into compelling scenes. - Keep from telling what you have already shown. - Avoid the three danger areas of telling. - Describe your characters and your setting in interesting ways. - Put powerful emotions into your writing. - Incorporate backstory into your novel without resorting to telling. - Recognize telling in dialogue. - Avoid overshowing and swamping your readers with too many details. - Learn when telling is actually a good thing. - Immerse your readers into your story and keep them captivated from beginning to end.