In Many Genres, One Craft, award-winning author Michael A. Arnzen and Heidi Ruby Miller gather the voices of today's top genre writers and writing instructors alongside their published students. It fosters the writing process in a way that focuses almost exclusively on writing the novel. Using a compilation of instructional articles penned by well-known authors affiliated with Seton Hill University's acclaimed MFA program in Writing Popular Fiction, the book emphasizes how to write genre novels and commercially appealing fiction. The articles are modeled after actual "learning modules" that have successfully taught students in the program how to reach a wider audience for over a decade.
Several years ago, after many years of writing nonfiction, I decided to write a novel-a medical thriller in the mold of Robin Cook, Michael Crichton, and Michael Palmer. The problem was that, although I knew how to write and had received a number of awards for nonfiction works, I didn't know the how to write fiction. So, before putting fingers to keyboard I did a thorough search of the literature, which included reading numerous books and hundreds of website articles. What I discovered was that there simply wasn't one good source from which to learn the craft of writing genre fiction. "Writing Genre Fiction: A Guide to the Craft" is the book I was looking for when I set out on my quest to learn how to write fiction. It is an attempt to share what I learned from my research. It covers the six key elements of genre fiction; the various genres and subgenres; a large number of genre-fiction writing techniques; plot, subplots, and parallel plots; structure; scene and sequel; characterization; dialogue; emotions; and body language. It also covers additional information about copyrighting and plagiarism, where to get ideas, manuscript formatting and revision, and query letters and synopses. In addition, an appendix covers a large number of grammar tips.
The dynamic, precarious relationship between technology and imagination, or more broadly, between the sciences and the humanities, is a thrilling crux, offering possibilities scholars and artists of previous generations might have only hoped for in the most abstract way. No longer is technological advancement confined to the laboratory or to the pages of speculative fiction; it is an accepted, expected aspect of modern existence, including contemporary art, performance and literature. From the ways we communicate to the ways we create, technology has become a conduit as well as an inspiration for imaginative innovation. The advent and accessibility of new media, communication outlets and innovative software programs have democratized the creative landscape, building a community of professionals and amateurs who can freely discuss and shape the way literature, art and performance are created and perceived. Just as technology has been liberated from categorical confines, it has helped art and literature be realized as entities that occur in places besides galleries and libraries. Tablets and e-readers, for example, make it possible for literary enthusiasts to read books that are out of print, difficult to find or even self-published by amateur writers, which would have merely been a bibliophile’s dream as little as a decade ago. Correspondingly, the essays in this volume examine the intersection of technology and imaginative creation as it applies to and influences modern film, fiction, graphic novels and pedagogical practice. The contributors investigate how technology has indelibly changed the practice of literary and cultural analysis and even the most basic facets of contemporary society: communication, relation and creation.
We are the words we chose. The I CAN alphabets will show you the power that words contain. You can feel good, right here, right now. Why not let words shift you into a state of peace and well-being? Letter by letter, you can change your world and feel so good you might just burst wide open and b-l-o-o-m! From the acclaimed creators of pictureless ebooks, Wednesday Word Day on Facebook, and the top-rated AlphaTapp comes the first volume of their best positive, inspiring alphabet books. Let this book transport you to a new place, each time you open a page. It is pure delight to remember the power of your ABCs. Why not use a tool you know well to l-i-f-t you to where you want to be? Once again, White and Peters use their uncanny knack for combining frolicking fun with learning and enlightenment to create a gift for their community.
INSTIGATION: Creative Prompts on the Dark Side by award-winning horror author and writing professor Michael A. Arnzen is a treasury of twisted tips, strange scenarios and disturbing sparks to help ignite the fuel in your creative furnace. Its aim? To push you into the danger zone of your imagination, by thinking in unconventional ways and trying things you never thought -- or dared -- to try before in your writing, art, or dreams. Features include prompts for new stories, revision, memoir writing and NaNoWriMo. Also includes articles by Arnzen on the writing process.
A Lady and the Scoundrel Romance (#2) From Romantic Times Career Achievement Award Winner and New York Times bestseller Victoria Thompson, a passionate tale of historical romance in the American Wild, Wild West... “Ms. Thompson imbues her characters with strength, eloquence and dignity.” –Romantic Times UNCONTROLLABLE PASSION When prim and proper Elizabeth Livingston seeks the stranger named as her guardian, she doesn’t expect to find him running a fancy saloon in infamous Dodge City, Kansas! Notorious Chance Fitzwilliam, a gambling rogue, is only too happy to stick close—very close—to the lovely Elizabeth. Until she starts cleaning up Dodge City! With a pack of reformed “ladies of the night,” and a passel of temperance-spouting matrons, Elizabeth stirs up more trouble than even Chance can handle. But what distresses Chance even more is that he still can’t keep his eyes off this beautiful woman cleaning up his cozy den of sin! And that he will do anything—even give up his gambling, womanizing and carousing—for the chance to earn the love of this exquisite lady...
In a futuristic world where personalities can be downloaded at will, who’s a girl to trust? The Ryder family is at the top of the corporate elite. Father Geren Ryder heads up a global wireless hologram company with his son, Wills Ryder, a capable second, while daughter, Nicholle, is curator at an art museum. But when a dark stranger shows up, it sets off a chain reaction that puts Geren into a mysterious coma while Wills disappears with $50 billion from the family business. Worse, Geren’s will specifies that he be taken off life support after fi ve days. Just as Nicholle is trying to pick up the pieces, she becomes the target of an assassin and has to go on the run. With only a few days to save her father and keep the company from going under, Nicholle reaches back into the darkest part of her history, to the only person who could possibly help her. But the price is steep. Once she goes back, can she escape her past a second time? "...at its core, Cog is a classic story of family dysfunction with some James Bond-esque thrills and rather groovy technology thrown in. But it is so much more..." —The Compulsive Reader "Cog has an interesting plot, believable characters, and is smoothly-written. What more could you ask from a debut novel?" — Mike Resnick, Nebula and Hugo Award-winning author of 100+ novels, collections, anthologies and nonfiction books "Cog, the delightful new novel by K. Ceres Wright, combines fantastic characters and wonderful pacing with a cutting-edge futuristic setting. A wonderful read, Cog raises important questions about just where we, as a society, are heading. Ms. Wright’s unique and vibrant voice gives her story depth, poignancy, and humor. Highly recommended!" —Rachael Pruitt, award-winning author of The Dragon's Harp "K. Ceres Wright has created a cyberpunk world of glittering vitality and characters who breathe life, love, and passion with every page of polished prose. Wright is a truly remarkable writer light years ahead of other first-time novelists, and one whose future work is sure to be enjoyed." —Mary SanGiovanni, Author of The Hollower Trilogy and Thrall "The author has done a good job creating a believable future society..." —Booklist
This two-volume set offers comprehensive coverage of horror literature that spans its deep history, dominant themes, significant works, and major authors, such as Stephen King, Edgar Allan Poe, and Anne Rice, as well as lesser-known horror writers. Many of today's horror story fans—who appreciate horror through movies, television, video games, graphic novels, and other forms—probably don't realize that horror literature is not only one of the most popular types of literature but one of the oldest. People have always been mesmerized by stories that speak to their deepest fears. Horror Literature through History shows 21st-century horror fans the literary sources of their favorite entertainment and the rich intrinsic value of horror literature in its own right. Through profiles of major authors, critical analyses of important works, and overview essays focused on horror during particular periods as well as on related issues such as religion, apocalypticism, social criticism, and gender, readers will discover the fascinating early roots and evolution of horror writings as well as the reciprocal influence of horror literature and horror cinema. This unique two-volume reference set provides wide coverage that is current and compelling to modern readers—who are of course also eager consumers of entertainment. In the first section, overview essays on horror during different historical periods situate works of horror literature within the social, cultural, historical, and intellectual currents of their respective eras, creating a seamless narrative of the genre's evolution from ancient times to the present. The second section demonstrates how otherwise unrelated works of horror have influenced each other, how horror subgenres have evolved, and how a broad range of topics within horror—such as ghosts, vampires, religion, and gender roles—have been handled across time. The set also provides alphabetically arranged reference entries on authors, works, and specialized topics that enable readers to zero in on information and concepts presented in the other sections.
Tates of Texas (#2) Victoria Thompson’s compelling love stories capture the bold passion and excitement of the Texas frontier—and the unforgettable Tate dynasty, who helped tame it. Now, in Winds of Promise, Thompson continues their fascinating legacy in a gripping story of love against the backdrop of the wild Texas terrain... In the chaos of the Civil War, Sarah Peterson lost her beloved husband and only child, and endured seven years of captivity by the fierce Comanche. Finally freed, she returns to the only home she knows—only to find that she's just as much a prisoner of a cruel and judging society; until an unexpected champion offers her an escape to a place where her past will be unknown, and a new life... as his bride—in name only! A marriage of convenience to the commanding Hunter Tate, and a home on his Texas ranch seems an ideal solution. But now Sarah is torn between the shame she feels for her past and the fire—and longing—that Hunter Tate inspires. What can she offer this ardent, intelligent man? Is it just possible that love can heal—and let two hot-headed people share the promise of this rough and beautiful land—and each other's hearts?
