Non-Fiction Books

Writing page-turning fiction depends on your ability to create rock-solid, believable scenes. Scenes act as dynamic structures that thrust both your characters and readers forward through conflict, baiting them with goals that may–or may not–be obtained. Writing good scenes makes the difference between a tale that crackles with energy and momentum and a story that falls flat. In Novelist's Essential Guide to Crafting Scenes , Raymond Obstfeld leads you through the creation process, examining all the elements that go into making scenes successful, cohesive and compelling. Tackling topics like finding a scene's "hot spot," identifying its dominating purpose and avoiding a cliched ending, Obstfeld provides essential reading for novice and novelist alike. Using examples from film, short stories, and best-selling fiction, he documents why and how scenes work. You'll learn: what is (and isn't) a scene how to make scenes memorable how to use point of view how to focus on character, plot and theme how to make scenes pay off how to structure a scene how to use setting how to revise a scene the importance of first impressions Every page of Novelist's Essential Guide to Crafting Scenes opens a new window of opportunity for writers by offering valuable insight, articulate advice and expert examples. It's a reference, a road map and a romp, all rolled into one. So go on–make a scene. And make it unforgettable.

Every writer struggles with trouble spots in their manuscript that "just aren't working." Fiction First Aid shows you how seemingly fatal errors can become both manageable and fixable. Novice and more experienced writers alike will appreciate the Fiction First Aid's techniques for identifying and revising weaknesses in their work. It shows how to repair wounded manuscripts through easy-to-follow steps, patterned after those found in a typical first aid manual: 1) Diagnose the problem 2) Suggest specific remedies 3) Prescribe therapies to avoid the problem in the future It couldn't be easier!

Provides over one hundred descriptions of occupations that can be used for writing fiction, detailing the daily life, jargon, and salaries of such fields as dentistry, entertainment, law, and arechitecture.

A sweeping look back at the protest movements that changed America from activist and NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, with personal and historical insights into lessons they can teach us today “A compelling case for standing up for justice at a time when everything, it seems, is on the line.”—Henry Louis Gates, Jr. For many, it can feel like change takes too long, and it might seem that we have not moved very far. But political activist Kareem Abdul-Jabbar believes that public protest is a vital part of affecting change, even if that change doesn’t come “right now.” In We All Want to Change the World, he examines the activism of people of all ages, ethnicities, and socio-economic backgrounds that helped change America, documenting events from the Free Speech Movement through the movement for civil rights, the fight for women’s and LGBTQ rights, and, of course, the protests against the Vietnam War. At a time in our history when we are witnessing protests across campuses, within the labor movement, and following the killing of George Floyd, Abdul-Jabbar reminds us that protests are a lifeblood of our history: “Protest movements, even peaceful ones, are never popular at first. . . . But there is a reason protest gatherings have been so frequent throughout history: They are effective. The United States exists because of them.” Part history lesson and part personal reminiscences of his own activism, We All Want to Change the World will resonate with anyone who recognizes the need for social change and is willing to do the work to make it happen.