First Draft Outline

The first complete book in the "Writing, Editing, and Publishing" series offers one of the least tapped and largest sources of information on writing, editing, and publishing: the author's personal experience. If anyone sets out to be an author at the age of 14 or 15 and makes a go of it for the next half-century and then some, he has some stories to tell. And some information to impart. And some inspiration to share.In this book, D. J. Herda offers all that and more. Based upon his years of teaching various writing courses and Creative Writing Workshop, plus publishing, editing, and ghostwriting experiences, he is the ultimate source of information ? now available in one book for the first time ever.Here you'll find tips on writing, editing, publishing, marketing, POD publishing, landing a top literary agent, and much more from a ninety-book author who has spent half a century in the industry.Are there really secrets in the pages to come? Yes-some never revealed before. And everything you read about here, as well as in the author's "About Writing Right" eBook series, is one hundred percent accurate and based upon first-hand experience and relentless investigation. No hunches masquerading as truths. No realities hiding behind suppositions. As Sgt. Joe Friday used to say on the old television series, Dragnet: "Just the facts, ma'am. Just the facts."Read what the author has to share based upon some of the thousands of questions asked of him over the years. Read, enjoy, learn, and prosper. And then pass that information along to a friend.

How to write a novel in the most efficient way by tackling the hardest part before you start to write, from top book coach Jennie Nash "This process makes me want to write, and it makes what I'm writing better. I read it before every draft. It's that good." -KJ Dell'Antonia, New York Times bestselling author of The Chicken Sisters Whether you're writing your first novel or your tenth, there is a temptation to pin it to the page before it disappears. It's such a brilliant idea and you can see the whole thing shimmering in your mind, just out of reach. Maybe you do some work on character development and plotting, but you're a racehorse at the gate, ready to run, ready to write. This book is an argument to stop and define the foundational elements of your story before you keep writing - which means understanding your motivation as a writer, considering your reader's expectations, and making sure your story has a solid structure that will hold up inside and out from beginning to end. This clarity is what gives a novel its power and a writer their confidence. Jennie Nash is the creator of the Book Coach Certification program at Author Accelerator and has taught hundreds of book coaches and thousands of novelists how to use the Blueprint for a Book system-and the Inside Outline at the heart of it - to help them produce their best work in the most efficient way. "Jennie Nash turned me into a plotter and changed the way I think about approaching any new project. I'm an Inside Outside outline fan for life!" -Alison Hammer, author of You and Me and Us and Little Pieces of Me "If you are about to start writing or revising your novel - hold up! You need this book before putting fingers to keyboard. It's a step-by-step design-your-novel manual that encapsulates the most important aspect of great story-telling: how to reach deep into your writerly heart and into the heart of the story you want to bring to life." - Janet Fox, author of The Artifact Hunters "I will sing the praises of the Inside Outline forever. It's f*ing genius." -Carla Naumburg, author of How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t With Your Kids "The Inside Outline is making writing easier. I can focus more on the writing rather than discovering what the scene is about when I'm creating it. Why isn't every writer using it? Instead, people are plonking down good money to be told ten key steps in writing dialogue or setting a scene. I'm so grateful I'm no longer one of them." - Kate Kimball, first time novelist

Flexible and customizable, this revolutionary system can be modified to fit any writer's approach and style.

This bestselling guide will help you choose the right type of outline to unleash your creativity as a writer, guide you in brainstorming plot ideas, and aid you in discovering your characters.

Joining the ranks of classics like The Elements of Style and On Writing Well, Writing Without Bullshit helps professionals get to the point to get ahead. It’s time for Writing Without Bullshit. Writing Without Bullshit is the first comprehensive guide to writing for today’s world: a noisy environment where everyone reads what you write on a screen. The average news story now gets only 36 seconds of attention. Unless you change how you write, your emails, reports, and Web copy don’t stand a chance. In this practical and witty book, you’ll learn to front-load your writing with pithy titles, subject lines, and opening sentences. You’ll acquire the courage and skill to purge weak and meaningless jargon, wimpy passive voice, and cowardly weasel words. And you’ll get used to writing directly to the reader to make every word count. At the center of it all is the Iron Imperative: treat the reader’s time as more valuable than your own. Embrace that, and your customers, your boss, and your colleagues will recognize the power and boldness of your thinking. Transcend the fear that makes your writing weak. Plan and execute writing projects with confidence. Manage edits and reviews flawlessly. And master every modern format from emails and social media to reports and press releases. Stop writing to fit in. Start writing to stand out. Boost your career by writing without bullshit.

An interactive, multimedia text that introduces students to reading and writing at the college level.

Finish an outline so complete it reads like a first draft! Say goodbye to writing and rewriting with no results. Starting--and finishing--your story has never been easier. First Draft Outline provides you with a sure-fire system to reduce time-intensive rewrites and avoid writing detours. Award-winning author Karen S. Wiesner's method shows you how to create an outline so detailed and complete that it actually doubles as your first draft. Flexible and customizable, this revolutionary system can be modified to fit any writer's approach and style. Plus, comprehensive and interactive worksheets make the process seem less like work and more like fun. This invaluable resource also includes: -Itemized and flexible schedules to keep you focused each and every day -Detailed worksheets to guide you through the outlining process -Completed sample worksheets inspired by best-selling books -Tips for outlining projects already in development -Brainstorming techniques to keep you motivated -Goal sheets for getting--and keeping--your career on track Many aspiring and experienced writers toss out hundreds of pages (and waste valuable time) before they have a workable first draft of a story. You don't have to fall into this category anymore. With First Draft Outline, you'll have all the tools you need to write your masterpiece!

The Snowflake Method-ten battle-tested steps that jump-start your creativity and help you quickly map out your story.