Nearly all writers have a need for support and constructive criticism during the writing process. They want to make sure they’re on the right track, and that their results will meet the interests of agents, publishers or readers. The feedback provided by a group can help avoid time wasted in rewrites and editing. And positive…
34 Great Opening Lines in One Graphic
Textbook Publishers
Acada Books Publisher of textbooks and supplements in communications and environmental studies Academic Innovations Publisher of career choices, secondary school/college textbook Addison Wesley & Benjamin Cummings Textbooks in science, mathematics, and computer science Allyn & Bacon/Longman Publisher of college textbooks, professional information; subject areas are education, social sciences, and humanities Anderson Publishing Company Arnold Publishers…
Publishing Your Teaching Ideas
Tips by MaryAnn Kohl Your Book – the idea – Clearly define your idea Assemble, narrow, and sort material and research Find a system to begin File cards Dummy pages Tape recorder Suggestions from this group Research your unique idea (do not skip this step) Check other books for formats Talk to bookstore owners Talk…
Three Act Structure
Syd Field, author of Screenplay and The Screen Writer’s Workbook, has outlined a paradigm that most screenplays follow. A paradigm is a conceptual scheme. This paradigm is the structure that holds screenplays together. According to Field, screenplays follow a three-act structure, meaning the standard screenplay can be divided into three parts: Setup, Confrontation, and Resolution….
Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy
Hey gang, our new course just came out and it’s already really popular. I guess there was a pent up demand for this subject, as I’ve had many students request it, so we finally put it all together in a mega course that covers everything. As is our promise, we wanted to let existing students…
Molly Builds a Theme Park
I’m pleased to announce the culmination of two year’s work with the publication of our fun, new children’s book, Molly Builds a Theme Park! It turned out to be a much bigger project than we expected, but I think it was worth it. When the circus packs up for the season, the animals quickly grow bored. But…
Writing Great Dialogue
Great dialogue in a novel or screenplay is very different from ordinary conversation. In real conversations, people chatter endlessly and often boringly about nothing. But that’s not something you want to include in your novel! Dialogue in your novel is a form of conflict. As with all conflict, it serves one of two purposes. I…
Learning More About Your Character
One of the best ways to create believable fiction is to structure it around believable characters. But how do you get to know your characters well, and give them the depth of real people? One excellent way is to create a list of everything you know about each major character. I’ve created a form you…
Character Names
Many literary and movie characters have become cultural icons—Atticus Finch, ‘Ratso’ Rizzo, Holden Caulfield and Scarlett O’Hara, for example. A great character name will help make your story clearer and more memorable. The name should also reveal something about your character: who they are, where they come from or where they are going. Here are several tips…