Writing First

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.

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.

This book shows you step-by-step how you can make it happen. It also shows you the simple steps to make your book a bestseller without spending a dime on ads....

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.

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.

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.

Unlock the secrets to crafting a first chapter that leaves readers breathless and hungry for more. This indispensable guide reveals strategies to captivate audiences from the very first page of your novel. Discover the art of the hook as you learn to craft opening lines that demand attention and set the tone for your entire novel. Dive deep into character development, exploring techniques to create protagonists that leap off the page and into readers' hearts. Master the nuances of dialogue to infuse your narrative with authenticity and momentum. Immerse readers in rich, memorable worlds ...

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.

One in five people in the United States lives with a disability. Some disabilities are visible, others less apparent - but all are underrepresented in media and popular culture. Now, just in time for the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, activist Alice Wong brings together this urgent, galvanizing collection of contemporary essays by disabled people.

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.

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 ...

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: ...

Grow your audience. Sell your product. Share your wisdom. Make more money... fast. A book is the perfect way to boost your brand, business, or profile—but writing one traditionally takes months of effort and specialized knowledge. Fortunately, in 2025, with tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Google Gemini, creating an incredible nonfiction book has never been quicker or easier! In How to Write a Nonfiction Book with AI in 2025, bestselling author and tech journalist Anthony P. Carter reveals how to use artificial intelligence to write smarter and faster—without sacrificing your unique ...

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.

Though it is foundational to the craft of writing, the concept of voice is a mystery to many authors, and teachers of writing do not have a good working definition of it for use in the classroom. Written to address the vague and problematic advice given to writers to “find their voice,” Voice First: A Writer’s Manifesto recasts the term in the plural to give writers options, movement, and a way to understand the development of voice over time.

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...

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 ...

Pigafetta's book on Magellan’s travels is an engaging travel narrative honoring the legendary explorer. But it is much more: an accurate ethnographic and geographical account of the circumnavigation of the globe. Pifagetta describes the peoples, countries, goods, and even the languages that were spoken in every area.

This funny picture book is all about cartoon animals getting into trouble. Where are they going? What are they doing? Only you can guess. Each picture is a stand-alone funny scene with simple sentences mixed with silly humor. This book is for early readers through second grade.

You’ve written the best book ever, and now, everyone will be racing to read it. That was the plan anyway. As a first-time author, you walk a fine line between planning for and marketing your book for success and the crushing reality of low sales. Book Marketing for the First-Time Author breaks down the most important elements that you need to market your book. Master the fundamentals covered here to set your book up for success.