Books to Inspire the Writer in Your Life

Books to Inspire the Writer in Your Life Looking for the perfect gift to inspire the writer in your life? Check out our list of great books chosen by writers for writers.Writing Tools: 55 Essential Strategies for Every Writer†¯(1st edition) by†¯Roy Peter ClarkWriting Tools: 55 Essential Strategies for Every Writer is an excellent mix of reference and inspiration for writers of just about any genre. The author, Roy Peter Clark,†¯is a writing coach and senior scholar at the†¯Poynter Institute for Media Studies, a journalism think-tank, and is the founder of the National Writers Workshop. In this book, Clark offers tools to help writers strengthen their craft and their chances of getting published. The book also offers examples from literature and journalism to show these writing tools in action.On Writing: 10th Anniversary Edition: A Memoir of the Craft†¯Paperback†¯Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Special Edition by†¯Stephen KingFew modern writers are as prolific and successful as Stephen King, which is why his hal f biography/half how-to-manual, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, is such a great read. In it, he talks about the basic tools of his trade, including how and why a writer should always have them on hand, so its highly informative. He also has a lot of inspirational advice for writers dealing with rejection and trying to set positive and productive work habits in their daily writing practice.Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life 1st Edition, Kindle Edition by Anne LamotBird by Bird offers a lot of personal anecdotes and inspirational words based on the experiences of Anne Lamot, an American novelist and non-fiction writer whose biting wit and self-depreciating humor will appeal to many writers. Beyond telling the story of her own writing inspiration and processes, she also discusses the challenges and multiple drafts that often go into getting published. A great example of her style and approach is the following quote taken from Bird by Bird:Writing and reading decreas e our sense of isolation. They deepen and widen and expand our sense of life: they feed the soul. When writers make us shake our heads with the exactness of their prose and their truths, and even make us laugh about ourselves or life, our buoyancy is restored. We are given a shot at dancing with, or at least clapping along with, the absurdity of life, instead of being squashed by it over and over again. Its like singing on a boat during a terrible storm at sea. You cant stop the raging storm, but singing can change the hearts and spirits of the people who are together on that ship.Anne LamotWriting Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within†¯Paperback†¯ by†¯Natalie GoldbergNatalie Goldberg is an American author and speaker who is best known for her books that explore the process of writing as Zen practice. Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within is part of that exploration. Her approach is sometimes comical, sometimes practical, and always insightful as she o ffers encouragement and advice to writers looking to perfect their craft. Heres a great example:We are important and our lives are important, magnificent really, and their details are worthy to be recorded. This is how writers must think, this is how we must sit down with pen in hand. We were here; we are human beings; this is how we lived. Let it be known, the earth passed before us. Our details are important. Otherwise, if they are not, we can drop a bomb and it doesnt matter†¦ Recording the details of our lives is a stance against bombs with their mass ability to kill, against too much speed and efficiency. A writer must say yes to life, to all of life: the water glasses, the Kemps half-and-half, the ketchup on the counter.Natalie GoldbergWriters Market 2018: The Most Trusted Guide to Getting Published†¯(97th Edition)The Writers Market is an indispensable resource for writers looking for publishing opportunities- from book publishing to writing contests to everything in between. It contains an extensive list of the contact information of book publishers, magazines, awards and contests, and literary agents, along with a brief description of each. Indexed by subject, each listing also includes valuable information such as submission guidelines and whether the publication prefers solicited or unsolicited entries. This new edition goes even further and includes information about the business of writing- from marketing and developing your author brand, to writing better query letters to increase your chances of acceptance. It also includes exclusive access to the webinar Funding Your Writing Career from C. Hope Clark, founder of FundsForWriters.com.Wired for Story: The Writers Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers from the Very First Sentence by†¯Lisa CronTaking a different approach than the many self-help books on the market available for writers, in Wired for Story, author Lisa Cron focuses on how writers tap into the evolutionary purpose of storytelling, and how the human brain is wired for hearing tales. Approaching this topic in great depth, including recent breakthroughs in neuroscience, Cron reveals a process to storytelling that is as old as the art itself, and how authors can tap into that for modern audiences. Any writer will have to agree that it is an interesting angle to the art of writing, especially when Cron discusses what triggers dopamine rushes, how we are hardwired to need to know whats next, and how the human brain experiences a story.Rogets Thesaurus of Words for Writers: Over 2,300 Emotive, Evocative, Descriptive Synonyms, Antonyms, and Related Terms Every Writer Should Know†¯by†¯David Olsen†¯Ã¢â‚¬ ¯et al.Rogets Thesaurus has been a trusted name as a writing resource since 1852. However, Rogets Thesaurus of Words for Writers goes a step beyond the well-loved thesaurus. Part thesaurus, part phrase book, this resource is the perfect way for writers to find the right word when its on the tip of their tongue (or fingers, as the case may be). Each word or phrase listing includes a pronunciation guide, definition, antonyms, synonyms, and a sample sentence using it in context. When inspiration is lacking or a writer feels stuck in a pattern, its a great way to find new words that sound fresh and unique to add impressive variety to any portfolio.Romance Writers Phrase Book: The Essential Source Book for Every Romantic Novelist by†¯Jean Kent and Candace SheltonDanielle Steel, Nicholas Sparks, Nora Roberts- the top-selling contemporary romance writers know how to make their audience fall in love over and over again with characters that come to life within the pages of their novels. And they do it with modern plots and words that go beyond the stereotypical passionate language of romance novels in the past. With phrases tagged for categories like physical description, facial expressions, voices, sex, body movements, eyes, and emotions, The Romantic Writers Phrase Book†¯is an indispensable resource for writers seeking to write the next bestselling romance novel.Action Writers Phrase Book: Essential Reference for All Authors of Action, Adventure Thrillers (Writers Phrase Books) (Volume 3) by†¯Jackson Dean ChaseIf your goal is to write a great action novel, Jackson Dead Chases Action Writers Phrase Book will shoot writers block out of the water with over 2,000 listings for describing weapons, wounds, explosions, and more. Whether your weapons and battles are historical, contemporary, or futuristic, this resource will help you make sure your descriptions are accurate and believable. Chase has also written the Post-Apocalypse Writers Phrase Book and Horror Writers Phrase Book for writers interested in publishing within those genresThe Emotion Thesaurus: A Writers Guide to Character Expression by Angela AckermanWhile there are hundreds of phrasebooks and writers thesauri on the market, The Emotion Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman really bre aks down characterization and emotion for authors wishing to build both into their story. Ackerman is a writing coach, international speaker, and co-author of six bestselling books for writers. Her books are available in six languages, are sourced by US universities, and are used by novelists, screenwriters, editors, and psychologists around the world.†¯Ackerman is also co-founder of Writers Helping Writers as well as One Stop for Writers, an innovative online library built to help writers elevate their storytelling.

6 Traits of Writing - Using the Model in the Classroom

6 Traits of Writing - Using the Model in the Classroom Help your students develop good writing skills by implementing the six traits of writing model into your classroom. What are the Six Traits of Writing? The six traits of writing have 6 key characteristics that define quality writing, they are: IdeasOrganizationVoiceWord ChoiceSentence FluencyConventions Ideas This component focuses on the main idea and content of the piece. The writer chooses details that are informative and not necessarily details that the reader already knows. (The grass is green, the sky is blue.) Objective Awareness of detailsKnowing what is importantA good sense of the main point Activities Use photographs during activities and ask students to describe what happened in each photo.Write (science, math) class predictions in a notebook and reflect upon them.Read a poem and have students write about a  real-life  connection that they have to the poem. Questions to Ask Yourself What is my message?Is my message clear?Did I include details? Organization This trait requires that the piece fits in with the central idea. The organizational structure needs to follow a pattern such as chronological order, comparison/contrast, or any other logical pattern. The writer needs to make strong connections to keep the readers interest. Objective A sense of sequence,  beginning and endingAbility to organize Activities Take a piece of the students writing and cut it into chunks and have the students piece it back together in order.Jumble a list of directions and have the students arrange them in order.Read a few books to the children and use a  graphic organizer  to compare and contrast them. Questions to Ask Yourself Was the piece I wrote in order?How does my paper start?How does my paper end? Voice This trait refers to the style of the writer. The voice is where the writer imparts his/her personal tone to the piece while still fitting in with the genre of the piece. Objective IndividualityPassionFeelings Activities Read a variety of childrens literature and have students try to identify the author.Compare the voice in fiction and nonfiction books.Have students write a piece about their favorite subject in school. When they are finished, have them read their piece to the class and see if the students can identify who wrote the piece. Questions to Ask Yourself Does it sound like me?Does the reader understand how I feel?Does my writing shine? Word Choice Word choice requires that the writer choose his/her words very carefully. The writer should enlighten the reader by choosing strong words that clarify or expand the idea. Objective Awareness of languageAwareness of different words Activities Keep a word wall.Brainstorm a list of words and list the better word to use.Make a word spinner and add new words to replace common words. Questions to Ask Yourself Do my words paint a picture?Do I use words that are appealing?Is every word that I use important? Sentence Fluency This trait requires that sentences flow naturally and smoothly. Fluent writing has rhythm and is free of awkward word patterns. Objective Awareness that the sentence makes senseRhythm Activities Write an  acrostic poem  using the  students  name.Write a half sentence and have the students complete it.Rewrite popular poems. Questions to Ask Yourself Did my sentences start differently?Is my paper easy to read aloud?Did I use complete sentences? Conventions This trait focuses on the correctness of the piece (spelling, grammar, punctuation). Objective Awareness of conventionsPatience to look backExperiment with writing Activities Answer questions in journals with conventional words in response to answering them phonetically.Use peer partners to correct spelling and punctuation.Use  mini-lessons  to teach conventions. Questions to Ask Yourself Did I use a title?Did I capitalize the correct letters?Did I check spelling? Source: Education North West