Composition category: 2309 books

“Enjoyable and informative . . . Using this humorously presented book, children will truly improve their styles of writing” (School Library Journal).   Writing “The road was bumpy” is okay . . . but isn’t it more fun to say “It felt like we were riding on square tires”?   This...

A few well-chosen words can elicit smiles, inspire happiness, transform moods, and turn a bad day into a good one. Philosopher William James once said, “The deepest principle in human nature is the desire to be appreciated.” This is a fun, fabulous, reader-friendly book all about compliments-the history of compliments, how to use them, best-loved compliments, and how to take them.

Poetry: A Writers' Guide and Anthologyis a complete introduction to the art and craft of writing poetry. The authors map out more than 25 key elements of poetry including image, lyric, point of view, metaphor, and movement and use these elements as starting points for discussion questions and writing...

Every storyteller has a plan, however vague it is. The writer will start with an idea which may be wrapped around a character, an event or a theme. In the process of developing the idea, the storyteller shapes a framework of sorts. This book provides common frameworks that have been...

**“a masterful book by a master storyteller. ** To think that Elizabeth Ellis' voice could be even more powerful in print than in performance is unimaginable, but here she is in this inspiring and insightful book. She teaches us with humor and generosity, asking that we dig deeper – layer after...

Whether your story is plot-driven or character-driven, characterization is important. Your readers identify and/or empathize with your characters, and that’s what keeps them on the edge of their seats, wanting to know what happens next to your characters. When your reader is apathetic about...

Do you have an idea for a romance story but don’t know where to start? How to Write a Romance Novel will show you how to get ideas, shape them into a story that’s unique and filled with memorable characters. It also covers two crucial aspects of the genre, emotion and sexual tension. Learn how to...

The complete guide to turning romances into cash. Romance novels are the top-selling genre in fiction. How can aspiring writers break into this lucrative field? With Writing the Great American Romance Novel, the most complete guide to writing that novel, getting it published, working with editors,...

Want to write better blurbs? Blurb writing is the most misunderstood task we undertake. Herein, I'll dissect the principles at work behind awesome blurbs, examine the common mistakes, and detail some completed case studies. Once I've shown you the five steps to strengthening the book description,...

Have you dreamt of becoming a thriller writer but not dared to do so because of lack of self-belief, or the necessary time, or both? Are you also a thriller reader who has been disappointed by the sameness and lack of ambition in what you've read? If so, this book will help you create chiller thrillers...

Beethoven's Ninth Symphony has held musical audiences captive for close to two centuries. Few other musical works hold such a prominent place in the collective imagination; each generation rediscovers the work for itself and makes it its own. Honing in on the significance of the symphony in contemporary...

"Hilarious…This book charmed my socks off." —Patricia O’Conner, New York Times Book Review Mary Norris has spent more than three decades working in The New Yorker’s renowned copy department, helping to maintain its celebrated high standards. In Between You & Me, she brings...

A must-have for any student or aspiring writer, this book reviews the fundamentals of good sentence structure: Conventions of writing style change in subtle ways with passing years—a fact that prompts the need for periodic revisions of books like this one. The authors review the fundamentals of...

"Vex, Hex, Smash, Smooch is more than just a writing handbook; it’s a key to unlocking every writer’s innate creativity by offering countless paths to verbal expressiveness." —San Francisco Chronicle Great sentences pivot on great verbs. In Vex, Hex, Smash, Smooch, Constance...