The Way of the Writer

Author: Charles Johnson
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1501147234
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 213

Book Description
From Charles Johnson—a National Book Award winner, Professor Emeritus at University of Washington, and one of America’s preeminent scholars on literature and race—comes an instructive, inspiring guide to the craft and art of writing. An award-winning novelist, philosopher, essayist, screenwriter, professor, and cartoonist, Charles Johnson has devoted his life to creative pursuit. His 1990 National Book Award-winning novel Middle Passage is a modern classic, revered as much for its daring plot as its philosophical underpinnings. For thirty-three years, Johnson taught and mentored students in the art and craft of creative writing. The Way of the Writer is his record of those years, and the coda to a kaleidoscopic, boundary-shattering career. Organized into six accessible, easy-to-navigate sections, The Way of the Writer is both a literary reflection on the creative impulse and a utilitarian guide to the writing process. Johnson shares his lessons and exercises from the classroom, starting with word choice, sentence structure, and narrative voice, and delving into the mechanics of scene, dialogue, plot and storytelling before exploring the larger questions at stake for the serious writer. What separates literature from industrial fiction? What lies at the heart of the creative impulse? How does one navigate the literary world? And how are philosophy and fiction concomitant? Luminous, inspiring, and imminently accessible, The Way of the Writer is a revelatory glimpse into the mind of the writer and an essential guide for anyone with a story to tell.

A Writer's Book of Days

Author: Judy Reeves
Publisher: New World Library
ISBN: 9781577313120
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 272

Book Description
First published a decade ago, A Writer's Book of Days has become the ideal writing coach for thousands of writers. Newly revised, with new prompts, up-to-date Web resources, and more useful information than ever, this invaluable guide offers something for everyone looking to put pen to paper — a treasure trove of practical suggestions, expert advice, and powerful inspiration. Judy Reeves meets you wherever you may be on a given day with: • get-going prompts and exercises • insight into writing blocks • tips and techniques for finding time and creating space • ways to find images and inspiration • advice on working in writing groups • suggestions, quips, and trivia from accomplished practitioners Reeves's holistic approach addresses every aspect of what makes creativity possible (and joyful) — the physical, emotional, and spiritual. And like a smart, empathetic inner mentor, she will help you make every day a writing day.

The Writer

Author: D. W. Ulsterman
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781533291530
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 230

Book Description
College journalist Adele Plank has been granted a rare interview with one-time bestselling author, Decklan Stone. He is a man largely withdrawn from the world following the tragic death of his young wife twenty-seven years earlier. Adele ventures to the writer's remote, private-island home in the beautiful San Juan Islands, and there begins a journey of dangerous discovery that will have her scrambling to unravel a mystery far more shocking and deadly than she could have ever imagined.

American Widow

Author: Alissa R. Torres
Publisher: Villard Books
ISBN: 0345500695
Category : Comics & Graphic Novels
Languages : en
Pages : 226

Book Description
Presents, in graphic novel format, the story of Alissa Torres, whose husband was killed in the September 11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, and her legal and psychological battles over his death.

Reading Like a Writer

Author: Francine Prose
Publisher: Union Books
ISBN: 1908526149
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 263

Book Description
In her entertaining and edifying New York Times bestseller, acclaimed author Francine Prose invites you to sit by her side and take a guided tour of the tools and tricks of the masters to discover why their work has endured. Written with passion, humour and wisdom, Reading Like a Writer will inspire readers to return to literature with a fresh eye and an eager heart – to take pleasure in the long and magnificent sentences of Philip Roth and the breathtaking paragraphs of Isaac Babel; to look to John le Carré for a lesson in how to advance plot through dialogue and to Flannery O’ Connor for the cunning use of the telling detail; to be inspired by Emily Brontë ’ s structural nuance and Charles Dickens’ s deceptively simple narrative techniques. Most importantly, Prose cautions readers to slow down and pay attention to words, the raw material out of which all literature is crafted, and reminds us that good writing comes out of good reading.

The Writer's Complete Crime Reference Book

Author: Martin Roth
Publisher: Writer's Digest Books
ISBN:
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 312

Book Description
A comprehensive reference for writers of mysteries, thrillers, action/adventure, true crime, police procedurals, romantic suspense, and psychological mysteries--whether novels or scripts--covering numerous aspects of crime, outlining general rules of thumb, as well as specific policies and procedures of various law enforcement agencies. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

The Writer's Diet

Author: Helen Sword
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 022635198X
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 88

Book Description
This book offers an easy-to-follow set of writing principles. For example, use active verbs whenever possible, favour concrete language over vague abstractions, avoid long strings of prepositional phrases, employ adjectives and adverbs only when they contribute something new to the meaning of a sentence and reduce your dependence on the "waste words": 'it', 'this', 'that' and 'there'. The author also shows these rules in action through examples from famous authors such as Shakespeare and Emily Dickinson. The book includes a test to help you assess your own writing and get advice on problem areas.

The Friend who Got Away

Author: Jenny Offill
Publisher: Random House Digital, Inc.
ISBN: 0767917197
Category : Friendship
Languages : en
Pages : 322

Book Description
Bringing together the voices of Francine Prose, Katie Roiphe, Dorothy Allison, Elizabeth Strout, and others, this title casts new light on the meaning and nature of women's friendships while illuminating the emotions evoked by the loss of a friend.

The Writer's Library

Author: Nancy Pearl
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0062968513
Category : Literary Collections
Languages : en
Pages : 374

Book Description
NEW & NOTEWORTHY ~ THE NEW YORK TIMES With a Foreword by Susan Orlean, twenty-three of today's living literary legends, including Donna Tartt, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Andrew Sean Greer, Laila Lalami, and Michael Chabon, reveal the books that made them think, brought them joy, and changed their lives in this intimate, moving, and insightful collection from "American's Librarian" and recipient of the National Book Foundation's Literarian Award for Outstanding Service Nancy Pearl and noted playwright Jeff Schwager that celebrates the power of literature and reading to connect us all. Before Jennifer Egan, Louise Erdrich, Luis Alberto Urrea, and Jonathan Lethem became revered authors, they were readers. In this ebullient book, America’s favorite librarian Nancy Pearl and noted-playwright Jeff Schwager interview a diverse range of America's most notable and influential writers about the books that shaped them and inspired them to leave their own literary mark. Illustrated with beautiful line drawings, The Writer’s Library is a revelatory exploration of the studies, libraries, and bookstores of today’s favorite authors—the creative artists whose imagination and sublime talent make America's literary scene the wonderful, dynamic world it is. A love letter to books and a celebration of wordsmiths, The Writer’s Library is a treasure for anyone who has been moved by the written word. The authors in The Writer’s Library are: Russell Banks TC Boyle Michael Chabon Susan Choi Jennifer Egan Dave Eggers Louise Erdrich Richard Ford Laurie Frankel Andrew Sean Greer Jane Hirshfield Siri Hustvedt Charles Johnson Laila Lalami Jonathan Lethem Donna Tartt Madeline Miller Viet Thanh Nguyen Luis Alberto Urrea Vendela Vida Ayelet Waldman Maaza Mengiste Amor Towles

Writer's Market 100th Edition

Author: Robert Lee Brewer
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0593332040
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 913

Book Description
The most trusted guide to getting published, fully revised and updated Want to get published and paid for your writing? Let Writer's Market, 100th edition guide you through the process. It's the ultimate reference with thousands of publishing opportunities for writers, listings for book publishers, consumer and trade magazines, contests and awards, and literary agents—as well as new playwriting and screenwriting sections, along with contact and submission information. Beyond the listings, you'll find articles devoted to the business and promotion of writing. Discover 20 literary agents actively seeking writers and their writing, how to develop an author brand, and overlooked funds for writers. This 100th edition also includes the ever-popular pay-rate chart and book publisher subject index. You'll gain access to: Thousands of updated listings for book publishers, magazines, contests, and literary agents Articles devoted to the business and promotion of writing A newly revised "How Much Should I Charge?" pay rate chart Sample query letters for fiction and nonfiction Lists of professional writing organizations