Here is the first and only manual for playwrights ever designed to draw directly from the wisdom of leading contemporary dramatists. Interwoven with hundreds of quotations from the author's own in-depth interview series at the Dramatists Guild, in New York City, The Playwright's Process offers a fresh and lively discussion of the indispensable ingredients of strong dramatic writing. Every essential step the writer must take to create a well-written, stageworthy play is examined an...

Is Structure the Hidden Foundation of All Successful Stories?Why do some stories work and others don’t? The answer is structure. In this new guide from the author of the acclaimed Outlining Your Novel, you will discover the universal underpinnings that guarantee powerful plot and character arcs. An understanding of proper story and scene structure will help you to not only perfectly time your story’s major events, but will also provide you with an unerring...

In this wickedly humorous manual, language columnist June Casagrande uses grammar and syntax to show exactly what makes some sentences great—and other sentences suck.Great writing isn’t born, it’s built—sentence by sentence. But too many writers—and writing guides—overlook this most important unit. The result? Manuscripts that will never be published and writing careers that will never begin.With chapters on “Conjunctions That Kill” and “Words Gone Wild,” t...

"A straightforward, friendly guide for aspiring writers" (Los Angeles Times): No more excuses. With award-winning author Walter Mosley as your guide, you can write a novel now."Let the lawn get shaggy and the paint peel from the walls," bestselling novelist Walter Mosley advises. In this invaluable book of tips, practical advice, and wisdom, Mosley promises that the writer-in-waiting can finish their novel in one year.Intended as both insp...

A treasure-trove of scene-writing wisdom from award-winning author and teacher Sandra ScofieldTo write a good scene, you have to know the following: Every scene has an EVENT Every scene has a FUNCTION in the narrative Every scene has a STRUCTURE: a beginning, middle, and end Every scene has a PULSEThe Scene Book is a fundamental guide to crafting more effective scenes in fiction. In clear, simple language, Sandra Sco...

"Sword aims to lead us to 'fit and trim' prose via an assault course covering horrors such as 'Prepositional pudge,' 'Ad-dictions' and 'Waste words.'" — Times Higher EducationDo your sentences sag? Could your paragraphs use a pick-me-up? If so, The Writer's Diet is for you! It's a short, sharp introduction to great writing that will help you energize your prose and boost your verbal fitness.Helen Sword dispenses with excessive explanations a...

Have You Ever Had Writer's Block?Do Want a Book That Could Keep It Away for Good?Writing prompts are questions and hypothetical situations that are able to cure writer's block instantly. This book gives you exactly one thousand idea-generating prompts that focus on the coldest, warmest, toughest and funniest days of the four seasons. These 1,000 prompts work for blogs, scripts, stories, poems, essays, songs and anything else that requires you to sta...

This book about writing and the imagination is essential reading for any writer, emerging or experienced. Re-released with new material and updated advice for the 21st century writer. Contains advice for writers, inspirational quotes from numerous authors as well as writing exercises.'Dear Writer Revisited is warm and nudging, firm and affirming.' Angela Meyer, Literary Minded‘I first read Dear Writer as a nervy, secretive scribbler-in-journals 20 years ago. How comforted I...

Novelists throughout history struggled to find their titles. They, like us, began with a “working title,” often considering several possibilities before landing on one that fits. Titles do matter. When you arrive at the right one, everything falls into place. Titles represent what is important in a story, and they convey a tone, an emotion, and sometimes a genre. Titles entice readers or drive them away. Analyzing classic and contemporary fiction, from all genres, Elizabeth...

You're a writer. You need to make money from your words.What if you could create AND sell a product in just eight hours? The product could be anything: an ebook, a collection of articles, a short story… a new writing service for your clients. This program will show you how to think outside the box, get creative — and SELL what you create.Making money from your writing can be a real challenge, especially if you're limiting yourself to trading hours for dollars. When you get ...

Originally published in the 1920s. The book contains a wealth of information on every aspect of writing children’s books and plays. Contents include: Preparing the Ground – Titles – Fairy and Dragon Stories – Animal and Nature Stories – Adventure Stories – Sporting and School Tales – Points to Remember – Editors – Markets for Manuscripts – Lengths – Submissions – Children’s Plays – The Serial and Series – Books – Writing for B.B.C. – Verse for Children – Ideas Unlimited etc. Many of the ea...

Writing Prompts and Ideas to Kick-Start Your Story Learn how to     Kick-Start the Muse   Have you ever wanted to write a story but didn’t know what to write about? Writing Prompts and Ideas is your go to guide packed with ideas for getting started.   Gain Plenty of Ideas to Get Your Story Started   With twelve chapters packed with story fragments and scenarios you’ll never again be los...