Amazon.com
"There are now not enough commercial magazines regularly publishing literary fiction to count on the fingers of a single hand," says Rust Hills. So why bother writing literary short stories, or books about doing so? Because, says Hills, a longtime fiction editor at Esquire, "what young writers want to write, or ought to want to write, is literature." In Writing in General and the Short Story in Particular, Hills examines "the essential techniques of fiction and how they function." The short story is a tricky form, with no margin for error: "The successful contemporary short story," says Hills, "will demonstrate a more harmonious relationship of all its aspects than will any other literary art form, excepting perhaps lyric poetry." Many of the fictional elements discussed in this book will not be new to most fiction writers. We know that stories must have beginnings, middles, and ends; we know about epiphany and suspense and stock characters. But Hills claims that much of how we look at fiction derives from drama theory and from the formulas of "slick fiction" (fiction that once served the purpose mindless television now serves). Learned but not pedantic, Hills addresses these elements strictly in terms of literary short fiction.

An interesting side note here is Hills's discussion of the shift in support for American writers. "It is no longer the book publishers and magazines," he says, "but rather the colleges and universities that ... provide the major financial support for the great majority of American writers today." Given that, we might find it odd that this book comes from a man best known for his magazine editing. But we shouldn't. "Teaching fiction writing and editing magazine fiction have ... the same rather odd ultimate purpose in common: trying to get someone else to produce a fine short story." One caveat emptor: our copy of this edition fell quite apart upon our first, gentle reading of it. --Jane Steinberg Book Description
Here is a practical guide to writing short stories that explains all the essential techniques of fiction - from character and plot to flashback and foreshadowing - in a way that is both understandable and useful to the beginning writer. Long considered a classic in the field, WRITING IN GENERAL is the product of a lifetime of reflection by one of our best literary minds. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Finally, a book on plot
Written for short story writers, this literary book gave me a lot to think about.There are many good writing guides on description, character, dialogue, etc., but none had addressed my struggles with plot.Originally published in 1977.

Disparaging cynicism
Writing in General and the Short Story in Particular' is directed at writers rather than readers. Yet in the introduction, Hills says "Everyone seems to know that, even those thousands all across the country sitting in creative writing workshops right this minute, either being paid to do the impossible or paying to have it done to them." (P. Viii).

This sentence is typical of Rust's writing. It is riddled with long, meandering sentences, that often start with 'And' or 'But', have parenthesis in the middle, and are often incomplete. They choke the enthusiasm of the reader like indigestible food.

The book has nearly 60 paragraphs in its 200 pages. Short stucco and poorly linked, they irritate the readers eye like dust from a sand storm. The book's structure does not appear to reflect the structure or skills of writing. The content is often repetitious. If a 'How to.." book has value then it will become a reference for writers. For that it needs an index.

Everyone knows that if a writer has a good story to tell, then the reader will often forgive the writing to gain the story. Especially a reader seeking to learn. Hills does not have a story worth the effort. All that he has to say can be found in a number of excellent texts 'on writing' some like King's 'On writing' are also also entertaining. "Writing ....the Short Story in Particular' contains little that is of help for that particularly.

"Even then," writes Rust "it wouldn't be a short story. I don't know what it would be." (P.81). The disparaging sentiment of the introduction is a theme continued throughout the book. If the lesson of Rust's years of editing short stories is that creative writing cannot be taught, then what was the point in Rust putting pen to paper to writers?

just Jack

Best in field
Once read, twice read, an aspiring writer of short stories (or other) will not be needing another how-to book of its ilk.

Covers a lot in a slim volume
I think I've read all I need to know or want to know for now on writing the literary short story. I learnt a lot from this book and liked the way Hills talks straight about the high-flown stuff. I found that his commentary was based a little too much on Henry James--for, against, etc. And in one too many areas I was irritated by his saying one thing and saying that the contrary works, too.

The reading is sometimes arduous, but mostly it's worth reading this book and absorbing all the advice and good inputs that a writer may never receive otherwise.

How did this guy get a book deal?
Hey, if this guy can do it, you too can get published. That's about the only thing I learned from this book. This rambling, disjointed, poorly-organized guide on how to write is really no help at all. ... Read more

Book Description
Ferdinand de Saussure's Cours de linguistique generale was posthumously composed by his students from the notes they had made at his lectures. The book became one of the most influential works of the twentieth century, giving direction to modern linguistics and inspiration to literary and cultural theory. Before he died Saussure told friends he was writing up the lectures himself but no evidence of this was found. Eighty years later in 1996 a manuscript in Saussure's hand was discovered in the orangerie of his family house in Geneva. This proved to be the missing original of the great work. It is published now in English for the first time in an edition edited by Simon Bouquet and Rudolf Engler, and translated and introduced by Carol Sanders and Matthew Pires, all leading Saussure scholars. The book includes an earlier discovered manuscript on the philosophy of language, Saussure's own notes for lectures, and a comprehensive bibliography of major work on Saussure from 1970 to 2004. It is remarkable that for eighty years the understanding of Saussure's thought has depended on an incomplete and non-definitive text, the sometimes aphoristic formulations of which gave rise to many creative interpretations and arguments for and against Saussure. Did he, or did he not, see language as a-social and a-historical?Did he, or did he not, rule out the study of speech within linguistics? Was he a reductionist? These disputes and many others can now be resolved on basis of the work now published. This reveals new depth and subtetly in Saussure's thoughts on the nature and complex workings of language, particularly his famous binary oppositions between form and meaning, the sign and what is signified, and language (langue) and its performance (parole). ... Read more

Amazon.com
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.Book Description

On Writing Well has been praised for its sound advice, its clarity and the warmth of its style. It is a book for everybody who wants to learn how to write or who needs to do some writing to get through the day, as almost everybody does in the age of e-mail and the Internet. Whether you want to write about people or places, science and technology, business, sports, the arts or about yourself in the increasingly popular memoir genre, On Writing Well offers you fundamental priciples as well as the insights of a distinguished writer and teacher. With more than a million copies sole, this volume has stood the test of time and remains a valuable resource for writers and would-be writers.

Customer Reviews (139)

Well.. It is well written
This book was recommended in a video about promoting ones self for a small business.I think the book is an easy read and is really fun to read.I have a way to go still, but I can tell my writing has already improved.

Excellent!
The very best for writing non-fiction!Great for people who don't know whether they are good writers or not.Great for people who need to improve their writing!!!

Engaging
This book will make you a better writer. If you have any desire to share your thoughts with the world using the English language, buy this book.

It's engaging, witty and smart. It provides the tools necessary for becoming a powerful writer. I am purchasing the audio version as soon as I finish this review. It's pure gold. A classic.

Dan Caron

Great refresher
This book is an excellent source for writers. The principles presented are timeless and will make a good writer even better.

The BEST Books for Students...
This certainly ranks up there. My other choices for 2007, hands down:

1) How To Ace Your Way Through College & Still Have a Life
2) The MLA Handbook
3) Fiske Guide to Colleges

Dr. Vernon M
Cambridge, MA

... Read more

Book Description
Most writing is done under pressure.An executive has to produce a three-page position paper by tomorrow at nine. A department head suddenly has to write a one-page action memo by noon.A graduate student has a twenty-page research paper due in a week.Yet, while most students and professionals write under pressure--with limited time, limited space, and a supervisor or instructor to please--few approach the task systematically.In Writing Under Pressure, Sanford Kaye, a renowned expert on the subject, presents a system he calls the Quick Writing Process (QWP) that focuses on real-world writing tasks and demonstrates how to produce the clearest, most honest, most powerful work possible under the constraints of time and space.A writing instructor with twenty-five years' experience teaching students and professionals in business and government, Kaye tells writers how to budget their time and how to use this time efficiently.Exploring particular writing situations in which QWP can be applied to make the most of what the writer knows, Kaye discusses the process of taking exams, focusing on how instructors select questions and evaluate essays.He also considers writing in business and government, featuring an insightful analysis of a memo written by Colonel Oliver North.This memo highlights one of the most important issues writers in business and government face: whether to write the truth as they see it or simply what their bosses want to hear.Presenting a wealth of such examples, Kaye reveals how to break through stifling organizational codes in order to write memos and position papers that count.While most guides to writing ignore the constraints of time and space, Writing Under Pressure tackles these problems head on, making it an essential reference for students, business professionals, government officials, or anyone else faced with a difficult writing assignment that has to be done now. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Quick and complete.
More than a how to write fast manual this book addresses the process of writing from start to finish. The steps are laid out in an easy to follow fashion with gems like "talent is the result of consistent practice" dispensed along the way.The author advocates a structured thought process without falling into the programmatic do's and don'ts of the ordinary writing text.In summary, great for a new writer or rusty writer looking for a writing framework to make the process easier.If you already have an efficient writing stlye then not needed, for the rest of us, great book.

A great reference book - you will refer to it many times!!!
I've had this book since the first paperback edition came out in 1990, and have referred to it many times over the years.The material is well layed out, easy to read and more importantly, easy to apply!You definitely won't regret buying this book!

This is the Writing book you want on your shelf
When I first got into college, I had absolutely no idea how to
write. I had written papers in high school, yet it had always been an agonizing process. As a result, I dreaded every paper assignment, and put off writing until the last minute. Then, one day, in the midst of such procrastination, I discovered this book on the library's shelf.

Shelved between two books on grammar, this book looked like another long-winded treatise on sentence construction. Yet after opening the book, I was pleasantly surprised.

Sanford Kaye's book, Writing Under Pressure, puts forth an interesting, well thought out strategy for writing papers.Through a case study, and then specific applications, he outlines his strategy in a clear, easily understandable way that is immediately applicable.Yet this is not this book's main strength. Kaye clearly loves writing, and he communicates this in a way that makes the reader feel the same way. Now, this is the book I turn to whenever I feel overwhelmed by a writing task. So if you are looking for a book on writing, or even if you are not, you cannot do better than Sanford Kaye's Writing Under Pressure.

Could be 5 stars: Great for SAT essay preparation
I think this is a great book for SAT essay writing preparation.It is also a great book for general essay writing.The book focuses on getting the meaning down in an organized manner.

I highly recommend this book, but only gave it a 4 because it focuses on the narrow, but important, issue of writing a theme under time pressure.

It should be in every SAT essay preparers hands.

John Dunbar
Sugar Land, TX

If you can read, you can write . . .
This book takes the !!ARRGH!! out of writing.Concentrating on academic assignments, the author, who has been there-done that, lets students in on his secrets of how to relax and make ANY subject interesting to the writer - and, therefore, the reader. Writing Under Pressure is clearly written (the author practices what he preaches), but contains enough lightness and human touches to make you forget you're not reading it for pleasure. I would recommend this book to someone who is learning (or re-learning) how to write assigned term papers or essays. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Interesting
The stories in this book are interesting and make great paper topics (and use for research) ... Read more

Book Description
There are many different ways in which developing writers learn. Winkler and McCuen-Matherall have created a wiritng series that takes into account many of the known difficulties that developing writing students have with English language skills and strategies. Writing Talk: Paragraphs and Short Essays with Readings, 5/ereaches more students by providing the most varied practice exercises of any writing text.Every unit contains Practice Exercises, Unit Tests, Unit Talk-Write Exercises, Unit Collaborative Assignments, Unit Writing Assignments, and Photo Writing Assignments. These diverse exercises will help students of all types, including visual, audio, and collaborative learners learn and retain the material. ... Read more

Book Description
Make your passion your profession...pack a pen with your passport, craft prose that flows and become a Travel Writer.

Written by established travel writers and bursting with invaluable advice, this inspiring and practical guide is a must for anyone who has ever yearned to turn their travels into saleable tales.Being a travel writer is a dream job - with this guide you're scribbling distance from the reality.

Discover • The secrets of a great story • The best ways to research • What makes a winning pitch • How to get your name in print • Quirks of writing for newspapers, magazines, Web & books • Extensive writers' resources & industry organizations

Includes interviews with writers, editors and agents

Writers Andrew Bain • Tim Cahill • Pico Iyer • Amanda Jones • Rory MacLean • Fred Mawer • Daisann McLane • Harriet O'Brien • Margo Pfieff • Rolf Potts • Alison Rice • Anthony Sattin • Stanley Stewart • Sara Wheeler

Magazine Editors Keith Bellows, National Geographic Traveler • Lyn Hughes, Wanderlust • Jonathan Lorie, Traveller • Sarah Miller, Conde Nast Traveller (UK) • Tom Wallace, Conde Nast Traveler (US)

Newspaper Travel Editors Simon Calder, The Independent • Randy Curwen, Chicago Tribune • John Flinn, San Francisco Chronicle • Catharine Hamm, Los Angeles Times • K.C. Summers, Washington Post • Anna Sutton, Online Travel Editor, Telegraph.co.uk • Cath Urquhart, The Times

Agents Lizzy Kremer, David Higham Associates Ltd • Amy Rennert, Amy Rennert Agency Inc ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

A well researched book
Am excited to read each page of this book.It should be a slower read because there is so much valuable info involved.I took a workshop on travel writing, and it basically repeated some things in this book.However, this book has so much more to offer!

A Travel Writer Rates It "Pretty good, but..."
So you're ready to dive into TRAVEL WRITING?Better see what's floating in the pool first.

Let me be the first to thank Don George and friends for having done us all the favor of creating a Lonely Planet offering for aspiring travel writers.It truly does contain a wealth of helpful hints and contact information for beginners.In fact, my copy has a rainbow mohawk sprouting from the colored Post-its I've tabbed important pages with.But here also lies its greatest flaw.A well planned book should not require the reader to create a haphazard hairpiece to augment its index.This one does.

Of George's eight chapters, fully five of them contain interviews with various authors, totaling 65 pages.I enjoyed them all, but they act as hurdles to readers using the index and should have been contained in an appendix.Further, some of the responses overlap, creating redundant reading.

Along that same line in chapter four, "The Art & Craft of Travel Writing," Don George presents a section called "Five Compelling Beginnings," showing how to hook readers with a good lead.But then a problem arises in chapter five, "Examples of Good Travel Writing," when George shows how to unhook his own readers by using all five of those same beginnings (along with their middles and ends) as examples of great completed stories.I felt as if I'd been had.After reading seven example magazine articles, where one would have sufficed, we finally got back to business.(For my previous three paragraphs I'm subtracting 1 star)

My final admonition: Practice what you preach.

Author Don George states in chapter four, "There is simply no excuse for getting your facts wrong, and you should not expect sympathy (or future work) from an editor if you do."

Uh-oh, pay attention here Don: When your sample writer Stanley Stewart penned, "a huge sky decorated with mare's tail clouds," you asked readers, "have you ever seen clouds depicted this way before?"

Oops.Yes I have Don.Mare's tail is a term used for cirrus clouds.Don't fire yourself.I forgive you. (But I'm docking you another star.)

Despite these petty annoyances and enough literary padding to qualify as a wonder bra, TRAVEL WRITING is still a great tool; just one that you will have to seperate from the clinging rakes and shovels.

My recommendation: Buy it, but get some Post-its too.

Refreshing Treatment of Familiar Subject
Cutting right to the chase, this is a delightful read.Travel books can range from deadly to enlightening...and this is on the truly enjoyable end of the scale. There is nothing more tedious than a 1000 page Fromer's guide to some place you will never visit in two lifetimes.Don George has done a nice job assembling the contributors and arranging the order of pieces...some by old hands and others by promising new comers. I particularly enjoyed the one by Joshua Clark.

Comprehensive and Realistic Guide to Travel Writing
This book is both sobering and inspiring, but most importantly, practical.Starting from an important place, "What It Takes To Be a Travel Writer," this may well convince you that travel writing isn't really a dream job for most people.Relationships with close friends can be strained, travel isn't as fun when it's a job, pay isn't usually too great, and there is such a thing as burning out from traveling too much.Some travel writers even forget to stop taking notes when they're on an actual vacation.

From there, the book delves into the practical aspects of travel writing- finding your story, getting published, using technology in your field research.This knowledge should give you confidence that you can make your dream a reality, provided you live simply, have realistic expectations, and market your work strategically.

Probably what makes the book the most useful is that it is just packed with interviews of working travel writers- about ¼ of the book- and this ensures that you will have multiple perspectives on what travel writing is about.

I was torn between buying this book and the Travel Writer's Handbook, which was also rated well last time I checked.But it seemed the past reviewers for this book were more articulate, and so I presume they were actually writers...

A travel writer rates it "great''


This is one of the best guides to any kind of writing that I've run across -- and by far the best to the difficult craft of travel writing. I've used it in my classes this summer and have been recommending it to every writer I know.

The chief author, Don George, is himself a traveler, travel writer, travel editor and teacher of travel writing, and all his experience comes into play in this compact, well-organized book.

The basics are all there, but the book goes far beyond them, adding a short history of travel literature; an outline of the ``quintessential qualities'' a travel writer needs (not least flexibility, frugality and passion); detailed advice from successful writers and major editors; even a list of travel-literature classics.

This book is destined to be a classic of its own -- one I wish I could have turned to when I was setting out in the field 25 years ago. And, like Lonely Planet's guidebooks, it's compact enough to slip into a backpack and take on the road, in case the muse hits -- as it too often does -- on a distant beach or mountaintop.

-- Catherine Watson, former travel editorof the Minneapolis Star Tribune, is the author of ``Roads Less Traveled -- Dispatches from the Ends of the Earth'' (Syren, 2005).
... Read more

Book Description

The strains on high school writing classrooms are endlessexternally imposed curriculum requirements, everincreasing expectations, high-stakes accountability assessments, and looming pressures for studying genres ranging from college-entrance essays to workplace English. Purposeful Writing can help you make sense of these competing demands and create an instructional framework that's flexible enough to help every student in the classroom but strong enough to stand up to the weight of standards and whole-class needs. Writing workshop is that framework.

Rebecca Bowers Sipe and Tracy Rosewarne take you inside a diverse, urban high school to find out how purposeful writing instruction looks, feels, and sounds. They show how the complexity of secondary writing instruction can be tackled by adapting the popular and successful writing workshop model to fit the needs of high school teachers and learners. More specifically, they show you how the workshop creates conditions where genres can be explored for authentic purposes and where individual, collaborative, and teacher-learner relationships can help every student increase their facility with many different types of writing. In Purposeful Writing you'll find:

Book Description

Technical Report Writing Today provides thorough coverage of the technical writing basics, techniques, and applications students are likely to encounter in both their academic courses and their future careers. Its practical presentation of varied examples and exercises helps students internalize the skills necessary to produce clear and effective documents and reports. Annotated student examples—more than 100 in all—illustrate different writing styles and approaches to problems. A chapter on Developing Web Sites introduces students to the basics of effective web site creation by presenting professional and student examples and references to current practices.

Book Description
Here is the latest edition of a practical self-teaching manual that can also be used in courses that teach writing fundamentals on a high school or college-101 level. The book's open and friendly style and constant references to the real world make it especially suitable for corporate training programs. Guidelines and style rules cover term papers, essays, business and personal letters, office memos and reports, and other forms of correspondence. Also covered in detail are general rules governing written English grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, paragraph structure, and correct word usage. Writing samples demonstrate the do's and don'ts of correct and effective written English. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Hassle Free Writing
I used the second edition of Writing The Easy Way and found it to be very resourceful.I found the third edition to be even more helpful. It is very easy to follow and is very strong in all aspects of preparing to writeletters, memos and reports.It also offers an incredible amount ofinformation on the benefits of brainstorming which I particularly liked. ... Read more

Book Description

Tee Morris and Valerie Griswold team up as editors for the title that picks up where Alchemy With Words leaves off. The Opus Magus takes on the advanced topics of writing, such as incorporating horror, mystery, herbalism and advanced worldbuilding.

Download Description
Dragon Moon Press follows its highly successful title, The Complete Guide to Writing Fantasy, with a second volume of advice, examples, and resources dedicated to helping you create your own epic fantasy adventure.Featuring the writing talents of... Campbell and Compton Crook Winner Wen Spencer 2003 EPPIE Award Winner Jeanine Berry 2002 EPPIE Nominated Tony Ruggiero 1999 Blue Boa Award Winner Kim Headlee Will McDermott Michael R. Mennenga Bob Nailor Tina Morgan Valerie Griswold-Ford And introducing... 2004 Golden Heart Finalist Julianne Goodman Evo Terra Erik Amundsen Lai Zhao ...with illustrations by Anne Moya and an introduction from Holly Lisle. Get ready to take your work to a whole new level, and embark on a writer's adventure with The Fantasy Writer's Companion at your side! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

The book's great, but the binding isn't.
I have to say that Vol. 2 is just as complete as the first book in the series. However, the first book was printed in the US, and the second book in Canada, so the secondbook is a little smaller (metric I guess), and the book was cut with a unsharpened blade, so the pages are not even and have blade patterns cut in them. Other, than the asthetics, the book is great. The publisher needs better QC, that's all.

Fabulous resource
This is a must-have for anyone trying to write fantasy.The book is an easy, entertaining read.Kudos to all who contributed

Stands above the rest, but how far?
The greatest compliment I can give this book is that I've owned it for less than a week and it's been borrowed four times. The first volume goes over general character and world generation--anyone with access to roleplaying reference materials knows general character and world generation--but this book won my heart because it describes other areas of fantasy fiction. High notes are Tony Ruggerio's chapter on horror fantasy and Tee Morris' chapter on Asian-based fantasy, and a few chapters concern editing and publishing specifically for the fantasy writing market. However, the rest of the book rehashes the same information laid out in the first volume, albeit with a few tweaks (like a full-blown "sex in fantasy" chapter instead of a few hints).

All in all, it's one of the better fantasy resources I've found in print. If you've got the cash to spare and you write offbeat fantasy, it's worth owning.

Better than Volume 1 in series
For all that this book rambles on about such "interesting" topics as the discussion on how to this book (not your book, but this book!), I found it better than the original volume in the series. There is once again wasted space, i.e. chapters about writing short stories, that don't fit well and are covered much better in other book on writing. Some somewhat useful sections on combining genres.

What makes this book shine is two of the sections are quite good. There is a detailed section on Asian culture (though I wish it had a reference section) and an intruiging chapter on government.

To summarize my thoughts on these books: I was looking for something that would overview a lot of information (which these do) in enough detail (which these sometimes do) and with good references (the references were spotty at best. Some chapters ended with suggestions on how to do an internet search.) If there were a better set of books that covered this information, I would recommend it, but I have yet to find any such thing.

Unless you want a detailed discussion on Asian culture, I recommend purchasing "The Writer's Complete Fantasy Reference" instead. ... Read more

Book Description
This brief version of the best—selling cross—curricular classic retains its hallmark coverage of source—based writing skills combined with five popular readings chapters. This portable version represents a carefully—chosen selection from the original edition, with five (of the original seven) readings chapters included in their entirety.The abbreviated rhetoric section still covers the skills of summary, critique, and synthesis, taking students step—by—step through the process of writing papers based on source material.Students then put these skills to practice on thematically—linked essays on provocative topics in the discipline—specific readings chapters.A stronger focus on argumentation addresses the trend found in today's composition classrooms.Individuals interested in writing from sources and academic writing in different disciplines. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

This Book Is An Insomniac's Best Friend
This is easily the most boring book ever published. It literally put me to sleep last night. I have chronic insomnia. Doctors should prescribe this as a sleep aide. It is atrocious. You're selling these stupid tomes for over $60, put a few images in there. Go wild and print a page in color. You can afford it you money-grubbing swine.

Exactly what i needed
This was the required book i needed for class. It was about 10 more dollars at the bookstore. When I started my english class I had the previous edition that my sister had used the year before, so I needed this book to arrive within a week. It was delivered pretty fast and of course in mint condition. The book itself I think is way better than the previous edition and I'm glad I got it from Amazon

Convoluted Nightmare -just terrible
I'm currently using this for a freshman English course, and I find it is a complete mess.There are historical mistakes (claiming Cicero was the greatest writer of the Roman Empire -when Cicero wrote during the Republic), spelling errors, and even grammatical errors (take the title of Chapter 4 for instance: "Types of Synthesis: Explanatory and Argument" -has the author ever run into the term parallelism?).

The book is full of redundancies and proprietary terminology.Some of the concepts are barely explained, others are beaten to death.The writing style is not consistent, leading to the suspicion that many people had their hands in this one -perhaps "authors" in India.Some of the exercises are barely comprehensible.For instance:

"Look over the preceding readings and make a list of the ways they address the overall topics of computers, communication, and relationships.Make your list as detailed as you can.Then write several lists grouping together the readings that deal with similar aspects of the overall topics" (108).

We really don't want our students writing like this, so the last thing we should do is expose them to a textbook like this.

Some of the reading selections are good, and others are vapid, pointless, and generally worthless.Essays about dirty dorm rooms and lack of parking spaces behind the gym -oh yes, this is really provocative.

I challenge anyone to find me a worse textbook.

Great Service
Received book within a week of purchase. Book in excellent condition. Great Service!

Good for Academics
The book provides quality information about research papers and topical essays that effectively demonstrate the many major parts of a research paper. It focuses on summary, synthesis, critique, and analysis; the inside cover gives the reader an easy to read summary of the contents. While the subject matter of writing papers is fairly dry, the information contained in the essays is somewhat interesting. ... Read more

Book Description
Discover Voice Whizardry and banish dull, formula driven writing from your classroom!The 36 discovery activities found in this unique resource are designed to release, encourage and celebrate the personal writing styles of students in grades 4-8.Students learn to recognize the subtle elements of voice, expand their vocabulary, adapt their personal writing voices to specific audiences and genres, and turn boring write-on-demand prompts into "Hot Topics" full of individual personality.The growth you'll see in writing quality will earn higher scores on state-assessment tests!Suggested literary models and student writing samples illustrating voice in both narrative and expository writing are included.Plus, follow the teacher discoveries and explore your own voice before introducing each skill to your students.Perfect for Professional Growth and/or Development Plans. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Excellent!
Reading a piece of writing that has no voice is like vacationing in your backyard-it's not quite the exciting excursion you were expecting. On the other hand, when you read text infused with the writer's voice, the words on the page melt away; suddenly you are there, in the writer's world, listening as a real person talks, explains, cajoles, admonishes, encourages, informs, entertains you. 

Voice is vital. However, unlike teaching, say, punctuation, teaching voice can be a much more complex process. As Schrecengost notes in the introduction, "Because voice is not so much something a writer does as it is an expression of who he is, voice, per se, cannot be taught. Voice is."

So what's a teacher to do? Discovery activities, says Schrecengost. She offers twenty-four well-thought-out and inspring activities. She divides these into sections built around a central idea.

Section One is titled "Voice in Other's Writing. Schrecengost notes that students first need to be able to identify voice the writing of others. This section contains five discovery activities that allow students to do just that. The activities range from "Author's Voice" to "Voice in Picture Books." Each activity is divided into "Teacher Discovery," "Students Discovery," and "Classroom Discovery."

Section Two is titled, "Personal Writing Voice," Section Three concerns "Voices for Different Audiences and Genres," and Section Four deals with "Personalizing Write-on-Demand to Express Voice."

The activities mentioned above, which comprise the first four sections, are set up in the same manner. Schrenengost begins with a brief introduction then moves into "Teacher Discovery." These are designed to allow you to explore your own writing voice. The author then provides "Student Discovery Activities." As the name implies, here the students gain practice in finding and using their own voices. Schrenengost explains that these "are not meant to be rigid 'cookbook recipes,' but are rather a collection of choices" from which you may choose. "Classroom Discovery," activities include suggested

In Section Five, Schrenengost offers twelve classroom-tested strategies for enriching student's vocabularies. 

Voice Whizadry is a wonderful source of practical and powerful ideas for teaching voice. When we used the activities in an eighth-grade classroom, we found them to be extremely well-developed and interesting to the students. Highly recommended.

Reviewed by the Education Oasis Staff

Any balanced language-arts program
Accessibly written by an award-winning children's author and former classroom teacher, Voice Whizardry: 36 Discovery Activities To Develop Personal Writing Voice is an instructional guide or manual teachers of students grades 4-8, as well as home schoolers wanting help children cultivate their writing talents. Offering a wealth of creative activities designed to help one choose topics carefully, adapt a personal writing voice to reflect different audiences and genres, expand vocabulary, and much more, Voice Whizardry is a superbly presented supplement to any balanced language-arts program. Topics covered include journal writing, expository prompts, thinking process, choosing details, and much more. Side examples of teacher discovery complement the student discovery activities to better help teachers get in touch with their own creative side too. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (19)

OUTSTANDING
The book is excellent. It teaches you everything about legal writing: design, grammar, persuasive writing, organized ideas and punctuation. Don't forget the exercises. They will help you to recognize your weaknesses in writing.

A Great look
The book was everything i wanted. Very helpful, intricate, detailed, and just what i needed for my legal writing class. I highly recommend this book for those students pursung legal studies, and paralegal work.

Legal Writing in Plain English: A Text With Exercises
Garner's book helps to answer the many lawyer questions you get asked when trying to write legal documents or multiple-user documents in Plain Talk. Garner's approach reinforces Plain Talk and shows ways around the mountains of "What if?" and "How can we say it without risk?" issues. Because of its publication date, it lacks the most recent changes in punctuation as found in The Gregg Reference Manual. Also, some courts want things written according to their own "Red/Green" book standards. Even with these detractors, the book provides excellent advice, examples, and exercises.

Excellent book
This is an excellent book for law students, paralegals and lawyers. I have been learning so much with it. The writing is pretty straight forward, very easy to understand and learn. Enough with the legalese! Let's write well!

legal writing in plain english: a text with exercise
I am satified with the service ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Excellent
This book is an excellent introduction and guide to writing psychological reports in practice.well written containing practical information in a clear and concise manner.Recommended.

Everything as it should be
My book arrived on time and it was in the condition specified by the seller. Good work.

look for newer edition
There is a newer edition I was looking for. I believe it is 1998 give or take a year. I borrowed a colleague's and was impressed, especially with the suggestions for writing and organized personality section of a report. ... Read more

Book Description
Michele Weldon understands the healing power of words.Written words.Words that come from deep within ourselves.Unedited thoughts.Uprooted recollections.Unsettled feelings.She introduces the process of "scribotherapy" as a method of using one's own words to honor life's difficulties and blessings.It is a regimen Weldon expertly practices and shares in this instructive and very entertaining book-offering essays, exercises, and encouragement to awaken the writer in you. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Preserve And Rescue Your Own Truth By Writing It Down
Writing to Save Your Life is like sitting on the verandah with a much loved friend who encourages and affirms your need to write your life. Every time you see her, your friend reminds you of the importance of your story, not for publication or fame and fortune, but for the healing that occurs when you write your truth.

The friend tells her story, too, at the end of each chapter with essays previously published by Michele Weldon. The author lets us know that she also faces the challenges of everyday life (three kids, a job, a house) taking time and energy and making it difficult to sit down and write. The essays show Weldon as a real-life woman who sought and found help in the writing process rather than just a published-writer.

The words in the title of the book, "to save your life" mean to rescue as well as preserve your own truth. Weldon encourages readers to answer the questions posed in the book to give their words physical space. While writing, "you are using your hands as instruments of your heart and mind," she says. Weldon's term for such therapeutic writing is "scribotherapy."

I don't think of this book as a "how to." What has stayed with me is the memory of that encouraging friend. Though in looking back to refresh my memory, I see that there are steps and suggestions for good writing--focus on the big idea, make an outline, etc. The most powerful exercise follows a description of who we write for--ourselves, of course. It was a powerful exercise in that I honored all the cute and quirky parts of myself. The "me" I write for, I discovered, is the me who calls a writing circle, once the candle is lit, the realm of the sacred. The me who laughs at the same jokes I told in eighth grade. The me who has an insatiable desire not just for reading but for the physical books themselves. I write for the me who still has her fourth-grade composition book. You get the idea. Other women in one of the writing circles I facilitate did the same exercise, and we were able to see one another in a revealing, touching and affirming way.

The author quotes famous writers who found healing in writing, including Anne Tyler and Frank McCourt. Most of the quotes, though, are the thoughts of participants in Weldon's workshops. They illustrate that writing is accessible to all, and anyone who writes can heal from the process.

Weldon has written a personal memoir titled I Closed My Eyes. She also is an essayist, journalist, and lecturer at her alma mater, the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. Living in the Chicago area with her three sons, she serves on the board of directors of Sarah's Inn, a domestic violence services agency in Oak Park, Illinois.

I leave you with the words of Weldon, my encouraging friend: "Your story is important. By writing it down and committing your truth to paper, you have honored your life, your truth, and who you are in the world."

by Mary Ann Moore
for Story Circle Book Reviews
www.storycirclebookreviewsorg
reviewing books by, for, and about women

Writing to Save Your Life: How to Honor Your Story Through Journaling
I have noticed a pattern in my own life. During those periods of my life when I am journaling, I am much more focused and willing to examine those parts of myself that need healing or parts of my life that need to be revamped. Therefore, I wholeheartedly agree with the author that writing is a healing process that can save a life or can help recreate an unhealthy one.

Writing to Save Your Life takes the reader through various exercises to get them started with the journaling process. It provides tips on how to get to the crux of the real problem in order to reduce unnecessary distractions and to quicken the healing effects of the process. The author also provides various strategies and general themes to start journaling as well as strategies about how to deal with the raw emotions that will come up when exploring the past and present issues.

I have to say that the part of the book that I found most relevant and useful was the story about the pillows. Basically, the author had been making countless pillows to fill her time so she never actually had to deal with her pain. We all have our pillows. There is always some excuse why we can't face ourselves or follow our dreams. What is your pillow?

Every word is one step closer to closure
Narrative writing is the best, easiest/hardest, and most thorough method of coming to terms with loss and grief.I highly recommend a romp through this book for inspiration and tips.

Too female-centerd
This book is really geared toward women who are into feminism. All the quotes in the book are from women in her groups. If you're not into the female-identity world, pick another book.

It Will Change Your Life
It's true.
Last year I took one of Ms. Weldon's "Writing To Save Your Life" workshops.Her workshop appeared in my life at a time when I knew I needed to give voice to my life experiences, but I didn't know how or where to start. And I was scared. As a writer of romance novels, I've always invented stories and been in control of a paper world. I knew it was time to write something for me, about me, but I was paralyzed with fear.

With Ms.Weldon's guidance, something broke inside of me and I started writing and writing, and during the journey I met someone I thought I had lost -- me.

Michele Weldon's workshop was a gift. I'mthrilled that her workshop is in book form to guide people everywhere! Her wit, honesty, and down-to-earth sensibilities come shining through in every chapter.

Ms. Weldon showed me that exploring and giving voice to my story, my emotional truths, was an act of power and courage. She is the guide-friend you've been waiting for. ... Read more

Book Description
Effectively integrating grammar instruction with writing practice, the fifth edition of INSIDE WRITING provides extensive practice, the use of allusions in examples and exercises throughout, and expanded coverage of sentence combining. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent for ESOL writing course
Excellent textbook for students needing help with English grammar! This textbook takes students from the absolute basics--subject, verb--to forming complex sentences and paragraphs. Good exercises and practice tests provide plenty of practice--and enjoyable practice. Even EFL students found the practice sentences amusing. Very little supplementary material was needed. Writing assignments included many sample topics; my students rarely needed help coming up with ideas after they read the book. (Students, of course, need guidance once they begin writing in order to keep the purpose in mind. Some will try to turn almost all of the papers into descriptive papers.) But this is one textbook students never complained about. ... Read more

Book Description
This classic book/workbook helps readers who feelunderprepared for writing tasks move step-by-step toward writingcompetency. Using a clear, informal, light-hearted narrative andintensive practice, it guides readers assuredly through the process oforganizing a paragraph, structuring its sentences, and choosingeffective wording and punctuation.Explains how toapply the details and methods of arrangement required to composeunified, coherent, and well-developed paragraphs for all major modesof writing -- narrating, describing, explaining a process, explainingwith examples, comparing or contrasting, classifying, defining,persuading. Intersperses grammar instruction between writinginstruction and word instruction. Features anecdotes, student andprofessional examples, cartoons, and exercises throughout. Provides a"Do's and Don'ts" section in all chapters. Includes numerous boxedGuidelines for a convenient quick overview or review of importantconcepts in encapsulated form.For anyone needing todevelop writing competency at the paragraph level. ... Read more

Book Description
Anyone can write... but not everyone can write an engaging and suspenseful manuscript. Williams manages to do both... and shares the secrets to her successful writing techniquesin Writing Wide. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

concise and delightful
This short book - only 76 pages - has some really wonderful creative writing exercises. Light enough to carry everywhere, I keep my copy in my purse with a small notebook, to take advantage of time spent in waiting rooms and so forth -- honing my writing and stretching my imaginative limits. Highly recommended!

Wonderful!
This is a powerful little book packed with more information than some of the larger books I have purchased. I am glad I bought it.

A practical instructional to avoiding common pitfalls
Writing Wide: Exercises by Wisconsin author and writing expert Billie A. Williams is an instructional guidebook to successful writing techniques with exercises to practice for the improvement of one's skills. A practical instructional to avoiding common pitfalls; broadening word choice; promoting the effortless flow of narration, and so much more, Writing Wide is a superb self-improvement guide and highly recommended for writers of all skill and experience levels. ... Read more