Jane Austen, Leo Tolstoy, Ernest Hemingway, Willa Cather, Jack London, Dorothy Parker, John O’Hara, Elmore Leonard, and a host of other greats past and present have much to show you about how to begin and end a story, structure a plot, create memorable characters, write dialogue, depict settings and action, heighten romance, choose winning titles, and meet all the other challenges of the art of fiction. Barnaby Conrad, a bestselling author as well as one of America’s premier creative writing teachers, has selected key examples from the best of the best to reveal the essential tools of storytelling and demonstrate their use. His book offers fresh inspiration and guidance for all writers of fiction. It is also a joy to read. “Barnaby’s book is a great idea. I am sure it will be exactly what all prospective writers need, but it is more than an idea and more than a book. Actually, it is a correspondence course.”—Charles M. Schulz “This book is a blessing. Barnaby Conrad’s brilliantly organized examples of how fiction is fashioned will be turned to again and again for inspiration and advice.”—Sol Stein “Barnaby Conrad’s Learning to Write Fiction from the Masters is as lively and informative as his Santa Barbara Writers Conference, and that’s saying a lot.”—Joseph Wambaugh

Do you want to take your fiction writing to the next level? LEARN FROM THE MASTERS "Adam Sexton taught me how to read like a writer--and, in a way, how to write like a reader. For without first considering the experience of reading stories--seriously, thoroughly, the way Sexton does--you can't possibly write one worth reading." --Tara McCarthy, author of Love Will Tear Us Apart Many writers believe that if they just find the right teacher or workshop, their writing will reach new heights of skill. But why not learn from the best? In his popular workshops in New York City, creative writing instructor Adam Sexton has found that the most effective way for any writer to grasp on the elements of fiction is to study the great masters. Master Class in Fiction Writing is your personal crash course in creative writing, with the world's most accomplished fiction writers as your guides. You will learn: The art of characterization from Jane Austen Style and voice from Ernest Hemingway Dialogue from Iris Murdoch Description from Vladimir Nabokov The timeless techniques of plotting in the work of Joseph Conrad The ingenious structure of James Joyce Point of view from Toni Morrison Over the course of just ten chapters you can master all the components of great short story and novel writing. These are the most important lessons any writer can learn--a truly "novel" approach to writing that will enrich, inform, and inspire.

Distilled from decades of teaching and practice, 'Creating Short Fiction' offers no-nonsense advise on structure, pacing, dialogue, getting ideas, and much more.

Want To Find Your Voice? Learn from the Best. Time and time again you've been told to find your own unique writing style, as if it were as simple as pulling it out of thin air. But finding your voice isn't easy, so where better to look than to the greatest writers of our time? Write Like the Masters analyzes the writing styles of twenty-one great novelists, including Charles Dickens, Edith Wharton, Franz Kafka, Flannery O'Connor, and Ray Bradbury. This fascinating and insightful guide shows you how to imitate the masters of literature and, in the process, learn advanced writing secrets to fire up your own work. You'll discover: • Herman Melville's secrets for creating characters as memorable as Captain Ahab • How to master point of view with techniques from Fyodor Dostoevesky • Ways to pick up the pace by keeping your sentences lean like Ernest Hemingway • The importance of sensual details from James Bond creator Ian Fleming • How to add suspense to your story by following the lead of the master of horror, Stephen King Whether you're working on a unique voice for your next novel or you're a composition student toying with different styles, this guide will help you gain insight into the work of the masters through the rhetorical technique of imitation. Filled with practical, easy-to-apply advice, Write Like the Masters is your key to understanding and using the proven techniques of history's greatest authors.

Awards: How to Write a Book in 8 Days is the winner of 3 International Awards. Synopsis: Imagine what it would be like if you had a fully completed manuscript of a book you have been thinking of writing for years, in about eight days, without having to quit your job, wait for retirement or to take a sabbatical. A lot of people are under the impression that it takes years to write a good book; and to go years without any income or a future prospect of remuneration, scares them and puts them off right from the start. Whether you publish that book or not, in applying the strategies that I outline here, you will be able to have in your hands a full and complete manuscript, bringing you to the status of being an author, one of the most creative professions in the world, a profession that holds the power of evolution and revolution in any area you choose to direct your interests. How to Write a Book in Eight Days demystifies and simplifies the phenomenon of writing a book and writing it in such a way that it will bring you and the reader the success you desire. About the Author Priya Kumar is an Internationally Acclaimed Motivational Speaker and Bestselling Author of 12 Inspirational Books. In her 25 years journey with Motivational Speaking, she has worked with over 2000 Multi-National Corporates across 47 countries and has touched over 3 million people through her workshops and books, and is the only Woman Speaker in India to have done so. She is the only Indian Author who has won 37 International Awards for her books.

Tap into your inner writer with this book of practical advice by the bestselling author of How Writers Work and the ALA Notable Book Fig Pudding. Writers are just like everyone else—except for one big difference. Most people go through life experiencing daily thoughts and feelings, noticing and observing the world around them. But writers record these thoughts and observations. They react. And they need a special place to record those reactions. Perfect for classrooms, A Writer’s Notebook gives budding writers a place to keep track of all the little things they notice every day. Young writers will love these useful tips for how to use notes and jottings to create stories and poems of their own.

This 250,000-word "full saga" collection includes ALL NINE BOOKS in the Unicorn Western Series! Cast out from the magical kingdom of The Realm and into the dying desert of the Sands beyond, Marshal Clint Gulliver and his unicorn Edward have finally found peace in the small and dusty town of Solace. But when both the fracturing worlds and Clint’s bride-to-be are thrust into peril by an old foe, the gunslinger must come out of retirement and aim his seven-shooters at the dark magic and those who bring it. An epic quest hurls marshal and unicorn across the endless desert in pursuit of the dark rider Dharma Kold and his unicorn of a different color, where they must battle their way back toward The Realm to uncover the truth...and mayhap save the worlds that hang in the balance. From the creators of Yesterday’s Gone (Platt) and Fat Vampire (Truant) comes this reinvention of both the western genre and unicorn lore. Written for children and teens — but complex and awesome enough for adult readers — Unicorn Western is “Harry Potter without wizards but with gunslings, talking unicorns, epic fights, and more turkey pie.”