Download or read book Finishing School written by Cary Tennis and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2017-01-10 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: All too many people start a writing project with grand ambitions but reach a crisis of completion. Finishing School helps writers reignite the passion that started them on the project in the first place and work steadily to get it done. Untold millions of writing projects—begun with hope and a little bit of hubris—lie abandoned in desk drawers, in dated files on computer desktops, and in the far reaches of the mind. Too often, writers get tangled in self-abuse—their self-doubt, shame, yearning for perfection, and even arrogance get in the way. In Finishing School, Cary Tennis and Danelle Morton help writers overcome these emotional blocks and break down daunting projects into manageable pieces. Tennis first convened a Finishing School so that writers could help one another stay on track and complete their work. Since they weren’t actually critiquing one another’s writing, there was no jockeying for the title of best writer or the usual writing group politics; there was only a shared commitment to progress. Without guilt, blame, and outside critique, students were more productive than they imagined possible. Through this program, they were able to complete novels that they’d been struggling with for almost two decades, finish screenplays drafts, and revive interest in long-neglected PhD theses. In this book, the authors share this proven and easily replicable technique, as well as their own writing success stories.

Download or read book The F I T Files written by Sue Comeau and published by Sue Comeau. This book was released on 2014-08-21 with total page 266 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Meet Finn Tilley, a successful life coach - who just happens to be 13 years old. Finn gets a panicked call from his drama-loving best friend Charlie and he knows something big is up. Whenever Charlie is stressed, his voice goes up - right now he sounds like a chipmunk on Red Bull. Charlie needs Finn's help. Charlie went to the doctor and found out his BMI is too high and he's overweight. Now his mom is threatening to take him to ICLI (I Can Lose It) meetings. Charlie is picturing himself in a room with a bunch of hungry old ladies, and he's mortified. And what the heck is BMI anyway? Can he just take some vitamins or something? Charlie needs Finn to help him sort things out. Sure, Charlie has put on a few pounds lately - he has a scooter for his mansion, and his chef bakes oversized cookies, daily. And while Finn and the rest of their friends love being active, Charlie's new favorite activity is reclining. Still, this ICLI thing seems a little drastic. Finn is on the case. After all, with a mom who's a granola-loving yoga teacher, a dad who's a coach, and a sister who dances all the time, health and fitness is a big deal in his house. He loves helping his friends when it comes to physical activity. Finn's cool as he starts investigating Charlie's situation... So why does he find himself getting weighed in front of the entire high school girls' volleyball team? Falling backwards onto his butt in front of the coolest girl ever? Or getting thrown onto some shrubs by his friend Chris (yes, she's a girl) at Charlie's mansion? Meanwhile, why has Finn's sister become so picky and grumpy? (Yikes.) In the first of The F.I.T. Files series, Finn takes us along for the ride - introducing us to his hilarious and quirky friends and family - as he helps Charlie find some balance.

Download or read book These Precious Days written by Ann Patchett and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2021-11-23 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The beloved New York Times bestselling author reflects on home, family, friendships and writing in this deeply personal collection of essays. "The elegance of Patchett’s prose is seductive and inviting: with Patchett as a guide, readers will really get to grips with the power of struggles, failures, and triumphs alike." —Publisher's Weekly “Any story that starts will also end.” As a writer, Ann Patchett knows what the outcome of her fiction will be. Life, however, often takes turns we do not see coming. Patchett ponders this truth in these wise essays that afford a fresh and intimate look into her mind and heart. At the center of These Precious Days is the title essay, a surprising and moving meditation on an unexpected friendship that explores “what it means to be seen, to find someone with whom you can be your best and most complete self.” When Patchett chose an early galley of actor and producer Tom Hanks’ short story collection to read one night before bed, she had no idea that this single choice would be life changing. It would introduce her to a remarkable woman—Tom’s brilliant assistant Sooki—with whom she would form a profound bond that held monumental consequences for them both. A literary alchemist, Patchett plumbs the depths of her experiences to create gold: engaging and moving pieces that are both self-portrait and landscape, each vibrant with emotion and rich in insight. Turning her writer’s eye on her own experiences, she transforms the private into the universal, providing us all a way to look at our own worlds anew, and reminds how fleeting and enigmatic life can be. From the enchantments of Kate DiCamillo’s children’s books (author of The Beatryce Prophecy) to youthful memories of Paris; the cherished life gifts given by her three fathers to the unexpected influence of Charles Schultz’s Snoopy; the expansive vision of Eudora Welty to the importance of knitting, Patchett connects life and art as she illuminates what matters most. Infused with the author’s grace, wit, and warmth, the pieces in These Precious Days resonate deep in the soul, leaving an indelible mark—and demonstrate why Ann Patchett is one of the most celebrated writers of our time.

Download or read book Daring Greatly written by Brené Brown and published by Penguin UK. This book was released on 2013-01-17 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Researcher and thought leader Dr. Brené Brown offers a powerful new vision in Daring Greatly that encourages us to embrace vulnerability and imperfection, to live wholeheartedly and courageously. 'It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; . . . who at best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly' -Theodore Roosevelt Every time we are introduced to someone new, try to be creative, or start a difficult conversation, we take a risk. We feel uncertain and exposed. We feel vulnerable. Most of us try to fight those feelings - we strive to appear perfect. Challenging everything we think we know about vulnerability, Dr. Brené Brown dispels the widely accepted myth that it's a weakness. She argues that vulnerability is in fact a strength, and when we shut ourselves off from revealing our true selves we grow distanced from the things that bring purpose and meaning to our lives. Daring Greatly is the culmination of 12 years of groundbreaking social research, across the home, relationships, work, and parenting. It is an invitation to be courageous; to show up and let ourselves be seen, even when there are no guarantees. This is vulnerability. This is daring greatly. 'Brilliantly insightful. I can't stop thinking about this book' -Gretchen Rubin Brené Brown, Ph.D., LMSW is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and a research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work. Her groundbreaking work was featured on Oprah Winfrey's Super Soul Sunday, NPR, and CNN. Her TED talk is one of the most watched TED talks of all time. Brené is also the author of The Gifts of Imperfection and I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn't).

Download or read book Fun and Games written by Enid Blyton and published by Hodder Children's Books. This book was released on 2016-07-01 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Welcome to Malory Towers, where there's more to life than lessons! It's competition time at Malory Towers and this term there's a tennis tournament and a music prize to be won! Tensions are running high, with games captain June and orchestra leader Millicent willing to do anything to succeed. But the girls have more to worry about when belongings start disappearing from dorms . . . Malory Towers is now a fantastic television drama, available on BBC iPlayer and on CBBC. Between 1946 and 1951, Enid Blyton wrote six novels set at Malory Towers. Books 7-12 are authorised sequels of the series written by Pamela Cox in 2009 and focus on the adventures of Felicity Rivers, Susan Blake, and June Johns. This edition is unillustrated. * Malory Towers ®, Enid Blyton ® and Enid Blyton's signature are registered trade marks of Hodder & Stoughton Limited. No trade mark or copyrighted material may be reproduced without the express written permission of the trade mark and copyright owner.

Download or read book The Vanity Fair Diaries written by Tina Brown and published by Henry Holt. This book was released on 2017-11-14 with total page 448 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The diaries of the author's years as editor-in-chief of Vanity Fair also serves as a portrait of the 1980s in New York and Hollywood, describing her summons from London in the hopes of saving Condé Nast's periodical and her experiences within the world of glamour magazines

Download or read book Tribe of Mentors written by Timothy Ferriss and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. This book was released on 2017 with total page 627 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Life-changing wisdom from 130 of the world's highest achievers in short, action-packed pieces, featuring inspiring quotes, life lessons, career guidance, personal anecdotes, and other advice

Download or read book The Day the Whores Came Out to Play Tennis written by Arthur Kopit and published by Samuel French, Inc.. This book was released on 1993 with total page 156 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Comedy Characters: 6 male Interior Set Despite the title, it has intense meaning for these times. The scene is a room in a wealthy country club, to which the men's committee is hastily summoned early one morning after a carousing dance. Problem: what to do about the 16 luscious but low life females who drove up in a Rolls Royces and then proceeded to the tennis courts, where they are now disporting. While the committee huddles, we learn that they are the vulgar, crass peopl

Download or read book Winning Ugly written by Brad Gilbert and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2013-05-28 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The tennis classic from Olympic gold medalist and ESPN analyst Brad Gilbert, now featuring a new introduction with tips drawn from the strategies of Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams, Andy Murray, and more, to help you outthink and outplay your toughest opponents. A former Olympic medalist and now one of ESPN’s most respected analysts, Brad Gilbert shares his timeless tricks and tips, including “some real gems” (Tennis magazine) to help both recreational and professional players improve their game. In the new introduction to this third edition, Gilbert uses his inside access to analyze current stars such as Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal, showing readers how to beat better players without playing better tennis. Written with clarity and wit, this classic combat manual for the tennis court has become the bible of tennis instruction books for countless players worldwide.

Download or read book A Supposedly Fun Thing I ll Never Do Again written by David Foster Wallace and published by Back Bay Books. This book was released on 2009-11-23 with total page 549 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: These widely acclaimed essays from the author of Infinite Jest -- on television, tennis, cruise ships, and more -- established David Foster Wallace as one of the preeminent essayists of his generation. In this exuberantly praised book -- a collection of seven pieces on subjects ranging from television to tennis, from the Illinois State Fair to the films of David Lynch, from postmodern literary theory to the supposed fun of traveling aboard a Caribbean luxury cruiseliner -- David Foster Wallace brings to nonfiction the same curiosity, hilarity, and exhilarating verbal facility that has delighted readers of his fiction, including the bestselling Infinite Jest.

Download or read book Anybody Can Do Anything written by Betty MacDonald and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2016-11-01 with total page 183 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The author of The Egg and I continues her hilariously candid memoir series as she enters the job market at the worst possible time—the Great Depression. “The best thing about the Depression was the way it reunited our family and gave my sister Mary a real opportunity to prove that anybody can do anything, especially Betty.” So begins Betty MacDonald’s singular chronicle of trying to make ends meet amid the worst economic downturn in American history. After surviving both the failed chicken farm - and marriage - immortalized in The Egg and I, Betty MacDonald returns to live with her mother and desperately searches to find a job to support her two young daughters. With the help of her older sister Mary, Anybody Can Do Anything recounts her failed, and often hilarious, attempts to find work during the Great Depression.

Download or read book Bigger Than the Game written by Dirk Hayhurst and published by Kensington Books. This book was released on 2014 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The best writer in a baseball uniform." --Tyler Kepner, The New York Times After nearly a decade in the minors, Dirk Hayhurst defied the odds to climb onto the pitcher's mound for the Toronto Blue Jays. Newly married, with a big league paycheck and a brand new house, Hayhurst was ready for a great season in the Bigs. Then fate delivered a crushing hit. Hayhurst blew out his pitching shoulder in an insane off-season workout program. After surgery, rehab, and more rehab, his major-league dreams seemed more distant than ever. From there things got worse, weirder, and funnier. In a crazy world of injured athletes, autograph-seeking nuns, angry wrestlers, and trainers with a taste for torture, Hayhurst learned lessons about the game--and himself--that were not in any rulebook. Honest, soul'searching, insightful, hilarious, and moving, Dirk Hayhurst's latest memoir is an indisputable baseball classic. Praise for The Bullpen Gospels and Out of My League "Dirk Hayhurst writes about baseball in a unique way. Observant, insightful, human, and hilarious." --Bob Costas "A fun read. . .This book shows why baseball is so often used as a metaphor for life." --Keith Olbermann "Entertaining and engaging. . .reminiscent of Jim Bouton's Ball Four." --Booklist "A rare gem of a baseball book." --Tom Verducci, Sports Illustrated "A humorous, candid, and insightful memoir of Hayhurst's rookie season in the majors. . .Grade: Home Run." --Cleveland Plain Dealer

Download or read book Fun for Movers Teacher s Book written by Anne Robinson and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2010-03-04 with total page 161 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fun for Movers provides full-colour preparation material for the Cambridge Young Learners English Test: Movers. Fun activities balanced with exam-style questions practise all the areas of the syllabus in a communicative way. The material is specifically designed to focus on those areas most likely to cause problems for young learners at this level. The Fun for Movers Teacher's Book includes creative teaching tips, photocopiable activities, and a full, photocopiable practice test. An Audio CD, available separately, includes listening material to accompany the Student's Book. The website to accompany the series includes interactive versions of some activities from the Student's Books.

Download or read book My Purple Scented Novel written by Ian McEwan and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2018-06-19 with total page 16 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A jewel of a short story from the bestselling, award-winning author of Atonement—“My Purple Scented Novel” follows the perfect crime of literary betrayal, scrupulously wrought yet unscrupulously executed. Published to celebrate Ian McEwan’s 70th birthday. “You will have heard of my friend the once celebrated novelist Jocelyn Tarbet, but I suspect his memory is beginning to fade. . . . You’d never heard of me, the once obscure novelist Parker Sparrow, until my name was publicly connected with his. To a knowing few, our names remain rigidly attached, like the two ends of a seesaw. His rise coincided with, though did not cause, my decline. . . . I don’t deny there was wrongdoing. I stole a life, and I don’t intend to give it back. You may treat these few pages as a confession.”

Download or read book Letters of Note written by Shaun Usher and published by Canongate Books. This book was released on 2021-10-28 with total page 641 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Letters of Note, the book based on the beloved website of the same name, became an instant classic on publication in 2013, selling hundreds of thousands of copies. This new edition sees the collection of the world's most entertaining, inspiring and unusual letters updated with fourteen riveting new missives and a new introduction from curator Shaun Usher. From Virginia Woolf's heart-breaking suicide letter to Queen Elizabeth II's recipe for drop scones sent to President Eisenhower; from the first recorded use of the expression 'OMG' in a letter to Winston Churchill, to Gandhi's appeal for calm to Hitler; and from Iggy Pop's beautiful letter of advice to a troubled young fan, to Leonardo da Vinci's remarkable job application letter, Letters of Note is a celebration of the power of written correspondence which captures the humour, seriousness, sadness and brilliance that make up all of our lives.

Download or read book Everything I Know About Writing written by John Marsden and published by Pan Australia. This book was released on 1998-04-01 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: John Marsden is not just one of Australia's most successful writers of all time; he's also one of our best teachers of writing. "Highly recommended" Sun Herald "The most exciting, interesting and useful book on the teaching of writing" Australian English Teacher The ultimate "get off your bum and do it" book, Everything I Know About Writing will motivate anyone to write. It's a lively, funny guide to writing, as readable as a novel, but packed front to back with ideas and insights. This new edition has one other great feature: 600 extraordinary topics, guaranteed to have you or your students writing before you know it. Everything I Know About Writing is the most painless way into writing - ever.

Download or read book Here and Now written by Paul Auster and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2014-03-04 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “[A] civilized discourse between two cultivated and sophisticated men. . . . It’s a pleasure to be in their company.” —Michael Dirda, The Washington Post J.M. Coetzee's latest novel, The Schooldays of Jesus, is now available from Viking. Late Essays: 2006-2016 will be available January 2018. After a meeting at an Australian literary festival brought them together in 2008, novelists Paul Auster and J. M. Coetzee began exchanging letters on a regular basis with the hope they might “strike sparks off each other." Here and Now is the result: a three-year epistolary dialogue that touches on nearly every subject, from sports to fatherhood, literature to film, philosophy to politics, from the financial crisis to art, death, eroticism, marriage, friendship, and love. Their high-spirited and luminous correspondence offers an intimate and often amusing portrait of these two men as they explore the complexities of the here and now and reveal their pleasure in each other’s friendship on every page.