Full Description
Sometimes setting pen to paper requires bravery, and writing well means breaking free of the rules learned in school. Liberating and emboldening the beginning writer are the goals of Ted Kooser and Steve Cox in this spirited book of practical wisdom that brings to bear decades of invaluable experience in writing, teaching, editing, and publishing. Unlike "how to write" books that dwell on the angst and the agony of the trade, Writing Brave and Free is upbeat and accessible. The focus here is the work itself: how to get started and how to keep going, and never is heard a discouraging word such as "no," "not," or "never." Because of the wealth of their experience, the authors can offer the sort of practical publishing advice that novices need and yet rarely find. Organized in brief, user-friendly chapters—on everything from sensory details to a work environment, from creating suspense to revising and taking criticism—the book allows aspiring (and practicing) writers to dip in anywhere and find something of value.
Contents
1. Writing Brave and Free; 2. What's Standing in Your Way? Section 1: Yes, You Can 3. What Do You Know?; 4. Enchanting Details Section 2: Rules? We Don' Need No Stinkin' Rules! 5. No Shoulds, No Should Nots; 6. Input and Output Section 3: Getting Started 7. The Ten-Minute Exercise; 8. Overcoming Obstacles to Extended Writing; 9. Developing the Habit of Writing; 10. Don't Forget to Read! Section 4: The Environment for Writing 11. The Writer's Tools; 12. Your Clean, Well-Lighted Writing Place; 13. Relax! The World Is Resting on Your Shoulders Section 5: You and Your Readers 14. What Reader Do You Have in Mind?; 15. Writing for Friends and Relations; 16. Writing for Strangers; 17. Taking Control; 18. About Your Imaginary Reader Section 6: Elements of a Piece of Writing 19. The Country of Memory; 20. Writing about One Thing; 21. Getting Organized; 22. Sensory Detail; 23. Suspense; 24. The Size and Scope of Things; 25. A Sentimental Journey; 26. Transparency; 27. The Unexpected Detail; 28. It's a Figure of Speech; 29. Before Us on the Table; 30. Be Positive, Emphatic, Clear, and Active; 31. Transformative Experience Section 7: Revision and Getting Help 32. Revise and Wait; 33. Getting Advice, Taking Criticism; Section 8: The Business of Writing; 34. How Publishing Works; 35. How to Get Published; 36. Self-Publishing, Electronic Publishing, and Vanity Publishing; 37. A Few Observations about Copyright; 38. Fair Use; 39. Obtaining Permission to Quote; 40. Protecting Your Copyright; 41. Conveying Rights: Contracts; 42. Libel and Invasion of Privacy Section 9: Acknowledgments and Further Reading 43. Acknowledgments; 44. How to Write; 45. Copyright, Libel, and Invasion of Privacy
