Write Like a Pro


Book Description

For those looking to become great business writers, this practical guide supplies clear instruction and examples of how to organize thoughts into written form, impart information with pinpoint accuracy, persuade, and hold the reader's interest: in short, to use language to get what you want. In today's business world, writers need to be prepared and comfortable with various forms of writing: reports, blogs, social media, white papers. Written by an established expert on writing and communication, journalism professor Carl D. Hausman, Write Like a Pro: Ten Techniques for Getting Your Point Across at Work (and in Life) can make you a better writer, regardless of your experience and current skill level; and will teach you how to vastly improve your written communication through a straightforward, easy-to-follow method. This book doesn't just cover the essential "mechanics" of good writing; it focuses on developing the more subtle skills of infusing your writing with eloquence, power, accuracy, and persuasiveness—and it shows readers how to achieve those qualities with no-nonsense advice. The information is highly accessible, sometimes amusing, and replete with memorable examples that demonstrate what works and teaches a strategy for solving any writing problem. It is essential reading for anyone who wants to write effectively, in any form, from emails to complaint letters to social media.




The Sense of an Ending


Book Description

BOOKER PRIZE WINNER • NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A novel that follows a middle-aged man as he contends with a past he never much thought about—until his closest childhood friends return with a vengeance: one of them from the grave, another maddeningly present. A novel so compelling that it begs to be read in a single setting, The Sense of an Ending has the psychological and emotional depth and sophistication of Henry James at his best, and is a stunning achievement in Julian Barnes's oeuvre. Tony Webster thought he left his past behind as he built a life for himself, and his career has provided him with a secure retirement and an amicable relationship with his ex-wife and daughter, who now has a family of her own. But when he is presented with a mysterious legacy, he is forced to revise his estimation of his own nature and place in the world.




Seven Drafts


Book Description

"Brilliant, time-tested and clear" advice that will help writers at all stages, in all genres, write their very best book-and then make it better. As a freelance editor for more than a decade, Williams has shepherded books from rough draft to polished manuscripts bought by Big Five houses, university and literary presses, and for independent publishers. Now, she distills everything she's learned from editing hundreds of drafts, coaching writers past creative blocks, and navigating authors through querying and publication, into this useful guide for every step from idea to book. Seven Drafts: Self-Edit Like a Pro from Blank Page to Book divides writing and revision into distinct stages, with a new focus in each draft. Williams' frank, funny voice encourages writers to tackle even big editing tasks with a sense of humor and a feeling that someone who understands is on their side. With plenty of fresh examples, insider wisdom, and snappy footnotes, Seven Drafts teaches story, character, elements of writing craft and structure, how to seek and use feedback, and the publication process.




50 Ways to Help You Write


Book Description

An easy-to-follow guide to successful writing, from first notes to final draft. Letters, memos, proposals, resumes, news releases, term papers, articles, stories, poems, and more. Upbeat, motivating, practical. An entire writer's workshop in one handy volume featuring specific exercises and models for all types of writing. Includes start-up sheets, checklists, review sheets, "before" and "after" versions, outdoor writing experiments, common errors in grammar and punctuation, tips for becoming your own best editor, and ten things to try when you are stuck. Clear steps and examples bring rapid writing improvement. Based on the author's thirty years' experience teaching in colleges and corporations, 50 Ways to Help You Write generates vivid, effective writing. Sample Exercises: Business writers can "follow the MBA formula" (main point, benefits, action) to organize writing. Creative writers can sit by a window or a river, follow the steps to heighten awareness, and "let nature express your theme." Article writers learn to "freely write your gripe" with compassionate objectivity. Students writing papers economize their time by first filling in a quick "Plan Your Pages" sheet. Teachers will find dozens of new, proven classroom "experiments" yielding a rich experience from which words freely flow.




DIY MFA


Book Description

Get the Knowledge Without the College! You are a writer. You dream of sharing your words with the world, and you're willing to put in the hard work to achieve success. You may have even considered earning your MFA, but for whatever reason--tuition costs, the time commitment, or other responsibilities--you've never been able to do it. Or maybe you've been looking for a self-guided approach so you don't have to go back to school. This book is for you. DIY MFA is the do-it-yourself alternative to a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing. By combining the three main components of a traditional MFA--writing, reading, and community--it teaches you how to craft compelling stories, engage your readers, and publish your work. Inside you'll learn how to: • Set customized goals for writing and learning. • Generate ideas on demand. • Outline your book from beginning to end. • Breathe life into your characters. • Master point of view, voice, dialogue, and more. • Read with a "writer's eye" to emulate the techniques of others. • Network like a pro, get the most out of writing workshops, and submit your work successfully. Writing belongs to everyone--not only those who earn a degree. With DIY MFA, you can take charge of your writing, produce high-quality work, get published, and build a writing career.




The Savior's Champion


Book Description

Hoping to save his family, one man enters his realm's most glorious tournament and finds himself in the middle of a political chess game, unthinkable bloodshed, and an unexpected romance with a woman he's not supposed to want.




What Your English Teacher Didn't Tell You


Book Description

I'm a longtime English teacher, consultant, editor, and professional writer. Over the years many people told me about their secret desire to write for publication. They have an abundant storehouse of ideas and experiences to write about. What holds them back is finding time for an intensive review of English grammar. They're always astonished when I tell them that there's an easier pathway to writing-one that doesn't involve complex grammar theory, workbook exercises, and grammar tests. Here's what your English teacher may not have told you: You've been using language expertly all your life, and you can easily build on that foundation to learn the sentence patterns and writing strategies used by professional writers. The traditional curriculums and teaching materials used in many schools don't always cover the skills needed for 21st-century writing. But you'll find them in my book. "What Your English Teacher Didn't Tell You" offers you a thorough review of punctuation, sentence structure, and usage. Practice Activities and a Pretest allow you to assess what you're learning. A complete Answer Key is included. Everything is presented in plain, everyday language. More important, you'll learn how to use writing to showcase yourself, your knowledge, and your ideas. You can use your new skills in writing classes, workplace tasks, and creative writing-short stories, a novel, a nonfiction book, a memoir. This book was written with YOU in mind. My teaching techniques have helped countless students take their writing skills to exciting new levels. I'm eager to share them with you. Let's get started! Praise for "What Your English Teacher Didn't Tell You": "Practical and accessible" - Marcella Cooper, Temple University, Osaka, Japan "Personable and readable...Jean knows her subject forwards and backwards." - Adair Lara, author of "Hold Me Close, Let Me Go"




How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method


Book Description

The Snowflake Method-ten battle-tested steps that jump-start your creativity and help you quickly map out your story.




Summer of the Black Chevy


Book Description

Paul Morrison launches his first teenage summer at a school dance, longing for girls and the smack of baseballs. His innocence ends quickly that night when a roaring black Chevy chases him into the dark, but it's the mysterious stranger driving it who scares him more. It's 1965 in Deer Lodge, Montana, far from the busy faraway world that Paul and his girlfriend Marcy read about in books...