books to read to improve writing: How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method Randy Ingermanson, 2014-07-18 The Snowflake Method-ten battle-tested steps that jump-start your creativity and help you quickly map out your story. |
books to read to improve writing: Story Structure Architect Victoria Lynn Schmidt, 2005-07-12 Build a Timeless, Original Story Using Hundreds of Classic Story Motifs! It's been said that there are no new ideas; but there are proven ideas that have worked again and again for all writers for hundreds of years. Story Structure Architect is your comprehensive reference to the classic recurring story structures used by every great author throughout the ages. You'll find master models for characters, plots, and complication motifs, along with guidelines for combining them to create unique short stories, novels, scripts, or plays. You'll also learn how to: • Build compelling stories that don't get bogged down in the middle • Select character journeys and create conflicts • Devise subplots and plan dramatic situations • Develop the supporting characters you need to make your story work Especially featured are the standard dramatic situations inspire by Georges Polti's well-known 19th century work, The Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations. But author Victoria Schmidt puts a 21st-century spin on these timeless classics and offers fifty-five situations to inspire your creativity and allow you even more writing freedom. Story Structure Architect will give you the mold and then help you break it. This browsable and interactive book offers everything you need to craft a complete, original, and satisfying story sure to keep readers hooked! |
books to read to improve writing: 27 Essential Principles of Story Daniel Joshua Rubin, 2020-09-08 A modern and actionable guide to the fundamentals of writing compelling, well-crafted, authentic stories in any medium, with lessons illustrated by novels, plays, films, music, video games, and TV, and writers from Shakespeare and Dostoevsky to Quentin Tarantino and Eminem. |
books to read to improve writing: The Art of X-Ray Reading Roy Peter Clark, 2016-01-26 Roy Peter Clark, one of America's most influential writing teachers, offers writing lessons we can draw from 25 great texts. Where do writers learn their best moves? They use a technique that Roy Peter Clark calls X-ray reading, a form of reading that lets you penetrate beyond the surface of a text to see how meaning is actually being made. In The Art of X-Ray Reading, Clark invites you to don your X-ray reading glasses and join him on a guided tour through some of the most exquisite and masterful literary works of all time, from The Great Gatsby to Lolita to The Bluest Eye, and many more. Along the way, he shows you how to mine these masterpieces for invaluable writing strategies that you can add to your arsenal and apply in your own writing. Once you've experienced X-ray reading, your writing will never be the same again. |
books to read to improve writing: Dreyer's English Benjamin Dreyer, 2019-01-29 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A sharp, funny grammar guide they’ll actually want to read, from Random House’s longtime copy chief and one of Twitter’s leading language gurus NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY O: The Oprah Magazine • Paste • Shelf Awareness “Essential (and delightful!)”—People We all write, all the time: books, blogs, emails. Lots and lots of emails. And we all want to write better. Benjamin Dreyer is here to help. As Random House’s copy chief, Dreyer has upheld the standards of the legendary publisher for more than two decades. He is beloved by authors and editors alike—not to mention his followers on social media—for deconstructing the English language with playful erudition. Now he distills everything he has learned from the myriad books he has copyedited and overseen into a useful guide not just for writers but for everyone who wants to put their best prose foot forward. As authoritative as it is amusing, Dreyer’s English offers lessons on punctuation, from the underloved semicolon to the enigmatic en dash; the rules and nonrules of grammar, including why it’s OK to begin a sentence with “And” or “But” and to confidently split an infinitive; and why it’s best to avoid the doldrums of the Wan Intensifiers and Throat Clearers, including “very,” “rather,” “of course,” and the dreaded “actually.” Dreyer will let you know whether “alright” is all right (sometimes) and even help you brush up on your spelling—though, as he notes, “The problem with mnemonic devices is that I can never remember them.” And yes: “Only godless savages eschew the series comma.” Chockful of advice, insider wisdom, and fun facts, this book will prove to be invaluable to everyone who wants to shore up their writing skills, mandatory for people who spend their time editing and shaping other people’s prose, and—perhaps best of all—an utter treat for anyone who simply revels in language. Praise for Dreyer’s English “Playful, smart, self-conscious, and personal . . . One encounters wisdom and good sense on nearly every page of Dreyer’s English.”—The Wall Street Journal “Destined to become a classic.”—The Millions “Dreyer can help you . . . with tips on punctuation and spelling. . . . Even better: He’ll entertain you while he’s at it.”—Newsday |
books to read to improve writing: 100 Ways to Improve Your Writing Gary Provost, 1985-10-01 This is the one guide that anyone who writes--whether student, business person, or professional writer--should put on the desk beside pencil, pen, typewriter, or word processor. Filled with professional tips and a wealth of instructive examples, this valuable, easy-to-use handbook can help you solve any and all writing problems. |
books to read to improve writing: Improve Your Writing Skills Roy Johnson, 1994 This guide aims to improve the quality and effectiveness of writing. Designed for writers at any level, the emphasis is on planning and editing rather than learning grammatical rules. The guidance notes cover all the basic essentials, including ideas, structure, layout, presentation and how to write more fluently. For computer users, its shows how to get the best from the word-processor, and covers electronic writing on the Internet. The book also contains suggestions for further reading. |
books to read to improve writing: Ron Carlson Writes a Story Ron Carlson, 2016-03-01 Ron Carlson has been praised as a master of the short story (Booklist). In this essay collection, Ron Carlson Writes a Story, he offers a full range of notes and gives rare insight into a veteran writer's process by inviting the reader to watch over his shoulder as he creates the short story The Governor's Ball. This is a story of a story he begins, and proceeds to offer practical advice for creating a great story, from the first glimmer of an idea to the final sentence. Carlson urges the writer to refuse the outside distractions—a second cup of coffee, a troll through the dictionary—and attend to the necessity of uncertainty, the pleasures of an unfolding story. The Governor's Ball—included in its entirety—serves as a fascinating illustration of the detailed anatomy of a short story. |
books to read to improve writing: The New Oxford Guide to Writing Thomas S. Kane, 1988 Many books on writing tell you how to think more creatively, how to conjure up an idea from scratch. Many, once you have an idea, show you how to express it clearly and elegantly. And many handbooks offer reliable advice on the use of commas, semicolons, and so forth. But The New Oxford Guide to Writing does all three, so that no matter where you find yourself in the writing process--from the daunting look of a blank page, to the rough draft that needs shaping, to the small but important questions of punctuation--you will find what you need in one handy, all-inclusive volume. Highlighted by numerous examples of successful prose--including marvelous, brief excerpts from Mark Twain, Joan Didion, H.L. Mencken, E.B. White, and Annie Dillard--this stimulating volume covers the entire subject step-by-step, clearly and authoritatively. It shows: ___*How to use commonplace books and journals to store ____ideas, how to brainstorm, how to explore a potential ____topic systematically ___*How to use a statement of purpose or an outline to ____give preliminary shape to your material, how to use ____drafts and revisions (and more revisions) to refine ____your ideas ___*How to open an essay clearly and interestingly, how to ____lead the reader subtly, how to use qualifications to ____express complexity without sacrificing impact ___*How to organize ideas into a coherent paragraph, how ____to vary sentence structure and length for variety and ____emphasis ___*How to select words that convey both information and ____point of view ___*And much, much more In addition, it contains a useful appendix on punctuation, ranging from commas and periods to underlining and capitalization. Whether you write for business or for pleasure, whether you are a beginner or an experienced pro, The New Oxford Guide to Writing is an essential addition to your reference library, providing abundant assistance and encouragement to write with more clarity, more color, and more force. |
books to read to improve writing: Write. Publish. Repeat. Johnny B. Truant, Sean Platt, David Wright, 2014-12-14 Write. Publish. Repeat. The No-Luck-Required Guide to Publishing In 2013, Johnny B. Truant and Sean Platt published 1.5 million words and made their full-time livings as indie authors. In Write. Publish. Repeat., they tell you exactly how they did it: how they created over 15 independent franchises across 50+ published works, how they turned their art into a logical, sustainable business, and how any independent author can do the same to build a sustainable, profitable career with their writing. Write. Publish. Repeat. explains the current self-publishing landscape and covers the truths and myths about what it means to be an indie author now and in the foreseeable future. It explains how to create books your readers will love and will want to return to again and again. Write. Publish. Repeat. details expert methods for building story worlds, characters, and plots, understanding your market (right down to your ideal reader), using the best tools possible to capture your draft, and explains proven best practices for editing. The book also discusses covers, titles, formatting, pricing, and publishing to multiple platforms, plus a bit on getting your books into print (and why that might not be a good idea!). But most importantly, Write. Publish. Repeat. details the psychology-driven marketing plan that Sean and Johnny built to shape their stories into products that readers couldn't help but be drawn into -- thus almost automatically generating sales -- and explores ways that smart, business-minded writers can do the same to future-proof their careers. This book is not a formula with an easy path to follow. It is a guidebook that will help you build a successful indie publishing career, no matter what type of writer you are ... so long as you're the type who's willing to do the work. What Indie Authors and Thought Leaders Are Saying: Two of the best in the biz... A gem for aspiring authors. -- Hugh Howey I have a pretty popular blog on self-publishing, and I've written a couple of books on the topic myself - meaning I've read a lot on the topic and come across lots of different strategies and approaches to building a loyal audience. For my money, this is the best book on self-publishing out there. -- David Gaughran It's tough to find more honest and straight-forward marketing advice than what you'll get from these indie authors. -- Jane Friedman, former publisher of Writer's Digest The most important book on self-publishing I've ever read. -- Karol Gajda Consider it the most valuable guide book to publishing success. -- Jim Kukral, Author Marketing Club You'll Wish You Could Have Read it Years Ago! |
books to read to improve writing: Reading Like a Writer Francine Prose, 2012-04-01 In her entertaining and edifying New York Times bestseller, acclaimed author Francine Prose invites you to sit by her side and take a guided tour of the tools and tricks of the masters to discover why their work has endured. Written with passion, humour and wisdom, Reading Like a Writer will inspire readers to return to literature with a fresh eye and an eager heart – to take pleasure in the long and magnificent sentences of Philip Roth and the breathtaking paragraphs of Isaac Babel; to look to John le Carré for a lesson in how to advance plot through dialogue and to Flannery O’ Connor for the cunning use of the telling detail; to be inspired by Emily Brontë ’ s structural nuance and Charles Dickens’ s deceptively simple narrative techniques. Most importantly, Prose cautions readers to slow down and pay attention to words, the raw material out of which all literature is crafted, and reminds us that good writing comes out of good reading. |
books to read to improve writing: Triumph of the Darksword Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman, 2010-07-21 Volume III in the heroic saga of magic, betrayal and adventure, The Darksword Trilogy. In the realm where magic is life, Joram was one of the Dead. Born without power, he was denies his royal birthright and sentenced to the Turning—his mind to be imprisoned inside a husk of living stone. Yet at the last moment, Saryon took his place, suffering the eternal torment for his young master, And joram and his wife Gwendolyn vanished into the mists that marked the Border of the World. . . . Now, ten years later, Joram and Gwendolyn have returned to reclaim their rightful place in Merilon. Wielding one last time the terrible, magic-thirsting Darksword, Joram must confront the evil sorcerer Menju and his army of Technologists from beyond the Border in a final apocalyptic battle. Rejoined by Saryon, the mage Mosiah and Simkin, Joram will fulfill the ancient prophecy of the Darksword—the prophecy that puts in his hands the power to destroy the world . . . or save it. |
books to read to improve writing: Write Tight William Brohaugh, 2007-09-01 These days, most creative-writing courses teach self-indulgence. Write Tight counsels discipline. It is worth more than a university education. Its advice is gold.—Dean Koontz, New York Times bestselling author Unlock the true potential of your writing! The go-to writing reference book for learning how to write in a concise, persuasive way. Whether you're a professional author, a student, a business communicator, or anyone seeking to elevate their writing skills, this book is your ultimate guide to crafting concise, impactful, and persuasive prose. In this comprehensive writing manual, William Brohaugh, former editor of Writer's Digest, shares invaluable techniques to sharpen your writing, enabling you to communicate with crystal-clear precision and harness the full power of your words. Through easy-to-follow lessons and practical exercises, you'll learn to eradicate wordiness, eliminate redundancies, and distill complex ideas into compelling, straightforward sentences. Precision is Key: Unleash the strength of succinct language to make your point with unwavering clarity, keeping readers engaged and informed. Power-Packed Prose: Transform your writing into a force to be reckoned with, as you master the art of impactful expression that leaves a lasting impression. Effective Editing: Learn step-by-step techniques for revising and polishing your work, ensuring every word serves a purpose and contributes to your overall message. Concise Communication: Craft persuasive emails, reports, essays, and stories that captivate your audience and drive your intended message home. With Write Tight, you'll elevate your writing skills to new heights, captivating readers and leaving them inspired by your powerful prose. |
books to read to improve writing: How to Win Friends and Influence People , 2024-02-17 You can go after the job you want…and get it! You can take the job you have…and improve it! You can take any situation you’re in…and make it work for you! Since its release in 1936, How to Win Friends and Influence People has sold more than 30 million copies. Dale Carnegie’s first book is a timeless bestseller, packed with rock-solid advice that has carried thousands of now famous people up the ladder of success in their business and personal lives. As relevant as ever before, Dale Carnegie’s principles endure, and will help you achieve your maximum potential in the complex and competitive modern age. Learn the six ways to make people like you, the twelve ways to win people to your way of thinking, and the nine ways to change people without arousing resentment. |
books to read to improve writing: REPLY ALL...and Other Ways to Tank Your Career Richie Frieman, 2013-09-17 Millions of people have improved their lives with the help of Richie Frieman, the hilariously insightful writer known as the Modern Manners Guy on the Quick and Dirty Tips network. In Reply All...And Other Ways to Tank Your Career, he interviews dozens of CEOs, entrepreneurs, celebrities, and tastemakers to get the pros' take on workplace challenges of every flavor, including: - How to make a great first impression and land the job - How to deal with the Cubicle Invader - How to navigate the office party - What to do if you encounter your boss at the gym, naked - Relationships on the job-fact or fiction? With his signature wit and unique insight, Richie reveals the best ways to handle every sticky office situation with aplomb and class. Case studies, chapter quizzes, and even cartoons help to deliver actionable, easy-to-use etiquette tips to teach young professionals to navigate the minefield of their jobs and come out on top. Reply All...And Other Ways to Tank Your Career features interviews with celebrities like Steve Guttenberg and Lisa Loeb, with business titans like Barbara Corcoran, Ken Austin, and Michael Weinstein, and with CEOs of forward-thinking companies like Neil Blumenthal of Warby Parker and Sam Tarantino of Grooveshark. Spike Mendelsohn, restaurateur and Top Chef, raves: Reply All...And Other Ways to Tank Your Career provides solutions for all of your career problems, especially the ones that you were afraid to acknowledge. Richie Frieman's unique voice gives a cheeky approach to the faux pas we inevitably encounter. With tips from the pros and enough humor to match, you're bound to absorb the wisdom mid chuckle. Rob Samuels, COO of Makers Mark, says: If only there was a guide like this when I first entered the workplace - filled with real world anecdotes and examples from leading professionals, and broken up with quizzes and visuals - I would've made far fewer missteps along the way. Reply All...And Other Ways to Tank Your Career spells out those unspoken professional standards and expectations in an easy to understand (not to mention hilarious) fashion for anyone starting their career. |
books to read to improve writing: How to Read Like a Writer Erin M. Pushman, 2022-02-10 “Reliably insightful.” – Publishers Weekly The first step to becoming a successful writer is to become a successful reader. Helping you develop your critical skills How to Read Like a Writer is an accessible and effective step-by-step guide to how careful reading can help you improve your craft as a creative writer, whatever genre you are writing in. Across 10 lessons – each pairing published readings with practical critical and creative exercises – this book helps writers master such key elements of their craft as: · Genre – from fiction, creative nonfiction and poetry to hybrid genres such as graphic narratives and online forms · Plot, conflict, theme and image · Developing characters – physical descriptions, psychological depths and actions · Narrators and points of view – 1st, 2nd and 3rd person narratives · Scenes and settings – time, space and place · Structure and form – length, organization and media · Language, subtext and style |
books to read to improve writing: Atomic Habits (Tamil) James Clear, 2023-07-14 நீங்கள் உங்கள் வாழ்க்கையை மாற்ற விரும்பினால், நீங்கள் பிரம்மாண்டமாக சிந்திக்க வேண்டும் என்று மக்கள் நினைக்கின்றனர். ஆனால், பழக்கங்களைப் பற்றி விரிவாக ஆய்வு செய்து அதில் உலகப் புகழ்பெற்ற நிபுணர்களில் ஒருவராகத் திகழுகின்ற ஜேம்ஸ் கிளியர் அதற்கு வேறொரு வழியைக் கண்டுபிடித்துள்ளார். தினமும் காலையில் ஐந்து நிமிடங்கள் முன்னதாகவே எழுந்திருத்தல், ஒரு பதினைந்து நிமிடங்கள் மெதுவோட்டத்தில் ஈடுபடுதல், கூடுதலாக ஒரு பக்கம் படித்தல் போன்ற நூற்றுக்கணக்கான சிறிய தீர்மானங்களின் கூட்டு விளைவிலிருந்துதான் உண்மையான மாற்றம் வருகிறது என்று அவர் கூறுகிறார்.<br>இந்தக் கடுகளவு மாற்றங்கள் எப்படி உங்கள் வாழ்க்கையைப் பெரிதும் மாற்றக்கூடிய விளைவுகளாக உருவெடுக்கின்றன என்பதை ஜேம்ஸ் இப்புத்தகத்தில் தெளிவாக வெளிப்படுத்துகிறார். அதற்கு அறிவியற்பூர்வமான விளக்கங்களையும் அவர் கொடுக்கிறார். ஒலிம்பிக்கில் தங்கப் பதக்கம் வென்றவர்கள், முன்னணி நிறுவனத் தலைவர்கள், புகழ்பெற்ற அறிவியலறிஞர்கள் ஆகியோரைப் பற்றிய உத்வேகமூட்டும் கதைகளைப் பயன்படுத்தி அவர் தன்னுடைய கோட்பாடுகளை விளக்கும் விதம் சுவாரசியமூட்டுவதாக இருக்கிறது.<br>இச்சிறு மாற்றங்கள் உங்கள் தொழில்வாழ்க்கையின்மீதும் உங்கள் உறவுகளின்மீதும் உங்கள் தனிப்பட்ட வாழ்வின்மீதும் அளப்பரிய தாக்கம் ஏற்படுத்தி அவற்றைப் பரிபூரணமாக மாற்றும் என்பது உறுதி. |
books to read to improve writing: Writing for Story Jon Franklin, 1987 It's the new nonfiction: the creative hybrid combining the readability and excitement of fiction with the best of expository prose; the innovative genre that has been awarded virtually every Pulitzer Prize for literary journalism since 1979. In this book, an undisputed master of the great American nonfiction short story shares his secrets. |
books to read to improve writing: The Getaway Car Ann Patchett, 2011-08-29 The journey from the head to the hand is perilous and lined with bodies. It is the road on which nearly everyone who wants to write-and many of the people who do write-get lost.So writes Ann Patchett in The Getaway Car, a wry, wisdom-packed memoir of her life as a writer. Here, for the first time, one of America's most celebrated authors (State of Wonder, Bel Canto, Truth and Beauty), talks at length about her literary career-the highs and the lows-and shares advice on the craft and art of writing. In this fascinating look at the development of a novelist, we meet Patchett's mentors (Allan Gurganas, Grace Paley, Russell Banks), see where she made wrong turns (poetry), and learn how she gets the pages written (an unromantic process of pure hard work). Woven through engaging anecdotes from Patchett's life are lessons about writing that offer an inside peek into the storytelling process and provide a blueprint for anyone wanting to give writing a serious try. The bestselling author gives pointers on everything from finding ideas to constructing a plot to combating writer's block. More than that, she conveys the joys and rewards of a life spent reading and writing. What I like about the job of being a novelist, and at the same time what I find so exhausting about it, is that it's the closest thing to being God that you're ever going to get, she writes. All of the decisions are yours. You decide when the sun comes up. You decide who gets to fall in love...In this Byliner Original by the new digital publisher Byliner, The Getaway Car is a delightful autobiography-cum-user's guide that appeals to both inspiring writers and anyone who loves a great story. |
books to read to improve writing: How to Mars David Ebenbach, 2021-05-28 What happens when your dream mission to Mars is a reality TV nightmare? Ebenbach is more at home in the minefield of ambiguity than most of us are in our houses. ―Roy Kesey, author of Any Deadly Thing For the six lucky scientists selected by the Destination Mars! corporation, a one-way ticket to Mars--in exchange for a lifetime of research--was an absolute no-brainer. The incredible opportunity was clearly worth even the most absurdly tedious screening process. Perhaps worth following the odd protocols in a nonsensical handbook written by an eccentric billionaire. Possibly even worth the constant surveillance, which is carefully edited into a TV ratings bonanza on Earth. But it turns out that after a while even scientists can get bored of science. Tempers begin to fray; unsanctioned affairs blossom. When perfectly good equipment begins to fail, the Marsonauts are faced with a possibility that technology simply cannot explain. Irreverent, poignant, and perfectly weird, David Ebenbach's debut science-fiction outing, like a mission to Mars, is an incredible outing you will never forget. |
books to read to improve writing: Thief of Shadows Elizabeth Hoyt, 2012-06-26 A MASKED MAN . . . Winter Makepeace lives a double life. By day he's the stoic headmaster of a home for foundling children. But the night brings out a darker side of Winter. As the moon rises, so does the Ghost of St. Giles-protector, judge, fugitive. When the Ghost, beaten and wounded, is rescued by a beautiful aristocrat, Winter has no idea that his two worlds are about to collide. A DANGEROUS WOMAN . . . Lady Isabel Beckinhall enjoys nothing more than a challenge. Yet when she's asked to tutor the Home's dour manager in the ways of society-flirtation, double-entendres, and scandalous liaisons-Isabel can't help wondering why his eyes seem so familiar-and his lips so tempting. A PASSION NEITHER COULD DENY During the day Isabel and Winter engage in a battle of wills. At night their passions are revealed . . . But when little girls start disappearing from St. Giles, Winter must avenge them. For that he might have to sacrifice everything-the Home, Isabel . . . and his life. |
books to read to improve writing: How to Write a Novel Nathan Bransford, 2019-10-15 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. |
books to read to improve writing: Handwriting Practice Book for Kids Ages 6-8 Hippidoo, Sujatha Lalgudi, 2020-10-29 Learn to Write Letters, Numbers 1-100, Sight Words and 101 Jokes Workbook for Grades 1, 2 & 3This is a beginning handwriting book to help kids ages 6-8 learn to write with complete step-by-step instructions.Based on modern learning techniques and supported by playful drills, this tracing book is the perfect starting book to give your kid a preschool head-start with 100+ pages of tracing practice. It is organized in a progressively skill building way for kids to develop confidence to write neatly and improve penmanship. This Learn to Write Letters, Numbers 1-100, Sight Words, 101 Jokes Workbook is divided into the following parts: Part 1: Learning the Alphabet: Trace and practice letters a-z and A-Z Part 2: Writing Sight Words Part 3: Writing Numbers & Number Words from 1 - 100 Part 4: Writing Knock Knock Jokes in a smaller letter size Part 5: Writing Jokes: Trace the illustrated jokes and try writing them on your own. Share the jokes with friends and family for more laughs! This fun-filled handwriting practice book will progressively build your child's skills and develop confidence to learn through the 100+ high quality pagesOn Sale under $10 - Buy today to begin the fun journey into the world of writing penmanship. |
books to read to improve writing: Pride Mates Jennifer Ashley, 2010-04-26 Collared and controlled, Shifters are outcast from humanity, forced to live in Shiftertowns. But waiting within are passions that no collar can contain... Like most Shifters, Liam Morrissey has learned that trusting humans leads to no good. But when beautiful attorney Kim Fraser enters Shiftertown alone in order to prove her client's innocence, Liam's alpha nature leaves him no choice but to offer his protection. |
books to read to improve writing: God Bless You, Mr Rosewater Kurt Vonnegut, 2011-12-01 With the satirical eye of his science fiction author alter ego Kilgore Trout, the author of Slaughterhouse-Five delivers a classic of modern American literature. Eliot Rosewater, President of the fabulously rich Rosewater Foundation and volunteer firefighter, is tortured by an inheritance he doesn’t feel that he deserves. After (unfortunately) developing a social conscience, he sets out on a drunken tour of America, unravelling a little more at every stop until his path crosses with the science-fiction writer Kilgore Trout. God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater is one of Kurt Vonnegut’s funniest satires, about the pleasures, pains and perversions of people and money, the obsessions of a famous family and the collective madness of a nation. |
books to read to improve writing: Bird by Bird Anne Lamott, 2020-01-02 Bird by Bird is the bible of writing guides - a wry, honest, down-to-earth book that has never stopped selling since it was first published in the United States in the 1990s. Bestselling novelist and memoirist Anne Lamott distils what she's learned over years of trial and error. Beautifully written, wise and immensely helpful, this is the book for all serious writers and writers-to-be. |
books to read to improve writing: Lord of the Flies William Golding, 2012-09-20 A plane crashes on a desert island and the only survivors, a group of schoolboys, assemble on the beach and wait to be rescued. By day they inhabit a land of bright fantastic birds and dark blue seas, but at night their dreams are haunted by the image of a terrifying beast. As the boys' delicate sense of order fades, so their childish dreams are transformed into something more primitive, and their behaviour starts to take on a murderous, savage significance. First published in 1954, Lord of the Flies is one of the most celebrated and widely read of modern classics. Now fully revised and updated, this educational edition includes chapter summaries, comprehension questions, discussion points, classroom activities, a biographical profile of Golding, historical context relevant to the novel and an essay on Lord of the Flies by William Golding entitled 'Fable'. Aimed at Key Stage 3 and 4 students, it also includes a section on literary theory for advanced or A-level students. The educational edition encourages original and independent thinking while guiding the student through the text - ideal for use in the classroom and at home. |
books to read to improve writing: Chicken Soup for the Writer's Soul Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, 2012-09-11 Being a writer can be a lonely and frustrating experience. The stories in this book-by a wide range of professional writers, novelists, journalists, freelancers, poets and screenwriters-will give readers insight into the human trials, tribulations and triumphs of writers, and writers a source of inspiration and commiseration. |
books to read to improve writing: Why I Write George Orwell, 2021-01-01 George Orwell set out ‘to make political writing into an art’, and to a wide extent this aim shaped the future of English literature – his descriptions of authoritarian regimes helped to form a new vocabulary that is fundamental to understanding totalitarianism. While 1984 and Animal Farm are amongst the most popular classic novels in the English language, this new series of Orwell’s essays seeks to bring a wider selection of his writing on politics and literature to a new readership. In Why I Write, the first in the Orwell’s Essays series, Orwell describes his journey to becoming a writer, and his movement from writing poems to short stories to the essays, fiction and non-fiction we remember him for. He also discusses what he sees as the ‘four great motives for writing’ – ‘sheer egoism’, ‘aesthetic enthusiasm’, ‘historical impulse’ and ‘political purpose’ – and considers the importance of keeping these in balance. Why I Write is a unique opportunity to look into Orwell’s mind, and it grants the reader an entirely different vantage point from which to consider the rest of the great writer’s oeuvre. 'A writer who can – and must – be rediscovered with every age.' — Irish Times |
books to read to improve writing: A Writer's Book of Days Judy Reeves, 2010-08-10 First published a decade ago, A Writer's Book of Days has become the ideal writing coach for thousands of writers. Newly revised, with new prompts, up-to-date Web resources, and more useful information than ever, this invaluable guide offers something for everyone looking to put pen to paper — a treasure trove of practical suggestions, expert advice, and powerful inspiration. Judy Reeves meets you wherever you may be on a given day with: • get-going prompts and exercises • insight into writing blocks • tips and techniques for finding time and creating space • ways to find images and inspiration • advice on working in writing groups • suggestions, quips, and trivia from accomplished practitioners Reeves's holistic approach addresses every aspect of what makes creativity possible (and joyful) — the physical, emotional, and spiritual. And like a smart, empathetic inner mentor, she will help you make every day a writing day. |
books to read to improve writing: Writing Your Dissertation, 3rd Edition Derek Swetnam, Ruth Swetnam, 2000-04-01 This book gives you the confidence, tools and techniques to produce a first-class dissertation. It offers practical guidelines to planning realistic timetables and structuring every aspect of your work. Find out how to avoid common mistakes and the best way to present your work, and even how to assess your dissertation in the same way as a university or college tutor does. |
books to read to improve writing: Raintree County ... Ross Lockridge, 1957 |
books to read to improve writing: How to Write a Sentence Stanley Fish, 2011-01-25 A New York Times bestseller—“Part ode, part how-to guide to the art of the well-constructed sentence” (NPR). Some appreciate fine art; others appreciate fine wines. Stanley Fish appreciates fine sentences. The New York Times columnist and world-class professor has long been an aficionado of language. Like a seasoned sportscaster, Fish marvels at the adeptness of finely crafted sentences and breaks them down into digestible morsels, giving readers an instant play-by-play. In this entertaining and erudite gem, Fish offers both sentence craft and sentence pleasure, skills invaluable to any writer (or reader). How to Write a Sentence is both a spirited love letter to the written word and a key to understanding how great writing works; it is a book that will stand the test of time. “Both deeper and more democratic than The Elements of Style” —Adam Haslett, Financial Times “A guided tour through some of the most beautiful, arresting sentences in the English language.” —Slate |
books to read to improve writing: How to Read Like a Writer Mike Bunn, When you Read Like a Writer (RLW) you work to identify some of the choices the author made so that you can better understand how such choices might arise in your own writing. The idea is to carefully examine the things you read, looking at the writerly techniques in the text in order to decide if you might want to adopt similar (or the same) techniques in your writing. You are reading to learn about writing. Instead of reading for content or to better understand the ideas in the writing (which you will automatically do to some degree anyway), you are trying to understand how the piece of writing was put together by the author and what you can learn about writing by reading a particular text. As you read in this way, you think about how the choices the author made and the techniques that he/she used are influencing your own responses as a reader. What is it about the way this text is written that makes you feel and respond the way you do? |
books to read to improve writing: The Kite and the String Alice Mattison, 2016-08-16 A targeted and insightful guide to the stages of writing fiction and memoir without falling into common traps, while wisely navigating the writing life, from an award-winning author and longtime teacher “A book-length master class.” —The Atlantic Writing well does not result from following rules and instructions, but from a blend of spontaneity, judgment, and a wise attitude toward the work—neither despairing nor defensive, but clear-eyed, courageous, and discerning. Writers must learn to tolerate the early stages, the dreamlike and irrational states of mind, and then to move from jottings and ideas to a messy first draft, and onward into the work of revision. Understanding these stages is key. The Kite and the String urges writers to let playfulness and spontaneity breathe life into the work—letting the kite move with the winds of feeling—while still holding on to the string that will keep it from flying away. Alice Mattison attends also to the difficulties of protecting writing time, preserving solitude, finding trusted readers, and setting the right goals for publication. The only writing guide that takes up both the stages of creative work and developing effective attitudes while progressing through them, plus strategies for learning more about the craft, The Kite and the String responds to a pressing need for writing guidance at all levels. |
books to read to improve writing: Improve Your Punctuation: Your essential guide to accurate English Graham King, 2014-02-28 The plain guide to the clear presentation of written language: punctuation is the ‘nuts and bolts’ of the English language, and here is the ideal everyday companion. |
books to read to improve writing: How to Book of Writing Skills J. H. Hood, 2013 Have you ever been frustrated by your boss constantly making changes to your documents? Annoyed at the time it takes to write something? Sick of sending emails that don't get read? Been asked to write a report and don't know where to start? Are people just not getting your message? Then this guide is for you! In this 90 page guide you will find practical and proven techniques to write clearly, concisely and quickly. Each section of the guide covers key points for writing well at work, including: the importance of identifying your audience, and then how to write for it using Plain English to get your message across how to structure your document the seven secrets to good email how to write sharp, accurate letters and memos how to use the simple tool of the mind map to improve your writing what to consider when you have been asked to write a report the key points of a resume, a cover letter and the job application getting on top of punctuation, spelling and confusing words Good workplace writing is about getting a positive answer to the question: Will your reader understand what you want them to know or do? This guide will give you the skills to get that positive answer-quickly and well. |
books to read to improve writing: Decline and Fall Edward Gibbon, 2019-03-12 This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant. |
books to read to improve writing: Artful Sentences Virginia Tufte, 2006 In Artful Sentences: Syntax as Style, Virginia Tufte shows how standard sentence patterns and forms contribute to meaning and art in more than a thousand wonderful sentences from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The book has special interest for aspiring writers, students of literature and language, and anyone who finds joy in reading and writing.--Publisher's description. |
books to read to improve writing: The Elements of Grammar Margaret D. Shertzer, 1996 A handy compendium of grammar in the same format as the perennial bestseller. |
Online Bookstore: Books, NOOK ebooks, Music, Movies & Toys
Over 5 million books ready to ship, 3.6 million eBooks and 300,000 audiobooks to download right now! Curbside pickup available in most stores! No matter what you’re a fan of, from Fiction to …
Amazon.com: Books
Online shopping from a great selection at Books Store.
Google Books
Search the world's most comprehensive index of full-text books.
Goodreads | Meet your next favorite book
Find and read more books you’ll love, and keep track of the books you want to read. Be part of the world’s largest community of book lovers on Goodreads.
New & Used Books | Buy Cheap Books Online at ThriftBooks
Over 13 million titles available from the largest seller of used books. Cheap prices on high quality gently used books. Free shipping over $15.
BAM! Books, Toys & More | Books-A-Million Online Book Store
Find books, toys & tech, including ebooks, movies, music & textbooks. Free shipping and more for Millionaire's Club members. Visit our book stores, or shop online.
AbeBooks | Shop for Books, Art & Collectibles
Discover a wonderful selection of rare and collectible books, used copies, signed and first editions and more, from booksellers located around the world.
Browse Discounted Books Online - Book Outlet
Save 50% off list prices on your next favourite read. Shop and enjoy Book Outlet's wide range of kids, teens and adult books delivered straight to your doorstep.
Buy New & Used Books Online | Better World Books
The socially responsible bookstore with cheap new & used books at bargain prices. Quality bookseller with free shipping that donates a book for every book sold.
BookFinder.com: New & Used Books, Rare Books, Textbooks
Compare prices on new and used textbooks, rentals, old editions, and international edition textbooks. Compare textbooks buyback prices and pick the best offer. Shipping costs …
Drishti Publications - दृष्टि आईएएस
Essay writing is an important component of the Civil Services Examination (CSE), which tries to gauge the writing skills, knowledge, critical thinking, imagination and creativity of the …
GRADE 5 Writing - Treasure Bay
or experience. In fact, students could likely carry out the writing without reading the text at all. The writing does not need to include ideas, information, and key vocabulary from the text. Writing …
A Student’s Writing Guide - Cambridge University Press
Would you like to improve your grades? This text covers everything a student needs to know about writing essays and papers in the humanities and social sciences. Starting from the …
Do Children Who Read More Books Know “What is Good …
Do Children Who Read More Books Know “What is Good Writing” Better Than Children Who Read Less? A Comparison Between Grade Levels and SES Groups We investigated how …
Writer’s Journals a place to store the tools ... - Talk for Writing
reading to improve their writing. Gathering these ideas in a notebook is a valuable way to support the developing writer. Since working with Pie in 2008, I have developed Writer’s Journals with …
THEORIES AND MODELS OF WRITING - Charles Bazerman
The Consequences of Writing • Writing builds relations with read-ers. Writing as a communication among people forms specific communicative bonds between writer and reader, and these rela …
GRAMMAR FOR ACADEMIC WRITING - University of …
Extended Writing Task (Task 2.7 or 2.8 or 2.9 or 2.11) 24 Study Notes on Unit 25 ... Recommended Books If you are interested in continuing to work on your grammar/vocabulary, …
Teach Essential Writing Skills
including free writing, guided writing, process writing, sentence combining, drills and language-focused teaching. Part 2. Style The activities in Part 2 teach students how to write stylish …
Literacy Face to Face - Reading Writing Hotline
The main focus is on the reading and writing they need to do for that course. Writing and spelling This section is of relevance to all adult literacy tutors whether your student is a beginner, an …
What Is “Academic” Writing? - WAC Clearinghouse
writes perfect first drafts; polished writing takes lots of revision. Myth #4: Some got it; I don’t—the genius fallacy When you see your writing ability as something fixed or out of your control (as if …
Research-Based Writing Instruction
meaningful, extended writing. Learners who wish to improve their writing skills will benefit from learning strategies, and from assistance given by peers, men-tors, and technology tools. …
A Checklist to Guide Graduate Students’ Writing - ed
read and review their work. The purpose of this paper, then, is to share our efforts to find a more effective and efficient way to guide writing. We searched the ... improve writing, there is also …
Reading and Writing Successfully in College: A Guide for …
Mar 15, 2023 · This textbook explores remixing open educational resources to promote equity in education.
Writing GRADE 7 Writing - Carson Dellosa
Spectrum Writing Grade 7 Introduction Lesson 1 Spectrum Writing Grade 7 Introduction Lesson 2 What does the writing process look like? Manuel used the writing process to write a paragraph …
Effects of Extensive Reading on Students’ Writing Ability in an …
Hong Kong students who read 14.2 graded readers over four weeks and had score gains of only 1.1 in a reading comprehension test did show an increase in their writing scores (Lai, 1993a). …
How to improve your - Reading Writing Hotline
The best way to improve your spelling is by doing a LOT of writing. Write a little each day about what you have been doing … or thinking ... or what you plan to do tomorrow, ...or what you …
ELA Guidebooks: How to Use the Guidebooks - Louisiana …
assessments assess how well students read, understand, and express their understanding of complex, grade-level texts. 1. Culminating writing task: S tudents synthesize the topics, …
Reading and Writing Skills - DepEd Tambayan
Aug 20, 2019 · assertions and counterclaims made about a text read. This time, you will understand the requirements of composing academic writing. What’s New Read the sample …
Writing with Dyslexia - Poorvu Center for Teaching and …
spelling and grammar in the initial stages of the writing process. WRITING STRATEGIES: 1.PRE-WRITING EXERCISES: - Outlines: use key-words rather than full sentences. -Tell someone …
Work on your Handwriting final - wtpub.co.uk
Remember, in joined-up writing we never join upper-case letters to any other letters. The upper-case letters are exactly the same as in print writing. Look at this example: In]d[i]a Here is an …
The Effect of Using Facebook in Writing Education on …
before attending college, and the number of books read in one semester, however there was a significant difference based on the writing status. As the writing frequency of students …
Technology Tools to Support Reading in the Digital Age
Kindle books than hard- and soft-back books combined. 3. Meanwhile, the first large-scale release of a touchscreen tablet, the Apple iPad in April 2010, further expanded options for readers to …
UNIT 3 READING AND WRITING SKILLS - eGyanKosh
3.6 Developing Different Types of Writing Skills 3.6.1 Paragraph Writing 3.6.2 Essay Writing 3.6.3 Letter Writing 3.6.4 Report Writing 3.6.5 Sharpening Your Writing Skills 3.7 Enhancing …
Collins - FIMS SCHOOLS
Introduction Collins English for Business: Writing will help you to write more effective business documents in a more efficient way. You can use Writing: • as a self-study course • as …
AWESOME EMAIL! - Felix Haller
improve your email communication. Therefore, I created a “toolkit” of free bonus materials available for you. You will get: -Email Principles checklist summarizing the book's principles in …
Storybook Reading: Improving Vocabulary and …
the theme is read. Each book is separated into pas sages of 200-250 words, breaking with the natu ral flow of the story. Teachers read the complete book over the course of three to five …
Reading Trends and College-Age Students: The Research, …
Nov 1, 2014 · Writing to read: Evidence for how writing can improve reading. A glance at the past: A view to the future. In A Carnegie Corporation Time to Act Report. Washington, DC: Alliance …
Approaches in teaching writing skills with Creative Writing: A …
books, histories, short stories, and sonnets. In the scholarly setting, experimental writing is ... students develop and improve creative writing skills. Examining and exploring the findings of …
Book List Academic English
One of the standard books on writing academic ... A long book to work one’s way through, but once done, one knows a lot about how to improve an essay. It would be essential to have the …
IELTS Writing Task 2 - Archive.org
mistakes you might make, and the less time you have to write your task 1 writing, and what easier for the examiner to follow and read? A shorter essay or longer essay? Of course, the shorter …
HOW to WRITE a BOOK - Jerry B. Jenkins
Part Two: The Writing Itself 12. Think reader-first. 13. Find your writing voice. 14. Write a compelling opener. 15. Fill your story with conflict and tension. 16. Turn off your internal editor …
Summer Reading 2020 Grade 10 English II Final Draft for …
Summer Reading is assigned to encourage students to read independently and to practice public speaking skills by giving a book talk. You must choose a book to read during the summer and …
Ideas for Comments to Write in Reading Records - Boorley …
Listed below are some comments which may help you when writing in your child’s reading record to describe how your child has read to you at home. The statements below are just a guide; …
Reading for Writing: A Meta-Analysis of the Impact of …
writing interventions enhanced reading performance (Graham & Hebert, 2011a, 201 lb) and that combined reading/writing interventions improved both reading and writing (Graham et al., in …
9 What’s That Supposed to Mean? Using Feedback on Your …
1. seeing writing ability as an unchangeable character trait 2. deciphering your feedback 3. deciding whether you have to or should take actions recommended in your feedback …
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students and Reading and Writing
The books should be age appropriate and interesting. Reading together will improve the child’s vocabulary, develop visual skills and assist in reading comprehension. They will begin to …
Jenny Cole Jay Feng - ed
the domain of writing. Writing has been identified as one of the most essential skills because the world has become so text-oriented. Due to this change, mainstream teachers as well as ESOL …
PROFESSIONAL WRITING - Army University
helps students develop the writing skills needed to meet commanders’ expectations. Writing at the CGSC is professional writing—purposeful, credible, and clear. Purposeful writing meets the …
writingspaces - WAC Clearinghouse
May 15, 2010 · Volumes in Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing offer multiple perspec-tives on a wide-range of topics about writing, much like the model made famous by Wendy Bishop’s “The …
The Sciences of Reading and Writing Must Become More …
conceptualization are writing practices that improve reading, such as writing about material read, writing as a means for becoming a better reader, and writing ins-truction that increases …
Grammarly’s Place in the Writing Process - Liberty University
Online Writing Center and Residential Writing Center offer our students constructive feedback and writing resources to improve writing skills in ways that no AI program can replicate. References
Critical Thinking in College Writing: From the Personal to …
Critical Thinking in College Writing: From the Personal to the Academic by Gita DasBender This essay is a chapter in Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing, Volume 2, a peer-reviewed open …
Improving English Writing Skills - Bloomsbury International
writing in English. An excellent way to improve your vocabulary is to read as much as possible. If you read books, newspapers or magazines , you will learn many new words and common …
Reflective Writing and the Revision Process: What Were …
This essay is a chapter in Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing, Volume 1, a peer-reviewed open textbook series for the writing classroom, and is published through Parlor Press.
English Vocabulary in Use: Advanced Book with Answers and …
WRITING SECTION NEW FOCUS ON WRITING SECTION dictionary.cambridge.org Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary Fourth Edition For upper-intermediate to advanced learners of …
Towards a more explicit writing pedagogy: The complexity of …
particular input needed to improve writing pedagogy for specific genres. Introduction Advances in technology, changes in communication practices and the imperatives of the ... 11. Read drafts …
WRITINGNEXT - NILD Canada
Writing Next: Effective strategies to improve writing of adolescents in middle and high schools 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A Writing Proficiency Crisis Writing well is not just an option for …
Practice Guide: Teaching Secondary Students to Write Effectively
Use assessments of student writing to inform instruction and feedback. • Assess students’ strengths and areas for improvement before teaching a new strategy or skill. • Analyze student …
The Ultimate Fiction Writer’s Handbook - Self Publishing School
writing lesson plan! This is for anyone looking to make your writing better by improving the 5 core elements that make for interesting, engaging stories and beautiful writing. Ramy here, Self …
Seeing yourself in what you read Diversity and children and …
Discussing ‘middle grade’ writing, that is, books aimed at children aged 8 to 12, the CLPE report comments that “channelling the right voice and tone in a way that hooks the reader and isn’t …