Creative Writing

Mary Gauthier was 12 years old when she was given her Aunt Jenny’s old guitar and taught herself to play with a Mel Bay basic guitar workbook. Music offered her a window to a world where others felt the way she did. Songs became lifelines to her, and she longed to write her own, one day. Then, for a decade, while struggling with addiction, Gauthier put her dream away and her call to songwriting faded. It wasn’t until she got sober and went to an open mic with a friend did she realize that she not only still wanted to write songs, she needed to.

The essays in this collection are the work of a group of friends known as the Northwoods Essayists: The Write People. The name comes from a very special place where we first met each other, the Northwoods Unitarian Universalist Church in The Woodlands, Texas. The group began in 2020, and its membership has evolved over time. Our current members include Hallie Moore, Mira Dessy, Dorothy Kennedy, John Hammond, and Ann McAlpin. Our friend and fellow writer Sharon Ossowski passed away while this book was in progress. We know you’ll be delighted by her wonderful essays in this collection. Our ...

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.

Wonderbook has become the definitive guide to writing science fiction and fantasy by offering an accessible, example-rich approach that emphasizes the importance of playfulness as well as pragmatism. The book features sidebars and essays from some of the biggest names working in the field today, including George R. R. Martin, Lev Grossman, Neil Gaiman, Michael Moorcock, and Karen Joy Fowler. For the fifth anniversary of the original publication, Jeff VanderMeer has added writing exercises, creating the ultimate volume of inspiring advice.

If you've ever had a good idea for a book, but weren't sure where to begin or how to keep going once you've started, this book's for you! Karen McQuestion, whose novels have sold more than three million copies worldwide, introduces straightforward strategies learned in writing more than twenty-five books. Find out how to spark your creativity and put joy back into the writing process. In this book you'll discover: What to decide before you've written the first word The three components you'll find in every great novel The trick to making an emotional connection with the reader How to use ...

If You Want to Write by Brenda Ueland is a best-selling classic on the process of writing that has inspired thousands to pursue their talents.

Things are scary right now. We’re all being swept along by a tidal wave of history, and it’s easy to feel helpless. But we’re not helpless: We have minds, and imaginations, and the ability to visualize other worlds and valiant struggles. And writing can be an act of resistance that reminds us that other futures and other ways of living are possible. Full of memoir, personal anecdote, and insight about how to flourish during the present emergency, Never Say You Can’t Survive is the perfect manual for creativity in unprecedented times.

Michael Hogan, as a poet and educator, has been gifted with friendships of fellow writers throughout most of his life. Three of these were Nobel laureates, still others household names: Seamus Heaney, W.S. Merwin, Charles Bukowski, Marge Piercy, Naomi Shihad Nye and Ray Bradbury, among a dozen others . What is surprising is what he manages to do with such experiences in this book. Through a series of narrations centered on wide-ranging episodes with other poets, the author distills a unique kind of ars poetica, one that is tied less to a traditional memoir, than to the impression these men ...

This book, The Step-by-Step Guide to Writing a Novel for Fiction Writers and Novelist is a one-of-a-kind book. It is different from anything you would have listened to because it reverses the usual order of things. It does not teach you the same old tips and tricks. Instead the book divides the process of novel writing into six easy steps. Each step becomes a chapter that gives you complete insight and knowledge. It grabs you by the hand and takes you forward.

In The Geography of Genius, acclaimed travel writer Weiner sets out to examine the connection between our surroundings and our most innovative ideas. He explores the history of places, like Vienna of 1900, Renaissance Florence, ancient Athens, Song Dynasty Hangzhou, and Silicon Valley, to show how certain urban settings are conducive to ingenuity.

Imagine writing an enthralling story set in a futuristic world, featuring advanced technology, artificial intelligence, and intergalactic travel. A story that not only captivates audiences but also brings you joy during the creative process.

Winner of the Nautilus Book Award: Gold Prize in Creativity & Innovation Give yourself permission to do it badly! Are you ready to write your truth, share your unique voice, and change the world? This book will give you the permission, tools, and guidance to make a mess of it and start the writer's journey unburdened. With the guidance in this book, you'll learn how to: Transform your story into something powerful, daring, and inspiring Tap into the emotional power of storytelling Create content that resonates with your audience Overcome limitations that have been holding you back This book...

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.

If no one reads you, don't continue writing. You are wasting your time. And now you have it worse because people are much more distracted than before. You compete against Netflix, Whatsapp, X, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. They are more attractive than you unless you know how to capture attention with a good narrative. That's what this book is made for. It's plenty tricks so simple that they will seem like magic to you. But they don't have any secrets. Whether you're a budding author, a business professional, or a student aiming to enhance your writing skills, this book is your guide to ...

Young writers discover techniques for crafting persuasive opinion essays. Think rabbits make the best pets or that winter is better than summer? Share your opinion through writing! This engaging nonfiction book includes basic writing instructions, tips, and prompts tailored to beginning writers' needs. Perfect for research writing, browsing, or for fun!

AI can be used to create stories as well as provide information different from what search engines can provide. This book discusses the creation of a short story using the two most popular AI tools today, Co Pilot and Chat GPT. Hope you find this both interesting and enlightening. Added is commentary and analysis.

In Zen in the Art of Writing, Ray Bradbury’s love for his craft shines. With signature wisdom, wit, and verve, Bradbury delves into his prolific writing career, exploring the creation of countless stories, novels, plays, movies, and more that have stood the test of time. Written over a thirty-year period, these inspirational essays insist that there is a “deep well of explosive self-revelation” in all of us waiting to be released through the process of writing.

In Screenwriting Unchained, Emmanuel Oberg sets out a dogma-busting, innovative method for developing screenplays This practical, no-nonsense guide leaves behind one-size-fits-all story theories and offers a refreshingly modern approach to story structure, making it a precious resource for anyone involved creatively in the Film and TV industry (or aspiring to be): writers, directors, producers, development execs, showrunners and, more generally, storytellers eager to reach a wide audience at home and abroad without losing their creative freedom. Oberg identifies three main story-types – ...

Sabrina Bell wants two things in life: to find true love, and to get published. Unfortunately, she is drawn to old-fashioned items whose beauty is equalled only by their impracticality, including large hats, fountain pens, and handsome men with commitment issues. Will she find a way to exit her stressful magazine job and write The Novel? Is her true love out there, or should she stick with Mr So-So? When she starts attending Writers’ Circle meetings at the Guru’s country house, and meets arrogant wine farmer Robert le Roux at her first tango milonga, the plot gets a whole lot stickier. ...

Ask Charlie: Draw It, Write It, Become It — The Educator’s Companion A Creative Teaching Guide for Inspiring Young Authors (Ages 10–13) Bring imagination to life in your classroom, homeschool, or mentoring sessions with this practical and heart-centered companion to the beloved Ask Charlie: Draw It, Write It, Become It youth workbook. This guide is designed for educators, mentors, parents, and creative facilitators who want to nurture storytelling, emotional awareness, and self-expression in young creators. Each chapter aligns directly with the student workbook and includes: Clear ...