Download or read book Now Write Nonfiction written by Sherry Ellis and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2009-12-24 with total page 281 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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!

Download or read book Now Write written by Sherry Ellis and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2006-09-07 with total page 230 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A collection of personal writing exercises and commentary from some of today's best novelists, short story writers, and writing teachers, including Jill McCorkle, Amy Bloom, Robert Olen Butler, Steve Almond, Jayne Anne Phillips, Virgil Suarez, Margot Livesay, and more. What's the secret behind the successful and prolific careers of critically acclaimed novelists and short story writers Amy Bloom, Steve Almond, Jayne Anne Phillips, Alison Lurie, and others? Divine assistance? Otherworldly talent? An unsettlingly close relationship with the Muse? While the rest of us are staring at blank sheets of paper, struggling to come up with a first sentence, these writers are busy polishing off story after story and novel after novel. Despite producing work that may seem effortless, all of them have a simple technique for fending off writer's block: the writing exercise. In Now Write!, Sherry Ellis collects the personal writing exercises of today's best writers and lays bare the secret to their success. - In "The Photograph," Jill McCorkle divulges one of her tactics for handling material that takes plots in a million different directions; - National Book Award-nominee Amy Bloom offers "Water Buddies," an exercise for writers practicing their craft in workshops; - Steve Almond, author of My Life in Heavy Metal and Candyfreak, provides a way to avoiding purple prose in "The Five-Second Shortcut to Writing in the Lyric Register"; - and eighty-three more of the country's top writers disclose their strategies for creating memorable prose. Complemented by brief commentary from the authors themselves, the exercises in Now Write! are practical and hands-on. By encouraging writers to shamelessly steal proven techniques that have yielded books which have won National Book Awards, Pulitzers, and Guggenheim grants, Now Write! inspires the aspiring writer to write now.

Download or read book Write Useful Books A Modern Approach to Designing and Refining Recommendable Nonfiction written by Rob Fitzpatrick and published by . This book was released on 2021-06-16 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This guide contains everything I know about how to design, test, and refine nonfiction that is able to endure for years, get recommended, and grow on its own. Whether you're aiming for this guide can help you get there.

Download or read book Now Write Mysteries written by Sherry Ellis and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2011-12-29 with total page 385 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The essential handbook for writers of whodunits, techno- thrillers, cozies, and everything in between-featuring never-before- published personal writing exercises from some of today's bestselling and award-winning mystery writers. Now Write! Mysteries, the fourth volume in the acclaimed Now Write! writing guide series, brings together numerous bestselling authors-including winners of and nominees for the Edgar, Hugo, and Shamus awards,-for the definitive guide to writing mysteries, thrillers, and suspense stories. Now Write! Mysteries teaches you everything you've ever wanted to know about crafting a page-turning mystery-from creating a believable detective hero (or terrifying villain), to using real-life cutting-edge investigative techniques to bring your story to life-with practical exercises taken directly from the pros: Discover the best techniques for seamlessly integrating action into your story with John Lutz, New York Times-bestselling author of Urge to Kill, Night Kills, and Serial. Learn how to fine-tune your sense of place and setting with Louise Penny, New York Times-bestselling author of the Armand Gamache mysteries. Take advice from Lorenzo Carcaterra, author of Sleepers and writer/producer for Law & Order, on how to compose a scene that lives up to your character's backstory. Let Marcia Talley, Agatha- and Anthony-winning author of the Hannah Ives mysteries, show you how to build a memorable, engaging detective. (Hint: It's not about making him flawless.) Others included are: Simon Brett, Hallie Ephron, Meg Gardiner, Peter James, Christopher G. Moore, Michael Sears, and many others. No other mystery-writing guide offers the road tested wisdom of so many award-winners and bestselling authors in one place.

Download or read book Writing the Nonfiction Book written by Eva Shaw and published by Rodgers & Nelsen Publishing Company. This book was released on 1999 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Methods outlined in this book are easy-to-follow steps for formatting, completing, and marketing a nonfiction book. The most popular subjects for nonfiction books are covered, along with writing instructions and painless tips for self-publishing. Included is information on finding an agent and book publisher.

Download or read book Start Writing Your Book Today written by Morgan Gist MacDonald and published by . This book was released on 2015-06-02 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this book, the author walks you through every step of how to write a book. After you read it, you'll be ready to start writing today.

Download or read book Voice and Vision written by Stephen J. Pyne and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2009-05-15 with total page 327 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It has become commonplace these days to speak of “unpacking” texts. Voice and Vision is a book about packing that prose in the first place. While history is scholarship, it is also art—that is, literature. And while it has no need to emulate fiction, slump into memoir, or become self-referential text, its composition does need to be conscious and informed. Voice and Vision is for those who wish to understand the ways in which literary considerations can enhance nonfiction writing. At issue is not whether writing is scholarly or popular, narrative or analytical, but whether it is good. Fiction has guidebooks galore; journalism has shelves stocked with manuals; certain hybrids such as creative nonfiction and the new journalism have evolved standards, esthetics, and justifications for how to transfer the dominant modes of fiction to topics in nonfiction. But history and other serious or scholarly nonfiction have nothing comparable. Now this curious omission is addressed by Stephen Pyne as he analyzes and teaches the craft that undergirds whole realms of nonfiction and book-based academic disciplines. With eminent good sense concerning the unique problems posed by research-based writing and with a wealth of examples from accomplished writers, Pyne, an experienced and skilled writer himself, explores the many ways to understand what makes good nonfiction, and explains how to achieve it. His counsel and guidance will be invaluable to experts as well as novices in the art of writing serious and scholarly nonfiction.

Download or read book Thinking Like Your Editor How to Write Great Serious Nonfiction and Get It Published written by Susan Rabiner and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2010-09-27 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Distilled wisdom from two publishing pros for every serious nonfiction author in search of big commercial success. Over 50,000 books are published in America each year, the vast majority nonfiction. Even so, many writers are stymied in getting their books published, never mind gaining significant attention for their ideas—and substantial sales. This is the book editors have been recommending to would-be authors. Filled with trade secrets, Thinking Like Your Editor explains: • why every proposal should ask and answer five key questions; • how to tailor academic writing to a general reader, without losing ideas or dumbing down your work; • how to write a proposal that editors cannot ignore; • why the most important chapter is your introduction; • why "simple structure, complex ideas" is the mantra for creating serious nonfiction; • why smart nonfiction editors regularly reject great writing but find new arguments irresistible. Whatever the topic, from history to business, science to philosophy, law, or gender studies, this book is vital to every serious nonfiction writer.

Download or read book On Writing Well written by William Zinsser and published by HarperCollins Publishers. This book was released on 1988 with total page 318 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The revised and enlarged third edition of Zinsser's trusted writing guide covers the principles of good writing while including information on technical, business and sports writing, humor, interviews, working with a word processor, sexism, and a writer's attitudes toward language and craft.

Download or read book Creative Visualization for Writers written by Nina Amir and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2016-10-18 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explore Your Motivations. Replenish Your Creativity. Define Your Vision for Success. To become a more creative, confident, and productive writer, you need to focus your attention, visualize your desires, set clearly defined goals, and take action toward your dreams. Let Creative Visualization for Writers be your guide on this journey of self-discovery. You'll learn how to: • Evaluate your beliefs and shed self-defeating behaviors. • Determine your destination by visualizing your ideas and goals. • Develop an Author Attitude that will help you write, achieve, earn, and produce more. • Discover new ways to foster your creativity and productivity. • Affirm that you have what it takes to succeed. Featuring more than 100 exercises and prompts to spark new writing ideas and give you a creative boost, as well as coloring pages to encourage relaxation, Creative Visualization for Writers helps you transform your dreams into reality and find joy in the creative process.

Download or read book The Author Training Manual written by Nina Amir and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2014-03-18 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: If you want to write a book that's going to sell to both publishers and readers, you need to know how to produce a marketable work and help it become successful. It starts the moment you have an idea. That's when you begin thinking about the first elements of the business plan that will make your project the best it can be. The reality is that you don't want to spend time and energy writing a book that will never get read. The way to avoid that is to create a business plan for your book, and evaluate it (and yourself) through the same lens that an agent or acquisitions editor would. The Author Training Manual will show you how to get more creative and start looking at your work with those high standards in mind. Whether you're writing fiction or non-fiction, or intend to publish traditionally or self-publish, author Nina Amir will teach you how to conduct an effective competitive analysis for your work and do a better job at delivering the goods to readers than similar books that are already on the shelf. Packed with step-by-step instructions, idea evaluations, sample business plans, editor and agent commentaries, and much more, The Author Training Manual provides the information you need to transform from aspiring writer to career author.

Download or read book The Complete Idiot s Guide to Writing Nonfiction written by Christina Boufis and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2014-05-14 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Get all the tools you need to craft compelling creative nonfiction prose. This helpful guide gives you everything you need to write real-life characters, compelling plots, natural dialogue, and captivating details.

Download or read book Writing Creative Nonfiction written by Philip Gerard and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2001-05-10 with total page 385 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Experience the power and the promise of working in today' most exciting literary form: Creative Nonfiction Writing Creative Nonfiction presents more than thirty essays examining every key element of the craft, from researching ideas and structuring the story, to reportage and personal reflection. You'll learn from some of today's top creative nonfiction writers, including: • Terry Tempest Williams - Analyze your motivation for writing, its value, and its strength. • Alan Cheuse - Discover how interesting, compelling essays can be drawn from every corner of your life and the world in which you live. • Phillip Lopate - Build your narrator–yourself–into a fully fleshed-out character, giving your readers a clearer, more compelling idea of who is speaking and why they should listen. • Robin Hemley - Develop a narrative strategy for structuring your story and making it cohesive. • Carolyn Forche - Master the journalistic ethics of creative nonfiction. • Dinty W. Moore - Use satire, exaggeration, juxtaposition, and other forms of humor in creative nonfiction. • Philip Gerard - Understand the narrative stance–why and how an author should, or should not, enter into the story. Through insightful prompts and exercises, these contributors help make the challenge of writing creative nonfiction–whether biography, true-life adventure, memoir, or narrative history–a welcome, rewarding endeavor. You'll also find an exciting, creative nonfiction "reader" comprising the final third of the book, featuring pieces from Barry Lopez, Annie Dillard, Beverly Lowry, Phillip Lopate, and more–selections so extraordinary, they will teach, delight, inspire, and entertain you for years to come!

Download or read book Welcome to the Writer s Life written by Paulette Perhach and published by Sasquatch Books. This book was released on 2018-08-14 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Learn how to take your work to the next level with this informative guide on the craft, business, and lifestyle of writing With warmth and humor, Paulette Perhach welcomes you into the writer’s life as someone who has once been on the outside looking in. Like a freshman orientation for writers, this book includes an in-depth exploration of all the elements of being a writer—from your writing practice to your reading practice, from your writing craft to the all-important and often-overlooked business of writing. In Welcome to the Writer’s Life, you will learn how to tap into the powers of crowdsourcing and social media to grow your writing career. Perhach also unpacks the latest research on success, gamification, and lifestyle design, demonstrating how you can use these findings to further improve your writing projects. Complete with exercises, tools, checklists, infographics, and behind-the-scenes tips from working writers of all types, this book offers everything you need to jump-start a successful writing life.

Download or read book Nonfiction Writing written by Laura Robb and published by Teaching Resources. This book was released on 2004 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Shows how to teach students the basics of nonfiction writing, including voice, narrative elements, sidebars, and interviews.

Download or read book Publish Your Nonfiction Book written by Sharlene Martin and published by Writer's Digest Books. This book was released on 2009-11-25 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Publishing Your Nonfiction Book In Publish Your Nonfiction Book, successful literary agent Sharlene Martin and noted novelist and nonfiction author Anthony Flacco draw on their years of experience to provide you with an in-depth understanding of what the publishing industry is really like and how to successfully navigate it in order to ensure a long-term career. You'll learn: Techniques for writing a strong query letter that hooks agents and editors right from the start Strategies for putting together a stellar proposal package that successfully pitches you and your book Methods for creating a respectable author platform - before you start pitching your book Tips for getting an agent and building a lasting working relationship And much, much more! Plus, the authors examine actual query letters and proposals that worked, so you can see firsthand exactly what catches an agent's attention and why. Publish Your Nonfiction Book is the one-on-one agent consultation you need - but seldom get - to learn the ropes and seal the deal.

Download or read book Nonfiction Book Proposals Anybody Can Write written by Elizabeth Lyon and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2002-12-03 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sign the contract…then write the book. The good news is that almost every nonfiction book published is sold by a proposal. In this comprehensive yet accessible guide, you will learn exactly what a proposal is, what it must contain, and how to pull yours together into an informative, persuasive selling package. Already a favorite for thousands of aspiring writers, this book has been revised and updated by Elizabeth Lyon to feature nearly two dozen actual proposals, plus: · Choosing a topic based on current trends and competing titles · Drafting the perfect concept statement—daring agents and editors to reject you · Defining and targeting your readership—then connecting with them · Preparing a table of contents and chapter summaries · Submitting exciting and well-written sample chapters · Writing query letters · Devising a marketing plan that will excite agents and publishers