Never dread a synopsis again! Pam McCutcheon, multi-published author and acclaimed guru of the synopsis, guides you step-by-step through the process of creating the synopsis you need to understand your novel and market your manuscript. Updated and revised, this second edition is organized as an interactive workbook using extensive examples and worksheets to help you create and understand: What a synopsis is and why you need one What to put in your synopsis, what to leave out, and why How to include plot and character development in your synopsis How to add tone, mood, and considerations important to your genre Three methods to start your synopsis The key to a good synopsis How to write a back cover blurb How to use the plotting board to build your synopsis "Bravo! Pam McCutcheon has decoded the synopsis! Writing the Fiction Synopsis is packed with useful information helpful to both the professional and novice writer. I wish I'd had this informative book years ago. Writing the Fiction Synopsis is a must-have tool for all writers. Pam McCutcheon has given a writers a cure for the synopsis headache." -- Maggie Osborne, award-winning author of more than 40 books "I'd been to Pam McCutcheon's online workshop on synopsis and found it really helpful, so I bought this book, too. (Watch out everyone, I'm going to gush.) This is by far the best book I've ever seen on writing a synopsis!! And like you and many others, I've gone nuts trying to get my synopsis to say what it needs to say in an interesting and concise way without making it a yawner. I'm also one of those authors who writes a rough synopsis as a road map after I've written about 3 chapters of a book to keep me on track. This book makes it so easy. If you buy one book on writing a synopsis, buy this one." -- Lisa Mondello, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author "Writing the Fiction Synopsis is destined to be a classic!" -- Karen Fox, RITA-nominated romance author

Captivate the hearts and minds of young adult readers! Writing for young adult (YA) and middle grade (MG) audiences isn't just "kid's stuff" anymore--it's kidlit! The YA and MG book markets are healthier and more robust than ever, and that means the competition is fiercer, too. In Writing Irresistible Kidlit, literary agent Mary Kole shares her expertise on writing novels for young adult and middle grade readers and teaches you how to: • Recognize the differences between middle grade and young adult audiences and how it impacts your writing. • Tailor your manuscript's tone, length, and content to your readership. • Avoid common mistakes and cliches that are prevalent in YA and MG fiction, in respect to characters, story ideas, plot structure and more. • Develop themes and ideas in your novel that will strike emotional chords. Mary Kole's candid commentary and insightful observations, as well as a collection of book excerpts and personal insights from bestselling authors and editors who specialize in the children's book market, are invaluable tools for your kidlit career. If you want the skills, techniques, and know-how you need to craft memorable stories for teens and tweens, Writing Irresistible Kidlit can give them to you.

This intensely practical and funny guide will take you through everything you need to do write a book to be proud of in 2020. You'll learn to write a novel, children's book, or narrative non-fiction that will remain true to your artistic vision and be strong enough to sell. 'Best book on writing I have ever read' -- Lovely Rita, Amazon reviewer So: you want to write a book. That means you'll need to learn how to find the market you'll be writing for and how to plan your novel. Know what works and what doesn't and identify the 'outstanding' from the 'good' ideas. You'll need to know how to plot like the experts: learn about all the plotting methods open to you, and which one suits you and your writing style. You'll also want to know who your characters are and why they're the way they are. You'll need to know about character arcs and character development, so that you can create dazzling characters that'll leave your readers captivated. But none of that will mean anything, if you haven't developed your prose style. This is what separates 'people who like to write' and 'writers.' So, you'll need to learn how to handle technicalities like point of view, tense, omniscience, writing with clarity, and the art of showing-not-telling. And, because you're a writer whose just created a world filled with evocative characters and excellent descriptions of place, you'll also need to know how to edit. Really edit your manuscript so that it's ready for publication. Oh, and yes, you'll need experience. This book is written by someone who knows what he's talking about. With 20+ years as a published and bestselling author, Harry has helped thousands of writers on their journey to publication (as boss of Jericho Writers). And look: there are plenty of writing manuals out there, but with this book Harry will be with you from the very first sentence to the last full stop. Offering you actionable advice with real-life examples, all with the aim to help you write a book to be proud of. From one writer to another - good luck. Table of contents: Introduction Part one: Planning 1 What is Your Market? 2 What is Your Plan? 3 What is Your Plot? 4 Who Are Your Characters? 5 What is Your Stage and Where is Your Camera? 6 Who Are You? 7 Some Common Mistakes Part two: Prose Style 8 Clarity 9 Economy 10 Clichés: A Field Guide 11 Precision 12 Some Technicalities 13 Little Flashes of Genius 14 Tone Part three: Character 15 Show, Telling, and The Riddle of Character 16 Finding Edge 17 The World of Interiors 18 Faces, Bodies, Mirrors 19 Meetings 20 Empathy Part four: Placing the Camera 21 First-Person, Third-Person 22 One, Few, or Many 23 Up Close, Far Out, and The Myth of Omniscience 24 Past or Present? 25 The Time Traveller's Reader 26 Madmen, Liars and Rogues 27 Irony Part five: Story 28 The Classic Plot 29 The Mystery Plot 30 The Literary Plot 31 Perspectives From Film 32 Diagnosing Your Plot Problems Part six: Scenes and Chapters 33 The Scene 34 The Scene That Isn't 35 The Chapter Part seven: Towards Perfection 36 Themes 37 Editing Your Manuscript 38 Getting Help Conclusion About Jericho Writers Bingham has been published by the three largest trade publishers in the world, has sold in every major market on the planet, has been on bestseller lists, has been prize long- and short-listed, and has had his work adapted for TV. His work has also received a considerable amount of critical acclaim.

“One of the most anticipated YA debuts of 2018, Brightly Burning is a gothic, romantic mystery with hints of Jane Eyre, Marissa Meyer, and Kiera Cass.” —Entertainment Weekly “Brightly Burning delivers a brooding gothic mystery and a swoony romance, all set in space. Donne’s atmospheric, twisty update of a cherished classic will keep you up late into the night!” —Elly Blake, NYT bestselling author of the Frostblood Saga Stella Ainsley leaves poverty behind when she quits her engineering job aboard the Stalwart to become a governess on a private ship. On the Rochester, there’s no water ration, more books than one person could devour in a lifetime, and an AI who seems more friend than robot. But no one warned Stella that the ship seems to be haunted, nor that it may be involved in a conspiracy that could topple the entire interstellar fleet. Surrounded by mysteries, Stella finds her equal in the brooding but kind nineteen-year-old Captain Hugo. When several attempts on his life spark more questions than answers, and the beautiful Bianca Ingram appears at Hugo’s request, his unpredictable behavior causes Stella’s suspicions to mount. Without knowing who to trust, Stella must decide whether to follow her head or her heart. Alexa Donne’s lush and enthralling reimagining of the classic Jane Eyre, set among the stars, will seduce and beguile you.

Learn the craft of effective storytelling with the Writers' & Artists' Guide to How to Write. Novelist William Ryan introduces the techniques needed to construct, craft and draft a novel. He provides tried-and-tested examples and details on what to consider when writing for any audience, across any genre. Each chapter tackles a key aspect of the writing process, including how to: structure a novel, develop central and subsidiary characters, create atmosphere and tension, write punchy dialogue and pacey scenes. This is the perfect guide for any writer looking for clear and informed advice on getting their ideas on to the page from the bestselling and trusted creative writing brand.

The Snowflake Method-ten battle-tested steps that jump-start your creativity and help you quickly map out your story.

A New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice "Inferno is a disturbing and masterfully told memoir, but it’s also an important one that pushes back against powerful taboos. . ." --The New York Times Book Review "Explosive" --Good Morning America "Sublime" --Bookpage (starred review) When Catherine Cho and her husband set off from London to introduce their newborn son to family scattered across the United States, she could not have imagined what lay in store. Before the trip’s end, she develops psychosis, a complete break from reality, which causes her to lose all sense of time and place, including what is real and not real. In desperation, her husband admits her to a nearby psychiatric hospital, where she begins the hard work of rebuilding her identity. In this unwaveringly honest, insightful, and often shocking memoir Catherine reconstructs her sense of self, starting with her childhood as the daughter of Korean immigrants, moving through a traumatic past relationship, and on to the early years of her courtship with and marriage to her husband, James. She masterfully interweaves these parts of her past with a vivid, immediate recounting of the days she spent in the ward. The result is a powerful exploration of psychosis and motherhood, at once intensely personal, yet holding within it a universal experience – of how we love, live and understand ourselves in relation to each other.

Struggling to find new readers? Learn how a compelling synopsis can make your book fly off the digital shelves! Do you hate writing blurbs? Do you wish there was an easier way to summarize your novel and get more sales in the process? Author and copywriter Bryan Cohen's book descriptions have hit both the Kindle Store's Top 50 and the USA Today Bestseller list. Let him show you exactly how to craft the copy you need to hook new readers. After writing hundreds of book descriptions for other authors and helping thousands with informative training, Bryan has learned what all the best book synopses have in common. Through easy-to-follow tips and helpful examples in a variety of genres, How to Write a Sizzling Synopsis gives you the tools you need to get a steady stream of online book browsers to click the Buy button every single day. In this book, you'll discover: How to simplify your plot to create a short, engaging synopsis Why using certain words can make customers fall in love with your story How to shed unnecessary subplots and make writing your blurb a joy instead of a chore The step-by-step system for writing and editing your synopsis for rhythm, momentum, and clarity Why you need a synopsis cliffhanger, and much, much more! Finally, you no longer have to take on the challenge of copywriting alone. With a more intriguing synopsis in place, all your future promotions, ads, and marketing campaigns can perform significantly better. You want more readers to buy your books, and Bryan's system is a great way to make it a reality. If you like detailed writing guides, plenty of examples, and a touch of humor, then you'll love Bryan Cohen's look behind the scenes at how he creates copy that sells. Buy How to Write a Sizzling Synopsis today to get new readers excited to buy your books!

A step-by-step guide to crafting a compelling scholarly book proposal—and seeing your book through to successful publication The scholarly book proposal may be academia’s most mysterious genre. You have to write one to get published, but most scholars receive no training on how to do so—and you may have never even seen a proposal before you’re expected to produce your own. The Book Proposal Book cuts through the mystery and guides prospective authors step by step through the process of crafting a compelling proposal and pitching it to university presses and other academic publishers. Laura Portwood-Stacer, an experienced developmental editor and publishing consultant for academic authors, shows how to select the right presses to target, identify audiences and competing titles, and write a project description that will grab the attention of editors—breaking the entire process into discrete, manageable tasks. The book features over fifty time-tested tips to make your proposal stand out; sample prospectuses, a letter of inquiry, and a response to reader reports from real authors; optional worksheets and checklists; answers to dozens of the most common questions about the scholarly publishing process; and much, much more. Whether you’re hoping to publish your first book or you’re a seasoned author with an unfinished proposal languishing on your hard drive, The Book Proposal Book provides honest, empathetic, and invaluable advice on how to overcome common sticking points and get your book published. It also shows why, far from being merely a hurdle to clear, a well-conceived proposal can help lead to an outstanding book.