Creative Writing

Can you learn how to write comedy? Absolutely - anyone can. Scott Dikkers will tell you how. He's co-founder and longest-serving editor-in-chief of The Onion, the world's most popular humor publication, and founder of The Onion Training Center at the Second City in Chicago. He's also a number one best-selling humor author and winner of the Thurber Prize for American Humor. In How to Write Funnier, he tells you everything you need to know to start writing funny stories, how to write funny scenes, and how to write funny sketches.

Poetry is more than rhyming words on a page. A poem is crafted by carefully selecting each word and rhythm. But how does a poet get started? Finding inspiration is as easy as looking at a picture.

Do you want to write a book but don’t think you have what it takes? Are you unsure about how to structure a good nonfiction book? Does the idea of self-publishing on Amazon overwhelm you? You are not alone. Many would-be authors have the same hesitations, which is why this book has been written.

This Scene Revision Manual Can Take Your Writing Skills to the Next Level and Make the Editing Process Fun! Every writer knows that scenes are the building blocks of every great story. Revision should be fun and never overwhelming. Many of us have written a scene and felt as though it was lacking something. Or perhaps you wrote an entire novel, but want to know how to make it shine. This scene revision workbook can improve anyone's writing and works for every genre to ensure that every scene is stronger, purposeful, and impactful. Using this self-editing guide for writers on my own ...

"Cousins has given us a compelling biography of Keats' short and tragic life." MENSA Bulletin It is difficult; To get the news from poems; Yet men die miserably every day; For lack; Of what is found there. William Carlos Williams John Keats composed the most glorious jewels in the crown of English poetry. His are the most perfect poems in English. His letters are also considered a great literary achievement where he developed his ideas and concepts on art and life. The ability to transcend self by emotionally merging with nature's beauty became an essential credo for John Keats. His ...

Over a decade ago, when Writing Down the Bones first appeared, Natalie Goldberg started a revolution in the way we practice writing. Now, for the first time, Goldberg reads her classic work, while offering new commentary about the creative, spiritual, and practical dimensions of writing. This collector's edition also includes an exclusive interview with the author.

Behind every acclaimed work of literature is a trove of heartfelt decisions. The best authors put painstaking - sometimes obsessive - effort into each element of their stories, from plot and character development to dialogue and point of view. Veteran editor and teacher Richard Cohen draws on his vast reservoir of a lifetime's reading and his insight into what makes good prose soar.

Did you ever wish you could tell a story that leaves others spellbound? Storytelling teacher and champion Margot Leitman will show you how! With a fun, irreverent, and infographic approach, this guide breaks a story into concrete components with ways to improve content, structure, emotional impact, and delivery through personal anecdotes, relatable examples, and practical exercises.

Are you tired of waiting on inspiration to complete your songs? Are you not getting the response you hoped for from your songs? Is the songwriting process painful at times? Song Building will help you write songs faster and avoid getting stuck on second verses.

My story is perfect. The world is immersive, the plot flows flawlessly, even my writing style is on par with other bestsellers. But there's just one problem. My characters are flat. Having boring characters is the number one surefire way to kill your book. Even if your story is a little rough around the edges and your plot pockmarked with holes like a state highway if your characters are done well you still have a shot at being successful as an author. Over the course of the last six years I've been piecing together the ultimate secret guide to creating characters WITHOUT spending ...

All fiction is character-driven, according to William Bernhardt, despite what you might have heard elsewhere. If your characters don’t interest readers, even the most exciting plots will fail. “Action is character,” Aristotle wrote, but what does that mean, and how can you use that fundamental principle to create dynamic fiction that will captivate readers? This audiobook explains the relationship between character and plot, and how the perfect melding of the two produces a mesmerizing story.

Unleash the Power of Storytelling offers a practical roadmap to crafting and delivering more powerful, persuasive stories that you can use to get more of what you want out of your career and your life. Study after study confirms that stories have unparalleled power to break down walls, build trust, and influence people to act. More than facts and data alone, stories are fundamental to capturing and expressing our ideas, wishes, and beliefs and getting the results we want.

From Dani Shapiro, best-selling author of Devotion and Slow Motion, comes a witty, heartfelt, and practical look at the exhilarating and challenging process of storytelling. At once a memoir, a meditation on the artistic process, and advice on craft, Still Writing is an intimate companion to living a creative life. Writers - and anyone with an artistic temperament - will find inspiration and comfort here.

How can we create and market creative works that achieve longevity? Holiday explores this mystery by drawing on his extensive experience working with businesses and creators such as Google, American Apparel, and the author John Grisham as well as his interviews with the minds behind some of the greatest perennial sellers of our time.

It is my passion to share the art of storytelling with the next generation, teaching them important aspects through fun games—learning, while they didn’t realise they are learning. I launched an after school club teaching this craft. It has been an enormous success. This book is the product of one activity from the club. A Collection of Clever, Fun, Short Stories Inspired by Children Learning the Craft of Storytelling. T. P. Heath is a screenwriter and author of over twenty novels, mostly thrillers under the name Tim Heath, and the author of the Twiggy Rattlesnake series.

What good will it do to skillfully craft a written argument if you lose your audience? Simple emails, formal reports, blogs, presentations, articles—they need punch to gain influence. Clear structure and logic alone won’t do. To engage readers, you need to make mentally stimulating choices in language—choices that electrify your readers’ mental hotspots. Veteran journalist Bill Birchard reveals the secret of making that happen. He blends the findings from a global cadre of psychologists and neuroscientists with lessons from his long, successful career as a professional writer.

In Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips to Clean Up Your Writing, Mignon Fogarty, the woman behind the popular Grammar Girl podcast, tackles some of the most common mistakes people make while communicating. From "lay vs. lie" and "affect vs. effect" to split infinitives and run-on sentences, the Grammar Girl offers clear explanations and effective memory tricks to help listeners write (or say) it right.

Want to write your first book but don't know where to start? Don't worry! This book is what you need. With How to Write Your First Book, you'll learn everything you need to know to go from a blank page to a published book. From finding the perfect theme and structure for your book to creating memorable characters and compelling plots, this step-by-step guide will take you through the writing process from start to finish. Additionally, we also address the challenges of creative writing, such as overcoming creative block and keeping the reader's interest. And to help you turn your manuscript ...

Dive into the captivating world of "Poetry Unleashed" and embark on a transformative journey through the mesmerizing power of words. This enchanting anthology invites readers to experience the raw emotions, evocative imagery, and profound insights found within the artistry of poetry. Within the pages of "Poetry Unleashed," you will discover a diverse collection of poems that explore the depth and breadth of the human experience. From the bittersweet melodies of love and heartbreak to the triumphant verses of resilience and self-discovery, each poem unveils a new facet of our shared humanity...

In the current project focused on grammar books for various classes, Mr. Sarkar has made a concerted effort to simplify English grammar and writing skills for primary-level students. He conducted extensive research on the syllabi of different state and national school boards to identify a common thread. While some boards emphasize specific chapters of English grammar, others overlook them entirely. Mr. Sarkar has aimed to synthesize these varying approaches and present them as a cohesive summary of English grammar and composition. As a result, his book may not fully align with any single ...