Here's what I tell my students on the first day when I teach one of my creative writing courses: You will be published if you possess three qualities—talent, passion, and discipline. In Write Away, New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth George offers would-be writers exactly what they need to know about how to construct a novel. She provides a detailed overview of the craft and gives helpful instruction on all elements of writing, from setting and plot to technique and process. To illustrate her points, George presents excerpts from a number of well-known writers, including Barbara Kingsolver, Harper Lee, E. M. Forster, John Irving, Toni Morrison, Stephen King, Ernest Hemingway, and Alice Hoffman. In addition to being a clear and concise guide to fiction writing, Write Away also opens a window into the life of Elizabeth George. It reveals the inspiring personal story of how the distinguished author came to be published and how she meticulously researches and crafts her novels. I have a love-hate relationship with the writing life. I wouldn't wish to have any other kind of life . . . and on the other hand, I wish it were easier. And it never is. The reward comes sentence by sentence. The reward comes in the unexpected inspiration. The reward comes from creating a character who lives and breathes and is perfectly real. But such effort it takes to attain the reward! I would never have believed it would take such effort. George's solid understanding of the craft is conveyed in the enticing manner of a true storyteller, making Write Away not only a marvelous, interesting, and informative book but also a glimpse inside the world of a beloved writer.

Designed to accompany, awaken, and inspire the journal-writing traveller. Includes more than fifty lively, experimental exercises to keep you interested in journaling and channel you experience into fulfilling projects that also preserve memories.

A beloved NPR radio host speaks about the death of her husband of fifty-four years—and of her struggle to reconstruct her life without him—in an eloquent, deeply moving book that “invite[s] comparisons to Joan Didion’s own memoir of loss, The Year of Magical Thinking” (The Guardian). John Rehm was 74 when he was diagnosed with Parkinson's. Nine years later, he passed away, having made the difficult choice to end his extended illness by refusing to eat, drink, or accept medication. This process transformed Diane into an advocate for increased conversation end-of-life care and the right to die on one’s own terms, as well as a brave and sympathetic voice for anyone who must learn how to live again after bereavement.

Did you know the Hawkeye State got its nickname from Chief Black Hawk of the Sauk tribe? Or that D is for Des Moines, the capital with the golden dome? Or that Iowa is bordered on each side by navigable rivers, the Missouri marks the western border and the Mississippi forms its eastern border. H is for Hawkeye presents these and many other interesting facts about the great state of Iowa.

Are you a comic artist who wants to write, but doesn't know how? Are you a writer who wants to write stories like the ones in your favorite manga? Are you an experienced storyteller looking to up your game by trying something new? Write! Shonen Manga is the guide you need to understanding how the Japanese bring their stories to life and created a global manga revolution. Whether you're a complete beginner, or a master of words, this book will help you understand and break down why your favorite manga work the way they do, and how you can do the same. Utilizing the IDEA story system, this book will help you easily put together stories in ways you didn't know were possible, bring your characters and settings to life, and write the stories that will touch your audience. Naruto has sold over 220 million copies in 35 countries worldwide. Dragonball is a $5 Billion-dollar global franchise. One Piece has sold more than 430 million copies globally, and is the best-selling manga in history. And, this book takes apart the story formulas that their creators used to build their manga and anime empires so you can make your stories even better and reach your own global audience. Along the way, you'll also learn why the Japanese approach to storytelling is so different from the American one, and how this difference in perspective makes the stories what they are. Also, you'll learn to how take control of your story's central themes, characters, plot and setting, and how to combine them to create fresh takes on old stories- and make new stories that are as unique as you are. So, what are you waiting for? Hoist your flag and set sail on your own manga creator voyage with Write! Shonen Manga as your guide. You never know where your imagination and skills will carry you, and what friends and adventures await! You only need to take that first step into a new world. Let's do it together!

Can a breakup break you apart? In Self-Titled, Geoffrey Brown stares into a mirror and writes what he sees, what he thinks, what he feels. The result? A self-portrait that's at once comic and psychotic, a complex consciousness captured in crystalline prose. Memories, manias, miasmas - Brown morphs the machinery of his mind into an utterly original entity, equal parts diary, criminal confession, sex manual and mash note, as hecontemplates a breakup. The novel splits into two parts; in 'First,' our slacker hero analyzes the minutiae of the relationship, trying to understand what he did, why it went wrong, and whether she'll come back. In 'Second' he knows she's not coming back, and he gets angry, flagellating himself with a whip of wordplay and remorse. Self-Titled is a singular achievement with universal appeal: who hasn't squinted into a mirror and said, 'What the hell is happening here?' If Gertrude Stein's autobiography was Everybody's Autobiography, then Brown's self-portrait is everybody's self-portrait. Guest edited for the press by Derek McCormack.