George Orwell set out ‘to make political writing into an art’, and to a wide extent this aim shaped the future of English literature – his descriptions of authoritarian regimes helped to form a new vocabulary that is fundamental to understanding totalitarianism. While 1984 and Animal Farm are amongst the most popular classic novels in the English language, this new series of Orwell’s essays seeks to bring a wider selection of his writing on politics and literature to a new readership. In Why I Write, the first in the Orwell’s Essays series, Orwell describes his journey to becoming a writer, and his movement from writing poems to short stories to the essays, fiction and non-fiction we remember him for. He also discusses what he sees as the ‘four great motives for writing’ – ‘sheer egoism’, ‘aesthetic enthusiasm’, ‘historical impulse’ and ‘political purpose’ – and considers the importance of keeping these in balance. Why I Write is a unique opportunity to look into Orwell’s mind, and it grants the reader an entirely different vantage point from which to consider the rest of the great writer’s oeuvre. 'A writer who can – and must – be rediscovered with every age.' — Irish Times
This guide to writing faster and better helps writers see what makes a story, then what it takes to research and write one. Also shows step-by-step how to cut wasted time.
Warns against common errors in structure, style, and diction, and explains the fundamentals of conducting interviews and writing travel, scientific, sports, critical, and humorous articles.
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.
"His use of language, his ability to twist the narrative and turn the obscure into the profound is outstanding." – The Stage Looking for a creative writing guide out there that will tell you how to write better? A book to tell you how to structure a perfect plot, create great characters, use language in a powerful and poetic way? This is not that book. 100 Ways to Write Badly Well is an adventure in drivel. It will teach you how to botch a plot, how to create characters that no one in their right mind would identify with and how to reduce the beauty of the English language to an incoherent mush. Using one hundred practical examples, each awful in its own unique way, blogger and creative writing tutor Joel Stickley will lead you methodically up the creek and carefully remove your paddle before running off and leaving you stranded. The route is lined with mixed metaphors, terrible plot twists, piles of adjectives and characters staring at themselves in mirrors for no apparent reason. Based on the popular blog and live comedy show How To Write Badly Well, this book is an invaluable guide to the art of awful writing that no would-be author should be without. Remember – if a thing's worth doing badly, it's worth doing badly well.
An important challenge to what currently masquerades as conventional wisdom regarding the teaching of writing. There seems to be widespread agreement that—when it comes to the writing skills of college students—we are in the midst of a crisis. In Why They Can't Write, John Warner, who taught writing at the college level for two decades, argues that the problem isn't caused by a lack of rigor, or smartphones, or some generational character defect. Instead, he asserts, we're teaching writing wrong. Warner blames this on decades of educational reform rooted in standardization, assessments, and accountability. We have done no more, Warner argues, than conditioned students to perform "writing-related simulations," which pass temporary muster but do little to help students develop their writing abilities. This style of teaching has made students passive and disengaged. Worse yet, it hasn't prepared them for writing in the college classroom. Rather than making choices and thinking critically, as writers must, undergraduates simply follow the rules—such as the five-paragraph essay—designed to help them pass these high-stakes assessments. In Why They Can't Write, Warner has crafted both a diagnosis for what ails us and a blueprint for fixing a broken system. Combining current knowledge of what works in teaching and learning with the most enduring philosophies of classical education, this book challenges readers to develop the skills, attitudes, knowledge, and habits of mind of strong writers.
Good writing skills are essential for study, but many students find that they struggle to write well. Written especially for health and social care students, this book demystifies academic writing, giving you a better understanding of what good writing looks like, and how to achieve it. Topics covered in this accessible book include: How to plan and write pieces to deadlines How to copyedit and proofread your own work How to develop good writing behaviours and find motivation How to write effective and safe service user records This user-friendly guide includes examples of good and bad writing, activities to work through, handy hints and tips at the end of each chapter and personal experiences from students, making it a must-read for any health and social care students looking for the skills and confidence to master good academic writing. Contributors: Michael Baksh, Amanda Clarke, Elizabeth Cooper, James Greaves, Dasha Koneva, Jane Quigley, Victoria Ridgway, Dr Carol Lewis-Roylance, Pat Talbot, Richard Williams, Mary Williams. "This book is aimed at students, but I am sure that it has an audience beyond that - we all need help and encouragement to write. Full of practical advice and examples, this book will help you to find a writing strategy that works for you and to develop our own style. Some simple but very effective ideas are used such as: making writing a normal activity; just keeping going; and not necessarily starting at the beginning." Roger Watson, Professor of Nursing, University of Hull, UK "The focus of this book is on how to write well. As I have argued previously, we all need to be reminded of the skills required in order to make a difference to our patient, clients and their carers’ lives. Lifelong learning is the way that we update our knowledge, skills and competencies. But in order to do this effectively we need to have the right skill set. The ability to write well is fundamental to our personal and professional learning, and this is regardless of what stage we are in our careers. Writing is a skill that we use every day, be it an email to a friend or an assignment for a course. With practice we can develop and refine this essential skill. I particularly like the way the authors encourage us to be critical of our writing; this is also something that we can offer to others as critical friends." Sian E Maslin-Prothero, Professor of Nursing (Clinical), School of Nursing & Midwifery and Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Edith Cowan University, Western Australia
The first collection of nonfiction work by the author in more than two decades features fifty-seven essays and reviews on a wide range of topics, including John Updike, Toni Morrison, grunge, September 11th, and Gabriel Garca Mrquez, among others. Reprint.
What makes an effective quote? How can I infuse my writing with style and voice? How can a sharp lead kick-start my story? What are the tricks to writing for the Web? What can I do to get an editor to listen to my idea? These topics and more are handled smartly, succinctly, and simply in the latest edition of Words Worth, an invaluable toolkit for writers aspiring to perfect the craft of nonfiction writing. Brooks and Quigleys expert views on the essence of a feature story give struggling beginners, their teachers, and professional writers alike the tools necessary to create powerful writing. As a precise guide to writing and promoting nonfiction, Words Worth furnishes a map to the world of reporting for the Web and blogging, well-crafted exercises to hone skills, and savvy advice to help writers enrich their style and make their work more marketable.
