Reviews (15)

Student review
My writing has improved 200% because of the information presented in this book.I am a junior marketing major at Northern Illinois University.This text is enjoyable to read with great visuals and equally interesting real- world examples.I will definitely keep this book.The skills learned from this book will guide me in my career for years to come.Thank you for writing this book and to my professor for choosing this book.

TERRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!
never received book, still havent to this day, ordered it over a month ago... dont trust this guy!!!

BUSINESS WRITING INSTRUCTION TAKES QUANTUM LEAP!
As a college business communication instructor and corporate writing consultant of 20+ years, I feel my career is about to take a quantum leap forward with my discovery of this magnificent compendium of materials.Mary Ellen Guffey has done ALL the hard work!Juicy, readable text:done.Riveting "inside" information on cool corporations:done.Web-based support?Manuals?PowerPoints?Videos?Done.Fresh writing prompts, some packaged with the research already done?Done.With my old text, I've been drowning in an attempt to supplement and update and enrich the dated material enough to keep it relevant and arresting.Now I'm finding that I have plenty of time to interact with students over their own writing and presentations.I've always felt one-on-one and small-group interaction to be a huge part of my mission as a classroom teacher.Thanks to Mary Ellen Guffey, I'm able to do more of it, while spending less time overall on take-home work.Thank you, Mary Ellen, from the trenches--not just for a marvelous tool, but for a whole toolbox full of them. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business Communication - General    4. Business English    5. Business Writing    6. Business communication    7. Business/Economics    8. Communication In Business    9. English language    10. Written Communication In Business    11. Business & Economics / Business Communication    12. Business communication & presentation   

Reviews (24)

Best Reference Book!
I've used the "Gregg" (as we refer to it in the office) for the past 7 years, and it's the only reference manual for grammar and punctuation that I need.I can find everything in this book!I love it!

Gregg Reference Manual is a Must Have!
My staff already had a Gregg Reference Manual, but they use it heavily and we obviously needed another copy so that one would always be available. Keeping in mind the manual's value to staff, I ordered two more, rather than one. It's our GO-TO reference. The final word!

Fantastic reference guide
This is my first book of English grammer and writing since I used Wren and Martin in school.I would recommend it to everyone who is even remotely interested in improving their writing skills.It covers many different aspect of writing and punctuation and the cross referencing is solid.I think this book will occupy prime spot in my library for many years to come. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business Communication - General    3. Business English    4. Business/Economics    5. English language    6. Grammar    7. Handbooks, manuals, etc    8. Reference    9. Transcription    10. Writing Skills    11. Business & Economics / Business Communication    12. Business communication & presentation    13. Computer Software Packages   

Reviews (11)

Like taking a class with the author
In her book Reading Like a Writer Francine Prose, herself the author of some 14 novels as well as other works of nonfiction, advocates "close reading"--reading fiction "word by word, sentence by sentence, pondering each deceptively minor decision that the writer has made"--both as a means of appreciating literature and as a practical aid in writing one's own prose. After introducing her method in chapter one, Prose spends the next eight chapters showing us how it's done, focusing initially on individual words, then sentences, and broadening her focus eventually to consider characters and dialogue and narration.
One of the two or three best books on writing I've encountered
Ms Prose takes seriously the idea that one learns to write by studying models of good writing, what she calls "close reading." She examines different features of classic fiction, most of it from the 19th century, but some of it contemporary, and analyzes specimens of solid craftsmanship.
"Putting every word on trial for its life."
Francine Prose, in "Reading Like a Writer," argues that creative writing cannot be taught in a classroom.A workshop may provide valuable encouragement and support for a fledgling writer, and a good instructor may show a novice how to edit his work more effectively.However, a writer learns his craft by reading and rereading the books, novels, plays, and short stories of great writers, and he improves his skills through practice.Prose recommends studying "meter with Ovid, plot construction with Homer, comedy with Aristophanes."She backs up her thesis by giving a host of examples from writers she admires, such as Austen, Hemingway, Joyce, Chekhov, and others who are a bit more obscure.
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Subjects:  1. Authors    2. Books & Reading    3. Books And Reading    4. Composition & Creative Writing - General    5. Creative Writing    6. English language    7. General    8. Literary Criticism    9. Literature - Classics / Criticism    10. Rhetoric    11. Literary Criticism & Collections / General   

Reviews (322)

Excellent book!
Joan Didion is able to capture for the reader what a terrible ordeal losing any loved one is, let alone two within a very short time. She deals with the fast death of her husband and the longer, slow death of her daughter. The writing is excellent, the sadness you feel is unbelievably real. What's true is that in all of our lives, what is one way one minute can change ever so quickly the next.Ms. Didion captures this feeling to a tee.

A beautiful book, but it's not really intended for other people
I'm trying to think of how to delicately recommend against reading Joan Didion's latest (for which she won a National Book Award). Some disjointed notes:
Two types of Research
More than anything else, I think Didion's latest book shows her truest colorsas a reporter.Though ostensibly a memoir, The Year of Magical Thinking is at its center an in-depth investigative report on the effects of grief, from its onset and onward a year.Didion blends research in the "field" -- hospitals, all the venues of her own experience -- and research with doctors and through print media to give us not only a moving record of her own experiences, but also a critical study into the personal, psychological, physiological toll grief can take on a person.Like her earliest works, thisbook seems effortless, almost spoken, in very measured and easy prose, which seeps into the reader and makes you even more moved by her accounts.An excellent book, both from the stand point of memoir and reportage, and an exceedingly excellent book from the stand point of being both blended into one. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Didion, Joan    7. Didion, Joan - Prose & Criticism    8. Dunne, John Gregory - Prose & Criticism    9. Dunne, John Gregory,    10. Family relationships    11. Journalists    12. Literary    13. Novelists, American    14. Personal Memoirs    15. United States    16. Women    17. Biography & Autobiography / Literary   

Reviews (7)

This is a supplement, not a primary resource
Hopefully this statement will help those of you who are trying to decide what to buy: If you do not own a full copy of the APA Publication Manual, then do not buy this book. This book is meant to be a pocket-sized reference guide that you can carry with you. It is meant as a supplement, but it is not the primary resource -- the APA Publication Manual is the primary resource.
Incomplete
There's no rules for title pages, no examples of manuscript pages, no rules for pagination. It doesn't even tell you if the reference list belongs on a separate page or what its heading looks like. I consider these glaring omissions, particularly if you are expected to use pure APA and have no departmental style guide (like me). This book is basically a glorified guide to citation and syntactic rules. Avoid it and pay the extra five bucks for the complete book. Getting the cheap book as some kind of protest won't signficantly hurt the APA and it will just make things harder for you.

Good book, lacking in visual references
While this is a great condensation of the main rules needed to write in APA style, this book lacks one major thing -- the practical examples of how to apply APA style in a document or manuscript.
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Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Composition & Creative Writing - Academic    3. Handbooks, manuals, etc    4. Professional - General    5. Psychology    6. Publishing    7. Reference    8. Social sciences    9. Writing Skills    10. American English    11. Usage guides    12. Writing & editing guides   

Reviews (47)

the premier style guide for published American English
It is perhaps time to worry if you feel particulary warm and affectionate towards a book like THE CHICAGO MANUAL OF STYLE.
Call Me Old Fashioned, but I LOVE This Book
If you work in the literary world, it drives you nuts on a daily basis to see how few writers bother to check for accuracy when it comes to using quotes, italics, or underlining in their manuscripts; how few know when to use single quotes or double quotes--don't get me started. Suffice it to say, this is the book to consult. Though there are a half dozen style books, you can't go wrong using Chicago!

Important but confusing
This book is necessary for understanding how to cite works using Chicago style, but it can be confusing and unclear.However it has many example sections which I found useful. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Composition & Creative Writing - General    3. General    4. Handbooks, manuals, etc    5. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    6. Printing    7. Reference    8. Style manuals    9. Writing Skills    10. English    11. Publishing industry    12. Reference / Writing Skills   

Reviews (18)

REALLY Lame
It is not worth the paper it is printed on... even at the Amazon price.
Read this if you write!
For anyone who writes in a business environment-which is probably most people reading this-The Business Style Handbook is an extremely useful reference. I especially appreciated the introductory material, which provides the basis for great marketing copy for those of us who write and edit for a living. And it's a great relief to have a handy reference for handling all those marketing-speak and tech-speak neologisms and inconsistencies.
How the Business Style Handbook Helped Me
I'm glad I had a copy of The Business Style Handbook when a big argument erupted in my department. One group said you have to write "an NYSE stock" while another said you have to write "a NSYE stock." I took out a copy of The Business Style Handbook (which my wife gave me for Christmas to help me improve my e-mail) to settle the dispute. By the way, it should be written "an NYSE stock."It's one of the first times I've been on the right side of a grammar argument. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business Communication - General    4. Business English    5. Business Writing    6. Business communication    7. Business/Economics    8. English language    9. General    10. Written Communication In Business    11. Business & Economics / Business Communication    12. Business & Management    13. Reference works    14. Writing skills   

Reviews (567)

The House on Mango Street
The House on Mango Street is a story of Esperanza Cordero.Esperanza is sharing her life in a poetic form.She writes poems to describe her life on Mango Street.She is embarrassed to point and say, "That's my house."Her mama says, "It's for the time being," papa says, "its temporary."Esperanza shares her stories of love, friendship, and the trail of life.Esperanza's friend Sally gets into lots of trouble with boys and her papa doesn't tolerate this.Working at such a young age isn't very easy, but papa doesn't want Esperanza to go to public school, he believes you'll turn out bad.Living in the ghetto of Chicago can get difficult sometimes in ways that can just confuse you, like your friend getting married when she hasn't even reached eighth grade.Sandra Cisneros will share Esperanza's feelings and descriptions about neighbors and family great.Boys, where should we start?To Esperanza, they live in separate worlds, you can really only rely on your true friends.In the end, all these moments of feelings only equal one word, Life.
this book is so weird
this books chapter titles were random as hell and so was the book. its so weird.there is no plot whatsoever. i hated it, don't buy it cuz it sucks major balls.

For ESL students
I teach a beginner writing course for ESL students preparing for college, and we use this book to help students develop that all-important voice. The stories are simple but full of feeling, and resonate deeply with my mostly Latino students. Yes, there are incomplete sentences and words that don't belong in academic writing, but I find my students understand the concept of personal vs. academic writing, and can enjoy the book on its own terms. In addition, it could easily form the basis of a reading course for students once they are beyond the very early stages of learning English. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bildungsromane    2. Chicago (Ill.)    3. Fiction    4. Fiction - General    5. General    6. Girls    7. Literary    8. Mexican Americans    9. Popular American Fiction    10. Research And Report Writing    11. Fiction / Literary    12. Modern fiction   

Reviews (6)

A Valuable Recovery Read
Broken is outstanding!I am an alum of Hazelden, sober 22 years, and have worked as an adolescent chemical dependency counselor.This book is the best description of addiction, treatment, relapse and recovery that I have come across.It is well written and well documented from the author's journals and correspondence from his father.
Powerful and Brutally Honest
I was amazed once I started reading at how well this book reads.Even more amazed that it wasn't one of those books about someone who went into recovery and never relapsed. The pain of relapse is something Mr Moyer described perfectly. I share in Mr Moyers addiction and now I have been blessed with sharing his recovery.I have ordered from Hazelden for some time now, so when this book came out, it was a must add to my recovery library.Thank you William, for sharing your story in print so that so many struggling addicts can see that there is hope and the miracle is just around the corner.It works if you work it!

Broken: My Story of Addiction and Redemption
Thank you so much, William, for sharing your story.It takes enormous courage to ascend out of the nightmare of addiction, and further courage to tell that story!You do an immense service to the many millions who struggle with this disease, both as addicts and alcoholics themselves, but also for the many others who love them and want to do the right thing.
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Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Cocaine abuse    6. Drug Abuse    7. Drug addicts    8. Editors, Journalists, Publishers    9. Journalism (General)    10. Personal Memoirs    11. Rehabilitation    12. Substance Abuse & Addictions - General    13. United States    14. Biography & Autobiography / Personal Memoirs   

Reviews (4)

Very Pleased
Having just enjoyed listening to Mr. Fry read his novel "The Hippopotamus" on my long commutes, I was immediately attracted when I heard of "The Ode Less Traveled."I have often wondered why I don't understand many poems, (and not just modern ones), and can't tell good from bad.I have tried a number of other books on poetry with no success.Beginning "The Ode..." however, I immediately recognized Mr. Fry's cadence of speech and humour and the first twenty pages have been very easy to follow.Now I am doing his suggested exercises with iambic pentameter, and I am looking forward to the rest and finally knowing something about poetry. In my opinion, Stephen Fry is one of a kind, and what fun it would have been if he had been my high school English teacher!

Standard Stuff
An earnest enough effort but terribly dull. Fry wishes us to revisit schooldays and jot our way through Chaucer, Milton, Shakespeare, i.e. learn the basics, pay our dues. And while it may be true that much poetry, eg Bukowski, is mere chopped-up prose, notes and shopping lists, Fry is unwilling or unable to grapple with grandmaster Pound. There should be more on modernist poetry: TSE and Pound. The Waste Land receives scant coverage. Fry is a fuddy-duddy, amusing from a distance and a bore at close quarters. I wish he would let his hair down and give us some edge and spike.

A volume wise and wry, from Mr. Stephen Fry.
One of my favorite quotes about poetry is from Dame Edith Sitwell. "Poetry is like horticulture," she said. "Each poem should be allowed to grow according to its natural form." In his new book, "The Ode Less Travelled: Unlocking the Poet Within," Stephen Fry creates a veritable topiary garden of poetry, providing not only an encyclopedic overview of poetic meters and forms in English but a cogent, bracing and witty demonstration of their value. As its subtitle suggests, "The Ode Less Travelled" is written as a primer to both beginning and experienced poets who need, shall we say, a jump start to their creativity. Each chapter offers a discussion, with examples, of a particular meter, rhyme scheme or form, and suggests exercises at the end for readers to create their own examples. Fry quotes English poets from William Shakespeare to William McGonagall to illustrate his points, as well as a gratifyingly large array of American poets. Sometimes, when an example from the canon is not readily available, Fry will write his own, such as when he illustrates a dactyl (one stressed syllable, two non-stressed) followed by a molossus (three sharply stressed syllables in a row) in an imagined argument between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader:
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Subjects:  1. Anthologies (multiple authors)    2. Authorship    3. Language    4. Language Arts & Disciplines    5. Poetry    6. Writing Skills    7. Poetry / Anthologies (multiple authors)   

Reviews (109)

a mess
For being the official source on APA this book is appallingly bad. It is extremely hard to use, is incomplete, and seems to have even less information than is freely available on the net. Save yourself some time and skip buying this.

The Plot was pretty slow moving
I don't know... i just think the plotting of this novel was just pretty slow and not really exciting at all.The villains were just cardboard characters, the hero was kinda blah, and it just didn't build to an exciting resolution.So I can only give it two stars for effort...

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Fifth Edition
Very easy to find guidlelines for references and how to use them make this 5th edition a must for students and their tutors who are engaged in publishing research.
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Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Composition & Creative Writing - Academic    3. Handbooks, manuals, etc    4. History    5. Psychological literature    6. Psychology    7. Publishing    8. Reference    9. Social sciences    10. USA    11. Writing & editing guides   

Editorial Review

Composition teachers throughout the English-speaking world have been pushing this book on their students since it was first published in 1957.Co-author White later revised it, and it remains the most compact and lucid handbook we have for matters of basic principles of composition, grammar, word usage and misusage, and writing style. ... Read more

Reviews (286)

Do You Dread Looking Things Up?
The Elements of Style makes grammatical research so easy, you'll want to look up things you'd always wondered about but thought would take too much time. Recently someone asked me about the use of the serial comma, and, as it was about text we were going to put on the dust jacket of a book, it was sufficiently important to look up. It turned out to be the second item in the Table of Contents. First you get the general rule, in this case "In a series of three or more terms with a single conjunction, use a comma after each term except the last." The example given is "gold, silver, or copper." The sole exception is a series of names in a business: "Brown, Shipley and Co." There! With thirty seconds effort, the issue was adjudicated. I can't recommend it highly enough. Thank God for the Fourth Edition. My Third Edition is dog-eared with use.

Important Reading
This little book is important reading for any one who has or is desiring to write. One of the best things that I could say about the book is that it is full of examples that are juxtaposed. Every element is clearly defined in such a way that any one can easily see the difference between the examples given. This book is a "how to" book for proper use of english in written form. It seemingly covers everything you could imagine from the use of commas and omiting needless words to expressing yourself clearly and not overwriting. The five chapters are: 1. Elementary Rules of Usage 2. Elementary Principles of Composition 3. A Few Matters of Form 4. Words and Expressions Commonly Misused 5. An Approach to Style.
Absolutely Indispensable!
Anyone doing any writing, regardless of the purpose, must have a copy of this handy little reference book right next to their dictionary and thesaurus. "Elements of Style" is an indispensable little guide full of superb tips for the correct use of the English language. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Composition & Creative Writing - General    2. English Composition    3. English language    4. Grammar    5. Language    6. Language Arts & Disciplines    7. Literary style    8. Reference    9. Report writing    10. Rhetoric    11. Style    12. Technical Writing    13. Writing Skills    14. English    15. Technology / Technical Writing    16. Writing & editing guides   

Reviews (7)

Practical Traits
This book offers tons of practical approaches and practice scoring for the 6 Traits of Writing.It is written by a recognized master in the field and has been so helpful.

A Friendly Read
Spandel's book is an authentic, engaging, and encouraging read for those that teach writing, want help infusing writing, or want to enhance their own writing. It is written conversationally and is well supported with numerous examples. I found it visually appealing as a reader and insightful. (Another review didn't like the visuals because it isn't easy to lift examples "as is" for sharing in class. To that angle I agree, but as a reader the layout is very pleasing.) Highly recommended.

Creating Writers Through 6-Trait Writing Assessment and Instruction (4th Ed)
This book gives so many examples of the qualities to look for and teach in writing instruction.I especially like the fact that this edition is more inclusive of secondary ideas and samples.
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Subjects:  1. Composition & Creative Writing - General    2. Composition and exercises    3. Education    4. Elementary    5. English language    6. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    7. Report writing    8. Rhetoric    9. Study and teaching    10. Teaching Methods & Materials - Language Arts    11. Creative writing guides    12. Education / Teaching Methods & Materials / Reading    13. Writing skills   

Reviews (13)

Fun to read, useful information, and makes a great gift
This book hits a sweet spot for me.Paul Brians uses a common sense approach in discussing how we use and misuse our language.His approach is not fussy or full of rules.Instead, he uses humor and a light touch to help the reader develop a sense for what is proper and logical.He also helps us learn where we commonly fall into traps by mishearing and misusing words through regionalisms or simply similar sounding words.
It is really useful andentertaining.I love it!
I usually don't review any of my purchases. But, this book is so captivating that I had to review it!
Too Basic
The content is so elementary that this book cannot be considered a serious reference work for writers. Many of the "Common Errors" seem to have been made up in order to complete a targeted page count. If you already know the difference between "chunk" and "chuck," and know when to use "next door" instead of "next store" to convey your intended meaning, you can pass on this one. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Composition & Creative Writing - General    2. Dictionaries    3. English as a Second Language    4. English language    5. Errors of usage    6. Foreign Language Study    7. Grammar    8. Idioms    9. Language    10. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    11. Phonetics & Phonics    12. United States    13. Usage    14. English    15. Usage guides   

Subjects:  1. Composition & Creative Writing - General    2. English language    3. Grammar    4. Handbooks, manuals, etc    5. Language    6. Language Arts & Disciplines    7. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    8. Report writing    9. Rhetoric    10. English    11. Language Arts & Disciplines / Composition & Creative Writing    12. Writing skills   

Editorial Review

Think you've got a book inside of you? Anne Lamott isn't afraid to help you let it out. She'll help you find your passion and your voice, beginning from the first really crummy draft to the peculiar letdown of publication. Readers will be reminded of the energizing books of writer Natalie Goldberg and will be seduced by Lamott's witty take on the reality of a writer's life, which has little to do with literary parties and a lot to do with jealousy, writer's block and going for broke with each paragraph.Marvelously wise and best of all, great reading. ... Read more

Reviews (254)

A mixed bag
This book has some good writing advice, which I appreciate, but I was annoyed by the intrusive religious comments. It should have been marketed as a Christian writing book, or else I wish they had left the religion out of it. I do not expect to find this when I purchase a writing book. I want to hear about writing, not about how God can make me a better writer.
Worth reading and Saving !
This is one of the books that I will keep and re-read.Very well written and inspiring.I LOVED IT !! Made me "want" to write and made me feel that I could actually write something worth reading.

Depressing
I found this book very depressing. Anne Lamott's constant self-deprecation throughout the book caused me to really doubt myself as well. I know she is doing it to show that she's human just like the rest of us, but I think she can show that without hating on herself every chance she gets (saying the 9-year-old version of herself looked like a neurotic cat woman, etc.) despite what she says about how you shouldn't do that. It's like hanging around with a bunch of anorexic models, it gets to you.
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Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Composition & Creative Writing - General    3. Handbooks, manuals, etc    4. Journalism    5. Language    6. Language Arts & Disciplines    7. Reference    8. Writing Skills    9. Reference / Writing Skills   

Reviews (28)

The Elements of Style: A Classic with Timeless Advice
Although the original Elements of Style was written in 1919 (or earlier), it still holds true that anyone who wants to learn how to write in a clear and concise manner will benefit from this book. After reading this book you'll know to avoid breaking elementary rules and principles that are made in writing: excessiveuse of adjectives and adverbs, writing in the passive voice, using different tenses in writing, using the improper case of pronouns (example: using "who" when "whom" should be used and vice versa).
A Classic
This book was required for my high school English classes back in the late '60's. As an English professor, I use this book today. Many generations of students have benefited from this book's informal, conversational approach to teaching formal English (that is, excellent English that is precise and concise in form and content). Although I don't personally like the illustrations, this is my favorite edition of the book because the illustrations add a whimsical informality to substantive content.

Pictures + Punctuation= Fabulous Source of Info
The Elements of Style was great before pictures were added, but the color adds even that much more to a great source for grammar and punctuation.Easy to navigate, great examples through sentences and excerpts.Strunk and White have done it right! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. English Composition    2. English Grammar    3. English language    4. Reference    5. Report writing    6. Rhetoric    7. Style    8. Writing Skills    9. Reference / Writing Skills   

Reviews (8)

Better Writing
This book is a step-by-step instruction to different kinds of technical writing. It is easy to understand and follow. The topics are well organized and clearly outlined, which makes it easy to read.
teacher ed. unexpected
i was supprised that it was the teachers edition but it will still be usefull thanks

This book is better than what some reviewers write!
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Subjects:  1. Communication of technical information    2. Science/Mathematics    3. Technical Writing    4. Technology    5. Technology & Industrial Arts    6. English    7. Technology / Technical Writing    8. Technology: General Issues    9. Writing & editing guides   

Editorial Review

Writing for the screen is quirky business. A writer must labor meticulously over his or her prose, yet very little of that prose is ever heard by filmgoers. The few words that do reach the audience, in the form of the characters' dialogue, are, according to Robert McKee, best left to last in the writing process. ("As Alfred Hitchcock once remarked, 'When the screenplay has been written and the dialogue has been added, we're ready to shoot.' ") In Read more

Reviews (142)

By far the best book on the subject
I don't have much to add to what has been written about this remarkable book, except to say that McKee has more brains and more common sense than any writer I've seen on the subject.He spells out principles rather than rules, shows how they apply equally to a Hollywood blockbuster and a Bergman film, and most remarkably explains how things that appear to be exceptions to these principles are in fact, not.Start your reading on the subject here; everything else is just a footnote.

Robert McKee is Truly a Master of His Craft
'Story' has helped me immensely. This book is to all writers what Stephen King's book ("On Writing") is to novelists.
Great book on screenwriting, great presentation
I am a writer, not a screenwriter but found this book, that was recommended by a friend, to be outstanding for writers as well. The author takes you step by step, in incredible, logical detail, through the process of communicating and screenwriting. The concepts he uses, the style, it is all very easy to understand and while it takes a will to read it, an interest in the craft but it is well worth the read if you're interested in the topic. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Composition & Creative Writing - Play/Scriptwriting    3. Film & Video - Screenwriting    4. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    5. Motion picture authorship    6. Motion picture plays    7. Performing Arts    8. Screenwriting    9. Technique    10. Creative writing guides    11. Performing Arts / Film / Screenwriting   

Reviews (51)

Take it for what it is!
Some writers need to not take themselves so seriously here. This is *not* a textbook on writing or publishing. There's no advice or sage wisdom on plot or character or dialogue or style. Chris doesn't tell you how to format your manuscript so as not to be marked an amateur by a publisher. It never claimed to be that. He tells you up front it's not that. There are hundreds of other books that address these issues.
Try it, I dare you!:)
I purchased Chris Baty's "No Plot? No Problem!" when it came out in 2004, read through it and thought, "hey, I could try this, but maybe later."Well, "later" became two years.I picked it back up this summer, read it cover to cover and picked August as the month in which I would write my next novel in its entirety.I did what Baty said, created a small support group, found plenty of blocks of time, even signed the contract in the book (and I don't write in books!).I was on my way.I threw convention and sense to the wind and finished my first writing day with nearly 1600 words and a cramp in my hand.I could do this.Day 2 I was still optimistic even though I couldn't think of much to say and had just over half of the previous day's word count.So, it'd be harder than I thought, but I could do this.
Great for people just starting out...
There are many of us out there who have never published a novel but who wanted to give an effort to write one.We walk into a book store and search, high and low, for that one perfect book that we believe will help us write that novel.The problem is, which book to buy?
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