A WALL STREET JOURNAL AND USA TODAY NATIONAL BESTSELLER! Brevity is confidence. Length is fear. This is the guiding principle of Smart Brevity, a communication formula built by Axios journalists to prioritize essential news and information, explain its impact and deliver it in a concise and visual format. Now, the co-founders of Axios have created an essential guide for communicating effectively and efficiently using Smart Brevity - think Strunk and White's Elements of Style for the digital age. In SMART BREVITY: The Power of Saying More with Less, Axios co-founders Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen, and Roy Schwartz teach readers how to say more with less in virtually any format. They also share communications lessons learned from their decades of experience in media, business and communications.

Written corrective feedback (CF) is a written response to a linguistic error that has been made in the writing of a text by a second language (L2) learner. This book aims to further our understanding of whether or not written CF has the potential to facilitate L2 development over time. Chapters draw on cognitive and sociocultural theoretical perspectives and review empirical research to determine whether or not, and the extent to which, written CF has been found to assist L2 development. Cognitive processing conditions are considered in the examination of its effectiveness, as well as context-related and individual learner factors or variables that have been hypothesised and shown to facilitate or impede the effectiveness of written CF for L2 development.

Every business making sales online is engaged in a battle to get customers to click. More clicks equals more sales equals a more successful business. How do you write copy that will encourage more people to buy from you? How do you persuade customers over the line to make that final buying decision? What is The Art of the Click? The answer lies in the power of direct-response copywriting. In this entertaining and highly readable guide, copywriting expert Glenn Fisher boils down over a decade of experience to present a huge array of techniques, tactics and industry secrets to improve your copywriting, get more clicks... and ultimately, get more sales. You will discover: -- The single thing every great writer must do if they want to improve. -- How anyone can learn to write a headline that will stop all potential customers in their tracks. -- Where to find inspiration and how to feed ideas. -- How you can get a customer physically nodding along with every word you write. -- How to avoid waffle and make your copy more succinct. -- How you can write irresistible offers than no one can refuse. -- And much more! Pick up The Art of the Click now to improve your copywriting. You'll soon be wondering how you ever made a sale without it...

Put simply, practice is the most effective method of mastering written Japanese. The large, open format of Writing Japanese Hiragana invites the student to pick up a pencil and get started! Two phonetic syllabaries, hiragana and katakana, and a set of kanji characters based on Chinese ideographs are what comprises written Japanese. This workbook has been carefully designed to facilitate the quick and easy mastery of the forty-six character hiragana syllabary used to write all types of native words not written in kanji. An understanding of hiragana is essential for the serious student wishing to learn Japanese effectively. Each character is introduced with brushed, handwritten, and typed samples which enhance character recognition. Extensive writing space allows for maximum practice to facilitate memorization and ensure proper character formation. Entertaining illustrations and amusing examples of onomatopoeic usage of hiragana in Japanese writings further reinforce memorization in a fun way. Writing Japanese Hiragana is an easy-to-use and practical workbook tailored to the specific needs of young students of the Japanese language. Beginning students of all ages will delight in its fresh presentation.

In this original volume, eighteen researchers from different parts of the world reflect on their own research projects, providing insights into key methodological issues in research on second language writing. By offering a glimpse into the process of constructing and negotiating knowledge in the field--the messy space of situated practices of inquiry--it helps to demystify the research process, which can appear in published studies and in introductory methodology guides to be neater and more orderly than it actually is. Taking a broad conception of research as inquiry that emphasizes the situated and constructed nature of knowledge in the field, Second Language Writing Research: Perspectives on the Process of Knowledge Construction encourages multiple forms of inquiry, including philosophical, narrative, and historical modes. Empirical inquiry as presented in this book encompasses both quantitative and qualitative approaches as well as those that strategically combine them. A helpful discussion of the "nuts and bolts" of developing sustainable research programs is also provided. The volume as a whole facilitates a situated, issue-driven research practice. Its unique focus on second language writing research makes it an invaluable resource for both novice and experienced researchers in the field.

* Written by a leading scholar in composition theory * Accessible and jargon-free, the book presents a new approach to writing instruction based in linguistic research and theory * Includes sample texts and guidelines ready for writing teachers to use

Original Writing:
* provides students with the practical skills they need to write confidently and effectively for different purposes and audiences
* examines the conventions and styles of different types of original writing, such as writing to entertain, writing to inform and writing to persuade
* looks at a wide range of examples of successful writing, including extracts from The Office, Health Education leaflets, Kerrang! and students' own work
* includes a guide to planning and writing commentaries
* explores problematic areas and includes advice from experts in a range of areas, from radio to song writing.

Written by an experienced teacher, author and AS and A2 Level examiner, Original Writing is an essential resource for students of AS and A2 Level.

Information design is an emerging area in technical communication, garnering increased attention in recent times as more information is presented through both old and new media. In this volume, editors Michael J. Albers and Beth Mazur bring together scholars and practitioners to explore the issues facing those in this exciting new field.
Treating information as it applies to technical communication, with a special emphasis on computer-centric industries, this volume delves into the role of information design in assisting with concepts, such as usability, documenting procedures, and designing for users. Influential members in the technical communication field examine such issues as the application of information design in structuring technical material; innovative ways of integrating information design within development methodologies and social aspects of the workplace; and theoretical approaches that include a practical application of information design, emphasizing the intersection of information design theories and workplace reality. This collection approaches information design from the language-based technical communication side, emphasizing the role of content as it relates to complexity in information design. As such, it treats as paramount the rhetorical and contextual strategies required for the effective design and transmission of information.
"Content and Complexity: Information Design in Technical Communication" explores both theoretical perspectives, as well as the practicalities of information design in areas relevant to technical communicators. This integration of theoretical and applied components make it a practical resource for students, educators, academic researchers, and practitioners in the technical communication and information design fields.

A good research paper is more than just a clear, concise, scientific expose. It is a document that needs to go beyond the science to attract attention. There are both strict and less definable norms for doing this, but many authors are unaware as to what they are or their use. Publishing is rapidly changing, and needs to be explained with a fresh perspective. Simply writing good, clear, concise, science is no longer enough-there is a different mind-set now required that students need to adopt if they are to succeed. The purpose of this book is to provide the foundations of this new approach for both young scientists at the start of their careers, as well as for more experienced scientists to teach the younger generation. Most importantly, the book will make the reader think in a fresh, creative, and novel way about writing and publishing science. This is an introductory guide suitable for advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and professional researchers in both the life and physical sciences.

Now in its fourth edition, Television and Screen Writing: From Concept to Contract is a classic resource for students and professionals in screenwriting and television writing. This book will teach you how to become a creative and marketable writer in every professional arena - including major studios, production companies, networks, cable and pay TV, animation, and interactive programs. Specific techniques and script samples for writing high-quality and producible "spec" scripts for theatrical motion pictures, the sitcom series, one-hour dramatic series, longform television, soaps, talk show, variety, animation, interactive and new media are provided. Television and Screen Writing: From Concept to Contract, Fourth Edition also offers a fully detailed examination of the current marketplace, and distinct strategies for marketing your scripts, from registering and copyrighting the script to signing with an agent.

This new edition has been expanded to include the most up-to-date creative and professional script samples, marketing resources, and practical information possible. The companion website (www.focalpress.com/companions) offers a wide range of contacts and resources for you to explore, and Internet links to professional resources. There is also an Annotated and Selected Bibliography for your reference
Covers all aspects of scriptwriting, from visuilization to marketing
New information on competitions, festivals, and workshops
Now includes internet sources for screenwriters

Metro is a unique multi-genre creative writing text that provides exercises and prompts to help students move beyond terms and concepts to active writing. By using "guided writing," the authors help students through the creative processes in fiction, poetry, drama, and creative nonfiction. A mini-anthology with relevant exercises makes this sourcebook complete.

Manual pratico de escrita em portugues/Developing Writing Skills in Portuguese provides intermediate- and advanced-level students with the necessary skills to become competent and confident writers in the Portuguese language. With a focus on writing as a craft, Manual pratico de escrita em portugues offers a rich selection of original materials including narrative texts, expository essays, opinion pieces and newspaper articles. Each chapter covers a specific kind of writing and is designed to help tackle the material in small units. The book aids students in crafting clear, coherent and cohesive texts by means of guided practice and step-by-step activities. Suitable for use as a classroom text or as a self-study course, this book is ideal for students at level B2 - C2 of the Common European Framework for Languages or at Intermediate High - Advanced High on the ACTFL proficiency scales.

This book explains and demonstrates how creative writing can be used successfully in the context of professional education where traditionally a more distanced approach to reporting on professional experience has been favoured. It is based on many practical examples, drawn from several years' experience of running courses for social workers, nurses, teachers, managers and higher education staff, in which participants explore their professional practice through imaginative forms of writing. The participants experience of the work is presented through a discussion of interviews and evaluative documents. The book includes a set of distance-learning materials for those wishing to undertake such work for themselves or to establish similar courses, as well as a full analysis of the link between professional reflection and the artistic imagination. The book makes available a new and more broadly-based approach to the process of professional reflection, and the concept of the patchwork text has general relevance for debates about increasing access to higher education qualifications.

This book presents a comprehensive approach to issues related to researching and teaching second language (L2) writing in digital environments. In the digital age, new technologies have revolutionized the ways we communicate and construct knowledge, and have also reshaped the traditional notions of writing and literacy, posing new challenges and opportunities for L2 teachers and students. This book provides up-to-date coverage of the main areas of L2 writing and technology, including digital multimodal composing, computer-mediated collaborative writing, online teacher and peer feedback, automated writing evaluation, and corpus-based writing instruction. It synthesizes the relevant literature, analyzes theoretical perspectives, compiles relevant resources, and offers research and pedagogical recommendations to guide scholars in undertaking new L2 writing research and instructional practice in technologically-supported educational contexts. This book will be of relevance and interest to researchers, language teachers, and graduate students in applied linguistics and education.

Professional Report Writing is probably the most thorough treatment of this subject available, covering every aspect of an area often taken for granted. The author provides not just helpful analysis but also practical guidance on such topics as: c deciding the format c structuring a report c stylistic pitfalls and how to avoid them c making the most of illustrations c ensuring a consistent layout. The theme throughout is fitness for purpose, and the text is enriched by a wide variety of examples drawn from the worlds of business, industry and government. The annotated bibliography includes a review of the leading dictionaries and reference books. Simon Mort's book is destined to become an indispensable reference work for managers, civil servants, local government officers, consultants and professionals of every kind.

The method that's helped thousands in the U.S. and Japan learn Japanese successfully. The Japanese language has two basic writing systems, hiragana, and katakana, in addition to the one that uses Chinese characters or Kanji. This handy book teaches you a new mnemonic-based method to read and write the fundamental 92 hiragana and katakana characters. Along with its sister book: Japanese Kanji for Beginners it provides a complete introduction to written Japanese. Memorable picture mnemonics help you to learn the characters by associating their shapes and sounds with combinations of images and English words already familiar to you. Clear examples and engaging exercises offer opportunities to read, write, use and practice all 92 primary hiragana katakana characters, plus the remaining kana that stand for more complex sounds. Polish your knowledge with word searches, crossword puzzles, fill-in-the-blanks, timed recognition quizzes, and other engaging activities. The online media allows you to print out flashcards (featuring the same mnemonic images taught in the book) to help you review and practice, even while you are on the go. All media content is alternatively accessible on tuttlepublishing.com/downloadable-content.

'I've always wanted to be an author'; 'People often ask me when I'm going to write my book'; 'I have a story to tell, but I never seem to make time to write' These are just a few of the messages Kelly Notaras hears every day from potential authors around the globe. Life coaches with new methods for living with purpose, healers who've learned how to prevent disease and increase life force, and everyday heroes and heroines who've made it through difficult circumstances and want to inspire others to do the same. This book will light the way, offering a simple, step-by-step path for turning your transformational idea or story into a finished book as quickly as possible. You'll discover how to: - Be clear on your motivation for writing a book - Craft a powerful, compelling hook and a strong internal structure - Handle resistance, writer's block and other obstacles that can keep you from sitting down to write - Take your finished manuscript to the next level, whether through traditional publishing or self-publishing - so that you can share your message with the world! With humour, encouragement and common sense, book industry veteran Kelly Notaras demystifies the publishing process so you can get started, keep writing and successfully get your wisdom onto the page.

The professional’s quick-reference handbook for writing business and technical reports

Professionals in business, government, and technical fields often need help in organizing and writing reports for associates, clients, and managers. This simple tutorial handbook offers expert tips and useful ideas for organizing ideas, structuring reports, and adding spice to technical papers.

Writing Reports to Get Results offers in-depth guidance for writing:

• short, informal reports, such as job progress reports and inspection reports
• semiformal reports, such as laboratory and medium-length investigation and evaluation reports
• formal reports, such as analytical and feasibility studies and major investigations
• technical and business proposals of varying complexity

The authors use a simple pyramid method to help writers organize their information into the most convenient and simplest structure for any type of document–from single-page proposals to full-length presentations. Rounding out this easy, instructional handbook are helpful tips on a number of other topics, such as: constructing reference lists and bibliographies; the use of numbers, abbreviations, and metric symbols; preparing illustrations for insertion into a report; and working collaboratively as a member of a writing team.

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.

The beloved teacher and author of the million-and-a-half copy bestseller Writing Down the Bones reveals a new method of writing in "a priceless distillation of her accumulated wisdom and experience as a writer, coach, and instructor on mindfulness" (Abraham Verghese).Sit. Walk. Write. These are the barest bones of Natalie Goldberg's revolutionary writing and life practice, presented here in book form for the first time. The True Secret of Writing provides a whole new method of writing that Goldberg developed since the publication of her classic, Writing Down the Bones. The capstone to forty years of teaching, The True Secret of Writing is Gold-berg's Zen boot camp. Stories of her own search for truth and clarity as well as her students' breakthroughs and insights give moving testament to how brilliantly her unique, tough-love method works. As Goldberg says, "To write is to be empow-ered. . . . Writing is not just for someone who wants to write the great American novel." Learning "the true secret" allows you to mine the rich awareness in your mind and to ground and empower yourself in a way that leads to deep, eloquent self-expression. Goldberg's beautiful homages to the work of other great teachers and observers of mind, life, and love provide further secrets and inspiration to which you will return again and again. In her inimitable way, Goldberg will inspire you to pick up the pen, get writ-ing, and keep going. The True Secret of Writing helps you with your writing--and your life.

Reinforce your written Chinese with this practice book for the best-selling Tuttle Learning Chinese Characters. Learning Mandarin Chinese Characters helps students quickly learn the essential Chinese characters that are fundamental to the language. This character workbook presents 178 Chinese characters and over 534 standard words using these characters. It is intended for self-study and classroom use and includes the characters and words students need to know if they plan to take the official Chinese government HSK Level 1 Exam or the Advanced Placement (AP) Chinese Language and Culture Exam. Each character is presented plainly and transparently. A step-by-step diagram shows how to write the character, and boxes are provided for freehand writing practice. The meaning and pronunciation are given along with the critical vocabulary compounds and an example sentence. Review exercises reinforce the learning process, and an index at the back allows you to look up the characters according to their English meanings or romanized Hanyu Pinyin pronunciation. Key features of this Chinese workbook include: Designed for HSK Level 1 and AP exam prep Learn the 178 most essential Chinese characters Example sentences and over 534 vocabulary items Step-by-step writing diagrams and practice boxes