Writing for children is not about writing little stories, it is about writing big stories, shorter. Children's literature is an art form in its own right, and this book is for everyone who wants not just to write for children, but to write well for them. This short guide to creative writing for children is based on the author's own successful MA course. Andrew Melrose provides guidance on every aspect of the process of writing for children. He stresses the importance of 'writing for' the child and not 'writing to or at' them. Literacy and learning depend on writing and reading and it is therefore the responsibility of the writer to understand who they are writing for. The book is divided into four sections which cover all aspects of the writing process.
This book goes far beyond the 'how to' format to help writers learn the finely balanced craft of writing for children. It will be an indispensable handbook for aspiring and practising children's authors.

eBook available with sample pages: 0203164849

A fully updated comprehensive guide for improving and practicing your creative writing, including contributions from Ali Smith and Kit de Waal

The Creative Writing Coursebook, edited by Julia Bell and Paul Magrs, takes aspiring writers through three stages of essential practice: Gathering – getting started, learning how to keep notes, making observations and using memory; Shaping – looking at structure, point of view, character and setting; and Finishing – being your own critic, joining workshops and finding publishers.

Fully updated and including a foreword by Marina Warner and contributions from forty-four authors such as Kit de Waal and Amy Liptrot, this is the perfect book for people who are just starting to write as well as for those who want some help honing work already completed. Filled with a wealth of exercises and activities, it will inspire budding writers to develop and hone their skills. Whether writing for publication, in a group or just for pleasure this comprehensive guide is for anyone who is ready to put pen to paper.

remixthecontext is a cunning and satirical collection of "theoretical fictions" composed by artist, novelist and media theorist Mark Amerika. A compelling riff on the classic Platonic dialogue, Amerika's remixthecontext features Walt Whitman Benjamin, a Professor of Creative Urgency who intellectually jams with an assemblage of characters that resemble the actual artists, poets, and scholars who populate the university cafe culture depicted in the book. Each chapter is enlivened by Amerika's provocative mash-up of literary metafiction, new media rhetoric and witty repartee setting the stage for a series of freewheeling exchanges that playfully investigate a multitude of themes including remix culture, psychic automatism, gender fluidity, social media dystopia, MOOCs as performance art, and the challenges presented by cutting-edge digital arts and humanities curricula within a sclerotic academic environment.

"Do you want to write clearer, livelier prose? This witty primer will help." -The New York Times Book Review An exploration of how the most ordinary words can be turned into verbal constellations of extraordinary grace through the art of building sentences The sentence is the common ground where every writer walks. A good sentence can be written (and read) by anyone if we simply give it the gift of our time, and it is as close as most of us will get to making something truly beautiful. Using minimal technical terms and sources ranging from the Bible and Shakespeare to George Orwell and Maggie Nelson, as well as scientific studies of what can best fire the reader's mind, author Joe Moran shows how we can all write in a way that is clear, compelling and alive. Whether dealing with finding the ideal word, building a sentence, or constructing a paragraph, First You Write a Sentence informs by light example: much richer than a style guide, it can be read not only for instruction but for pleasure and delight. And along the way, it shows how good writing can help us notice the world, make ourselves known to others, and live more meaningful lives. It's an elegant gem in praise of the English sentence.

This ultimate insider's guide reveals the secrets that none dare admit, told by a show biz veteran who's proven that you can sell your script if you can save the cat!

Winner of the H.R.F. Keating Award for best biographical/critical book related to crime fiction, and nominated for the Edgar Allen Poe and Macavity Awards for Best Critical/Biographical book. Ninety crime writers from the world's oldest and most famous crime writing network give tips and insights into successful crime and thriller fiction. Howdunit offers a fresh perspective on the craft of crime writing from leading exponents of the genre, past and present. The book offers invaluable advice to people interested in writing crime fiction, but it also provides a fascinating picture of the way that the best crime writers have honed their skills over the years. Its unique construction and content mean that it will appeal not only to would-be writers but also to a very wide readership of crime fans. The principal contributors are current members of the legendary Detection Club, including Ian Rankin, Val McDermid, Peter James, Peter Robinson, Ann Cleeves, Andrew Taylor, Elly Griffiths, Sophie Hannah, Stella Duffy, Alexander McCall Smith, John Le Carre and many more. Interwoven with their contributions are shorter pieces by past Detection Club members ranging from G.K. Chesterton, Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie and John Dickson Carr to Desmond Bagley and H.R.F. Keating. The book is dedicated to Len Deighton, who is celebrating 50 years as a Detection Club member and has also penned an essay for the book. The contributions are linked by short sections written by Martin Edwards, the current President of the Club and author of the award-winning The Golden Age of Murder.

Writers on Writing brings together a plethora of phrases, memorable lines, quips and put downs, this lively book brings together words of wisdom and withering wit from famous, and infamous, writers across the ages about their own work and that of fellow writers. You will encounter quotations on genres and styles, first drafts and editing, agents, publication and critics, and on themes such as rejection, authenticity, writer's block, reputation, money, plagiarism and alcohol. The quotations are accompanied by their original source (where known). 'A writer is a person who writes.' John Braine 'Our book is found to be a drug, no man needs it or heeds it. In the space of a year our publisher has disposed but of two copies.' Charlotte Bronte 'How rare, how precious is frivolity! How few writers can prostitute all their powers! They are always implying, "I am capable of higher things"' E.M. Forster

Do you have an idea for a romance story but don't know where to start? How To Write a Romance Novel will show you how to get ideas, shape them into a story that's unique and how to create memorable characters. It also covers two crucial aspects of the genre, emotion and sexual tension. Whether you want to write for Mills and Boon/Harlequin or pen more erotic stories like Fifty Shades of Grey, How to Write a Romance will get you started and help you get published. Susan Palmquist was born in London, England but now resides in the US. She's been writing since the late 80s and is now a freelance writer, short story writer, blogger, and author. Her first romance novel, A Sterling Affair was published by The Wild Rose Press. Her work has also appeared in magazines and anthologies in both the US and UK. Under her pen name, she's bestselling author Vanessa Devereaux. As well as her writing career, she's also a tutor for Writers' News Home Study Courses, and frequently teaches workshops through various chapters of the Romance Writers of America.

First published in 1992, this book focuses on the oeuvre of S. J. Perelman. Taken together, the essays included serve as an introduction to this important humorist's work, both in terms of the specific short prose pieces, plays, and films examined and as an overview of his lengthy professional career. They provide insightful and in-depth literary analyses as well. The work encourages a better appreciation for Perelman's contributions to American literary history.

This book, first published in 1955, was written at the request of the BBC in an attempt to help the professional writer to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the television medium. This title will be of interest to students of history, literature and media studies, and will also appeal to the general reader who is interested in knowing how television programmes were constructed.

Foreword by bestselling and award-winning author Smriti Halls. The indispensable guide to writing for children of all ages from pre-school to young adults, this Yearbook provides inspirational articles from dozens of successful writers and illustrators on how to get your work published. It includes a directory of over a thousand up-to-date listings with contacts from across the media and publishing industry. This bestselling Yearbook is full of practical advice on all stages of the writing and illustration process from getting started, writing for different markets and genres, and preparing an illustration portfolio, through to submission to literary agents and publishers. It also covers the financial, contractual and legal aspects of being a writer and illustrator. Widely recognised as the essential support for authors and illustrators working across all forms: fiction, non-fiction, poetry, screen, audio and theatre, it is equally relevant to those wishing to self-publish as well as those seeking a traditional publisher-agent deal. It includes advice from bestselling writers, such as Sarah Crossan, Kiran Millwood Hargrave, Tom Palmer, David Wood and many more. Additional articles, free advice, events information and editorial services at www.writersandartists.co.uk

The argument has been made that memoir reflects and augments the narcissistic tendencies of our neo-liberal age. Mediating Memory: Tracing the Limits of Memoir challenges and dismantles that assumption. Focusing on the history, theory and practice of memoir writing, editors Bunty Avieson, Fiona Giles and Sue Joseph provide a thorough and cutting-edge examination of memoir through the lenses of ethics, practice and innovation. By investigating memoir across cultural boundaries, in its various guises, and tracing its limits, the editors convincingly demonstrate the plurality of ways in which memoir is helping us make sense of who we are, who we were and the influences that shape us along the way.

This three-in-one guide is the perfect addition to any professional or amateur writer's bookshelf. Aimed at those who use language in their day-to-day lives, it is divided into three parts. The Grammar Guide provides clear, comprehensive guidance on sentence structure, parts of speech and punctuation; the Vocabulary Builder helps you choose the right word by listing commonly confused, misused and cliched words; the dictionary of Literary Terms provides concise definitions of linguistic forms. The budding writer can use this guide to quickly enhance their style and improve their word power. The rules and advice provided are accompanied by usage examples throughout.

This second edition of Writing for Animation, Comics, and Games expounds on the previous edition with more information on how to construct narratives for these three forms of visual storytelling media. Christy Marx's book offers an in-depth look into scriptwriting and how to break into each of the featured industries. The text goes into detail on visual storytelling: how to compose exterior storytelling (animation, games) and interior/exterior storytelling (comics and graphic novels); as well as considerations for non-linear videogames. The advice within these pages can be used to build a transmedia career across animation, comics, graphic novels, and videogames. Key Features An insider's perspective on career rules of the road on writing for comics, videogames, and animation Written for beginners and professionals alike A nuts-and-bolts guide to script formats, terminology, networking, and valuable advice on writing for each medium Author Bio Based in Northern California, Christy Marx is an award-winning writer, story editor, TV series developer, game designer, and narrative designer. Her many credits include Babylon 5; Captain Power and Soldiers of the Future; The Twilight Zone; G.I. Joe; Jem and the Holograms; Spider-Man; He-Man; X-Men Evolution; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; Conan the Adventurer; Birds of Prey; Amethyst; The Sisterhood of Steel; Sierra On-Line adventure games; PC, MMO, and console games; Zynga mobile games; and more. For full credits, visit www.christymarx.com.

Life Writing offers the novice writer engaging and creative activities, making use of insightful, relevant readings from well-known authors to illustrate the techniques presented. This volume makes use of new versions of key chapters from the recent Routledge/Open University textbook, Creative Writing: A Workbook with Readings for writers who are specializing in life writing. Using their experience and expertise as teachers as well as authors, Derek Neale and Sara Haslam guide aspiring writers through such key writing skills as: writing what you know, investigating biography and autobiography, using prefaces, finding a form, using memory, developing characters, using novelistic, poetic and dramatic techniques. The volume is further updated to include never-before published interviews and conversations with successful life writers such as Jenny Diski, Robert Fraser, Richard Holmes, Michael Holroyd, Jackie Kay, Hanif Kureishi and Blake Morrison. Concise and practical, Life Writing offers an inspirational guide to the methods and techniques of authorship and is a must-read for aspiring writers.

First published in 1985, this bibliography focuses on the works of S. J. Perelman as a humorist, author, and screenwriter. It is divided into two major sections: "Works by S. J. Perelman" and "Critical Responses". Within each section, there are subdivisions which focus on various areas of S. J. Perelman's work, including his novel, published plays and film scripts.

This invaluable book offers the student of literature detailed advice on the entire process of critical essay writing, from first facing the question right through to producing a fair copy for final submission to the teacher.

Thinking in pictures is a gift; transferring them to words on paper is a craft. Put them together, and that's the screenwriter's art.Big Screen, Small Screen is a complete guide to writing for film and television for beginners as well as more experienced writers. It covers all aspects of screenwriting from changing a film genre to picking a television timeslot.Big Screen, Small Screen takes you through the basics of screenwriting with step by step guides to structure, character and the first draft script, and valuable tips and exercises. It also shows you how to find and agent, deal with producers, market your script and apply for funding.

Some of the greatest movies and television series have been written by script partners. Script Partners, Second Edition brings together the experience, knowledge, and winning techniques of Hollywood's most productive partnerships-including Lucy Alibar & Benh Zeitlin (Beasts of the Southern Wild ), Craig Borten & Melisa Wallack (Dallas Buyers Club), and Andrew Reich & Ted Cohen (Friends). Established and aspiring screenwriters will learn how to pick the right partner and the right project, co-create character and story structure, co-draft and revise a script, collaborate in film school and in the film industry, and manage both the creative and business sides of partnerships.