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GMC: Goal, Motivation and Conflict: The Building Blocks of Good Fiction

Debra Dixon · back to the book

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24 books with the same feel

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Write Away: One Novelist's Approach to Fiction and the Writing Life

Elizabeth George · 296 pages

Bestselling author Elizabeth George has spent years teaching writing, and in Write Away she shares her knowledge of the creative process. George combines clear, intelligent, and functional advice on fiction writing with anecdotes from her own life, the story of her journey to publication, and inside information on how she meticulously researches and writes her novels. George's solid understanding

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The 38 Most Common Fiction Writing Mistakes

Jack M. Bickham · 128 pages

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On Becoming a Novelist

John Gardner · 150 pages

Contains advice to young writers organized around three main questions: Am I talented enough? How should I educate myself? Can I make a living from writing fiction?

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Ernest Hemingway on Writing

Ernest Hemingway · 160 pages

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Writing the Breakout Novel

Donald Maass · 260 pages

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Stein on Writing

Sol Stein · 308 pages

Whether you are a newcomer or an accomplished professional, a novelist, story writer, or a writer of nonfiction, you will find this book a wealth of immediately useful guidance not available anywhere else. As Sol Stein, renowned editor, author, and instructor, explains, "This is not a book of theory. It is a book of useable solutions--how to fix writing that is flawed, how to improve writing that

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Hooked: Write Fiction That Grabs Readers at Page One & Never Lets Them Go

Les Edgerton · 256 pages

Agents and editors agree: improper story beginnings are the single biggest barrier to publication. Why? If a novel or short story has a bad beginning, then no one will keep reading. It's just that simple. "Hooked" provides readers with a detailed understanding of what a beginning must include, (setup, backstory, the inciting incident, etc.); instruction on how to successfully develop the story pro

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Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting

Syd Field · 246 pages

One of the seminal and much respected texts in the field of screenwriting by one of the greats. *Screenplay* has been revised and updated many times and it remains a number one bestseller on Amazon in 2016, years after it was first published. The book contains guidelines to make film-writing accessible to novices and to help practiced writers improve their scripts. Syd Field pinpoints elements

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Write Your Novel From the Middle: A New Approach for Plotters, Pantsers and Everyone in Between

James Scott Bell · 91 pages

A powerful secret and a fresh approach to writing bestselling fiction! What's the best way to write a next level novel? Some writers start at the beginning and let the story unfold without a plan. They are called pantsers, because they write by the seat of the pants. Other writers plan and outline and know the ending before they start. These are the plotters. The two sides never seem to agree with

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Outliers: The Story of Success

Malcolm Gladwell · 320 pages

In this stunning new book, Malcolm Gladwell takes us on an intellectual journey through the world of "outliers"--the best and the brightest, the most famous and the most successful. He asks the question: what makes high-achievers different? His answer is that we pay too much attention to what successful people are like, and too little attention to where they are from: that is, their culture, their

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Bird By Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

Anne Lamott · 240 pages

Anne Lamott gives her perspective on the art and work of writing. The title comes from a family story when her brother had to complete a report on birds. He put it off until the last minute and was overwhelmed. Her father counseled him saying they would take it, "Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird."

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How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy

Orson Scott Card · 140 pages

A good read covering world creation, what is and isn't science fiction, what to do if you want to have a career in sci-fi and story creation. Well written and enjoyable, good for anyone considering writing sci-fi or fantasy.

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How to Write a Damn Good Novel: A Step-by-Step No Nonsense Guide to Dramatic Storytelling

James N. Frey · 174 pages

Written in a clear, crisp, accessible style, this book is perfect for beginners as well as professional writers who need a crash course in the down-to-earth basics of storytelling. Talent and inspiration can't be taught, but Frey does provide scores of helpful suggestions and sensible rules and principles.

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The Art of Nonfiction: A Guide for Writers and Readers

Ayn Rand, Robert Mayhew · 200 pages

A remarkable series of lectures on the art of creating effective nonfiction by one of the 20th century's most profound writers and thinkers--now available for the first time in print.Culled from sixteen informal lectures Ayn Rand delivered to a select audience in the late 1960s, this remarkable work offers indispensable guidance to the aspiring writer of nonfiction while providing readers with a f

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The Poet's Companion: A Guide to the Pleasures of Writing Poetry

Kim Addonizio, Dorianne Laux · 284 pages

From the nuts and bolts of craft to the sources of inspiration, this book is for anyone who wants to write poetry - and do it well. Brief essays on the elements of poetry, technique, and suggested subjects for writing are each followed by distinctive writing exercises. ("Compare an actual family photograph with one that was never taken, but might have been.") The ups and downs of the writing life

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Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking

Susan Cain · 360 pages

Passionately argued, impressively researched, and filled with indelible stories of real people, Quiet shows how dramatically we undervalue introverts, and how much we lose in doing so. Taking the reader on a journey from Dale Carnegie's birthplace to Harvard Business School, from a Tony Robbins seminar to an evangelical megachurch, Susan Cain charts the rise of the Extrovert Ideal in the twentieth

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Test Driven Development: By Example

Kent Beck · 220 pages

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Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association

American Psychological Association · 398 pages

The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association is the style manual of choice for writers, editors, students, educators, and professionals in psychology, sociology, business, economics, nursing, social work, and justice administration, and other disciplines in which effective communication with words and data is fundamental. In addition to providing clear guidance on grammar, the

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Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die

Chip Heath, Dan Heath · 291 pages

Mark Twain once observed, "A lie can get halfway around the world before the truth can even get its boots on." His observation rings true: Urban legends, conspiracy theories, and bogus public-health scares circulate effortlessly. Meanwhile, people with important ideas--business people, teachers, politicians, journalists, and others--struggle to make their ideas "stick." Why do some ideas thrive wh

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Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success

K.M. Weiland · 186 pages

Explores how to choose the right type of outline for your novel, brainstorm plot ideas, discover characters, structure scenes, and format and finish an outline.

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The Anatomy of Story: 22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller

John Truby · 445 pages

"John Truby is one of the most respected and sought-after story consultants in the film industry, and his students have gone on to pen some of Hollywood's most successful films, including Sleepless in Seattle, Scream, and Shrek. The Anatomy of Story is his long-awaited first book, and in it he shares all his secrets for writing a compelling script. Based on the lessons in his class, Great Screenwr

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