Resources for Writers: Beyond Novels & Short Stories
POETRY
Poets.org -- Academy of American Poets
Next Word, Better Word by
This accessible writer's guide provides a helpful framework for creating poetry and navigates contemporary concerns and practices. Stephen Dobyns, author of the classic book on the beauty of poetry,Best Words, Best Order, moves into new terrain in this remarkable book. Bringing years of experience to bear on issues such as subject matter, the mechanics of poetry, and the revision process, Dobyns explores the complex relationship between writers and their work. From Philip Larkin to Pablo Neruda to William Butler Yeats, every chapter reveals useful lessons in these renowned poets' work. Both enlightening and encouraging,Next Word, Better Word demystifies a subtle art form and shows writers how to overcome obstacles in the creative process.
ISBN: 9780230621824Publication Date: 2011-03-15
The Poet's Playground by
In this resource for beginner poets who need help finding inspiration for their writing, Dr. Houston provides practical advice through prompts, sample poems, and information about literary journals and online writing resources.
ISBN: 9780692272565Publication Date: 2014-08-18
The Poetry Gymnasium by
This book contains ninety-four exercises designed to inspire creativity and help poets hone their skills. Each exercise includes a clearly-stated learning objective, historical background matter on the particular subgenre being explored, and an example written by students at Western Kentucky University. The text also contains model poems by leading American poets including Sherman Alexie, Billy Collins, Denise Duhamel, and Dean Young. The book's five chapters correspond with the five canons of classical rhetoric: invention, arrangement, style, memory, and delivery. Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.
ISBN: 9780786465149Publication Date: 2011-11-02
The Poetry Home Repair Manual by
Ted Kooser has been writing and publishing poetry for more than forty years. In the pages of The Poetry Home Repair Manual, Kooser brings those decades of experience to bear. Here are tools and insights, the instructions (and warnings against instructions) that poets--aspiring or practicing--can use to hone their craft, perhaps into art. Using examples from his own rich literary oeuvre and from the work of a number of successful contemporary poets, the author schools us in the critical relationship between poet and reader, which is fundamental to what Kooser believes is poetry's ultimate purpose: to reach other people and touch their hearts. Much more than a guidebook to writing and revising poems, this manual has all the comforts and merits of a long and enlightening conversation with a wise and patient old friend--a friend who is willing to share everything he's learned about the art he's spent a lifetime learning to execute so well.
Call Number: 808.1 KOOISBN: 9780803227699Publication Date: 2005-02-01
Poetry Writing by
For writers looking for a systematic approach to their craft, this guide provides exercises and practical information, building up to a complete method but also allowing real individual literary merit. Poetry Writing starts with questions about what poetry is, what it means to the poet, and why people write it. It goes on to consider rhythm, rhyme, and repetition, and explore different poetry forms. This book is also thoroughly practical; there are exercises at the end of every chapter, it contemplates the "idea reader," and finishes with advice on getting poetry published. Perfect for creative writing teachers and writing group members, this inspiring volume offers multiple motivational techniques, plenty of examples, and most of all, it reminds writers that poetry is a fascinating imaginative adventure.
ISBN: 9780709085416Publication Date: 2010-06-01
Writing Poetry from the Inside Out by
In Writing Poetry from the Inside Out, poet and national poetry workshop leader, Sandford Lyne, offers the writing exercises, guidance, and encouragement you need to find the poet inside you. Lyne's techniques, which he developed through twenty years of teaching poetry workshops, flow from an understanding that poetry is an art form open to everyone. We all can-and should-write poetry. In this enchanting and inspiring volume, Lyne will introduce you to the pleasures and surprises of writing poetry, and his methods and insights will help you tap into your own unique voice and perspective to compose poems of your own in as little as a few minutes. Whether you are an experienced writer looking for new techniques and sources of inspiration or a novice poet who has never written a poem in your life, Writing Poetry from the Inside Out will help you to craft the poems you've always longed to write.
ISBN: 9781402208447Publication Date: 2007-03-01
SPIRITUAL
WRITING SCRIPTS AND PLAYS
Moviebytes Screenwriting Contests and Markets
Scribe Meets World : Best Writing Tips on Story Structure & Story Stakes
The Playwright's Guidebook by
During the more than ten years that Stuart Spencer has taught playwriting, he has struggled to find an effective handbook for his courses. Although most of the currently popular guides contain useful ideas, they all suffer from the same problems: poor organization; quirky, idiosyncratic advice; and abstract theorizing on the nature of art. As a result, they fail to offer any concrete information or useful guidelines on how to construct a well-written play. Out of frustration, Spencer wrote his own. The result, The Playwright's Guidebook, is a concise and engaging handbook full of the kind of wisdom that comes naturally with experience. Spencer presents a coherent way of thinking about playwriting that addresses the important principles of structure, includes invaluable writing exercises that build upon one another, explores the creative process, and troubleshoots recurrent problems that many playwrights face.
Call Number: 808.2 SPEISBN: 0571199917Publication Date: 2002-03-29
The Complete Book of Scriptwriting by
An experienced scriptwriter and producer explains how to write and sell plays for television, radio, motion pictures, animated features, and the stage and surveys the characteristics and requirements of each medium.
Call Number: 808.2 STRISBN: 9781582971582Publication Date: 2002-07-01
Screenplays by
An accessible yet comprehensive book aimed at those with a keen interest in writing feature film screenplays. Using case studies, creative exercises and interviews from the industry, the book will guide readers through the necessary stages of writing a screenplay, from finding and developing ideas to creating and executing characters, shaping structure and constructing themes. It will also consider how a screenplay might be sold or used to raise interest in a writer, looking at areas such as finding an agent, networking, competitions and raising funds.
Call Number: 808.23 BATISBN: 9781842435038Publication Date: 2013-05-01
Good Scripts, Bad Scripts by
In this unique volume, respected screenwriter Thomas Pope offers an innovative and practical approach to teaching the craft of screenplay writing, in the process providing an engaging, behind-the-scenes look at the way the film industry really works. Each chapter deals with a different component of the art of screenwriting, from character development, to the nurturing of subplots, to the fundamentals of good dialogue, illustrating everything through the virtues or mistakes of a particular film. The book encompasses the best and worst of films throughout the years, includingCitizen Kane, Pulp Fiction, Chinatown, Singing in the Rain, Bonfire of the Vanities, and many others. With its trenchant analysis and keen insight into the reasons films succeed or fail,Good Scripts, Bad Scriptsis not only an invaluable guide for potential screenwriters, but a rich resource for any student interested in film and film history.
Call Number: 808.23 POPISBN: 9780609801192Publication Date: 1998-04-07
Making a Good Script Great by
Making a good script great is more than just a matter of putting a good idea on paper. It requires the working and reworking of that idea. This book takes you through the whole screenwriting process-from initial concept through final rewrite-providing specific methods that will help you craft tighter, stronger, and more saleable scripts. While retaining the invaluable insights that placed its first two editions among the all-time most popular screenwriting books, this expanded, revised, and updated third edition adds rich and important new material on dialogue, cinematic images, and point of view, as well as an interview with screenwriter Paul Haggis. If you are writing your first script, this book will help develop your skills for telling a compelling and dramatic story. If you are a veteran screenwriter, it will help you articulate the skills you know intuitively. And if you are currently stuck on a rewrite, this book will help you analyse and solve your script's problems and get it back on track.
Call Number: 808.23 SEGISBN: 9781935247012Publication Date: 2010-02-01
Screenwriting Is Storytelling by
While most screenwriting books focus on format and structure, Kate Wright explains how to put story at the center of a screenplay. A compelling story, complete with intriguing characters and situations created with these screenwriting tricks of the trade can become a box office blockbuster film. Screenwriters will learn: - Developing themes within the plot - Using structure to define the story - Creating memorable characters - Establishing moral dilemmas and conflicts - Achieving classic elements of storytelling in a three-act dramatic structure - Mastering different genres
Call Number: 808.23 WRIISBN: 9780399530241Publication Date: 2004-10-05
Crafty TV Writing by
Epstein, a veteran TV writer and show creator himself, provides essential knowledge about the entire process of television writing, both for beginners and professionals who want to go to the next level. This invaluable guide shows readers how to understand the hidden structure of a TV series and how to write it; the best ways to generate a hook, write an episode, create characters, construct dialogue and use humour; and how to navigate successfully the tough but rewarding TV industry. Fresh, funny and informed, this is the ultimate guide to TV writing.
Call Number: 808.225 EPSISBN: 9780805080285Publication Date: 2006-05-30
Aristotle's Poetics for Screenwriters by
Long considered the bible for storytellers, now Michael Tierno shows how Aristotle's Poetics can be an invaluable resource to screenwriters. Breaking down the fundamentals of screenwriting chapter by chapter, Tierno uses examples from some of the best films ever made to demonstrate how one can apply Aristotle's ancient insights to modern-day screenwriting. Written in a highly readable, informal tone, Tierno makes this monumental work accessible to beginners and pros alike in areas such as screenwriting, film theory, fiction and playwriting.
ISBN: 9780786887408Publication Date: 2002-08-21
CREATIVE NONFICTION & MEMOIR
The Art of Memoir by
“In some ways, writing a memoir is knocking yourself out with your own fist, if it’s done right.”—from The Art of Memoir Credited with sparking the current memoir explosion, Mary Karr’s The Liars’ Club spent more than a year at the top of the New York Times list. She followed with two other smash bestsellers: Cherry and Lit, which were critical hits as well. For thirty years Karr has also taught the form, winning teaching prizes at Syracuse. (The writing program there produced such acclaimed authors as Cheryl Strayed, Koren Zailckas, and Keith Gessen.) In The Art of Memoir, she synthesizes her expertise as professor and therapy patient, writer and spiritual seeker, recovered alcoholic and “black-belt sinner,” providing a unique window into the mechanics and art of the form that is as irreverent, insightful, and entertaining as her own work in the genre. Anchored by excerpts from her favorite memoirs and anecdotes from fellow writers’ experience, The Art of Memoir lays bare Karr’s own process. (Plus all those inside stories about how she dealt with family and friends get told—and the dark spaces in her own skull probed in depth.) As she breaks down the key elements of great literary memoir, she breaks open our concepts of memory and identity, and illuminates the cathartic power of reflecting on the past; anybody with an inner life or complicated history, whether writer or reader, will relate. Joining such classics as Stephen King’s On Writing and Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird, The Art of Memoir is an elegant and accessible exploration of one of today’s most popular literary forms—a tour de force from an accomplished master pulling back the curtain on her craft.
Call Number: 808.0669 KARISBN: 9780062223067
Creative Nonfiction by
Creative Nonfiction reads like fiction, but stays loyal to the Truth. It's a fine line that Philip Gerard walks in his own work with confidence, style and utter zeal. Here, with the same clarity and passion, Gerard offers instruction and advice to help writers create compelling, unforgettable pieces. -- covers everything from finding an original subject to conducting a stirring interview to working with an editor -- Gerard takes the reader with him on assignment to show, step by step, how one of his own pieces came together -- includes inspiration from some of today's greatest nonfiction writers -- such as Terry Tempest Williams, Annie Dillard, Barry Lopez and Ron Powers
ISBN: 1884910076Publication Date: 1996-02-15
Good Prose by
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY KIRKUS REVIEWS Good Prose is an inspiring book about writing--about the creation of good prose--and the record of a warm and productive literary friendship. The story begins in 1973, in the offices of The Atlantic Monthly, in Boston, where a young freelance writer named Tracy Kidder came looking for an assignment. Richard Todd was the editor who encouraged him. From that article grew a lifelong association. Before long, Kidder's The Soul of a New Machine, the first book the two worked on together, had won the Pulitzer Prize. It was a heady moment, but for Kidder and Todd it was only the beginning of an education in the art of nonfiction. nbsp; Good Prose explores three major nonfiction forms: narratives, essays, and memoirs. Kidder and Todd draw candidly, sometimes comically, on their own experience--their mistakes as well as accomplishments--to demonstrate the pragmatic ways in which creative problems get solved. They also turn to the works of a wide range of writers, novelists as well as nonfiction writers, for models and instruction. They talk about narrative strategies (and about how to find a story, sometimes in surprising places), about the ethical challenges of nonfiction, and about the realities of making a living as a writer. They offer some tart and emphatic opinions on the current state of language. And they take a clear stand against playing loose with the facts. Their advice is always grounded in the practical world of writing and publishing. nbsp; Good Prose--like Strunk and White's The Elements of Style--is a succinct, authoritative, and entertaining arbiter of standards in contemporary writing, offering guidance for the professional writer and the beginner alike. This wise and useful book is the perfect companion for anyone who loves to read good books and longs to write one. Praise for Good Prose nbsp; "Smart, lucid, and entertaining."--The Boston Globe nbsp; "You are in such good company--congenial, ironic, a bit old-school--that you're happy to follow [Kidder and Todd] where they lead you."--The Wall Street Journal nbsp; "[A] well-structured, to-the-point, genuinely useful, and fun-to-read guide to writing narrative nonfiction, essays, and memoir . . . Crisp, informative, and mind-expanding."--Booklist nbsp; nbsp; "A gem . . . The finer points of creative nonfiction are molded into an inspiring read that will affect the would-be writer as much as Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird or Stephen King's On Writing. . . . This is a must read for nonfiction writers."--Library Journal nbsp; "As approachable and applicable as any writing manual available."--Associated Press
ISBN: 9781400069750Publication Date: 2013-01-15
Handling the Truth by
Writing memoir is a deeply personal, and consequential, undertaking. As the acclaimed author of five memoirs spanning significant turning points in her life, Beth Kephart has been both blessed and bruised by the genre. In Handling the Truth, she thinks out loud about the form - on how it gets made, on what it means to make it, on the searing language of truth, on the thin line between remembering and imagining, and, finally, on the rights of memoirists. Drawing on proven writing lessons and classic examples, on the work of her students and on her own memories of weather, landscape, color, and love, Kephart probes the wrenching and essential questions that lie at the heart of memoir. A beautifully written work in its own right, Handling the Truthis Kephart's memoir-writing guide for those who read or seek to write the truth. 'A marvelous primer for anyone who would dare to face the furies and write about his or her life. Beth Kephart has read the genre closely, put her own feet to the fire, and distilled the form with all the passion of a great teacher.' Marie Arana, author of The National Book Award Finalist American Chica'With infectious passion and hard-won wisdom, Beth Kephart eloquently celebrates the rigors and rewards of the creative process and equally necessary the art of crafting a meaningful life. Read it and learn how to tell your story. Better yet, read it and begin to understand why your story matters.' Katina Kenison, author of Magical Journey- An Apprenticeship in Contentment'Beth Kephart has done something extraordinary with this huge and messy thing called memoir roping it into submission with her typically beautiful writing. In this well-organized book, every example is a precious stone to turn over and to learn from, particularly in terms of crafting a voice and finding one's way in. Memoir is an academic field. This should become the seminal text.' Buzz Bissinger, author of Father's Day, A Prayer For The City, And Friday Night Lights
ISBN: 9781592408153Publication Date: 2013-08-06
Inside Story by
Inside Story tackles the myriad approaches to the burgeoning genre of creative nonfiction--from memoir to criticism to literary journalism to the lyric essay--by deeply exploring each stage of the generation, reportage, writing and editing of stories. Drawing on and integrating examples and advice from diverse practitioners in the field,Inside Story extends beyond idea and inspiration with practical advice, examples and exercises geared toward everyone from writing students, citizen journalists, bloggers and working writers.Inside Story provides a keen focus on the fundamental aspects of reporting, including interviewing and researching, while also offering advice and exercises toward writing nonfiction dialogue, devising structure and creating a sense of people and place from the ground-up. The book also explores the ethical implications of writing in the real world, providing insight and humor at each step of the way.
ISBN: 9780997020779Publication Date: 2017-05-02
One Memory at a Time by
One Memory at a Time offers advice and encouragement on writing family and personal histories.
ISBN: 9780385498708Publication Date: 2000-10-17
Storycraft by
From the work of the New Journalists in the 1960s, to the New Yorker essays of John McPhee, Susan Orlean, Atul Gawande, and a host of others, to blockbuster book-length narratives such as Mary Roach's Stiff or Erik Larson's Devil in the White City, narrative nonfiction has come into its own. Yet writers looking for guidance on reporting and writing true stories have had few places to turn for advice. Now in Storycraft, Jack Hart, a former managing editor of the Oregonian who guided several Pulitzer Prize-winning narratives to publication, delivers what will certainly become the definitive guide to the methods and mechanics of crafting narrative nonfiction. Hart covers what writers in this genre need to know, from understanding story theory and structure, to mastering point of view and such basic elements as scene, action, and character, to drafting, revising, and editing work for publication. Revealing the stories behind the stories, Hart brings readers into the process of developing nonfiction narratives by sharing tips, anecdotes, and recommendations he forged during his decades-long career in journalism. From there, he expands the discussion to other well-known writers to show the broad range of texts, styles, genres, and media to which his advice applies. With examples that draw from magazine essays, book-length nonfiction narratives, documentaries, and radio programs, Storycraft will be an indispensable resource for years to come.
ISBN: 9780226318141Publication Date: 2011-07-15
Write Faster, Write Better by
Expert advice for writing faster and writing better! Every writer has felt the pressure of a deadline. Writing is a challenge: there are the problems of getting started, feelings of writer's block, and numerous interruptions lying between you and a finished piece. This book is your guide to getting through that obstacle course with success. In Write Faster, Write Better, author and editor David A. Fryxell shares his secrets for writing faster while boosting your creativity and the quality of your work. He guides you step-by-step through the writing process to help you create a publishable manuscript in less time. You'll learn how to: Organize your time, ideas and files Find your focus Develop story-worthy ideas Think like an editor Use smart internet search strategies Pull it all together to beat writer's block Write faster fiction, nonfiction, scripts and humor Each chapter is full of rich examples to help you put Fryxell's principles into practice. You'll find specific exercises to help you start writing faster in your own work and overcome the challenges you face. Liberate yourself today with the proven techniques found inside Write Faster, Write Better!
ISBN: 1582972869Publication Date: 2004-04-23
A Writer's Coach by
A practical, innovative step-by-step approach to the writing process from one of the most acclaimed writing coaches in the country InA Writer’s Coach, Jack Hart–a managing editor atThe Oregonian–shares the wisdom with which he has coached reporters to Pulitzer Prize—winning success. He gives invaluable advice on gathering ideas, writing theme statements and outlines, and using the “ladder of abstraction” to add variety and texture to writing. He provides a lexicon of lead sentences. He shares his ideas for composing and sustaining powerful writing, and for ensuring that what you write will be accessible to your audience. Discussing the ways writers can trip themselves up–procrastination, writer’s block, and excessive polishing, to name just a few–Hart demonstrates how to overcome each obstacle. Excerpts from writers such as Ernest Hemingway and Joan Didion, and from articles gathered from magazines and newspapers, provide inspiration and instructive examples of both inadequate and exemplary writing. Like a personal, portable writing coach,A Writer’s Coachwill be a boon to writers, editors, teachers, and students.
ISBN: 9780375423277Publication Date: 2006-08-22
Writing Life Stories by
From drawing a map of a remembered neighbourhood, to yelling in public as a method of capturing passion on paper, Roorbach offers innovative techniques of value to writers at all stages of their craft.'
ISBN: 9781884910364Publication Date: 1998-07-15
Writing the Memoir by
Since Writing the Memoir came out in early 1997 it has sold roughly 80,000 copies and is consistently praised as "the best book on memoir out there." It is thought-provoking, explanatory, and practical: each chapter ends with writing exercises. It covers everything from questions of truth and ethics to questions of craft and the crucial retrospective voice. An appendix provides information on legal issues. Judith Barrington, an award-winning memoir writer and acclaimed writing teacher, is attuned to the forces, both external and internal, that work to stop a writer; her tone is respectful of the difficulties and encouraging of taking risks. Her nimble prose, her deep belief in the importance of this genre, and her delight in the rich array of memoirists writing today make this book more than the typical "how-to" creative writing book. In this second edition the author has added new material andreflects on issues raised sinceWriting the Memoir was written, early in the memoir boom. "No student of memoir writing could fail to learn from this wise, pragmatic, and confiding book. One hears on every page the voice of an intelligent and responsive teacher, with years of thinking about memoir behind her."--Vivian Gornick Judith Barringtonis the author ofLifesaving: A Memoir and numerous individual memoirs which have been published in literary magazines and anthologies. She is the author of three volumes of poetry:Trying to Be an Honest Woman,History and Geography,andHorses and the Human Soul (forthcoming in 2002). She has taught creative writing for the past twenty years.
ISBN: 9780933377509Publication Date: 2002-02-01
You Can't Make This Stuff Up by
From "the godfather behind creative nonfiction" (Vanity Fair) comes this indispensable how-to for nonfiction writers of all levels and genres, "reminiscent of Stephen King's fiction handbook On Writing" (Kirkus). Whether you're writing a rags-to-riches tell-all memoir or literary journalism, telling true stories well is hard work. In You Can't Make This Stuff Up, Lee Gutkind, the go-to expert for all things creative nonfiction, offers his unvarnished wisdom to help you craft the best writing possible. Frank, to-the-point, and always entertaining, Gutkind describes and illustrates every aspect of the genre. Invaluable tools and exercises illuminate key steps, from defining a concept and establishing a writing process to the final product. Offering new ways of understanding the genre, this practical guidebook will help you thoroughly expand and stylize your work.
ISBN: 9780738215549Publication Date: 2012-08-14
