Read your favorite genre, whether that’s historical fiction, creative nonfiction, or personal essays. Making art is no easy feat, and Bayles and Orlando—both artists themselves—explore the challenges of making art and the various obstacles that can discourage people along the way. Although the work of many students will be critiqued in the live editing sessions, individual instructor feedback is not currently available. His witty approach recognizes that language is fluid and that, while it’s good to know and follow the rules when it makes sense to, expressive writing often relies on bending them. From the book: “When you grow up in a Westernized culture, the traditional plot structure becomes so embedded in your subconscious that you may have to work hard to create a plot structure that deviates from it… Understand this and keep your mind open when reading [this book].

If you’re not an indie author and are either looking to publish your first book, improve your sales, or develop your author platform, pick this book up anyway to get a better understanding of how publishing, marketing, and selling books works in the 21st century. Whether you’re itching to get up on stage or someone who prefers your writing to be a bit more behind the scenes, Writing Better Lyrics will help make your words sing and reach new audiences. If you feel like you’re constantly in the trenches of your “inner creative battle,” The War of Art is the book for you. In another sense, it is a great extension of time, a way for one person to live a thousand and one lives in a single lifespan, to watch the great impersonal universe at work again and again” 33.They might feel more enthusiastic about this idea if you let them decorate and personalise a plain notebook to make it their own. If you'd rather take a deep dive, completing the optional readings and exercises will take an additional 45 minutes (totaling one hour of study per weekday session).

If you’re procrastinating to the point where you haven’t even started your novel yet, NaNo founder Chris Baty is your guy! The themed weeks focus in-depth on the following topics: Preparation, Beginnings, Secret Sauce, Character, Plot Skills, Description, Dialogue, Texture, Middles, Writing Skills, Writing Techniques, Chapters, Doubling Up, Endings, and Next Steps. You’ll get tons of tips on how to survive this rigorous process, from taking advantage of your initial momentum to persisting through moments of doubt . A staple book about writing well, Dreyer’s English serves as a one-stop guide to proper English, based on the knowledge that Dreyer — a senior copy editor at Random House — has accumulated throughout his career. We’ll give you a word count calculator so you can update how much you’ve written and how far you have left to go.

In both her translations and her own writing, she celebrates experimental writing that stretches the boundaries of language. This is not a polemic on the decay of the English language, nor a recitation of pet peeves, but a thoughtful, challenging, and practical take on the science of communication.

From the book: “Writing exists (for me) at the intersection of three precarious, uncertain elements: language, the world, the self. Divided into five sections James-Enger ’s book dives into critical topics, such as when it makes sense to ignore per-word rates, how to ask for more money, how to set goals and even how to fire troublesome clients. So I will suggest paring it down to just two books: Stephen King on Writing and Blake Snyder Save the Cat. Writing newbs may find this book challenging, but it’s full of insight for those who already have a grasp on grammar and style and want to improve.

From inventive language and world-building, to crafting unforgettable characters, you'll learn all the tools you need to become a maestro of the written word. As you progress through the course, you'll unlock interviews with incredible authors who share their story — and their tips and tricks — with you.