Working On My Novel

What does it feel like to try and create something new? How is it possible to find a space for the demands of writing a novel in a world of instant communication? Working on My Novel is about the act of creation and the gap between the different ways we express ourselves today. Exploring the extremes of making art, from satisfaction and even euphoria to those days or nights when nothing will come, it's the story of what it means to be a creative person, and why we keep on trying.

In the late 1960s, Andy Warhol set out to turn an ordinary book into a piece of pop art. He said that he wanted to create a 'bad' novel 'because doing something the wrong way always opens doors'. The result was this astonishing account of the famously influential group of artists, superstars, addicts and freaks who made up the world of Warhol's Factory. It begins with the fabulous Warhol superstar Ondine popping pills and follows its characters as they converse with inspired, speed-driven wit and cut swathes through the clubs, coffee shops, hospitals and whorehouses of 1960s Manhattan.

George Orwell set out ‘to make political writing into an art’, and to a wide extent this aim shaped the future of English literature – his descriptions of authoritarian regimes helped to form a new vocabulary that is fundamental to understanding totalitarianism. While 1984 and Animal Farm are amongst the most popular classic novels in the English language, this new series of Orwell’s essays seeks to bring a wider selection of his writing on politics and literature to a new readership. In Why I Write, the first in the Orwell’s Essays series, Orwell describes his journey to becoming a writer, and his movement from writing poems to short stories to the essays, fiction and non-fiction we remember him for. He also discusses what he sees as the ‘four great motives for writing’ – ‘sheer egoism’, ‘aesthetic enthusiasm’, ‘historical impulse’ and ‘political purpose’ – and considers the importance of keeping these in balance. Why I Write is a unique opportunity to look into Orwell’s mind, and it grants the reader an entirely different vantage point from which to consider the rest of the great writer’s oeuvre. 'A writer who can – and must – be rediscovered with every age.' — Irish Times

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A stunning “portrait of the enduring grace of friendship” (NPR) about the families we are born into, and those that we make for ourselves. A masterful depiction of love in the twenty-first century. NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST • MAN BOOKER PRIZE FINALIST • WINNER OF THE KIRKUS PRIZE A Little Life follows four college classmates—broke, adrift, and buoyed only by their friendship and ambition—as they move to New York in search of fame and fortune. While their relationships, which are tinged by addiction, success, and pride, deepen over the decades, the men are held together by their devotion to the brilliant, enigmatic Jude, a man scarred by an unspeakable childhood trauma. A hymn to brotherly bonds and a masterful depiction of love in the twenty-first century, Hanya Yanagihara’s stunning novel is about the families we are born into, and those that we make for ourselves. Look for Hanya Yanagihara’s latest bestselling novel, To Paradise.

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

Writers write—but what do they do for money? In a widely read essay entitled "MFA vs NYC," bestselling novelist Chad Harbach (The Art of Fielding) argued that the American literary scene has split into two cultures: New York publishing versus university MFA programs. This book brings together established writers, MFA professors and students, and New York editors, publicists, and agents to talk about these overlapping worlds, and the ways writers make (or fail to make) a living within them. Should you seek an advanced degree, or will workshops smother your style? Do you need to move to New York, or will the high cost of living undo you? What's worse—having a day job or not having health insurance? How do agents decide what to represent? Will Big Publishing survive? How has the rise of MFA programs affected American fiction? The expert contributors, including George Saunders, Elif Batuman, and Fredric Jameson, consider all these questions and more, with humor and rigor. MFA vs NYC is a must-read for aspiring writers, and for anyone interested in the present and future of American letters.

Write your business book without wasting time or money—a “superb” guide for executives, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders (Henry DeVries, author of Persuade with a Story). Write Your Book in a Flash shows how to get focused fast, so you can write your book without tearing your hair out. As with any enterprise, writing a book requires a clear system—or nothing gets finished. Unlike books that show you why you should write a book, this book actually shows you how to write a book! You’ll discover: How to write a simple outline that makes the writing process faster and easier How to get stunning testimonials to help sell your book How to find and manage beta readers who will share honest feedback before the book is published How to research interesting ideas, stories, and facts so you never run out of ideas or information How to overcome “The Imposter Syndrome” and other limiting beliefs that stifle nearly every would-be author Clear examples that show you what to do (and what not to do) Empowering exercises that show you how to write better and faster Simple how-to steps anyone can follow to write a book Business leaders who write books get more clients at higher fees, have more impact, develop more credibility, and have more influence where it matters most: in front of clients, customers, and prospects. This is the perfect book to read if you are a thought leader, entrepreneur or business executive who wants to write a business book to build your personal brand, open doors to new opportunities, and leave a legacy of wisdom to future generations.

To the outside world, David Emmeret Smith has it all. He's at the height of his acting career, is the envy of his peers, and is in a loving, committed relationship. But, on the cusp of the biggest night of his life, one impulsive decision after another begins a downward spiral which puts everything he holds dear at risk. What follows from there is a hedonist's love affair with drugs, depravity, and destruction.