A professional TV writer's real-world guide to getting paid to write great television "No need for me to ever write a book on TV writing. Alex Epstein has covered it all . . . along with a few things I wouldn't have thought of. Save yourself five years of rookie mistakes. Crafty TV Writing and talent are pretty much all you'll need to make it." -Ken Levine, writer/producer, MASH, Cheers, Frasier, The Simpsons, Wings, Becker Everyone watches television,...

From veteran teacher and acclaimed author Joni B. Cole comes a revised and expanded edition of her popular writing guide Toxic Feedback. Successful writers know that feedback is often the difference between writing and not writing, and between writing and writing well. But feedback mismanaged is more likely to leave the writer confused, intimidated, or even deflated. This book not only detoxifies the feedback process with humor, but it also shows...

Describes the elements that are necessary to write novels, short stories, and memoirs.

Successful New York editor Jen Gibbs is at the top of her game with her new position at Vida House Publishing--until a mysterious manuscript from an old slush pile appears on her desk. Turning the pages, Jen finds herself drawn into the life of Sarra, a mixed-race Melungeon girl trapped by dangerous men in turn-of-the-century Appalachia. A risky hunch may lead to The Story Keeper's hidden origins and its unknown author, but when the trail turns toward...

No one is better than Michael Hauge at finding what is most authentic in every moment of a story. Will Smith Michael Hauge is a story master, and this book is an absolute must have for anyone serious about telling great stories for the screen. DeVon Franklin, Vice-President of Production, Columbia PicturesFrom renowned Hollywood story consultant Michael Hauge, considered one of the most sought after lecturers and script consultants in the U.S. by...

Behind every acclaimed work of literature is a trove of heartfelt decisions. The best authors put painstaking—sometimes obsessive—effort into each element of their stories, from plot and character development to dialogue and point of view. What made Nabokov choose the name Lolita? Why did Fitzgerald use first-person narration in The Great Gatsby? How did Kerouac, who raged against revision, finally come to revise On the Road? Veteran editor and...

The founders of "National Novel Writing Month" offer practical advice on how to organize and commit to writing stories and novels, and includes motivating essays from such popular authors as John Green and Scott Westerfeld.

When Goose, upon the advice of her friends, changes the main character in her story, the publisher stipulates that the character should be the original absent-minded bear.