Million Dollar Writing Books
All successful writers use resonance to enhance their stories by drawing power from stories that came before, by resonating with their readers' experiences, and by resonating within their own works.In this book, you'll learn exactly what resonance is and how to use it to make your stories more powerful. You'll see how it is used in literature and other art forms, and how one writer, J. R. R. Tolkien, mastered it in his work.
As lead judge of L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future Contest, David Farland is a literary gatekeeper who knows writing can be taught. A NYT bestselling author himself, Farland has taught dozens of writers who have gone on to staggering literary success. A few include such #1 New York Times Bestsellers as James Dashner (The Maze Runner); Brandon Mull (Fablehaven); Brandon Sanderson (The Way of Kings); and Stephenie Meyer (Twilight). When writers languish in a pile of rejections and failed book launches, Farland sees what they are blind to--not one but many, many valid pathways forward, and an end goal that reaches far beyond publication, but to a stable career of ever growing literary success. In this book, Dave teaches how to analyze an audience and frame a novel to appeal to the widest possible readership, elevating its potential to achieve bestseller status. The tools found in his unconventional approach will help you understand why so many of his authors go on to prominence.
Life is crazy and hectic for most of us. We’re surrounded with personal and family obligations, jobs, fitness programs, virtual mountains of email, not to mention videogames, TV, smartphones, social networking, and millions of things to check out on the web.With all those distractions, how does an aspiring author find time to write? And when you do find the time, how do you make the most of it?Award-winning and #1 international bestselling author Kevin J. Anderson is one of the most prolific authors in the business. He has published over 125 novels—an average of five novels a year, every year, for the past quarter century. Anderson has taught numerous writing seminars and lectured on productivity, and here he shares his tips on how to find the time to write, and how to make the most of that time.
Since the 1990s, bestsellers Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta have helped thousands and thousands of writers to develop the mindset of career professionals. Million Dollar Professionalism for the Writer presents lessons learned from the authors’ decades of experience in publishing. They offer advice on working with publishers, editors, booksellers, and fellow authors, and using persistence and reliability to find continued work in the industry. Their tips cover professional courtesy, building a network of colleagues, reading contracts, meeting deadlines (and the domino-effect consequences of missing them), dealing with critics, and how to earn and maintain a reputation as a true professional.
A veteran writer presents his personal account of being in the trenches of the television industry, offering advice and tactics for aspiring scriptwriters. Steven L. Sears has had a successful career in film and television encompassing over thirty years of involvement at all levels. From his beginnings as a staff writer on the hit NBC show The A-Team , to Co-Executive Producer on the hit series Xena-Warrior Princess for MCA/Universal, creator and Executive Producer of Sheena for Sony/TriStar Television, and many pilot and development deals with the major studios and production companies, he has amassed a huge amount of experience and knowledge about the inner workings of the entertainment industry. In The Non-User-Friendly Guide for Aspiring Television Writers , he shares that experience and gives advice for those considering a career in television writing. Instead of the traditional academic and sterile approach, Steven answers questions from a personal, first person perspective. The questions have been culled from the real world, people seeking out his advice and looking for the experience that most books don’t have. Some of what he writes about are hard and difficult facts to accept about the business. Other times it’s his opinion based on his vast experience. But all of it is unsweetened and direct. Even if you don’t like his answers, he will certainly make you think hard about your approach and choices when pursuing a career in an extremely difficult industry. As a result, you will be better prepared to achieve the success that he has had. Accessible, personable, and relaxed, “It’s like having lunch with Steven and asking him questions about the business. Without having to watch him eat.”
International bestseller Anderson has created many extensive fictional universes, ranging from sweeping galactic empires to complex steampunk fantasies, to humorous monster-filled cities. He has become known for his skill in worldbuilding.In Worldbuilding: From Small Towns to Entire Universes he describes his techniques in creating a rich fictional setting, leading writers through the countless questions and topics one must consider. Whether it’s geography, climate, politics, economics, society, religion, science, arts, or history, all of these ingredients form the basis for a believable setting for your story to unfold.
Attending your first convention as a professional writer? Don’t know what opportunities are out there for you? How do you get invited? How do you approach editors? How do you deal with fans who love your book and those who haven’t read it yet? Jody Lynn Nye and Bill Fawcett have answers to the questions you don’t even know you have. From how to approach a convention committee to how to handle yourself on panels and signings, this book will give you an expert’s perspective on how to make the most of a convention.
Two New York Times –bestselling authors use personal experiences to teach how to work with a writing partner and what problems you may encounter. In a creative project, are two heads better than one? Writing partnerships can produce a remarkable synergy, building on each other’s talents to create work unlike anything the individual authors could do alone. On the other hand, unsuccessful collaboration can be disastrous and has ruined many a friendship. Kevin J. Anderson has worked on numerous novels and stories with dozens of collaborators, and many of those projects have become bestsellers and award winners. Rebecca Moesta has written books and stories with numerous other writers. In this in-depth book Anderson and Moesta describe various collaboration methods with frank recollections of their own experiences. You’ll learn collaborative techniques that will suit any sort of writer, as well as the pitfalls you may encounter. Includes a sample collaboration agreement to adapt to your own needs.
Avoid the mistakes that keep your manuscript unread and unpublished, from the New York Times –bestselling author. “Dear Author, Your story does not meet our needs at this time . . .” You know your story is good, but still it was rejected. Over and over again. What are you doing wrong? Are the odds against you? How can an author climb to the top of a pile of competing manuscripts and actually catch an editor’s attention? By avoiding the common pitfalls and mistakes detailed in this book, you can significantly increase your manuscript’s chances of making it out of the slush pile, and start turning those rejections into acceptances—and contracts.