Sin and Syntax

Sin and Syntax
Author: Constance Hale
Publisher: Three Rivers Press
Total Pages: 306
Release: 2001-12-04
Genre: Reference
ISBN: 0767908929

Today’s writers need more spunk than Strunk: whether it's the Great American e-mail, Madison Avenue advertising, or Grammy Award-winning rap lyrics, memorable writing must jump off the page. Copy veteran Constance Hale is on a mission to make creative communication, both the lyrical and the unlawful, an option for everyone. With its crisp, witty tone, Sin and Syntax covers grammar’s ground rules while revealing countless unconventional syntax secrets (such as how to use—Gasp!—interjections or when to pepper your prose with slang) that make for sinfully good writing. Discover how to: *Distinguish between words that are “pearls” and words that are “potatoes” * Avoid “couch potato thinking” and “commitment phobia” when choosing verbs * Use literary devices such as onomatopoeia, alliteration, and metaphor (and understand what you're doing) Everyone needs to know how to write stylish prose—students, professionals, and seasoned writers alike. Whether you’re writing to sell, shock, or just sing, Sin and Syntax is the guide you need to improve your command of the English language.

Sin and Syntax

Sin and Syntax
Author: Constance Hale
Publisher: Crown
Total Pages: 322
Release: 2013-08-13
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 038534693X

A fully revised and updated edition with writing prompts and challenges in every chapter Today’s writers need more spunk than Strunk: whether it's the Great American e-mail, Madison Avenue advertising, or Grammy Award-winning rap lyrics, memorable writing must jump off the page. Copy veteran Constance Hale is on a mission to make creative communication, both the lyrical and the unlawful, an option for everyone. With its crisp, witty tone, Sin and Syntax covers grammar’s ground rules while revealing countless unconventional syntax secrets (such as how to use—Gasp!—interjections or when to pepper your prose with slang) that make for sinfully good writing. Discover how to: *Distinguish between words that are “pearls” and words that are “potatoes” * Avoid “couch potato thinking” and “commitment phobia” when choosing verbs * Use literary devices such as onomatopoeia, alliteration, and metaphor (and understand what you're doing) Everyone needs to know how to write stylish prose—students, professionals, and seasoned writers alike. Whether you’re writing to sell, shock, or just sing, Sin and Syntax—now celebrating 20 years in print—is the guide you need to improve your command of the English language.

Vex, Hex, Smash, Smooch: Let Verbs Power Your Writing

Vex, Hex, Smash, Smooch: Let Verbs Power Your Writing
Author: Constance Hale
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Total Pages: 400
Release: 2012-10-15
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 0393081168

Helps aspiring writers understand the importance of using powerful verbs in their work through examples of brilliant writing and presents a linguistic history to demonstrate how language and writing has evolved over time.

Line by Line

Line by Line
Author: Claire Kehrwald Cook
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Total Pages: 244
Release: 1985
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 9780395393918

Loose, baggy sentences - Faulty connections - III-matched partners - Mismanaged numbers and references - Problems with punctuation - The parts of a sentence.

Damn Fine Story

Damn Fine Story
Author: Chuck Wendig
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 241
Release: 2017-10-18
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 1440348383

Hook Your Audience with Unforgettable Storytelling! What do Luke Skywalker, John McClane, and a lonely dog on Ho'okipa Beach have in common? Simply put, we care about them. Great storytelling is making readers care about your characters, the choices they make, and what happens to them. It's making your audience feel the tension and emotion of a situation right alongside your protagonist. And to tell a damn fine story, you need to understand why and how that caring happens. Using a mix of personal stories, pop fiction examples, and traditional storytelling terms, New York Times best-selling author Chuck Wendig will help you internalize the feel of powerful storytelling. In Damn Fine Story, you'll explore: • Fretytag's Pyramid for visualizing story structure--and when to break away from traditional storytelling forms • Character relationships and interactions as the basis of every strong plot—no matter the form or genre • Rising and falling tension that pulls the audience through to the climax and conclusion of the story • Developing themes as a way to craft characters with depth Whether you're writing a novel, screenplay, video game, comic, or even if you just like to tell stories to your friends and family over dinner, this funny and informative guide is chock-full of examples about the art and craft of storytelling--and how to write a damn fine story of your own.

A Grammar Book for You and I-- Oops, Me!

A Grammar Book for You and I-- Oops, Me!
Author: C. Edward Good
Publisher: Capital Books
Total Pages: 388
Release: 2002
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 9781892123237

Correct English usage as it's never been taught before: lucidly, memorably, and humorously -- for all ages.

Editor-Proof Your Writing

Editor-Proof Your Writing
Author: Don McNair
Publisher: Linden Publishing
Total Pages: 233
Release: 2013-04-01
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 1610351991

Don’t let simple mistakes ruin your book’s chances! If you’re not getting published, you may suffer from foggy writing—writing that’s full of unnecessary, misused, and overused words. Foggy writing drives editors crazy, and it’s the number one reason most manuscripts are rejected on first glance. Let veteran editor Don McNair show you how to clear up your foggy writing and produce sparkling copy that will attract agents, editors, readers, and sales. Editor-Proof Your Writing will show you how to avoid fatal writing mistakes by eliminating unnecessary words—and in the process you’ll strengthen your book’s action, invigorate your dialogue, and make your writing crackle with life. Containing 21 simple, straightforward principles, Editor-Proof Your Writing teaches how to edit weak verb forms, strip away author intrusions, ban redundancies, eliminate foggy phrases, correct passive-voice sentences, slash misused and overused words, and fix other writing mistakes. A must-have addition to every writer’s toolkit, Editor-Proof Your Writing won’t just make your writing clearer; it will make you a better writer — more expressive, more entertaining, and more likely to sell.

Spunk & Bite

Spunk & Bite
Author: Arthur Plotnik
Publisher: Random House Reference Publishing
Total Pages: 280
Release: 2005
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN:

Presents a comprehensive guide to creating winning manuscripts that will sell, and provide tips and techniques on language, dialogue, diction and more.

Strictly English

Strictly English
Author: Simon Heffer
Publisher: Random House
Total Pages: 356
Release: 2011-05-31
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 1446474798

"Be in no doubt: the beer was drunk but the man drank the beer." "We must avoid vulgarities like 'front up'. If someone is 'fronting up' a television show, then he is presenting it." Simon Heffer's incisive and amusingly despairing emails to colleagues at the The Daily Telegraph about grammatical mistakes and stylistic slips have attracted a growing band of ardent fans over recent years. Now, in his new book Strictly English, he makes an impassioned case for an end to the sloppiness that has become such a hallmark of everyday speech and writing, and shows how accuracy and clarity are within the grasp of anyone who is prepared to take the time to master a few simple rules. If you wince when you see "different than" in print, or are offended by people who think that "infer" and "imply" mean the same thing, then this book will provide reassurance that you are not alone. And if you believe that precise and elegant English really does matter, then it will prove required reading.