Margaret Atwood Discusses Her Creative Process

Today's Hot Read for Feb. 18: The Elements of Style (2011 Edition) by William Strunk

From Amazon:

THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE (UPDATED 2011 EDITION)

The All-Time Bestselling Book on Writing English Newly Edited (Special Kindle Edition) BY WILLIAM STRUNK, JUNIOR

The Elements of Style OVER 10 MILLION COPIES SOLD! (Kindle Edition)

Revised and Updated for 2011 by
Chris Hong, Formerly of Harvard University


OVERVIEW

This book is intended for use in English courses in which the practice of composition is combined with the study of literature. It aims to give in brief space the principal requirements of plain English style. It aims to lighten the task of instructor and student by concentrating attention (in Chapters II and III) on a few essentials, the rules of usage and principles of composition most commonly violated. The numbers of the sections may be used as references in correcting manuscript.

The book covers only a small portion of the field of English style, but the experience of its writer has been that once past the essentials, students profit most by individual instruction based on the problems of their own work, and that each instructor has his own body of theory, which he prefers to that offered by any textbook.

It is an old observation that the best writers sometimes disregard the rules of rhetoric. When they do so, however, the reader will usually find in the sentence some compensating merit, attained at the cost of the violation. Unless he is certain of doing as well, he will probably do best to follow the rules. After he has learned, by their guidance, to write plain English adequate for everyday uses, let him look, for the secrets of style, to the study of the masters of literature.

This is the grandaddy of them all, The Elements of Style, newly revised for 2011 and now available for the Kindle. Pick up a copy of this indispensable book today!

Meet the Author: R.L. Stine

Today's Hot Read for Feb. 17: Writer's Digest University: Everything You Need to Write and Sell Your Work

From Amazon:

Everything You Need to Write and Sell Your Work - This is the ultimate crash course in writing and publishing! Inside you'll find comprehensive instruction and up-to-date market listings. Writer's Digest University is the perfect resource for you, no matter your experience level.This one-stop resource contains:

• Quick and comprehensive answers to common questions including: "How do I write a successful novel?" and "How do I know if self-publishing is right for me?"
• Instruction and examples for formatting and submitting fiction, nonfiction, articles, children's writing, scripts, and verse.
• Advanced instruction on business-related issues like marketing and publicity, using social media, freelancing for corporations, keeping finances in order, and setting the right price for your work.
• A detailed look at what agents want and how to get one that best fits your needs.
• Market listings for publishers and agents open to unsolicited work and new writers, contests and awards, and conferences and workshops.

Get started now with everything you need to build a thriving writing career. Whether you're starting from scratch or have a bit of experience, you'll find the tools you need for success.

Writer's Digest University is currently FREE for Amazon Prime members, otherwise it is priced at $9.99 (which is still a great deal considering the paper version is $30!). Just be sure to always check the price before checking out as prices do change.

Rick Riordan and His Three Tips for Young Writers

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Today's Hot Read for Feb. 16: Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer by Roy Peter Clark

From Publisher's Weekly:

Covering the writing waterfront-from basics on verb tense to the value of forming a "support group"-Poynter Institute vice president Clark offers tips, tricks and techniques for anyone putting fingers to keyboard. The best assets in Clark's book are in the "workshop" sections that conclude each chapter and list strategies for incorporating the material covered in each lesson (minimize adverbs, use active verbs, read your work aloud).

Though some suggestions are classroom campy ("Listen to song lyrics to hear how the language moves on the ladder of abstraction" and "With some friends, take a big piece of chart paper and with colored markers draw a diagram of your writing process"), Clark's blend of instruction and exercise will prove especially useful for teachers. One exercise, for instance, suggests reading the newspaper and marking the location of subjects and verbs. Another provides a close reading of a passage from The Postman Always Rings Twice to look at the ways word placement and sentence structure can add punch to prose. Clark doesn't intend his guide to be a replacement for classic style guides like Elements of Style, but as a companion volume, it does the trick.
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Pick up a copy of Writing Tools for your Kindle today!