Writing First

Every aspect of screenwriting is covered with an authority and credibility never seen in any book to come before. Told with honesty, humor, and vulnerability from the real-world perspective of a working, professional screenwriter, Kill the Dog reveals the secrets of what it takes to have a successful career as a Hollywood screenwriter.

A great script is only as good as the effort you put into your career, but there is little information for the aspiring screenwriter about how to break in. Even those who study TV or film in college are taught to simply “get a production assistant job.” But then what? Anton Schettini provides a rare insider’s glimpse of the modern-day network and streaming TV writers’ room. Here, you will find practical advice, career path strategies, and first-hand accounts for how to establish your network, grow within it, and acquire the necessary tools to become a TV writer.

Imagine knowing what the brain craves from every tale it encounters, what fuels the success of any great story, and what keeps readers transfixed. Wired for Story reveals these cognitive secrets—and it’s a game-changer for anyone who has ever set pen to paper.

After serving as a US Marine during World War II and attending college on the GI Bill, Sam Keith decided to seek adventure in Alaska as a laborer on the Adak Navy base. There he befriended Dick Proenneke, whose shared love of the outdoors, hard work, and self-reliance quickly bonded an alliance between the two. Together they explored the wilds of South Central Alaska, while working on the Navy base, hunting and fishing with friends and breathing in the great outdoors.

Twenty years before the publication of his magnum opus Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill was an instructor, philosopher, and writer at the George Washington Institute in Chicago, where he taught courses in advertising and sales. These rare, never-before-seen lectures were thought to be lost to history. Until now. Given exclusive access to the archives of the Napoleon Hill Foundation, Jeffrey Gitomer has unearthed Hill’s original course notes containing the fundamental beliefs in hard work and personal development that established Hill as a global leader of success and positive attitude.

Whether you simply want to jot down family folklore to share with future generations or wish to try your hand at writing a best-selling novel, Just Write! provides gentle yet realistic guidance for those who want to write their first book. With her humorous—yet realistic—explanations of the writing process, Lauren Bingham is here to help you make your first book become a reality. You’ll receive the encouragement you’ve been craving, as well as the empathy a new writer needs.

YOU HAVE A BOOK IN YOU!!So, you have thought over and over again about writing a book, but it seems like a herculean task. You do not know where to start or what to write. You may even know what you want to write about but are not too sure of how to structure it. You might have already written the book but not too sure of how to get it published, and on what platform to sell. Well, it is your lucky day because I have put this book together to make your journey from writing to selling a smoother and easier experience. I have been through this journey myself and I am now a bestselling author,...

If you've listened to his books The War of Art and Turning Pro, you know that for 30 years Steven Pressfield (Gates of Fire, The Afghan Campaign etc.) wrote spec novel after spec novel before any publisher took him seriously. How did he finally break through? Ignoring just about every rule of commercial book publishing, Pressfield's "first" novel not only became a major best seller (over 250,000 copies sold), it was adapted into a feature film directed by Robert Redford and starring Matt Damon, Will Smith, and Charlize Theron.

Second Pocket First shoehorns comedy, crime, and small-town charm into this delightful romp as Issey must decide between old habits and a sudden devotion to the town's goodwill.

From the New York Times best-selling author of Walking the Bible and Abraham comes a revelatory journey across four continents and 4,000 years exploring how Adam and Eve introduced the idea of love into the world, and how they continue to shape our deepest feelings about relationships, family, and togetherness.

Stephen A. Smith has never been handed anything, nor was he an overnight success. Growing up poor in Queens, the son of Caribbean immigrants and the youngest of six children, he was a sports-obsessed kid who faced struggles, from undiagnosed dyslexia to getting enough cereal to fill his bowl. As a basketball player at Winston-Salem State University, he got a glimmer of his true calling when he wrote a newspaper column arguing for the retirement of his own Hall of Fame coach, Clarence Gaines.

Canoeing the Congo narrates the journey of Phil Harwood, who undertook an epic five-month solo attempt to canoe the Congo River in war-torn Central Africa. It was a historic 'first descent' from the true source in the highlands of Zambia. Just short of 3,000 miles long, the Congo River is the eighth longest in the world and the deepest river in the world, with a flow rate second only to the Amazon. Along the way, Phil encountered numerous waterfalls, huge rapids, man-eating crocodiles, hippos, aggressive snakes...

An action-packed urban fantasy adventure set on the islands of Hawaii! My name is Marcus Aries. In addition to running my martial arts school, I serve as the guardian of the Hawaiian Islands. Basically, I’m the middleman between everyday mortals and the world of the supernatural. A world no one else believes is real. One filled with darkness, danger, and creatures who would happily use my guts for fish bait if given the chance. It’s my job to ensure peace, balance, and, when warranted, justice. My latest case has me investigating the disappearance of a young boy, a child not much older ...

FROM DREAM TO MANUSCRIPT: YOUR GUARANTEED PATH TO WRITING SUCCESS Have you always wanted to write a book but don't know where to start? Or perhaps you've tried multiple times only to abandon your project halfway through? "How to Write a Story" is more than just a manual—it's your detailed roadmap to turning your dream into reality. FINALLY, A METHOD THAT ACTUALLY WORKS This isn't another theoretical book about writing. It's a proven, practical system that guides you step-by-step, from your first idea to a complete manuscript ready for publication. WHAT YOU'LL DISCOVER IN THESE PAGES: ...

Are you ready to take the plunge into publishing your book? Not so fast. The difference between a poorly written book and a publication that can capture hearts, change lives, entertain, or inform lies in the words. Your job, as author, is to get the words in the right order. Every. Word. Matters. First-time authors, and even veteran writers, go down rabbit holes with their writing, and sometimes it’s the editor who helps dig them out of those traps. Nothing like an amateur blunder to label your manuscript substandard. Amateurish. Real writing takes place after you have the bones down ...

Papyrus rolls and Twitter have much in common, as each was their generation's signature means of "instant" communication. Indeed, as Tom Standage reveals in his scintillating new audiobook, social media is anything but a new phenomenon. From the papyrus letters that Roman statesmen used to exchange news across the Empire to the advent of hand-printed tracts of the Reformation to the pamphlets that spread propaganda during the American and French revolutions, Standage chronicles the increasingly sophisticated ways people shared information with each other....

If you aren’t suffering, you aren’t creating. Right? Wrong! Writing can and should be joyful, fulfilling… even fun! Applicable to writers in all genres and disciplines—from screenwriters to novelists, journalists to picture book authors, aspiring to many-times published—The Happy Writer is a heartfelt and optimistic guide that will show you the way to a happier writing journey.

To write for the theater, you need to know about theater. Ideas are easy to come by. Examine your background, interest, and beliefs. Examine the world around you. Exercises can help you come up with ideas. Choose the audience you want to reach, and write to that audience.

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 ...

You have always thought about writing a book, but you have not been able to do it yet. Maybe you have not found the time, or you have not figured out where to start writing. Maybe you have started but you have quit multiple times. Let me tell you that you have come to the right place. Once you have finished reading this book, you will be well on your way to launching your first book if you follow these guidelines. As you can see from the size of this book, I did not have to write a 300 pages book to convey the core ideas behind writing a book. Using these guidelines, I have been able to ...