The First 50 Pages
Seeking writing success? Start at the beginning... Whether you're looking to get published or just hoping to hook your reader, first impressions are vital. 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 moreThis 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.
Easy Writing Skills Step-by-Step
Take it step-by-step for writing success!The quickest route to learning a subject is through a solid grounding in the basics. So what you won't find in Easy Writing Skills Step-by-Step is a lot of endless drills. Instead, you get a clear explanation that breaks down complex concepts into easy-to-understand steps, followed by highly focused exercises that are linked to core skills--enabling learners to grasp when and how to apply those techniques.This book features: Large step-by-step charts breaking down each step within a process and showing clear connections between topics and annotations to clarify difficultiesStay-in-step panels show how to cope with variations to the core stepsStep-it-up exercises link practice to the core steps already presentedMissteps and stumbles highlight common errors to avoidYou can master writing as long as you take it Step-by-Step!
The Plot Whisperer
Discover how to create stories that build suspense, reveal character, and engage your audience with this ultimate guide to writing.When it comes to writing bestsellers, it's all about the plot. Trouble is, plot is where most writers fall down--but you don't have to be one of them. With this book, you'll learn how to create stories that build suspense, reveal character, and engage readers--one scene at a time. Celebrated writing teacher and author Martha Alderson has devised a plotting system that's as innovative as it is easy to implement. With her foolproof blueprint, you'll learn to devise a successful storyline for any genre. She shows how to: -Use the power of the Universal Story -Create plot lines and subplots that work together -Effectively use a scene tracker for maximum impact -Insert energetic markers at the right points in your story -Show character transformation at the book's climax This is the ultimate guide for you to write page-turners that sell!
Uncreative Writing
Can techniques traditionally thought to be outside the scope of literature, including word processing, databasing, identity ciphering, and intensive programming, inspire the reinvention of writing? The Internet and the digital environment present writers with new challenges and opportunities to reconceive creativity, authorship, and their relationship to language. Confronted with an unprecedented amount of texts and language, writers have the opportunity to move beyond the creation of new texts and manage, parse, appropriate, and reconstruct those that already exist. In addition to explaining his concept of uncreative writing, which is also the name of his popular course at the University of Pennsylvania, Goldsmith reads the work of writers who have taken up this challenge. Examining a wide range of texts and techniques, including the use of Google searches to create poetry, the appropriation of courtroom testimony, and the possibility of robo-poetics, Goldsmith joins this recent work to practices that date back to the early twentieth century. Writers and artists such as Walter Benjamin, Gertrude Stein, James Joyce, and Andy Warhol embodied an ethos in which the construction or conception of a text was just as important as the resultant text itself. By extending this tradition into the digital realm, uncreative writing offers new ways of thinking about identity and the making of meaning.
Writing for Conferences
This book answers every question a doctoral graduate new to publishing could have about writing for a conference, from "Why would I want to publish at a conference?" to "What do I wear?" Conferences are often a researcher's first foray into publishing. Each year, about 50,000 new doctoral graduates arrive to the publishing landscape, most with little or no understanding of how the conference publication process works. Yet until now, there have been no publications devoted to this specific subject. Writing for Conferences: A Handbook for Graduate Students and Faculty serves as an essential guide for graduate students who want to publish the results of the research projects of their graduate program to maximum effect. It explains the conference publication process step-by-step and answers all of the questions asked by students inexperienced in publishing. The book is also a valuable reference manual for previously published authors, providing insightful sections on ethics in publishing, dress and grooming, presentation tips, and networking techniques to develop further research and career opportunities.
101 Best Sex Scenes Ever Written
Making the provocative purposeful, this analysis spotlights the most exciting--or potentially embarrassing--story element: the obligatory sex scene. This sensibly suggestive guide demonstrates how to advance plots and reveal truths about characters through their romantic tableaus. Each scene is accompanied by insight into its authors' intentions, how they accomplished them, and their thoughts on romance, love, and sex. The featured passages include men such as William Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway, and John Steinbeck and women from Margaret Mitchell to Toni Morrison and Danielle Steel.
Effective Writing
Whether it's a Web page on the Internet or a chapter in an annual budget report, readers today have less time to spend wading through text-they want the writing they read to be articulate and to the point. Effective Writing will help writers at any level of proficiency produce clear, concise writing structured around the messages they want to convey to their audience, and supported with strong, well-developed paragraphs and sentences. Written in plain language and a relaxed style, this book is easily adaptable to a wide variety of writing styles and tasks, and will be helpful at any stage of the process: conceptualization, writing, or editing.
Forensics: The Winner’s Guide to Speech Contests
Forensics, otherwise known as speech and debate, is one of the most popular extra-curricular activities among high school students. This informative book is designed to introduce beginning students to individual forensic events and serve as a valuable resource for more advanced students. Each of the seven chapters covers strategies for competitive events, including Original Oratory, Extemporaneous Speaking, Interpretation of Literature, and Student Congress. Each chapter introduces the event, explains the rules and guidelines, gives tips for preparing for the event, and provides suggestions to help students triumph. This versatile book is easy to read and can be used either for instruction as a textbook or as a comprehensive resource book for individual students. Whether you are just delving into the world of forensics or you are looking for some helpful hints to win that trophy, Forensics is the book you need to succeed!
Next Word, Better Word
This accessible writer's guide provides a helpful framework for creating poetry and navigates contemporary concerns and practices. Stephen Dobyns, author of the classic book on the beauty of poetry, Best Words, Best Order, moves into new terrain in this remarkable book. Bringing years of experience to bear on issues such as subject matter, the mechanics of poetry, and the revision process, Dobyns explores the complex relationship between writers and their work. From Philip Larkin to Pablo Neruda to William Butler Yeats, every chapter reveals useful lessons in these renowned poets' work. Both enlightening and encouraging, Next Word, Better Word demystifies a subtle art form and shows writers how to overcome obstacles in the creative process.
Next Word, Better Word
This accessible writer's guide provides a helpful framework for creating poetry and navigates contemporary concerns and practices. Stephen Dobyns, author of the classic book on the beauty of poetry, Best Words, Best Order, moves into new terrain in this remarkable book. Bringing years of experience to bear on issues such as subject matter, the mechanics of poetry, and the revision process, Dobyns explores the complex relationship between writers and their work. From Philip Larkin to Pablo Neruda to William Butler Yeats, every chapter reveals useful lessons in these renowned poets' work. Both enlightening and encouraging, Next Word, Better Word demystifies a subtle art form and shows writers how to overcome obstacles in the creative process.
Story Engineering
What makes a good story or a screenplay great? The vast majority of writers begin the storytelling process with only a partial understanding where to begin. Some labor their entire lives without ever learning that successful stories are as dependent upon good engineering as they are artistry. But the truth is, unless you are master of the form, function and criteria of successful storytelling, sitting down and pounding out a first draft without planning is an ineffective way to begin. Story Engineering starts with the criteria and the architecture of storytelling, the engineering and design of a story--and uses it as the basis for narrative. The greatest potential of any story is found in the way six specific aspects of storytelling combine and empower each other on the page. When rendered artfully, they become a sum in excess of their parts. You'll learn to wrap your head around the big pictures of storytelling at a professional level through a new approach that shows how to combine these six core competencies which include: - Four elemental competencies of concept, character, theme, and story structure (plot) - Two executional competencies of scene construction and writing voice The true magic of storytelling happens when these six core competencies work together in perfect harmony. And the best part? Anyone can do it!
Intelligent Business, Advanced Course Book + Audio Cd
'Intelligent Business' uses authentic materials from 'The Economist' magazine and covers key business concepts within a comprehensive business English syllabus.
Confessions of a Public Speaker
In this hilarious and highly practical book, author and professional speaker Scott Berkun reveals the techniques behind what great communicators do, and shows how anyone can learn to use them well. For managers and teachers -- and anyone else who talks and expects someone to listen -- Confessions of a Public Speaker provides an insider's perspective on how to effectively present ideas to anyone. It's a unique, entertaining, and instructional romp through the embarrassments and triumphs Scott has experienced over 15 years of speaking to crowds of all sizes. With lively lessons and surprising confessions, you'll get new insights into the art of persuasion -- as well as teaching, learning, and performance -- directly from a master of the trade. Highlights include: Berkun's hard-won and simple philosophy, culled from years of lectures, teaching courses, and hours of appearances on NPR, MSNBC, and CNBC Practical advice, including how to work a tough room, the science of not boring people, how to survive the attack of the butterflies, and what to do when things go wrong The inside scoop on who earns $30,000 for a one-hour lecture and why The worst -- and funniest -- disaster stories you've ever heard (plus countermoves you can use) Filled with humorous and illuminating stories of thrilling performances and real-life disasters, Confessions of a Public Speaker is inspirational, devastatingly honest, and a blast to read.
The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published
Now updated for 2015! The best, most comprehensive guide for writers is now revised and updated, with new sections on ebooks, self-publishing, crowd-funding through Kickstarter, blogging, increasing visibility via online marketing, micropublishing, the power of social media and author websites, and more-making The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published more vital than ever for anyone who wants to mine that great idea and turn it into a successfully published book. Written by experts with twenty-five books between them as well as many years' experience as a literary agent (Eckstut) and a book doctor (Sterry), this nuts-and-bolts guide demystifies every step of the publishing process: how to come up with a blockbuster title, create a selling proposal, find the right agent, understand a book contract, and develop marketing and publicity savvy. Includes interviews with hundreds of publishing insiders and authors, including Seth Godin, Neil Gaiman, Amy Bloom, Margaret Atwood, Leonard Lopate, plus agents, editors, and booksellers; sidebars featuring real-life publishing success stories; sample proposals, query letters, and an entirely updated resources and publishers directory.
Exploring Writing
Helpful instruction and plenty of practice for your child to understand the basics of writingUnderstanding writing is essential for your child to write with competence and clarity. Practice Makes Perfect: Exploring Writing gives your child bite-sized explanations of this essential skill, with engaging exercises that keep her or him motivated and excited to learn. They can practice the writing skills that are challenging, polish skills they've mastered, and stretch themselves to explore skills they have not yet attempted. This title features 170 activities (plus answer key) that increase in difficulty as your child proceeds through the book.This book is appropriate for a 4th grade student working above his or her grade level, or as a great review and practice for a struggling 5th or 6th grader.Your student will learn how to: Find and develop ideas for topicsCreate first draftsDevelop sentences and use correct subject-verb agreementRevise and proofread her or his own workTopics include: Finding and Developing Ideas for Writing, Discovering Ideas, The Value of Keeping a Journal, Focusing Ideas, Developing Ideas, Organizing Ideas, Writing the Draft Sentences: The Foundation of the Draft, Building Paragraphs Using Adjectives and Adverbs, Wisely Order and Sequence, Using Strong Verbs Point of View, Revision, What Is Revision?, Plan for Revision, Revision Peer Consultants, Proofreading, Proofreading Strategies, Proofreading and Computer Screens, The Value of Proofreading Partners
Architecture of the Novel
Jane Vandenburgh, the author of two highly acclaimed novels and a recent memoir, offers aspiring writers the tools to create powerful and unique novels filled not only with good writing but also dynamic storytelling. Architecture of the Novel is an ambitious blueprint for writers, one that reveals the underlying machinery that propels a plot that is dynamic, coherent, and interesting. Architecture of the Novel derives from the many years Vandenburgh has spent teaching the craft of fiction writing. Her method points to the elemental nature of narrative: A story consists of its events, which are told in scenes. These scenes naturally place themselves along the arc of the story in an order that provides suspense and mystery, drawing characters toward the inevitability of their fictive destinies. Profoundly practical yet encouraging to writers at all levels, Architecture of the Novel offers the maps and mechanics to successfully guide writers toward the story that must be told.
Naked, Drunk, and Writing
The material is right there in front of you. You've known yourself for, well, a lifetime--and you finally feel ready to share your story with the world. Yet when it actually comes time to put pen to paper, you find that you're stumped. Enter Adair Lara: award-winning author, seasoned columnist, beloved writing coach, and the answer to all of your autobiographical quandaries. Naked, Drunk, and Writing is the culmination of Lara's vast experience as a writer, editor, and teacher. It is packed with insights and advice both practical ("writing workshops you pay for are the best--it's too easy to quit when you've made no investment") and irreverent ("apply Part A [butt] to Part B [chair]"), answering such important questions as: - How do I know where to start my piece and where to end it? - How do I make myself write when I'm too scared or lazy or busy?- What makes a good pitch letter, and how do I get mine noticed?- I'm ready to publish--now where do I find an agent?- If I show my manuscript to my mother, will I ever be invited to a family gathering again? As thorough and instructive as a personal writing coach (and cheaper, too), Naked, Drunk, and Writing is a must-have if you are an aspiring columnist, essayist, or memoirist--or just a writer who needs a bit of help in getting your story told.
Improve Your Handwriting
Does your handwriting reflect the image you want to project?The way you write mirrors your mood and character. It is one of the main ways in which you communicate with the world, and the clarity and technique of your writing will be interpreted by others in many ways. This practical and informative book will help you to improve your handwriting and find a mature, attractive and individual style. It is specifically written for adults and uses self-diagnosis to identify problems and provides exercises for improving your script. In a digital age where writing by hand remains a vital skill, this book covers everything from holding a pen and retraining bad habits, to the difficulties that left handers face and problems that may be caused by medical conditions. It shows how to write quickly and clearly when desired, and beautifully when desired. Experiment with the way you write and choose the style that suits you best, enabling you to write quickly and legibly when it really matters.
Dyslexia in the Foreign Language Classroom
This book addresses specific learning difficulties in reading and spelling - developmental dyslexia. Set in the cross-linguistic context, it presents issues surrounding dyslexia from the perspective of a foreign language teacher. It is intended to serve as a reference book for those involved in foreign language teaching, including experienced in-service teachers and novice teachers, as well as teacher trainers and trainees. It offers an up-to-date and reader-friendly study of the mechanisms of dyslexia and an overview of the current research on the disorder, in theoretical and practical terms. Its aim is to help teachers tackle one of the many challenges they face in the modern classroom: the organization of an effective foreign language teaching process for students with dyslexia.
Cultural Transfer Through Translation
Given that the dissemination of enlightened thought in Europe was mostly effected through translations, the present collection of essays focuses on how its cultural adaptation took place in various national contexts. For the first time, the theoretical model of 'cultural transfer' (Espagne/Werner) is applied to the eighteenth century: The intercultural dynamics of the Enlightenment become manifest in the transformation process between the original and target cultures, be it by way of acculturation, creative enhancement, or misunderstanding. Resulting in shifts of meaning, translations offer a key not just to contemporary translation practice but to the discursive network of the European Enlightenment in general. The case studies united here explore both how translations contributed to the transnational standardisation of certain key concepts, values and texts, and how they reflect national specifications of enlightened discourses. Hence, the volume contributes to Enlightenment studies, at least as much as to historical translation studies.
Intelligent Business Elementary Course Book Pack (with Audio CD*2 and Style Guide)
Intelligent Business Intermediate Course Book Pack (with Audio CD*2 and Style Guide)
Intelligent Business, Upper Intermediate Course Book + Audio Cd
102 Ways to Earn Money Writing 1,500 Words or Less
Can you make a living writing? Absolutely!102 Ways to Earn Money Writing 1,500 Words or Less shows you the wide array of freelance opportunities available–and gives you everything you need to know to reap the benefits of a bustling writing career.Award-winning freelancer and highly sought communications consultant I.J. Schecter delivers ideas for finding freelance work in traditional markets like magazines and newspapers, as well as in unique markets, including: fast-food tray liner copyperson-to-person correspondence (including love letters!)resumesmenusand many others!Every suggestion is backed by a real-life experience from Schecter and other freelancing experts. Plus, each of the 102 ways has a "Get This Gig" section that tells you where to start, who to contact, and what to charge so you can immediately apply what you learn.102 Ways to Earn Money Writing 1,500 Words or Less gives you the knowledge, confidence, and inspiration to recognize and make the most of today's freelance possibilities.
Now Write! Nonfiction
An essential handbook for nonfiction writers, featuring the trusted personal writing exercises of today's masters of creative non-fiction, including Gay Talese, Reza Aslan, John Matteson, Tilar Mazzeo, and many more! Beginners and seasoned writers alike will relish the opportunity to use the top-notch writing exercises collected in Now Write! Nonfiction culled from the personal stashes of bestselling and critically-acclaimed nonfiction authors like legendary essayist Gay Talese (Thy Neighbor's Wife), New York Times-bestselling authors Ishmael Beah (A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier) Reza Aslan (No God but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam), and Tilar Mazzeo (The Widow Clicquot), 2008 Pulitzer Prize-winner John Matteson (Eden's Outcasts: The Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Father), creative nonfiction icon Lee Gutkind (Creative Nonfiction magazine), and many other top memoirists, journalists, and teachers of creative nonfiction, these exercises offer fresh ideas for every facet of creative nonfiction writing, from pushing through writers block to organizing a story, capturing character to fine-tuning dialogue, injecting new life into a finished piece to starting a new work from scratch. Now Write! Nonfiction will take you out into the field with creative nonfiction's master practitioners: *Peek inside Gay Talese's mind, as he shares the "writer's road map" he used to organize information for his classic book Thy Neighbor's Wife and his seminal essay "Frank Sinatra Has a Cold." *Learn from Reza Aslan why what you remember isn't as important as why you remember it the way you do *Explore the importance of cultural nuance in language with Ishmael Beah *Discover Lee Gutkind's simple trick, performed with a highlighter, that can help any writer identify whether their piece is truly showing action, or just telling An essential resource that will help writers of any level to hone their craft and get writing, Now WRite! Nonfiction offers over 80 quick, simple excersises trusted by top nonfiction writers to get their pen moving!
Writing Fiction for Dummies
A complete guide to writing and selling your novel So you want to write a novel? Great! That's a worthy goal, no matter what your reason. But don't settle for just writing a novel. Aim high. Write a novel that you intend to sell to a publisher. Writing Fiction for Dummies is a complete guide designed to coach you every step along the path from beginning writer to royalty-earning author. Here are some things you'll learn in Writing Fiction for Dummies Strategic Planning Pinpoint where you are on the roadmap to publication; discover what every reader desperately wants from a story; home in on a marketable category; choose from among the four most common creative styles; and learn the self-management methods of professional writers. Writing Powerful Fiction Construct a story world that rings true; create believable, unpredictable characters; build a strong plot with all six layers of complexity of a modern novel; and infuse it all with a strong theme. Self-Editing Your Novel Psychoanalyze your characters to bring them fully to life; edit your story structure from the top down; fix broken scenes; and polish your action and dialogue. Finding An Agent and Getting Published Write a query letter, a synopsis, and a proposal; pitch your work to agents and editors without fear. Writing Fiction For Dummies takes you from being a writer to being an author. It can happen--if you have the talent and persistence to do what you need to do.
Illuminating Fiction
Illuminating Fiction contains nineteen interviews with fiction-writing luminaries including Edward P. Jones, Julia Glass, Amy Bloom, Jill McCorkle, Margot Livesy, Ron Carlson and Steve Almond. The interviews contain questions about narrative, voice, character, place, point of view, arc of the story/novel plot, and revision; questions about the writing process; questions about the trajectory of the writer's career; questions about the role and importance of writing courses and mentoring; and also questions that Ellis has drawn from the text of the authors' work. Authors describe the challenges they have faced. The reader is able to gain an intimate and specific understanding of the authors' works, and the authors' thought process as they created their novels and short stories.
Literacy and Power
Janks shows how competing orientations to critical literacy education - power, access, diversity, design - foreground one over the other. Her central argument is that these different orientations are crucially interdependent and need to work together to create new possibilities.
Engaging Audience
This collection of essays about audience awareness from professionals in the English, public relations, and writing fields is based on the latest work of scholars Lisa Ede and Andrea Lunsford.This collection builds upon Lisa Ede and Andrea Lunsford's groundbreaking work to examine the rhetorical concept of audience as it relates to twenty-first century teaching and learning. Editors M. Elizabeth Weiser, Brian M. Fehler, and Angela M. Gonz獺lez bring together compositionists from the departments of English, communications, public relations, and writing to offer insights that serve as a guide for incorporating audience awareness into the contemporary classroom. Contributors engage in a dialogue with Ede and Lunsford's previously published essays "Audience Addressed/Audience Invoked: The Role of Audience in Composition Theory and Pedagogy" and "Representing Audience: 'Successful' Discourse and Disciplinary Critique," as well as their new essay, "Among the Audience: On Audience in an Age of New Literacies," written especially for this collection. Through these engagements, contributors offer insights on audience from divergent perspectives-composition pedagogy, new media studies, service learning and professional writing, diversity, and rhetorical and literary theory-that establish a third category in the addressed/invoked binary, an "audience updated" that takes various professional and cultural forms but is most evidently "audience interacting."
Your Voice Is Your Calling Card
Are you a speaker or do you dream of being one? Do you sometimes need to debate, present, or perform in front of people? I bet you do. We are all performers. Whether we are professional stage performers, teachers, coaches, or business professionals presenting our ideas to bosses, colleagues, or employees .. essentially, we all perform. The world is a stage. So what if you suffer from stage fright? What if your voice gets stuck and seems to take on a rebellious life of its own when you're trying to express yourself? ""Your Voice Is Your Calling Card"" is the ultimate voice and performance coaching package for overcoming nerves and stage fright and becoming a remarkable, inspiring speaker and performer.
Effective Writing for Business, College & Life
International best-selling author William Stanek helps you get the Edge you need! Whether we like it or not, writing is a part of our every day lives and to get by you need an edge. Enter Effective Writing for Business, College & Life: the down in the trenches writing resource you need to be successful! Use this concise guide to help you: Write essays, papers, dissertations Create reports, presentations Develop articles, stories, novels Publish digitally on the Internet, CD-ROM and e-books Business, college and life always give us writing challenges and it is time you took control! This indispensable resource will help you be creative, get organized, be effective and complete the task at hand. What Will You Learn? Here are some highlights of what you will learn. You will learn to: Avoid procrastination Develop effective strategies for planning and organization Balance perfection with efficiency and timeliness Find problems and inconsistencies Organize for the audience Use fonts, color and headings effectively Use multimedia in presentations and digital mediums. William Stanek has 20 years of hands-on experience with writing. He is most widely recognized as a leading technology expert and is also an award-winning author. He has written more than 100 books, which are sold all over the world and have been translated in many languages. He is widely sought after as a subject matter expert.
The Art Of Dramatic Writing
Amid the hundreds of "how-to" books that have appeared in recent years, there have been very few which attempted to analyze the mysteries of play-construction. This book does that - and its principles are so valid that they apply equally well to the short story, novel and screenplay. Lajos Egri examines a play from the inside out, starting with the heart of any drama: its characters. For it is people - their private natures and their inter-relationships - that move a story and give it life. All good dramatic writing depends upon an understanding of human motives. Why do people act as they do? What forces tranform a coward into a hero, a hero into a coward? What is it that Romeo does early in Shakespeare's play that makes his later suicide seem inevitable? Why must Nora leave her husband at the end of A Doll's House? These are a few of the fascinating problems which Egri analyzes. He shows how it is essential for the author to have a basic premise - a thesis, demonstrated in terms of human behavior - and to develop his dramatic conflict on the basis of that behavior. Premise, character, conflict: this is Egri's ABC. His book is a direct, jargon-free approach to the problem of achieving truth in a literary creation.
Old Friend from Far Away
"Memoir writers, buy this book, put it on your personal altar, or carry it with you as you traverse the deep ruts of your old road." --Tom Spanbauer, author of The Man Who Fell in Love with the Moon Old Friend from Far Away teaches writers how to tap into their unique memories to tell their story. Twenty years ago Natalie Goldberg's classic, Writing Down the Bones, broke new ground in its approach to writing as a practice. Now, Old Friend from Far Away--her first book since Writing Down the Bones to focus solely on writing--reaffirms Goldberg's status as a foremost teacher of writing, and completely transforms the practice of writing memoir. To write memoir, we must first know how to remember. Through timed, associative, and meditative exercises, Old Friend from Far Away guides you to the attentive state of thought in which you discover and open forgotten doors of memory. At once a beautifully written celebration of the memoir form, an innovative course full of practical teachings, and a deeply affecting meditation on consciousness, love, life, and death, Old Friend from Far Away welcomes aspiring writers of all levels and encourages them to find their unique voice to tell their stories. Like Writing Down the Bones, it will become an old friend to which readers return again and again.
Keep It Real
Writers of memoir and narrative nonfiction are experiencing difficult days with the discovery that some well-known works in the genre contain exaggerations--or are partially fabricated. But what are the parameters of creative nonfiction? Keep It Real begins by defining creative nonfiction. Then it explores the flexibility of the form--the liberties and the boundaries that allow writers to be as truthful, factual, and artful as possible. A succinct but rich compendium of ideas, terms, and techniques, Keep It Real clarifies the ins and outs of writing creative nonfiction. Starting with acknowledgment of sources, running through fact-checking, metaphor, and navel gazing, and responsibilities to their subjects, this book provides all the information you need to write with verve while remaining true to your story.
Speak Up!
The insider's guide for women who want to master the art of business, professional, and public speaking Whether speaking one-on-one or one to one thousand, women have specific challenges that can get in the way of their ability to convey ideas and engage an audience. Public speaking professionals Cyndi Maxey and Kevin O'Connor give women the tips and tools they need to be able to speak clearly, with confidence and conviction, and present information effectively. In SPEAK UP!, you'll learn how to: Deal with difficult colleagues Speak on the spot Use technology in support of your message Sell your ideas with passion and power Connect confidently with your superiors For any woman who wants to get her point across, from the boss' office, to the conference room, to a convention center, SPEAK UP! will help you polish your presentation skills, get heard, and get what you want.
The 7 Principles of Public Speaking
Frequently cited as the number one fear among A proven, gimmick-free lesson guaranteed to business executives, public speaking doesn't make anyone a better speaker and come naturally to most people. Pitching an idea, presenter. selling a product, or presenting a program doesn't have to be a stomach-clenching experience to be struggled through. It can be an opportunity to relish and a chance to shine in front of a group. Whether you are selling an idea to two colleagues in a conference room or presenting a major corporate strategy to a ballroom filled with shareholders, the key to success is a clear, confident, memorable presentation. With The 7 Principles of Public Speaking, Richard Zeoli makes the common sense, gimmick-free program he's offered to business leaders and political candidates available to everyone. Whether you are looking to position yourself as an industry expert, extend your sphere of influence, or gain the support and backing of vital constituencies, The 7 Principles of Public Speaking will give you the tools you need to achieve your goal. If you are a polished professional, it will help you hone your skills. If you are a novice communicator, it will help you overcome obstacles and convey your message with confidence, poise, and persuasiveness.
Writing Inspirations
Writing Inspirations is a vibrant, idea-rich collection designed to spark creativity, encourage self-expression, and support writing development in learners of all ages and proficiency levels. Built around more than 700 imaginative "Fundex" tasks, the book offers an innovative system of photocopiable prompts that teachers can use as-is or convert into a flexible card-based reference tool. Each writing inspiration fits neatly on a half-page, making it ideal for quick copying, organizing, or assembling into a customized deck of writing cards that students can browse, select from, and respond to independently.The prompts draw from lively photographs, illustrations, and virtual realia such as maps, ads, forms, and short authentic texts. These visual and textual cues help reduce anxiety, stimulate ideas, and make writing feel approachable, even for reluctant or struggling writers. While each card is simple enough for students to use independently, the tasks are thoughtfully designed to support core elements of the writing process. Students may be asked to plan, gather information, express opinions, describe scenes, reflect on experiences, research short topics, or respond creatively to prompts that invite imagination and storytelling.Writing Inspirations is adaptable to endless instructional contexts--classrooms, learning centers, tutoring sessions, writing stations, warm-ups, journals, fast-finishers, and independent study. The Fundex format makes it exceptionally easy for teachers to personalize lessons, differentiate instruction, and provide choice. Because the activities work for individual, pair, or small-group work, they help teachers integrate writing into a wide variety of communicative and literacy-focused lessons.Practical, versatile, and teacher-friendly, this collection is an invaluable resource for anyone looking to bring freshness, creativity, and independence to writing instruction.FeaturesOver 700 photocopiable "Fundex" writing tasks designed for maximum flexibility and classroom ease.Prompts presented on half-page cards, ideal for creating custom collections or quick-reference writing decks.Visual prompts featuring photos, illustrations, maps, ads, forms, and authentic "realia" to activate ideas and reduce writing anxiety.Tasks simple enough for independent work but rich enough to support deeper stages of the writing process.Activities suitable for individual, pair, and small-group work across a wide range of ages and proficiency levels.Supports planning, discussion, information gathering, reading, and short research tasks.Highly adaptable for tutorials, libraries, learning labs, writing stations, and flexible classroom environments.Perfect for journals, warm-ups, early finishers, substitute-proof lessons, or creative writing sessions.Designed for teachers who want a ready-made reservoir of meaningful, engaging writing prompts.
The Autobiographer's Handbook
At last--the contemporary masters of memoir have come together to reveal their strategies and impart their advice. This book contains an unprecedented wealth of knowledge in one place. In The Autobiographer's Handbook, you're invited to a roundtable discussion with today's most successful memoirists. Let Nick Hornby show you how the banal can be brilliant. Elizabeth Gilbert will teach you to turn pain into prose. Want to beat procrastination? Steve Almond has the answer. Learn about memory triggers (Ishmael Beah: music) and warm-up exercises (Jonathan Ames: internet backgammon). These writers may not always agree (on research: Tobias Wolff, yes, Frank McCourt, no) but whether you're a blossoming writer or a veteran wordsmith, this book will help anyone who has ever dreamed of putting their story on paper, on writing themselves into existence. Featuring: STEVE ALMOND - JONATHAN AMES - ISHMAEL BEAH - ELIZABETH GILBERT - NICK HORNBY - A. J. JACOBS - MAXINE HONG KINGSTON - PHILLIP LOPATE - FRANK MCCOURT - DAVID RAKOFF - ESMERALDA SANTIAGO - JULIA SCHEERES - ART SPIEGELMAN - ANTHONY SWOFFORD - SARAH VOWELL - SEAN WILSEY - TOBIAS WOLFF - AND MANY MORE
The Artful Edit
The Artful Edit explores the many-faceted and often misunderstood--or simply overlooked--art of editing. The book brims with examples, quotes, and case studies, including an illuminating discussion of Max Perkins's editorial collaboration with F. Scott Fitzgerald on The Great Gatsby. Susan Bell, a veteran book editor, also offers strategic tips and exercises for self-editing and a series of remarkable interviews, taking us into the studios of successful authors such as Michael Ondaatje and Ann Patchett to learn from their various approaches to revision. Much more than a manual, The Artful Edit inspires readers to think about both the discipline and the creativity of editing and how it can enhance their work. In the computer age of lightning-quick composition, this book reminds readers that editing is not simply a spell-check. A vigorous investigation into the history and meaning of the edit, this book, like The Elements of Style, is a must-have companion for every writer.
Journey from the Center to the Page
Jeff Davis artfully illustrates how yoga philosophies and practices can be an invaluable ally to the writing life.
A Broom of One’s Own
For the twice-published novelist, reading an article about herself in the National Enquirer--under the headline "Here's One for the Books: Cleaning Lady Is an Acclaimed Author"--was more than a shock. It was an inspiration.In A Broom of One's Own, Nancy Peacock, whose first novel was selected by the New York Times as a Notable Book of the Year, explores with warmth, wit, and candor what it means to be a writer. An encouragement to all hard-working artists, no matter how they make a living, Peacock's book provides valuable insights and advice on motivation, craft, and criticism while offering hilarious anecdotes about the houses she cleans.
Writing the Christian Romance
Craft Compelling, Salable Romances With a Christian Worldview Every novel needs believable characters, strong plot lines, and universal themes–and Christian romance is no exception. This unmatched resource by award-winning novelist Gail Gaymer Martin will help you master basic fiction writing skills, while ensuring your story meets and exceeds the standards of the Christian market. It comprehensively covers the special techniques and elements of the Christian romance novel, as well as how to sell your finished product to a publisher. Through detailed step-by-step instruction, examples from successful Christian romances, and practical exercises, you'll discover how to: develop a story that includes personal, romantic, and spiritual growthincorporate prayer and spirituality into your storyuse introspection to fully develop characters' relationship with Goddiscuss issues of sin and forgiveness in believable wayspresent sexuality realistically, but from a Christian viewpointMartin's exercises will help you apply what you've learned so that you are actively becoming a better writer and can work toward your goal of a finished romance. She'll also teach you the different options for romance publishing–a single title or a category romance–and help you decide what you want to write and who to market it to. Because it covers so much, Writing the Christian Romance will help you create a beautiful romance made even more meaningful because of its openness to God's love.
The Author's Grimoire
In this, the third volume of The Complete Guide to Writing Fantasy, the wisdom of experienced fantasy writers will take you beyond writing your book, and into the world of publishing, book promotion and beyond. You've got the basics. You've dealt with the specifics. And now, you're ready to take the next step: seeing your work published. Before signing anything, it might be a good idea to know what you're getting into. Straight from the professionals comes everything you need to know about the going's-on behind the curtain. Understand publishing options from Double Dragon's Associate Editor Lazette Gifford. Hear from Dragon Moon's own Tee Morris on the art of self-promotion. From magazine editor and publisher, Michael Pederson, find out what short fiction and magazine markets wants from you, the writer. With an inside look at dealing with book critics, the media, and critique groups, join Valerie Griswold-Ford (author of Not Your Father's Horseman and co-editor of The Complete Guide to Writing Fantasy: Volume 2) and Lai Zhao (author of "Culture Shock," featured in The Complete Guide to Writing Fantasy: Volume 2) as they take you behind-the-scenes in making your first book a successful book... and set you on the road to your second.
ASPECTS OF THE MORPHOLOGY AND PHONOLOGY OF KONNI
This study combines a descriptive and theoretical presentation of Kɔnni, a Gur language of northern Ghana. It presents an Optimality Theory analysis of the entire phonological system. The description of noun morphology includes the noun class system, the reduplicative agentive noun construction, noun-adjective complexes, and derived nouns. Verbal morphology is comprised of various aspectual suffixes. The phonological description is separate from the formal OT analysis in order to facilitate use by those with descriptive interests as well as theoretical. The book includes major sections on consonants, vowels, and tone. It also includes a brief syntax sketch, co-occurrence restrictions, phoneme frequency counts, phonetic measurements of segment durations and vowel formants, as well as seven appendices of data. Some specific notes of interest: Some phonology is limited to only certain noun classes, A pervasive 9-vowel ATR vowel system is analyzed, to which dipthongization has an integral tie, Some vowels assimilate only across consonants with the same place feature, The existence of [H!H] on a single TBU is documented, Tonal perturbations demand four different underlying representations for different nouns which all have a surface [LH], True tonal polarity, distinct from dissimilation, is argued for, Two cases of syntax-phonology interface occur in the vowel system. Michael Cahill received his Ph.D. in Linguistics from The Ohio State University in 1999. Having worked with SIL since 1982 and worked on-site with the Kɔnni-speaking people from 1986 to 1993. He was a member of the LSA's Committee on Endangered Languages and their Preservation from 2001-2003, chairing it in 2003. He is an adjunct faculty member of the University of Texas at Arlington and of the Graduate Institute of Applied Linguistics and is currently serving as the International Linguistics Coordinator of SIL.
How to Publish and Promote Online
Everything you need to know about profitable online publishing and promotion From Stephen King to authors who haven't become household names quite yet, authors are increasingly turning to the Internet as a way of taking charge of their own publishing destiny. The opportunities are vast, but also confusing: Should you publish an e-book, a conventional print book, a Print On Demand book, a CD-ROM, or all of the above? What do you need to know to create an e-book? How do you set up a website, and how can you actually get people to visit that website? Where can you sell your books on the web? And how can you use the Internet to generate massive free publicity? M. J. Rose and Angela Adair-Hoy provide the answers to all of these questions and more. When she self-published her first novel, Lip Service, as an e-book, M. J. Rose became a "cyber pioneer" (PW Daily) and attracted so much publicity that she sold the rights to a major book club and a New York publisher. As the co-owner of a highly successful e-book publisher, Booklocker, and the publisher of Writers Weekly, an e-magazine featuring markets for freelance writers, Angela Adair-Hoy also learned all of the possibilities that online publishing could offer. Using their own experiences-combined with insiders' tips from other authors on the web-they published an e-book, The Secrets of Our Success, that became the underground bible for online authors and publishers. Now thoroughly revised and expanded, this book is an indispensable guide to navigating the publishing jungle from you own personal computer.
