The Elements of Style

This is the braille version of the timeless reference book. According to the St. Louis Dispatch, this "excellent book, which should go off to college with every freshman, is recognized as the best book of its kind we have." It should be the ". . . daily companion of anyone who writes for a living and, for that matter, anyone who writes at all" (Greensboro Daily New). "No book in shorter space, with fewer words, will help any writer more than this persistent little volume" (The Boston Globe). Two volumes in braille. --Book Description.

Creating Short Fiction

Creating Short Fiction offers no-nonsense instructions on structure, pacing, dialogue, and working with the unconscious, including excellent examples and effective exercises. Updated for the 1990s, this book is a timeless classic that brims with priceless advice for anyone interested in writing short stories.

2002 Writer's Market: 8,000 Editors Who...

Kirsten Holm's door-stoppingly thick Writer's Market provides about the best bang for your buck if you're looking to place your writing. The 2002 edition boasts listings for 1,100 book publishers, 1,900 magazines, 700 contests and awards, and 75 agents interested in the work of new writers. You'll also find insider reports on writing for pet magazines, women's magazines, and sports magazines; articles on public relations writing, script treatment, e-queries, pay rates, and online markets (including a primer on "the only HTML you actually need to know"). And finally, Greg Daugherty spills the beans on the best ways to get great ideas for articles. First among them: "Take a lot of showers." --Jane Steinberg

2002 Guide to Literary Agents (Guide to...

Put your writing career on the fast track! You need an agent who can get your fiction, nonfiction or screenplay into the hands of the people who can make your dreams come true, and the 2002 Guide to Literary Agents will help you find the right one. Here's all the names, addresses and guidelines you need, including contact information for over 500 literary agencies, 120 conferences and 30 freelance publicists. The book's easy-to-reference icons and indexes help you to quickly, easily and correctly locate the agent best suited to represent your work. Look inside and you'll find samples of actual query letters, guidelines for hiring a freelance publicist, strategies for getting the best agent and more. Special "Insider Reports" provide you with access to the advice and opinions of the people who know how the industry works. You'll also learn more about fees, market research and electronic rights. With more agent listings than any other reference, 2002 Guide to Literary Agents is the right choice that can change your life right now. "This volume couldn't be better, this is a guide that should be on your desk." --Writer's Carousel

2002 Novel & Short Story Writers Market...

If you write fiction, the 2002 Novel & Short Story Writer's Market is the first, crucial step to your publishing success. Inside you'll find completely updated market entries for book publishers, magazines, literary agents, contests and script houses, plus brand new information on e-publishers, including interviews with industry experts, editors of e-magazines and more! Whether you write literary short stories or whodunit mysteries, other-worldly science fiction or passionate romance, each listing provides you with all the information you need to reach those people who can get your work in print. "One of the best guides to fiction writer's markets available." --American Reference Book Annual

On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to...

Whether you write an occasional professional letter or a daily newspaper column, William Zinsser's On Writing Well should be required reading. Simplicity is Zinsser's mantra: he preaches a stripped-down writing style, strong and clear. He has no patience for excess (most use of adjectives and adverbs, he writes, just adds clutter) or tired phraseology (for instance, he'd like to outlaw all leads involving those "future archaeologists" most often found "stumbl[ing] upon the remains of our civilization"). He recommends that all writers of nonfiction read their work aloud (don't commit something to paper that you wouldn't actually say) and write under the assumption that "the reader knows nothing" (not to be confused with assuming the reader's an idiot). In addition to the chapters on the expected--usage, audience, interviews, leads--Zinsser also focuses on such trouble spots as science and technical writing, business writing, sports, and humor. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

How to Say It: Choice Words, Phrases,...

The best-selling How to Say It® is now better than ever. The second edition of this one-of-a-kind book has been updated with ten new chapters-that’s fifty chapters in all-offering readers even more material for quickly and effortlessly constructing original, effective letters. How to Say It® provides short lists of what to say, and sometimes more importantly, what not to say when writing business or personal letters. It begins with examples of why and when certain letters are appropriate, tips on writing the letter, and advice for special situations. It then offers sample words and phases for each type of correspondence, as well as examples of sentences and paragraphs that are best suited for the task. Finally, it provides full sample letters giving readers a sense of what to look for in the final product. Includes appendices offering tips on etiquette, formatting, and grammar.

Writing for Children and Teenagers

The Chicago Manual of Style: The...

The Chicago Manual of Style has set the editorial standard since 1906, providing consistent, systematic guidelines for writers, editors, proofreaders, indexers, copywriters, and publishers. With meticulous attention to usage--in punctuation, documentation, foreign languages, indexes, design, and typography--University of Chicago Press offers a reliable anchor of accuracy in a world chaotic with choices, variations, and egregious errors. The 14th edition of the manual, published in 1993, is a great improvement on their last tome of excellence, with nearly 200 additional pages reflecting the significant changes in style, usage, procedure, and technology since their last effort in 1982. Reorganized and revised for greater accessibility, it's the last word for those who work with words.

Oxford Fowler's Modern English Usage...

A standard reference work throughout the English-speaking world, this work is remarkable not only for the completeness of its information but for the wit and common sense with which it has been compiled.

Style: Toward Clarity and Grace (Chicago...

This acclaimed book is a master teacher's tested program for turning clumsy prose into clear, powerful, and effective writing. A logical, expert, easy-to-use plan for achieving excellence in expression, Style offers neither simplistic rules nor endless lists of dos and don'ts. Rather, Joseph Williams explains how to be concise, how to be focused, how to be organized. Filled with realistic examples of good, bad, and better writing, and step-by-step strategies for crafting a sentence or organizing a paragraph, Style does much more than teach mechanics: it helps anyone who must write clearly and persuasively transform even the roughest of drafts into a polished work of clarity, coherence, impact, and personality.

A Dictionary of Modern American Usage

OK, all you grammarians out there--here's a book to make sure you're saying it right. A Dictionary of Modern American Usage by Bryan Garner is a lively 700-page compendium of good grammar tempered (but not tainted) by common practice. --Parade

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers

There's not much of the old-style editing going on at publishing houses today. Renni Browne, veteran of William Morrow and other publishers, founded the Editorial Department in 1980 to teach fiction writers the techniques professional editors (many of whom have gone independent) use to prepare a manuscript for publication. In this book, she and senior editor Dave King share their accumulated expertise in a series of brilliantly compact lessons. One page from their simply and markedly improved version of a scene from The Great Gatsby alone would make a compelling advertisement for their techniques. Very highly recommended. --MTB

2002 Poet's Market: 1,800 Places to...

Poetry brings words to life with truth and passion unequaled by ordinary fiction. It awakens the senses, evokes powerful moods and moments in time. Get your poetry published with 2002 Poet's Market! It helps define and direct your efforts with listings for more than 1,800 book, journal and magazine publishers and editors. You'll also find information on grants, conferences, workshops, contests and more. The book's quick-reference symbols and indexes make it easy to pinpoint the most promising opportunities for your work. 2002 Poet's Market also provides insights from some of the most talented, creative minds in the field: Leah Maines explains how to promote yourself and your work. Robin Travis-Murphree examines poetry on the Internet and offers tips for electronic submissions. Joseph Enzweiler shares his thoughts on the benefits and challenges of solitary living and writing. Poet/essayist Jane Hirshfield discusses exploring the human experience through poetry. Plus you'll get profiles of some of the best contemporary poets, including David Wojahn, Cynthia Huntington and Beth Gylys, as well as Cave Canem, the groundbreaking African American poetry workshop. "A winning combination for poets who want to break into print." --American Reference Book Annual

Poemcrazy: Freeing Your Life With Words

Poemcrazy is the poetic analog to Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird or Natalie Goldberg's Writing Down the Bones, two classic works on how to forget that you "can't write" and just start the pen moving. Susan Wooldridge is a swimming instructor in the wide ocean of language, encouraging us to move ever farther from the shore, dive deep, and dance on the waves.

Line by Line : How to Edit Your Own...

Like having an editor at one's elbow, this guide makes clear writing easy to achieve, demonstrating practical and applicable techniques for achieving the final, critical step in writing. --Ingram

The Science of Science Fiction Writing

Incredible! The Science of Science Fiction Writing is a sheer delight; this book could not have been better. James Gunn, longtime historian and participant in the world of science fiction, has also been one of it's biggest cheerleaders. Now he has put his 30 year plus experience into this truly exceptional book. Professor Gunn's book gives an overview of the science fiction field, a detailed history, and personally profiles some of the biggest names in the genre. While this in itself would be sufficient, more than half the book is dedicated to the writing of science fiction (or any type of fiction). Unlike most books of this type, Gunn is remarkably entertaining in his teachings, and his enthusiasm for the subject richly shines through on every page. Stephen King's latest book, On Writing, is another great book on the subject, yet it doesn't come close to Gunn's absorbing prose, or his ability to teach what he knows to others. This is one hell of a book, one you will find yourself returning to again and again. Thank you James Gunn! –Mike Selby

Writing from Life: Telling Your Soul's...

Writing from Life is from the Tarcher/Putnam series of Inner Work Books, which also spawned The Artist's Way. Written specifically for women, Writing from Life offers a framework (and a generous amount of encouragement and kindling) for writing, chapter by chapter, about the various aspects of your life. Start with your own birth, Susan Wittig Albert recommends: ask anyone who might remember it to recount it for you; go to the library and find out what kind of world you were born into. By book's end you will have delved into your shiniest glories, your darkest days, your deepest secrets, and your most mundane moments. You will have written about (and thus discovered how you feel about) your family and soul mates, journeys you have taken, places you have called home, and causes that motivate you. Inspiring quotes, mostly by women, are strewn throughout, and each chapter concludes with a meditation and suggestions for celebrating its completion.

The Business Style Handbook: An A-to-Z...

In the everyday work world, most professionals are on their own when it comes to writing reports, memos, proposals, and other necessary correspondence. The Business Style Handbook is a practical and comprehensive guide that focuses specifically on the writing issues that frequently arise on the job. Insights and feedback from Fortune 500 communications executives provide tips and advice on improving writing style and effectiveness, while more than 1,200 alphabetized entries cover the essentials of style and usage, grammatical concepts, and more.

The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations