Sentence Craft is an engaging system that helps students from elementary to high school write more effective, creative sentences using the crafting process from the popular Minecraft video game as a metaphor. Written for both students and teachers, this handbook includes 19 example crafting recipes with instructions for each, as well as a detailed, graphically-rich inventory of 18 sentence ingredients. As students practice sentences based on these recipes and ingredients, they become more adept at using the sentence structures and techniques of master writers. They also become more fluent with the rules and methods of punctuation. Teachers can also use the information and ingredients contained in this handbook to dynamically create unique crafting recipes for their students to master. Access to Minecraft is not necessary.

Sentence craft is a text-workbook which presents in close correlation a discussion of the practice and theory of writing mature sentences and extensive exercise material to implement this instruction. Although the book has been planned primarily for the freshman course in composition, it can be used effectively at any college level; for it has been written to assist students to develop helpful techniques for securing order and design as they learn to write progressively more mature sentence.

In this wickedly humorous manual, language columnist June Casagrande uses grammar and syntax to show exactly what makes some sentences great—and other sentences suck. Great writing isn’t born, it’s built—sentence by sentence. But too many writers—and writing guides—overlook this most important unit. The result? Manuscripts that will never be published and writing careers that will never begin. With chapters on “Conjunctions That Kill” and “Words Gone Wild,” this lighthearted guide is perfect for anyone who’s dead serious about writing, from aspiring novelists to nonfiction writers, conscientious students to cheeky literati. So roll up your sleeves and prepare to craft one bold, effective sentence after another. Your readers will thank you.

Captivate the hearts and minds of young adult readers! Writing for young adult (YA) and middle grade (MG) audiences isn't just "kid's stuff" anymore--it's kidlit! The YA and MG book markets are healthier and more robust than ever, and that means the competition is fiercer, too. In Writing Irresistible Kidlit, literary agent Mary Kole shares her expertise on writing novels for young adult and middle grade readers and teaches you how to: • Recognize the differences between middle grade and young adult audiences and how it impacts your writing. • Tailor your manuscript's tone, length, and content to your readership. • Avoid common mistakes and cliches that are prevalent in YA and MG fiction, in respect to characters, story ideas, plot structure and more. • Develop themes and ideas in your novel that will strike emotional chords. Mary Kole's candid commentary and insightful observations, as well as a collection of book excerpts and personal insights from bestselling authors and editors who specialize in the children's book market, are invaluable tools for your kidlit career. If you want the skills, techniques, and know-how you need to craft memorable stories for teens and tweens, Writing Irresistible Kidlit can give them to you.

Sentence Craft 2.0 is an engaging system that helps students of all levels write more effective, creative sentences using the crafting process from the popular Minecraft video game as a metaphor. Teachers and home school parents will also find this book a useful guide. This updated 2.0 version includes new flow charts, streamlined crafting processes, and witty advice from the kingdom's master sentence crafter who guides his apprentice reader through 17 activities comprised of 51 crafting recipes. At the master's tutelage, students practice writing simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences using a graphically-rich inventory of sentence crafting ingredients including prepositional, participial, appositive, and absolute phrases. As students practice sentences based on these crafting recipes, they become more adept at using the sentence structures and techniques of master writers. They also become more fluent with the rules and methods of punctuation. Come meet the master craftsman and enjoy your journey through Sentence Craft!

This guide reveals how writers can utilize cognitive storytelling strategies to craft stories that ignite readers’ brains and captivate them through each plot element. Imagine knowing what the brain craves from every tale it encounters, what fuels the success of any great story, and what keeps readers transfixed. Wired for Story reveals these cognitive secrets—and it’s a game-changer for anyone who has ever set pen to paper. The vast majority of writing advice focuses on “writing well” as if it were the same as telling a great story. This is exactly where many aspiring writers fail—they strive for beautiful metaphors, authentic dialogue, and interesting characters, losing sight of the one thing that every engaging story must do: ignite the brain’s hardwired desire to learn what happens next. When writers tap into the evolutionary purpose of story and electrify our curiosity, it triggers a delicious dopamine rush that tells us to pay attention. Without it, even the most perfect prose won’t hold anyone’s interest. Backed by recent breakthroughs in neuroscience as well as examples from novels, screenplays, and short stories, Wired for Story offers a revolutionary look at story as the brain experiences it. Each chapter zeroes in on an aspect of the brain, its corresponding revelation about story, and the way to apply it to your storytelling right now.

"In Artful Sentences: Syntax as Style, Virginia Tufte shows how standard sentence patterns and forms contribute to meaning and art in more than a thousand wonderful sentences from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The book has special interest for aspiring writers, students of literature and language, and anyone who finds joy in reading and writing."--Publisher's description.