In From Where You Dream, Butler reimagines the process of writing as emotional rather than intellectual, and tells writers how to achieve the dreamspace necessary for composing honest, inspired fiction. Proposing that fiction is the exploration of the human condition with yearning as its compass, Butler reinterprets the traditional tools of the craft using the dynamics of desire. Offering a direct view into the mind and craft of a literary master, From Where You Dream is an invaluable tool for the novice and experienced writer alike.

    Try a little Second Sight. In this collection of talks, a professional editor offers insights from the other side of the publishing desk on a wide range of writerly topics: * Terrific first lines and how they got that way * What makes a strong picture book manuscript * Why the Harry Potter series was such a tremendous success * Finding the emotional heart of your story * Worksheets and checklists for building characters and bolstering plot * The Annotated Query Letter from Hell * And an Annotated Query Letter That Does It Right With its wit, intelligence, and practical tools for analyzing and revising your work, Second Sight will be a first resource for writers of children's and young adult fiction. This book has not been endorsed or approved by J. K. Rowling or any of her publishers or representatives, and all thoughts expressed here on all matters, including the Harry Potter series, are solely Cheryl B. Klein's own, and should not be taken as the official opinions, intentions, or interpretations of any of the writers or publishers mentioned.

    Most of my methods are for nonfiction, but many examples and ideas work well for fiction books, too. Learn how to be profitable writing a book a week for Kindle. The process is a true test of discipline and character. I share ideas that work for writing under this model and the motivation and mindset it takes to succeed.

    It enables us to write faster and avoid the dangers of RSI and a sedentary lifestyle. But many of us give up on dictating when we find we can't get the accuracy we need to be truly productive. This book changes all of that. With almost two decades of using Dragon software under his belt and a wealth of insider knowledge from within the dictation industry, Scott Baker will reveal how to supercharge your writing and achieve sky-high recognition accuracy from the moment you start using the software. You will learn: - Hidden tricks to use when installing Dragon NaturallySpeaking on a Windows PC or Dragon Dictate for Mac; - How to choose the right microphone and set it up perfectly for speech recognition; - The little-known techniques that will ensure around 99% accuracy from your first install – and how to make this even better over time; - Setting up fail-safe dictation profiles with multiple microphones and voice recorders, without impacting your accuracy; - How to train the software to adapt to you and avoid your accuracy declining; - Strategies for achieving your entire daily word count in just one or two hours; - Many more tips and tricks you won't find anywhere else. At the end of the book, you'll also find an exclusive list of resources and links to FREE video training to take your knowledge even further. It's time to write at the speed of speech – and transform your writing workflow forever!

    It just gave me the validation as a writer that I've never had before. Seldom do I run across other writers in person and so reading Mark's book really was a confidence booster. I recommend this book to all writers especially those who are new. It's the added boost we all need to see our little "babies" rise from the literary crib to adulthood."~ 5-star Review by: Kathleen Morris on Sep. 27, 2012 at SmashwordsLearn the 30 secrets of the bestselling self-published ebook authors. Learn how to make your book more discoverable and more desirable to readers. Learn how to reach readers around the globe at Amazon and other major retailers.This updated 2013 edition of The Secrets to Ebook Publishing Success has already helped tens of thousands of self-published ebook authors publish more professionally and with greater success.This ebook is a must-read for every writer, author, publisher and literary agent. Whether you're considering publishing a book for the first time, or you're a long-time veteran, this book will help you take your self-publishing to the next level.Includes a comprehensive glossary of e-publishing terms. No technical experience necessary!A great companion to Mark Coker's other popular e-publishing guides, The Smashwords Style Guide (how to format and publish an ebook) and The Smashwords Book Marketing Guide (how to market any book for free).Share the secrets. Enjoy!Table of ContentsPrefaceIntroductionThe SecretsSecret 1: Write a great bookSecret 2: Pinch your penniesSecret 3: Create a great ebook coverSecret 4: Practice metadata magicSecret 5: Write another great bookSecret 6: Build reader trustSecret 7: Embrace your obscuritySecret 8: Spend your time wiselySecret 9: Maximize distributionSecret 10: Avoid exclusivitySecret 11: Give (some of) your books away for FREESecret 12: Understand the algorithmSecret 13: How retailers select titles for feature promotionSecret 14: Patience paysSecret 15: How books develop (the four behaviors)Secret 16: Trust your customers and supply chain partnersSecret 17: Platform building starts yesterdaySecret 18: Architect for viralitySecret 19: Tweak your viral catalystsSecret 20: Optimize discovery touch pointsSecret 21: Practice the never-ending book launchSecret 22: Think globallySecret 23: Study the bestsellersSecret 24: Develop a thick skinSecret 25: Think beyond priceSecret 26: Pricing Strategy: Unit volume is a lever for successSecret 27: Ebook publishing is easy, writing is difficultSecret 28: Define your own successSecret 29: Leverage preorders to increase salesSecret 30: Share your secretsAppendix I – Glossary of E-Publishing TermsAppendix II – Special acknowledgements for beta readersAppendix III – CreditsAppendix IV – Reproduction rights (how to distribute this book freely)

    The stories she loves most follow other organic patterns found in nature―spirals, meanders, and explosions, among others. Alison’s manifesto for new modes of narrative will appeal to serious readers and writers alike. As Jane Alison writes in the introduction to her insightful and appealing book about the craft of writing: “For centuries there’s been one path through fiction we’re most likely to travel―one we’re actually told to follow―and that’s the dramatic arc: a situation arises, grows tense, reaches a peak, subsides. . . . But: something that swells and tautens until climax, then collapses? Bit masculo-sexual, no? So many other patterns run through nature, tracing other deep motions in life. Why not draw on them, too?”W. G. Sebald’s The Emigrants was the first novel to show Alison how forward momentum can be created by way of pattern, rather than the traditional arc―or, in nature, wave. Other writers of nonlinear prose considered in her “museum of specimens” include Nicholson Baker, Anne Carson, Marguerite Duras, Jamaica Kincaid, Clarice Lispector, Gabriel García Márquez, Susan Minot, David Mitchell, Caryl Phillips, and Mary Robison.Meander, Spiral, Explode is a singular and brilliant elucidation of literary strategies that also brings high spirits and wit to its original conclusions. It is a liberating manifesto that says, Let’s leave the outdated modes behind and, in thinking of new modes, bring feeling back to experimentation. It will appeal to serious readers and writers alike.

    

    For many, they make the difference between a writing dream and a writing career.” Zoe York/Ainsley Booth, USA Today and New York Times bestselling author For the first time ever in print, Zoe York breaks down how she plans a series—something she has done ten times over. Romance Your Brand is an adaptation of an intensive four-week course, now available to authors everywhere. This book covers:
 • high-concept pitches 
• world-building 
• taglines and blurbs 
• building a cast of characters
 • writing the first book in a series 
• finding comparable series 
• covers 
• how to write towards future marketing 
• and why ALL OF THE ABOVE should be considered before you write a single word

    5,000 Words Per Hour also has a companion app available for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch! The fastest way to succeed as an author is to write more books. How do you do that with a day job, family, school or all your other time commitments? The secret is efficiency. 5K WPH will help you maximize your writing time by building effective habits that both measure and increase your writing speed. - Create an effective writing habit - Track and improve your Words Per Hour - Stop the endless editing and tinkering so you can finish your draft - Use voice dictation software to dramatically increase words per hour. It’s time to shift your writing into high gear.

    Perfect for busy writers or writers who are easily distracted or who want a better way to make consistent progress with their writing. Includes write ups from 15-minute writers who swear by the method. Also covers mindset, getting into a writing flow, how to clear mental clutter so you can focus during your writing session, and more.

    Long considered a classic in the field, WRITING IN GENERAL is the product of a lifetime of reflection by one of our best literary minds.

    How well should you know your characters? Do you need to outline before you write? How important is length? Now Walter Dean Myers, the new National Ambassador for Young People's Literature and New York Times bestselling and award-winning author, walks you through the writing process.Includes:Examples from his writing and reading experiencesWalter's six-box and four-box outlines for writing fiction and nonfictionExcerpted pages from Walter's own notebooksAn afterword by Ross Workman, Walter's teen coauthor of kickWriting tips from both Walter and RossAnyone can be a writer, with a little help from Walter Dean Myers!

    DeSalvo advises her readers to explore their creative process on deeper levels by getting to know themselves and their stories more fully over a longer period of time. She writes in the same supportive manner that encourages her students, using the slow writing process to help them explore the complexities of craft. The Art of Slow Writing is the antidote to self-help books that preach the idea of fast-writing, finishing a novel a year, and quick revisions. DeSalvo makes a case that more mature writing often develops over a longer period of time and offers tips and techniques to train the creative process in this new experience.DeSalvo describes the work habits of successful writers (among them, Nobel Prize laureates) so that readers can use the information provided to develop their identity as writers and transform their writing lives. It includes anecdotes from classic American and international writers such as John Steinbeck, Henry Miller, Virginia Woolf and D. H. Lawrence as well as contemporary authors such as Michael Chabon, Junot Diaz, Jeffrey Eugenides, Ian McEwan, and Salman Rushdie. DeSalvo skillfully and gently guides writers to not only start their work, but immerse themselves fully in the process and create texts they will treasure.

    Filled with professional tips and a wealth of instructive examples, this valuable, easy-to-use handbook can help you solve any and all writing problems.

    4 is an elucidation of the writer's craft by a master practitioner. In a series of playful but expertly wrought essays, John McPhee shares insights he's gathered over his career and refined during his long-running course at Princeton University, where he has launched some of the most esteemed writers of several generations. McPhee offers a definitive guide to the crucial decisions regarding structure, diction, and tone that shape nonfiction pieces, and presents extracts from some of his best-loved work, subjecting them to wry scrutiny. The result is a vivid depiction of the writing process, from reporting to drafting to revising and revising, and revising.More than a compendium of advice, Draft No. 4 is enriched by personal detail and charming reflections on the life of a writer. McPhee describes his enduring relationships with The New Yorker and Farrar, Straus and Giroux, and recalls his early years at Time magazine. Enlivened by his keen sense of writing as a way of being in the world, Draft No. 4 is the long-awaited master class given by America's most renowned writing instructor.