This classic reference is a must-have for any student or writer. In this brief handbook, Strunk identifies the principal requirements of proper American English style and concentrates on the most often violated rules of composition. Authoritative and engagingly written, this is simply the greatest book of its kind.

An insightful how-to guide for writing screenplays that uses Aristotle's great work as a guide.
Long considered the bible for storytellers, Aristotle's Poetics is a fixture of college courses on everything from fiction writing to dramatic theory. Now Michael Tierno shows how this great work can be an invaluable resource to screenwriters or anyone interested in studying plot structure. In carefully organized chapters, Tierno breaks down the fundamentals of screenwriting, highlighting particular aspects of Aristotle's work. Then, using examples from some of the best movies ever made, he demonstrates how to apply these ancient insights to modern-day screenwriting. This user-friendly guide covers a multitude of topics, from plotting and subplotting to dialogue and dramatic unity. Writing in a highly readable, informal tone, Tierno makes Aristotle's monumental work accessible to beginners and pros alike in areas such as screenwriting, film theory, fiction, and playwriting.

Packed with practical advice, guidance and inspiration about all aspects of the writing process, this Yearbook is the essential resource on how to get published.

It will guide authors and illustrators across all genres and markets: those looking for a traditional, hybrid or self-publishing route to publication; writers of fiction and non-fiction, poets and playwrights, writers for TV and radio, newspapers and magazines.

Drawing on contemporary histories of film and screenwriting, as well as American screenwriting manuals from the 1910s and 1920s, this volume breaks new ground in thinking about the nature of screenwriting and its shape as a particular kind of practice. The author examines such topics as the notion of the script as blueprint, the emergence of the screenplay, and the politics of writing for the screen. Bringing an accessible academic approach to practitioner-oriented discussions of craft, the book provides new perspectives on auteurism, processes of funding, digital technology, and the future of screenwriting. Focusing primarily on American style and practices, this book builds on a wide range of writings by filmmakers and screenwriters and the work of different critics and theorists, including Sergei Eisenstein, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Janet Staiger, and Dudley Nichols. Arguing that the study of film has yet to come to terms with screenwriting and the script, this work will be a vital contribution to debates on film and the critical analysis of screenwriting.

Theatre exists because of the human need to tell our stories. The process of literary adaptation allows a writer to take a beloved or intriguing story and make it life-sized on the stage, giving non theatrical texts a vivid voice: stories that speak to the moment and to the imagination. Page to Stage provides an essential guide for the many individuals and theatres who adapt literature into theatre pieces, a ""how-to"" book that leads them through a clear, workable process to create a stage-worthy play. Page to Stage's examples and exercises guide users through six essential building blocks to construct adaptations suitable for any stage, from the classroom to a professionally produced production. Page to Stage helps users evaluate a work of literature for its theatrical potential, to discern and appreciate particular elements and strategies (including aural values in the language, appeals to visual imagination, structural resemblance's to works of theatre, genre tropes, character types, implied mise-en-scene, etc.). Vincent Murphy challenges scholars of literature and performance not simply to borrow ideas, but to apply theatrical analysis in their own original ways in order to identify in literature the elements and potentials of performance and theatre. The book will establish the systematic development of principles and techniques for literary adaptation and bridge the gap between literature and stagecraft.

Bringing together a diverse range of writers, The Science of Story is the first book to ask the question: what can contemporary brain science teach us about the art and craft of creative nonfiction writing? Drawing on the latest developments in cognitive neuroscience the book sheds new light on some of the most important elements of the writer's craft, from perspective and truth to emotion and metaphor. The Science of Story explores such questions as: * Why do humans tell stories? * How do we remember and misremember our lives - and what does this mean for storytelling? * What is the value of writing about trauma? * How do stories make us laugh, or cry, make us angry or triumphant? Contributors: Nancer Ballard, Mike Branch, Frank Bures, J.T. Bushnell, Katharine Coles, Christopher Cokinos, Alison Hawthorne Deming, David Lazar, Lawrence Lenhart, Alan Lightman, Dave Madden, Jessica Hendry Nelson, Richard Powers, Sean Prentiss, Julie Wittes Schlack, Valerie Sweeney Prince, Ira Sukrungruang, Nicole Walker, Wendy S. Walters, Marco Wilkinson, Amy Wright.

Develop the critical and creative skills to 'translate' a story from page to screen with this step-by-step guide to the process of screen adaptation you'll learn to: - interrogate a novel or short story to release its 'inner film' - convert fictional prose into visual drama - overcome the obstacles presented by different media 'languages' - approach key strategic decisions - both technical and interpretive - draft and re-draft your plot, characters and dialogue - professionally format and submit your finished script In addition to examples taken from 'literary classics', contemporary novels, genre fiction, short stories, and biographical material, Marland and Edgar embrace the wider phenomenon of re-telling and updating existing stories, such as the 'appropriation' of popular figures, inter-film adaptation (sequels and 'reboots'), and development into other visual forms including graphic fiction and video games. Whether you are producing a faithful adaptation of Tolstoy's War and Peace, or planning to pair up the crime-fighting duo of Sherlock Holmes and Batman, Adaptation for Screenwriters will be your guide.

Creative Writing Practice: reflections on form and process explores the craft of creative writing by illuminating the practices of writers and writer-educators. Demonstrating solutions to problems in different forms and genres, the contributors draw on their professional and personal experiences to examine specific and practical challenges that writers must confront and solve in order to write. This book discusses a range of approaches to writing, such as the early working out of projects, the idea of experimentation, of narrative time, and of failure. With its strong focus on process, Creative Writing Practice is a valuable guide for students, scholars and practitioners of creative writing.

This book explores the pedagogical applications of critical thinking in art education and scholarship. In the first part of the book, the author delves into the ways that arts-based educational research has incorporated critical thinking in order to illuminate the context for the subsequent study. The second half of the book focuses on the essay as a genre used in creative nonfiction and film in order to enact the concept of critical thinking in art education. In this way, the book sheds light on a new landscape of thinking arts education and thinking scholarship through the essay that is practiced in creative nonfiction and cinema.

Plot must be as much about the emotions of the characters as it is about the events of the story. That's the message in "The Art of Plotting", which teaches screenwriters how to integrate plot, characterisation and exposition to make stories compelling. Using examples from recent and classic movies, author Linda J. Cowgill demonstrates how the plot springs naturally from the characters - and how that technique makes audiences connect with the story on a more intimate level. Easy exercises reveal common plot problems and help writers overcome them.

Dramatizing Blindness: Disability Studies as Critical Creative Narrative engages with the cultural meanings and movements of blindness. This book addresses how blindness is lived in particular contexts-in offices of ophthalmology and psychiatry, in classrooms of higher education, in accessibility service offices, on the street, and at home. Taking the form of a play written in five acts, the narrative dramatizes how the main character's blindness is conceived of in the world and in the self. Each act includes an analysis where blind studies is explored in relation to disability studies. This work reveals the performative enactment of blindness that is lived in the public as well as in the private corners of the self, demonstrating how blindness is a form of perception. Devon Healey's work orients to blindness as a necessary and creative feature of the sensorium and shows how blindness is a form of perception.

Quickly established as an essential and enduring companion for aspiring writers when it was first published, Betsy Lerner's sharp, funny, and insightful guide has been meticulously updated and revised to address the dramatic changes that have reshaped the publishing industry in the decade since. From blank page to first glowing (or gutting) review, Betsy Lerner is a knowing and sympathetic coach who helps writers discover how they can be more productive in the creative process and how they can better their odds of not only getting published, but getting published well. This is an essential trove of advice for writers and an indispensable user's manual to both the inner life of the writer and the increasingly anxious place where art and commerce meet: the boardrooms and cubicles of the publishing house.

You've just boarded a plane. You've loaded your phone with your favorite podcasts, but before you can pop in your earbuds, disaster strikes: The guy in the next seat starts telling you all about something crazy that happened to him--in great detail. This is the unwelcome storyteller, trying to convince a reluctant audience to care about his story. We all hate that guy, right? But when you tell a story (any kind of story: a novel, a memoir, a screenplay, a stage play, a comic, or even a cover letter), you become the unwelcome storyteller. So how can you write a story that audiences will embrace? The answer is simple: Remember what it feels like to be that jaded audience. Tell the story that would win you over, even if you didn't want to hear it. The Secrets of Story provides comprehensive, audience-focused strategies for becoming a master storyteller. Armed with the Ultimate Story Checklist, you can improve every aspect of your fiction writing with incisive questions like these: Concept: Is the one-sentence description of your story uniquely appealing? Character: Can your audience identify with your hero? Structure and Plot: Is your story ruled by human nature? Scene Work: Does each scene advance the plot and reveal character through emotional reactions? Dialogue: Is your characters' dialogue infused with distinct personality traits and speech patterns based on their lives and backgrounds? Tone: Are you subtly setting, resetting, and upsetting expectations? Theme: Are you using multiple ironies throughout the story to create meaning? To succeed in the world of fiction and film, you have to work on every aspect of your craft and satisfy your audience. Do both--and so much more--with The Secrets of Story. "Matt Bird is a certifiable writing-craft genius." --Cheryl Klein, Senior Editor at Arthur A. Levine Books "What makes this book valuable is how practical Bird is with his advice--every chapter is full of craft tricks and little insights that help take a moment from 'good enough' to 'great!' Consider his 'one-touch rule,' which can instantly add focus and shape to even the smallest scene. This book is full of real tools for real storytellers." --Jonathan Auxier, author of The Night Gardener "The Ultimate Story Checklist is the clearest road map I've seen for helping writers get to what makes a compelling story. I've been sharing Matthew's guide with writers for years." --Andrew Harwell, author of The Spider Ring "Matt Bird has cracked the code on how satisfying stories work. His insights will sharpen your plots, freshen your characters, and liberate your imagination. I always come away from reading Matt Bird feeling inspired and invigorated." --James Kennedy, author of The Order of Odd Fish "Bird's advice raises the bar and encourages 'writing greatness.' It's rare to find such clear and insightful tips about working at the most advanced end of the craft." --Elizabeth Fama, author of Monstrous Beauty "After I followed Matt Bird's writing advice, I received an offer of representation from an agent who called my manuscript 'masterfully structured.' It's a testament to how helpful Bird's advice has been--I've learned more from him than from any other book about writing, and certainly more than from taking any writing class." --Parker Peevyhouse, author of Where Futures End "Matt Bird's blog is possibly my favorite resource on storytelling, maybe even more than Robert McKee's Story. It's really insightful on story structure--detailed without being too rigid, and with a keen appreciation for both big blockbusters and smaller stories." --Emily Horner, author of A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend

This textbook teaches the writing of poetry by examining all the major verse forms and repeating stanza forms in English. It provides students with the tools to compose successful lines of poetry and focuses on meter (including free verse), rhythm, rhyme, and the many other tools a poet needs to create both music and meaningfulness in an artful poem. Presenting copious examples from strong poets of the past and present along with many recent student examples, all of which are scanned, each chapter offers lessons in poetic history and the practice of writing verse, along with giving students a structured opportunity to experiment writing in all the forms discussed. In Part 1, Rothman and Spear begin at the beginning, with Anglo-Saxon Strong Stress Alliterative Meter and examine every major meter in English, up to and including the free verse forms of modern and contemporary poetry. Part 2 presents a close examination of stanza forms that moves from the simple to the complex, beginning with couplets and ending with the 14-line Eugene Onegin stanza. The goal of the book is to give students the essential skills to understand how any line of poetry in English may have been composed, the better to enjoy them and then also write their own: the keys to the treasure chest. Rothman and Spear present a rigorous curriculum that teaches the craft of poetry through a systematic examination and practice of the major English meters and verse forms. Under their guidance, students hone their craft while studying the rich traditions and innovations of poets writing in English. Suitable for high school students and beyond. I studied with Rothman in graduate school and went through this course with additional scholarly material. This book will help students develop a keen ear for the music of the English language.-Teow Lim Goh, author of Islanders

A book about spirit, creativity, and the inner life of the writer
Certain writing books go beyond questions of craft and art to explore the deepest sources of the creative impulse. Writing from the Body is not a "head book"; it is a heart book, a shoulder book, a hand book, a back book, and a soul book that liberates writers from the shackles of self-consciousness and doubt.
Developed from John Lee's popular workshops that have helped thousands of writers, this book offers meditative techniques, physical exercises, and candid counseling--all designed to combat the fears, self-imposed standards, and suppressed feelings that block creative potential. Inspirational qutoes from poems and prose develop John Lee's central message: in order to write from the truth of our total experience, we most return to our bodies.
As Lee notes, "The call to write is a call that's received in the body first. If we are to answer this call, we have to feel every part of our lives. In this book you'll learn the grammar of the gut, the syntax of the sinews, the launage of the legs. For everyone who is tired of living life in the little closet between the ears, get ready."
Any writer, artist, teacher, or psychologist interested in the creative process will find this book invaluable, a lasting source of hope and power.

This guide reveals how writers can utilize cognitive storytelling strategies to craft stories that ignite readers' brains and captivate them through each plot element.
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.
The vast majority of writing advice focuses on "writing well" as if it were the same as telling a great story. This is exactly where many aspiring writers fail--they strive for beautiful metaphors, authentic dialogue, and interesting characters, losing sight of the one thing that every engaging story must do: ignite the brain's hardwired desire to learn what happens next. When writers tap into the evolutionary purpose of story and electrify our curiosity, it triggers a delicious dopamine rush that tells us to pay attention. Without it, even the most perfect prose won't hold anyone's interest.
Backed by recent breakthroughs in neuroscience as well as examples from novels, screenplays, and short stories, Wired for Story offers a revolutionary look at story as the brain experiences it. Each chapter zeroes in on an aspect of the brain, its corresponding revelation about story, and the way to apply it to your storytelling right now.

This comprehensive guide to writing creative fiction collects the lectures of the Pulitzer Prize winning author, Robert Olen Butler, transcribed and edited by Janet Burroway, the author of the classic text on creative writing, "Writing Fiction". "From Where You Dream" reimagines the process of writing as emotional rather than intellectual, and tells writers how to achieve the dreamspace necessary for composing honest, inspired fiction. Proposing fiction as the exploration of the human condition with yearning as its compass, Butler reinterprets the traditional tools of the craft using the dynamics of desire. Butler offers invaluable insights into the nature of voice and shows how to experience fiction as a sensual, cinematic series of takes and scenes. Offering a direct view into the mind and craft of a literary master, "From Where You Dream" is an invaluable tool for the novice and experienced writer alike.

It's simple: films need to have commercial value for the studios to produce them, distributors to sell them, and theater chains to screen them. While talent definitely plays a part in the writing process, it can be the well-executed formulaic approaches to the popular genres that will first get you noticed in the industry.

Genre Screenwriting: How to Write Popular Screenplays That Sell does not attempt to probe in the deepest psyche of screenwriters and directors of famous or seminal films, nor does it attempt to analyze the deep theoretic machinations of films. Duncan's simple goal is to give the reader, the screenwriter, a practical guide to writing each popular film genre. Employing methods as diverse as using fairy tales to illustrate the 'how to' process for each popular genre, and discussing these popular genres in modern television and its relation to its big screen counterpart, Duncan provides a one-stop shop for novices and professionals alike.

"Long live the King" hailed "Entertainment Weekly" upon publication of Stephen King's "On Writing." Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this superb volume is a revealing and practical view of the writer's craft, comprising the basic tools of the trade every writer must have. King's advice is grounded in his vivid memories from childhood through his emergence as a writer, from his struggling early career to his widely reported, near-fatal accident in 1999--and how the inextricable link between writing and living spurred his recovery. Brilliantly structured, friendly and inspiring, "On Writing" will empower and entertain everyone who reads it--fans, writers, and anyone who loves a great story well told.

This textbook familiarizes students with grammatical concepts of the English language and develops skills to apply grammar to creative writing and the study of literature. Students take an interactive 'learn-by-doing' approach to the mechanics of language and explore the creative uses of grammar. Experimenting with their own linguistic and creative skills, they come to appreciate the importance of language not only as a means of communication but also as an essential part of creative practice and literary composition. This applied approach to learning about grammar will be a valuable resource for students of English Literature and Creative Writing who may already be good users of grammar but not fully aware of its significance for communication and creativity.

Who is telling the story to whom is the single most important question about any work of fiction; the answer is central to everything from style and tone to plot and pacing. Using hundreds of examples from Jane Austen to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Leo Tolstoy to Stephen King, novelist and longtime MFA professor Lisa Zeidner dives deep into the points of view we are most familiar with-first and third person-and moves beyond to second-person narration, frame tales, and even animal points of view. Engaging and accessible, Who Says? presents any practicing writer with a new system for choosing a point of view, experimenting with how it determines the narrative, and applying these ideas to revision.