Download or read book Write Characters Your Readers Won t Forget written by Stant Litore and published by . This book was released on 2015-04-02 with total page 106 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "I just don't care enough about your character." "Write Characters Your Readers Won't Forget" is a toolkit for addressing that issue. Packed with 30 exercises, abundant examples, and practical strategies, this guidebook will help you write unforgettable characters who "come alive" on the page, create compelling dialogue, and chart a more breathtaking emotional journeys for your characters. Stant Litore is the author of "The Ansible Stories, The Zombie Bible, The Running of the Tyrannosaurs, " and "Dante's Heart." Best known for his weird fiction, alternate history, and scifi, he has taught frequent courses for writers across the genres and has served as a developmental editor for Westmarch Publishing. His own fiction has been acclaimed by NPR, has served as the subject of scholarly work in "Relegere" and "Weird Fiction Review, " and he has been hailed as "SF's premier poet of loneliness." He lives in Colorado with his wife and two daughters, and is working on his next book.

Download or read book Write Stories Your Readers Won t Forget written by Stant Litore and published by Westmarch Publishing. This book was released on 2022-02-18 with total page 190 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Write the story you've always wanted to write. Stant Litore's third toolkit for writers will empower you to sharpen your story's thematic intensity. Theme is your answer to the question, Why does this story matter? Why does this story matter to each of your characters, and why does it matter to you? Why this story? What hold does it have on your heart? If you find the most compelling answer to that question - and then write that answer into every scene in your book - you'll have a story that will matter to readers, too. This toolkit provides a sequence of 30 story-building exercises plus guidelines on how to craft a thematic outline for your story and use it as a potent tool for revision. In these pages, explore how character, theme, and plot interact; how what matters most in your story gets expressed through each character's unique voice and gets performed dramatically through your plot; and discover how a mastery of theme can help you establish a powerful threshold text to begin your story, solve "the saggy middle," and deliver a denouement that your readers will never forget. Advance Review "Learning to write fiction that moves readers is a lifelong pursuit, but successful writers often struggle with showing others how they do it. For that, you need a good teacher. Stant Litore is an extraordinary teacher, and in Write Stories Your Readers Won't Forget he shares what he knows in clear, practical and profound chapters. Packed with insight, examples, and exercises, Stant's book will cut years off your learning curve." - James Van Pelt, author of Pandora's Gun Reviews for Stant Litore's Other Toolkits for Emerging Writers "Not only is the advice great, but there's a warmth to the chapters that makes writing inviting rather than intimidating." - Todd Mitchell, author of The Traitor King and The Last Panther "There are other worldbuilding books out there; this is the one you want." - Travis Heerman, author of the Ronin trilogy "A master class: Litore has created an accessible, comprehensive approach." - S.G. Redling, author of Flowertown and Damocles "This is a clear, comprehensive, and beautifully written guide that will not only help emerging writers to find their voices and build imaginative worlds and characters, but one that will also prove invaluable to experienced writers seeking to spark their creative impulses or deepen the worlds they create." - Angela Mitchell, author of Falada and Dancing Days

Download or read book Dante s Heart written by Stant Litore and published by Westmarch Publishing. This book was released on 2018-05-18 with total page 121 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One day, homo sapiens will burn half the universe—and after, our descendants will cross billions of light years to atone and forget. In the pages of Dante's Heart, join Mara the naiad, the monster-hunter Dante, Fang Yu the cyborg knight and her lover Siwatu the necromancer, and Azar Almasi the intergalactic geneticist (and deity) as they search the universe for the secret of violence. From a foot-trek through forests made of glass, to the pools where the tadpoles of dragons are born, from alien planetscapes to pitched battles in the silent dark between the stars, who will survive humanity's last pilgrimage? This lavish, full-color edition includes 20 illustrations and 9 sketches by artists Roberto Calas, Chaz Kemp, and Frankie Serna. EARLY REVIEWS FOR DANTE'S HEART "Dante's Heart is like Clive Barker, Octavio Paz, and Dante Alighieri are playing D&D together. Lush stuff and more imaginative than most fantasy fare." - Marc McDermott "Dante's Heart isn't as much a story as it is an epic poem. Visually and emotionally evocative, it seems to be this gifted author’s heartfelt rumination on pain, loss, and the human propensity toward violence. To read it is to step through an oil painting into another world. But beware: Once there, you may have trouble finding your way back out. Not that you'll necessarily want to, because Dante's Heart is both terrifyingly and achingly beautiful." – Michael Whiteman Jones REVIEWS FOR STANT LITORE'S PREVIOUS FICTION "Heartbreaking and wonderful." – Conflictium "I find myself riveted to Stant's prose, not only because I'm eager to find out the characters' fate but because his words are so beautiful. The story has stayed with me days after reading it. I highly recommend." – Denise Grover Swank, author of The Curse Keepers "To say I loved this book would be an understatement. I could not put it down." – The Seattle Post-Intelligencer "Stant Litore may be SF's premier poet of loneliness." – Jason Kirk, author of Reverb and The Other Whites in South Africa "Litore's stories aren't only entertaining. They are stories invading our lives, unexpectedly. You encounter them, as you might encounter people. They are those random elements in life that happen to you, like a mugging, like childbirth, like falling in love and marriage, like death and the funeral that follows. They are moments that leave a mark, and leave you changed." – Andrew Hallam, Ph.D., Metropolitan State University of Denver "Stant eloquently writes passages that are so moving, full of passion, fury, loneliness, blind drive … He takes us to places of amazing beauty, awe-inspiring, as well as places where the implications in the story can leave you almost in despair for the human race." – Nikki Ebright, Director, Shiny Garden

Download or read book Write Worlds Your Readers Won t Forget written by Stant Litore and published by . This book was released on 2017-11-06 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "There are other worldbuilding books out there; this is the one you want." - Travis Heerman, author of the Ronin trilogy and Death Wind. Like a god, you get to invent a world. Maybe several. But how do you make these worlds that readers want to visit? How do you make them worlds that readers never want to leave? In Write Worlds Your Readers Won't Forget, explore how to create unforgettable environments, creatures, and cultures in 33 intensive exercises. ADVANCE PRAISE FOR WRITE WORLDS YOUR READERS WON'T FORGET: "One of the best worldbuilding workbooks I've ever seen. Litore is inspirational, reveling in the power of imagination and packing his journey with top-notch examples and exercises. A superb resource for beginners and pros alike." - Richard Ellis Preston, Jr., author of Romulus Buckle and the City of the Founders "Stant Litore's book overflows with everything you need to know to build your own worlds from the ground up or the top down, from creatures to ecology to culture. Tons of thought-provoking exercises help create an elegant framework for speculative worldbuilding. With these techniques and your own creativity, you'll be able to create worlds your readers will never want to leave. There are other worldbuilding books out there; this is the one you want." - Travis Heermann, author of the Ronin trilogy and Death Wind "Not only is the advice great, but there's a warmth to the chapters that makes writing inviting rather than intimidating." - Todd Mitchell, author of The Traitor King and The Last Panther "A master class in world building: Litore has created an accessible, comprehensive approach. Covering religion, biology, technology, magic, language, justice, privilege and more, the book ignites the writer's imagination with provocative questions and exercises. Pro tip: read this with a notebook handy. You will be inspired to get down to the business of building your fictional world in ways you hadn't dreamed possible. Litore's passion for well-crafted sci-fi comes through in every chapter." - S.G. Redling, author of Flowertown and Damocles "This is a clear, comprehensive, and beautifully written guide to worldbuilding that will not only help emerging writers to find their voices and build imaginative worlds and characters, but one that will also prove invaluable to experienced writers seeking to spark their creative impulses or deepen the worlds they create. My favorite thing about this guide was how incredibly immersive it is. When Litore says the word 'worldbuilding, ' he's not kidding... Highly recommended. I can't wait to use some of the exercises and questions Litore offers here when writing my next book." - Angela Mitchell, author of Falada and Dancing Days "Stant Litore does an excellent job bringing structure and order to the art of world-building. His book makes the craft easy to understand and is filled with information for beginners and veterans alike." - Milton Davis, author of Changa's Safari "Stant Litore is a wonderful storyteller with a knack for creating nuanced characters and equally nuanced worlds. And this book delivers on its title: it offers a great glimpse at how to write worlds your readers won't forget." - James A. Hunter, author of the Yancy Lazarus series and Viridian Gate Online

Download or read book Writing Irresistible Kidlit written by Mary Kole and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2012-12-04 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Captivate the hearts and minds of young adult readers! Writing for young adult (YA) and middle grade (MG) audiences isn't just "kid's stuff" anymore--it's kidlit! The YA and MG book markets are healthier and more robust than ever, and that means the competition is fiercer, too. In Writing Irresistible Kidlit, literary agent Mary Kole shares her expertise on writing novels for young adult and middle grade readers and teaches you how to: • Recognize the differences between middle grade and young adult audiences and how it impacts your writing. • Tailor your manuscript's tone, length, and content to your readership. • Avoid common mistakes and cliches that are prevalent in YA and MG fiction, in respect to characters, story ideas, plot structure and more. • Develop themes and ideas in your novel that will strike emotional chords. Mary Kole's candid commentary and insightful observations, as well as a collection of book excerpts and personal insights from bestselling authors and editors who specialize in the children's book market, are invaluable tools for your kidlit career. If you want the skills, techniques, and know-how you need to craft memorable stories for teens and tweens, Writing Irresistible Kidlit can give them to you.

Download or read book Creating Unforgettable Characters written by Linda Seger and published by Macmillan + ORM. This book was released on 1990-07-15 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this book, Linda Seger shows how to create strong, multidimensional characters in fiction, covering everything from research to character block. Interviews with today's top writers complete this essential volume.

Download or read book Big Red Tequila written by Rick Riordan and published by Bantam. This book was released on 2013-01-08 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series Everything in Texas is bigger . . . even murder. Meet Tres Navarre—tequila drinker, Tai Chi master, and unlicensed P.I., with a penchant for Texas-size trouble. Jackson “Tres” Navarre and his enchilada-eating cat, Robert Johnson, pull into San Antonio and find nothing waiting but trouble. Ten years ago Navarre left town and the memory of his father’s murder behind him. Now he’s back, looking for answers. Yet the more Tres digs, trying to put his suspicions to rest, the fresher the decade-old crime looks: Mafia connections, construction site payoffs, and slick politicians’ games all conspire to ruin his homecoming. It’s obvious Tres has stirred up a hornet’s nest of trouble. He gets attacked, shot at, run over by a big blue Thunderbird—and his old girlfriend, the one he wants back, is missing. Tres has to rescue the woman, nail his father’s murderer, and get the hell out of Dodge before mob-style Texas justice catches up to him. The chances of staying alive looked better for the defenders of the Alamo. “Riordan writes so well about the people and topography of his Texas hometown that he quickly marks the territory as his own.”—Chicago Tribune Don’t miss any of these hotter-than-Texas-chili Tres Navarre novels: BIG RED TEQUILA • THE WIDOWER’S TWO-STEP • THE LAST KING OF TEXAS • THE DEVIL WENT DOWN TO AUSTIN • SOUTHTOWN • MISSION ROAD • REBEL ISLAND

Download or read book After the Plague written by T.C. Boyle and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2002-12-31 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Few authors in America write with such sheer love of story, language, and imagination as T.C. Boyle, and nowhere is that passion more evident than in his inventive, wickedly funny, and widely praised short stories. In After the Plague, Boyle speaks of contemporary social issues in a range of emotional keys. The sixteen stories gathered here address everything from air rage to abortion doctors to first love and its consequences. The collection ends with the brilliant title story, a whimsical and imaginative vision of a disease-ravaged Earth. Presented with characteristic wit and intelligence, these stories will delight readers in search of the latest news of the chaotic, disturbing, and achingly beautiful world in which we live. "Boyle's imagination and zeal for storytelling are in top form here."—Publishers Weekly

Download or read book How to Write a Novel written by Nathan Bransford and published by Nathan Bransford. This book was released on 2019-10-15 with total page 183 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Author and former literary agent Nathan Bransford shares his secrets for creating killer plots, fleshing out your first ideas, crafting compelling characters, and staying sane in the process. Read the guide that New York Times bestselling author Ransom Riggs called "The best how-to-write-a-novel book I've read."

Download or read book GMC Goal Motivation and Conflict written by Debra Dixon and published by Bell Bridge Books. This book was released on 2013-07-15 with total page 124 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This book belongs on every fiction writer's bookshelf. Anyone who has ever had a story to tell and is dying to get it down on paper will find guidance and inspiration in GMC. The presentation is clear, immediate, and relevant to all writers--from novices to seasoned professionals. Experienced author Debra Dixon has done a magnificent job of demystifying the toughest aspect of fiction writing: that of a giving a story shape, form and urgency." -- Susan Wiggs, New York Times bestselling and RITA® Award winning author of over 40 novels and novellas "One of the best in her craft." -- Toronto Star "Goal, Motivation & Conflict is one of my all time favorites." -- Jane Porter (Flirting With Forty), award winning and bestselling author with 10 million books in print, in twenty languages and 25 countries Goal, motivation, and conflict are the foundation of everything that happens in the story world. Using charts, examples, and movies, the author breaks these key elements down into understandable components and walks the reader through the process of laying this foundation in his or her own work. Learn what causes sagging middles and how to fix them, which goals are important, which aren't and why, how to get your characters to do what they need for your plot in a believable manner, and how to use conflict to create a good story. GMC can be used not only in plotting, but in character development, sharpening scenes, pitching ideas to an editor, and evaluating whether an idea will work. Be confident your ideas will work before you write 200 pages. Plan a road map to keep your story on track. Discover why your scenes aren't working and what to do about it. Create characters that editors and readers will care about.

Download or read book The Last Panther written by Todd Mitchell and published by Yearling. This book was released on 2019-07-23 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For animal lovers and fans of The One and Only Ivan and Hoot, this is the uplifting story of a girl who discovers a family of panthers that were thought to be extinct, and her journey to save the species. Eleven-year-old Kiri has a secret: wild things call to her. More than anyone else, she’s always had a special connection to animals. But when Kiri has an encounter with the last known Florida panther, her life is quickly turned on end. Caught between her conservationist father, who wants to send the panther to a zoo, and the village poachers, who want to sell it to feed their families, Kiri must embark on a journey that will take her deep into the wilderness. There has to be some way to save the panther, and for her dad and the villagers to understand each other. If Kiri can’t figure out what it is, she’ll lose far more than the panthers—she’ll lose the only home she’s ever known, and the only family she has left. 2018 Green Earth Book Award Honor 2018 Colorado Book Award Winner CAL Book Award Winner Green Prize for Sustainable Literature Award Winner A Bank Street "Best Children's Book of the Year" A National Geographic Giant Traveling Map of Florida Selection "A powerful tale of a future to be avoided." —Kirkus Reviews "An eerie cautionary tale about the dangers of not protecting the environment, tackles an important theme in a compelling way...a fantastical tale with roots in real-world issues." —Booklist "Earnest, heartfelt, and passionate, this book will likely inspire new environmentalists." —Bulletin "A boldly original, profoundly wise, deeply moving book. It’s a rare gift to any reader, as well as to our planet.” —T. A. Barron, best-selling author of the Merlin Saga

Download or read book Saul and Patsy written by Charles Baxter and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2007-12-18 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the winner of the PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence and “one of our most gifted writers” (Chicago Tribune), Saul and Patsy is "stunning, never predictable, glimmering fiction, full of mischief and insight" (The Los Angeles Times). Five Oaks, Michigan is not exactly where Saul and Patsy meant to end up. Both from the East Coast, they met in college, fell in love, and settled down to married life in the Midwest. Saul is Jewish and a compulsively inventive worrier; Patsy is gentile and cheerfully pragmatic. On Saul’s initiative (and to his continual dismay) they have moved to this small town–a place so devoid of irony as to be virtually “a museum of earlier American feelings”–where he has taken a job teaching high school. Soon this brainy and guiltily happy couple will find children have become a part of their lives, first their own baby daughter and then an unloved, unlovable boy named Gordy Himmelman. It is Gordy who will throw Saul and Patsy’s lives into disarray with an inscrutable act of violence. As timely as a news flash yet informed by an immemorial understanding of human character, Saul and Patsy is a genuine miracle.

Download or read book Lives of Unforgetting written by Stant Litore and published by . This book was released on 2019-03-25 with total page 386 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The ancient Greek word for "truth" means unconcealing or unforgetting. Yet today many ideas and stories that were once critical to how early Christians understood, practiced, and defended their faith often remain "hidden in plain sight" in our Bibles. These ideas are concealed from us by the distance between languages, between eras, and between cultures-yet they are so worth unconcealing and unforgetting. In this book, discover: The forgotten women who co-founded Christianity Whether the first-century church thought there was a hell What happens when you realize that in Greek, faith is a verb Why gender in the Bible is more complicated than we think Which concepts our modern tradition takes for granted that would have been alien to the original readers (like homophobia) We have also forgotten that to read the Bible is to receive an invitation to adventure-to encounter the impossible, to move mountains, to walk on water. Instead, we have been taught to read the Bible tamely, to make no choices, to risk no questioning of our tradition. What would happen if we took the adventure? If we readers walked out into the wilderness toward God, leaving home far behind? If we stepped out of the boat of our received tradition, out onto the crashing waves? Let's find out.

Download or read book All the Invisible Things written by Orlagh Collins and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2020-03-03 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this contemporary YA for fans of Becky Albertalli, one girl decides it's time to be really be herself--but will that cost her the best friend who once meant everything to her? Ever since her mom died and her family moved to a new town four years ago, sixteen-year-old Vetty Lake has hidden her heart. She'd rather keep secrets than risk getting hurt--even if that means not telling anyone that she's pretty sure she's bisexual. But this summer, everything could change. Vetty and her family are moving back to her old neighborhood, right across the street from her childhood best friend Pez. Next to Pez, she always felt free and fearless. Reconnecting with him could be the link she needs to get back to her old self. Vetty quickly discovers Pez isn't exactly the boy she once knew. He has a new group of friends, a glamorous sort-of-girlfriend named March, and a laptop full of secrets. And things get even more complicated when she feels a sudden spark with March. As Vetty navigates her relationship with Pez and her own shifting feelings, one question looms: Does becoming the girl she longs to be mean losing the friendship that once was everything to her?

Download or read book Captain Horatio Hornblower written by Cecil Scott Forester and published by . This book was released on 1950 with total page 625 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Suck a Little Happy Juice written by J. Scott Coatsworth and published by Other Worlds Ink. This book was released on 2024-04-10 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Being An Indie Author Can’t Be That Hard. Right? So you want to be an indie author. Or maybe you're scared to do it all yourself and are looking for a publisher, but want to know more about the nuts and bolts of the book business. Either way, this book is for you. Scott is a thirty-year small press veteran who shares his knowledge—from the snarky to the sublime—and answers your questions: What should you consider before you start to write? What about when you get stuck? And what can you do when you start doubting yourself? This book is filled with practical advice, candid explanations, and emotional support for any writer navigating today's complicated publishing business, helping you to stay sane and define for yourself what being a “successful writer” means. In your career, you’ll have highs and lows. It’s important to put all the highs in a bottle and save them. And when the publishing world gets you down, pull it out and suck a little happy juice. “If I ever go off course, I will refer back to this guide to keep me going. The book's strength lies in its ability to demystify the writing and publishing process, making it a trustworthy companion for writers facing challenges. 5 Stars.” -Jaqueline Neves, Readers’ Favorite "Suck a Little Happy Juice is the kind of advice title one wishes every aspiring writer had in hand. Whether it's addressing getting ready to write or giving concrete examples contrasting tepid writing with captivating alternative approaches and revisions, Coatsworth sets aside ethereal advice in favor of the concrete examples writers need in order to prove more effective and hone their skills.. If libraries and readers were to select just a few titles on the subject of becoming an author, Suck a Little Happy Juice should be at the top of the list." --Midwest Book Review

Download or read book The Queen s Resistance written by Rebecca Ross and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2019-03-05 with total page 496 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For fans of Red Queen and Grave Mercy comes the captivating sequel to the Renaissance France-inspired epic fantasy The Queen’s Rising. Brienna is a mistress of knowledge and is beginning to settle into her role as the daughter of the once disgraced lord, Davin MacQuinn. Though she’d just survived a revolution that will return a queen to the throne, she faces yet another challenge: acceptance by the MacQuinns. But as Queen Isolde Kavanagh’s closest confidant, she’ll have to balance serving her father’s House as well as her country. Then there’s Aodhan Morgan, formerly known as Cartier Évariste, who is adjusting to the stark contrast between his pre-rebellion life in Valenia and his current one as lord of a fallen House. As he attempts to restore the Morgane name, he let his mind wander—what if he doesn’t have to raise his House alone? What if Brienna could stand by his side? But Brienna and Cartier must put their feelings aside, as there are more vital tasks at hand—the Lannons' trial, forging alliances, and ensuring that no one halts the queen’s coronation. Resistance is rumbling among the old regime’s supporters, who are desperate to find a weakness in the rebels’ forces. And what makes one more vulnerable than love?