What makes a character interesting? How do you build a convincing character arc? Does every story have a hero? How many shades of villain are there? How does a writer bring their characters alive? In this timeless little book, teacher Amy Jones describes the secret techniques that writers use to create their characters, along with their archetypes, backstories, motivations, modes of dialogue, habits, hopes, fears, flaws, frustrations ... and eventual resolutions and redemptions.

Why do some books grab you from the very first line?What did Aristotle have to say about the art of telling stories?Is there a secret structure to stories known by all the best writers? In this neat pocket book, English lecturer Amy Jones describes the clever narrative scaffolds used for thousands of years by novelists and scriptwriters. With helpful examples, diagrams and cartoons, this is an essential reference guide for writers of all ages and disciplines. WOODEN BOOKS are small but packed with information. "Fascinating" FINANCIAL TIMES. "Beautiful" LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKS. "Rich and Artful" THE LANCET. "Genuinely mind-expanding" FORTEAN TIMES. "Excellent" NEW SCIENTIST. "Stunning" NEW YORK TIMES. Small books, big ideas.

What is the difference between literal and figurative writing? Is there really a secret set of tricks used by top authors to make their writing even better? Why not use these tricks all the time? This excellent little book, by English literature and creative writing tutor Amy Jones, provides a vital introduction to the essential literary devices used by writers for thousands of years to engage and charm their readers, and better describe their worlds in words. WOODEN BOOKS are small but packed with information. "Fascinating" FINANCIAL TIMES. "Beautiful" LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKS. "Rich and Artful" THE LANCET. "Genuinely mind-expanding" FORTEAN TIMES. "Excellent" NEW SCIENTIST. "Stunning" NEW YORK TIMES. Small books, big ideas.

Chisenhale Gallery launches the second title in its Chisenhale Books series, Nikita Gale: IN A DREAM YOU CLIMB THE STAIRS. Marking the finale of Gale's Chisenhale exhibition, Gale's first artist's book contains an intergenerational conversation with conceptual artist Barbara Kruger and a short meditation by Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Hilton Als. These feature alongside contributions by artist and Chisenhale Gallery alum P. Staff and Dr. Benedicte Boisseron, author of Afro-Dog: Blackness and the Animal Question. Through the lens of a multifaceted practice, Gale examines themes of invisibility and audibility, interrogating the dynamic between performer and spectator, structure, and decay. Produced with great care, this extraordinary book is reflective of the artist's practice. Four visual essays, hand-annotated by Gale -- Absence, Ruin, Silence, Dog -- explore themes central to the work. Nikita Gale: IN A DREAM YOU CLIMB THE STAIRS deploys throw-outs, gatefolds, five different types of papers, and a subtly disruptive design to delve into Nikita Gale's art.

What is the best way to tell a story? In first-person peripheral, or third-person focalised? Unfolding in the present, or as events in the past? Where is the camera? What is the lens? Where is the action? In this concise little book, educator Amy Jones describes the different ways that novelists and scriptwriters tell their stories. Packed with examples and insights, this is an essential reference guide for writers of all ages and disciplines. It's not the story, it's how you tell it!

Meet Scarlett Jones - a third grader who went from bullying victim to victor over her bullies. And how did she do this? By turning her encounters with bullies into a game Now, she wants to teach you how to play. Baffle That Bully is a way of maintaining your cool while distracting bullies, throwing them off their game, and putting them in a game where you make the rules. The result: bullies decide for themselves to leave you alone, because it's no longer fun to pick on you. But the book is about more than overcoming bullying. It's also about being the keeper of your own feelings and not letting other people bring you down, no matter how hard they try. It's about believing in yourself. Baffle That Bully was written by a family to help other families. Co-written by 9-year-old Chase Anichini, who was the target of emotional bullying for 2 years, and her mother Amy Jones Anichini, Baffle That Bully teaches your child how to stay calm when others are trying their best to upset him/her. Chase's story and characters - some bullying targets and some bullies - are brought to life through the beautiful illustrations of her 12-year-old sister Jordan Anichini. Scarlett introduces 3 steps to playing Baffle That Bully for your child to follow every single time someone is mean to him/her. Then she walks your child through several situations (The Bully Encounters of Scarlett the Baffler) and explains how she applied the 3 steps to remain calm while throwing the bullies off of their well-rehearsed tactics. Scarlett demonstrates how to successfully Baffle YOUR Bully. When your child learns how to Baffle That Bully, he/she will not only distract the bully from their well-rehearsed tactics but will also gain confidence. That self-confidence and sense of self-esteem could help your child handle just about any unpleasant situation. New Feature: Anyone who has purchased the book can talk to Scarlett via BaffleThatBully.com and ask her questions about handling bullies and/or playing the game Visit our site to Ask Scarlett

'Thrillingly honest, funny, incisive and hopeful, this is the perfect gateway into a discussion on mental health' Marian Keyes 'Truly one of the most powerful books about mental health that I've ever read.' Daisy Buchanan One of the Independent's top ten millennial memoirs of 2019 How not to be good? Let me list the ways... Are you a woman? Do you make to-do lists to stop you losing your mind? Have you ever cried in the toilets at work, had a meltdown in the supermarket, or gone off the rails at a hen party? And have you ever been saved from any of the above by your truly brilliant friends? If you've answered 'yes' to any of these questions, then this is the book for you. A moving, funny and brutally honest memoir of one woman's millennial misadventures, The To-Do List and Other Debacles follows Amy Jones on her journeys through friendship, marriage and mental health disasters in a story that's as relatable as it is riotous.