The classic text on writing well, now refreshed and updated—an essential text for writers of all ages. This is the one guide that anyone who writes—whether student, businessperson, or professional writer—should keep on his or her desk. Filled with professional tips and a wealth of instructive examples, 100 Ways to Improve Your Writing can help solve any writing problem. In this compact, easy-to-use volume you'll find the eternal building blocks of good writing—from grammar and punctuation to topic sentences—as well as advice on challenges such as writer's block and creating a strong title. It is a must-have resource—perfect for reading cover to cover, or just for keeping on hand for instant reference—now updated and refreshed for the first time.

Roy Peter Clark, one of America's most influential writing teachers, offers writing lessons we can draw from 25 great texts. Where do writers learn their best moves? They use a technique that Roy Peter Clark calls X-ray reading, a form of reading that lets you penetrate beyond the surface of a text to see how meaning is actually being made. In The Art of X-Ray Reading, Clark invites you to don your X-ray reading glasses and join him on a guided tour through some of the most exquisite and masterful literary works of all time, from The Great Gatsby to Lolita to The Bluest Eye, and many more. Along the way, he shows you how to mine these masterpieces for invaluable writing strategies that you can add to your arsenal and apply in your own writing. Once you've experienced X-ray reading, your writing will never be the same again.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A sharp, funny grammar guide they’ll actually want to read, from Random House’s longtime copy chief and one of Twitter’s leading language gurus NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY O: The Oprah Magazine • Paste • Shelf Awareness “Essential (and delightful!)”—People We all write, all the time: books, blogs, emails. Lots and lots of emails. And we all want to write better. Benjamin Dreyer is here to help. As Random House’s copy chief, Dreyer has upheld the standards of the legendary publisher for more than two decades. He is beloved by authors and editors alike—not to mention his followers on social media—for deconstructing the English language with playful erudition. Now he distills everything he has learned from the myriad books he has copyedited and overseen into a useful guide not just for writers but for everyone who wants to put their best prose foot forward. As authoritative as it is amusing, Dreyer’s English offers lessons on punctuation, from the underloved semicolon to the enigmatic en dash; the rules and nonrules of grammar, including why it’s OK to begin a sentence with “And” or “But” and to confidently split an infinitive; and why it’s best to avoid the doldrums of the Wan Intensifiers and Throat Clearers, including “very,” “rather,” “of course,” and the dreaded “actually.” Dreyer will let you know whether “alright” is all right (sometimes) and even help you brush up on your spelling—though, as he notes, “The problem with mnemonic devices is that I can never remember them.” And yes: “Only godless savages eschew the series comma.” Chockful of advice, insider wisdom, and fun facts, this book will prove to be invaluable to everyone who wants to shore up their writing skills, mandatory for people who spend their time editing and shaping other people’s prose, and—perhaps best of all—an utter treat for anyone who simply revels in language. Praise for Dreyer’s English “Playful, smart, self-conscious, and personal . . . One encounters wisdom and good sense on nearly every page of Dreyer’s English.”—The Wall Street Journal “Destined to become a classic.”—The Millions “Dreyer can help you . . . with tips on punctuation and spelling. . . . Even better: He’ll entertain you while he’s at it.”—Newsday

Do you struggle with research papers for school? Is business writing one of your weak areas? Are you at a loss for what to include in thank-you notes? The Everything Improve Your Writing Book, 2nd Edition can help! With a few simple rules and a little guidance, you, too, can write clearly and concisely. Publishing professional Pamela Rice Hahn outlines simple steps for you to follow for various types of writing, including: Social writing, such as thank-you and get-well notes, congratulatory messages, and invitation responses Journalism, such as letters to the editor, press releases, and freelance article writing Personal and biographical essays Business writing, including sales letters, requests for proposals, and press packets With this practical guide, you'll learn to choose the appropriate tone, use the correct format, and communicate effectively. Whether for school, for work, or just for fun, writing will be a chore no more! Pamela Rice Hahn is the author of The Everything Writing Well Book and Alpha Teach Yourself Grammar and Style in 24 Hours and coauthor of Writing for Profit. Hahn's work has appeared in Glamour, Country Living, Business Venture, Current Notes, and other national publications. She lives in Celina, OH.

“A master of the short story” discusses every aspect of the writing process, from story structure to staying focused, in this candid essay collection (Booklist). Ron Carlson’s short stories have been featured in The New Yorker, Harper’s Magazine, and elsewhere, while his numerous collections have won critical acclaim. In this series of personal essays, Carlson explores his own process, inviting the reader to watch over his shoulder as he creates the short story “The Governor’s Ball.” “This is the story of a story,” Carlson tells us. But as he crafts a tale, he also offers practical advice for writers, covering everything from the first glimmer of an idea to the final sentence. Carlson urges the writer to refuse the outside distractions—a second cup of coffee, a troll through the dictionary—and attend to the necessity of uncertainty, the pleasures of an unfolding story. “The Governor’s Ball”—included in its entirety—serves as a fascinating illustration of the detailed anatomy of a short story.

This guide aims to improve the quality and effectiveness of writing. Designed for writers at any level, the emphasis is on planning and editing rather than learning grammatical rules. The guidance notes cover all the basic essentials, including ideas, structure, layout, presentation and how to write more fluently. For computer users, its shows how to get the best from the word-processor, and covers electronic writing on the Internet. The book also contains suggestions for further reading.

Learn how to get what you want. Learn how to increase your conversion rates. Learn how to make it easier to write anything (using formulas and mind-hacks). The information inside has turned keystrokes from my fingers, into millions of dollars in sales. Some of the concepts inside have been able to turn a poor man, into a rich man, by simply re-arranging some words on a page.

Author and former literary agent Nathan Bransford shares his secrets for creating killer plots, fleshing out your first ideas, crafting compelling characters, and staying sane in the process. Read the guide that New York Times bestselling author Ransom Riggs called "The best how-to-write-a-novel book I've read."

“[Vonnegut] at his wildest best.”—The New York Times Book Review Eliot Rosewater—drunk, volunteer fireman, and President of the fabulously rich Rosewater Foundation—is about to attempt a noble experiment with human nature . . . with a little help from writer Kilgore Trout. God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater is Kurt Vonnegut’s funniest satire, an etched-in-acid portrayal of the greed, hypocrisy, and follies of the flesh we are all heir to. “A brilliantly funny satire on almost everything.”—Conrad Aiken “[Vonnegut was] our finest black humorist. . . . We laugh in self-defense.”—The Atlantic Monthly

The classic text on writing well, now refreshed and updated—an essential text for writers of all ages. This is the one guide that anyone who writes—whether student, businessperson, or professional writer—should keep on his or her desk. Filled with professional tips and a wealth of instructive examples, 100 Ways to Improve Your Writing can help solve any writing problem. In this compact, easy-to-use volume you'll find the eternal building blocks of good writing—from grammar and punctuation to topic sentences—as well as advice on challenges such as writer's block and creating a strong title. It is a must-have resource—perfect for reading cover to cover, or just for keeping on hand for instant reference—now updated and refreshed for the first time.