Writing First

Immortalized as Dean Moriarty by Jack Kerouac in his epic novel, On the Road, Neal Cassady was infamous for his unstoppable energy and his overwhelming charm, his savvy hustle and his devil-may-care attitude. A treasured friend and traveling companion of Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, William Burroughs, and Ken Kesey, to name just some of his cohorts on the beatnik path, Cassady lived life to the fullest, ready for inspiration at any turn. Here are his autobiographical writings, the rambling American saga of a free man.

Over the years, I’ve written multiple novels, and I have condensed my best tips and practices to bring you How to Write Your First Novel: A Guide for Aspiring Fiction Authors. No matter your plan for publishing your novel, you first need to write the book. I’ve broken down the critical elements of success in two parts: your writing habits and your writing craft.

Writing a short book for children ought to be easy, right? Not if you don't know what you're doing. The picture book is an art form with a definite blueprint, and you deviate from it at your peril. Like all of the writing lessons from the Front books, this book is brief. There are other books with philosophies and backgrounds and lots of full color illustrations on glossy pages, and this isn’t one of them.

Every aspect of screenwriting is covered with an authority and credibility never seen in any book to come before. Told with honesty, humor, and vulnerability from the real-world perspective of a working, professional screenwriter, Kill the Dog reveals the secrets of what it takes to have a successful career as a Hollywood screenwriter.

Would you like to write a non-fiction book that readers love? There's an art and science to writing a non-fiction book that excites your readers and which earns you money. My name is Bryan Collins, I'm an author from Ireland, and I've published a number of popular non-fiction books. In this detailed, yet practical writing book, I explain all you need to know about writing your non-fiction book, step-by-step.

Are you an author interested in preparing your book for audiobook narration? Do you need advice on narrator-friendly writing and editing for voiceover and audio production? This practical guide to radio writing techniques will help you prepare your book for a voice artist or your own narration. Discover how to: edit with your narrator in mind; use audio flow words and phrases; convey information with clarity; write from an audio-first viewpoint; and much more.

If you've listened to his books The War of Art and Turning Pro, you know that for 30 years Steven Pressfield (Gates of Fire, The Afghan Campaign etc.) wrote spec novel after spec novel before any publisher took him seriously. How did he finally break through? Ignoring just about every rule of commercial book publishing, Pressfield's "first" novel not only became a major best seller (over 250,000 copies sold), it was adapted into a feature film directed by Robert Redford and starring Matt Damon, Will Smith, and Charlize Theron.

After serving as a US Marine during World War II and attending college on the GI Bill, Sam Keith decided to seek adventure in Alaska as a laborer on the Adak Navy base. There he befriended Dick Proenneke, whose shared love of the outdoors, hard work, and self-reliance quickly bonded an alliance between the two. Together they explored the wilds of South Central Alaska, while working on the Navy base, hunting and fishing with friends and breathing in the great outdoors.

Learning how to write your first novel can be overwhelming. You have to master outlining, writing, revising, and so much more...and it can be scary if you've never done it before. While it seems daunting, writing your first novel is simple when you have someone experienced to help you through it. In this writer’s guide, prolific writer M.L. Ronn shares an easy step-by-step process of writing compelling fiction that he's perfected after writing over 40 books.

The day before Murray McBride moves Jenny, his beloved wife of eighty years, into a memory care center, she convinces him to search for a case her grandfather buried long ago, said to contain “a treasure worth more than gold.” With the help of some new friends, Murray and Jenny retrace their steps from years before. Over the course of the day, Murray tenderly retells their love story—how they met, the challenges they faced and overcame, and their initial attempt at the quest.

Whether you simply want to jot down family folklore to share with future generations or wish to try your hand at writing a best-selling novel, Just Write! provides gentle yet realistic guidance for those who want to write their first book. With her humorous—yet realistic—explanations of the writing process, Lauren Bingham is here to help you make your first book become a reality. You’ll receive the encouragement you’ve been craving, as well as the empathy a new writer needs.

This booklet from Carolyn Howard-Johnson, a UCLA Extension Writers' Program instructor for nearly a decade, helps authors love the project they most love to hate - writing a book proposal. She has taken the guessing out of the book proposal process. Now, there is no need to take expensive, time-consuming classes or spend hours reading a tome to find the voice and format that will propel an author's idea from a dream to reality.

To write for the theater, you need to know about theater. Ideas are easy to come by. Examine your background, interest, and beliefs. Examine the world around you. Exercises can help you come up with ideas. Choose the audience you want to reach, and write to that audience.

This book shows you step-by-step how you can make it happen. It also shows you the simple steps to make your book a bestseller without spending a dime on ads....

A complete writer's workshop in a book.... The first 10 Writing Lessons from the Front are compiled into this volume. Lessons cover plot structure, characterization, point of view, evoking emotion, self-editing, creating and maintaining tension, writing historical fiction, plans and processes to get your book finished, self-publishing, writing the children's picture book, and a complete writer's checklist that will take you from prewriting to publication, including details on how to publish on Kindle Direct Publishing.

What if I told you you could write and publish your first novel in 90 days? All you have to do is ignore conventional wisdom and follow this book’s proven steps and techniques. In this book, best-selling author Jerry Minchey shows you his easy-to-implement, proven techniques for writing your first novel.

From one of the world’s most celebrated literary publishers, a beautiful and candid meditation on the art of being a partner to creative greatness For 40 years, Companhia das Letras, the Brazilian publishing house founded by Luiz Schwarcz, has stood for a steadfast and imaginative commitment...

In this book, experienced nonfiction writer Stephen Haunts shares his journey of writing his debut novel, Diary of a Martian, and offers essential insights into how to successfully plan, write, and prepare a novel for publication.

When we’re writing a book, we need inspiration, and we need the “how-to” pieces that we were never taught in school. Start Writing Your Book Today provides both. Over the last 10 years as a writing coach, Morgan has developed a blend of mindset and mechanics to help authors through feeling stuck and into power writing through their books. In this book, Morgan shares her methods with you, so that you can step up and become the writer you know you’re meant to be.

Chris Greenwood is the man behind Manafest: the globally successful rock and rap musician who’s sold millions of singles and albums world-wide. With over 20 years experience in the industry, both as a signed artist and an independent musician, Chris shares his incredible experience as a song writer and hit-maker in this audiobook.