Athletes practice. Musicians practice. As a writer you need to do the same. Whether you have dreams of writing a novel or a memoir or a collection of poems, or you simply want to improve your everyday writing, this innovative book will show you how to build your skills by way of practice.Through playful and purposeful exercises, you'll develop your natural aptitude for communication, strengthening your ability to come up with things to say, and your ability to get those things into...

Elevate Your Writing From So-So To Spectacular!Great writing requires more than an original idea, compelling characters, or a scintillating plot. An author needs all of these to be successful, but writing--and writing well--also demands an entirely different skill set.Spellbinding Sentences arms you with the tools you need to master the power of the English language. In this book, you'll learn the different qualities of words and the many ways those words can be co...

From bestselling and award-winning author and professor Elizabeth McCracken comes an irresistible look at the art of writing.Writing can feel like an endless series of decisions. How does one face the blank page? Move a character around a room? Deal with time? Undertake revision? The good and bad news is that in fiction writing, there are no definitive answers to such questions: writers must come up with their own. Elizabeth McCracken, author of bestselling novels,...

Finally finish the first draft of your novel with a method that maximizes efficiency, speed, and joy—from the author of Save the Cat! Writes a Novel.After months (or years) of writing, are you left with nothing but a folder full of false starts? Do you have a novel you were once excited to write but abandoned after only a few chapters—or even halfway through? Are you trapped in an endless cycle of rewrites, self-doubt, and perfectionism?Enter the N...

“While writing about writing is often deadly, Lewis is as delightful as he is wise.” —The New York TimesA definitive collection of wisdom on every style of writing and a celebration of the transformative power of the written word from one of the most influential writers and thinkers of the modern age, C. S. Lewis, the beloved author of the Chronicles of Narnia series, Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, and other revered classics.

The unmatched guide—and perfect gift—for stymied scribes and working wordsmiths everywhere, now expanded and updated.A singular and indispensable reference tool, The Describer's Dictionary—now expanded and updated—has served for over twenty years as the go-to resource for writers who are determined to capture the world in just the right words.The dictionary uses a unique reverse definition-to-term format that makes it easy to zero in on the term yo...

Take a Deep Dive into Plot and Scene and Improve Your WritingWhether you're planning your first novel or have already written a first draft, you need to master the concepts of plot and scene to truly realize your story's potential. Writing Deep Scenes teaches you how to write strong, layered, and engaging scenes--the secret to memorable, page-turning plots. It's filled with practical tools for building layers and nuance into your scenes, employing the right scene types at ...

“As our climate changes, the force of the wind is set to grow. By looking to the past and the future, Winchester examines the twinned possibilities alive in this bluster: the power of the wind to tear our world apart and its ability to help us travel farther and do more.” — The Washington Post"Epic . . . . A splendidly written account of an unseeable force." — Kirkus Reviews

"Stein is a fascinating guide and teacher. This should be required reading for all Booker Prize judges and about 90 percent of published authors." — Daily MailHow to Grow a Novel is master editor, novelist, and writing instructor Sol Stein's invaluable workshop in print. It includes details and examples from Stein's behind-the-scenes work with bestselling novelists as well as talented newcomers. Stein takes the reader backstage in...

PULITZER PRIZE FINALIST • “A wise, tremendously moving exploration of what it means to seek companionship and understanding, in books and in life.”—Hua Hsu, author of Stay True“Stirring and sparkling.”—The Washington PostBooks can seduce you. They can, Sarah Chihaya believes, annihilate, reveal, and provoke you. And anyone incurably obsessed with books understands this kind of unsettling literary encounter...

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...

Cultivate lasting change with simple habits, from New York Times bestselling author Tal Ben-Shahar.Do you struggle to make real change because you’re starting too big without building a foundation first—get a new job, lose twenty pounds, learn a new language? Maybe the tools at your disposal seem inadequate, the prospect of change overwhelms you, and you feel stuck.In Happy Habits, happiness expert Tal Ben-Shahar provides accessible and ea...