$30 Writing School,9781592004867

$30 Writing School

by
Edition: 1st
ISBN13: 9781592004867
ISBN10: 1592004865
Format: Paperback
Pub. Date: 2004-09-21
Publisher(s): Cengage Learning Ptr
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Summary

If you want to become a writer just to get rich, buy lottery tickets instead. But, if you're ready to write well, get your words out to the world, and make a living doing what you love-then prepare to meet your goal. $30 Writing School is for writers who want to be great and who aren't afraid to work hard along the way. Whether you want to become a writer of fiction, non-fiction, screenplays, or even advertising, you'll learn how to get going and get noticed. You'll get practical, realistic advice from writers who know what it takes to make it, and you'll learn how they did it. From the basics of composing a sentence and developing outlines to the fine points of working with editors and negotiating contracts, $30 Writing School is the "follow your dream" kick in the pants that you've been looking for. Book jacket.

Author Biography

Michael W. Dean is an author, film-maker, and musician who lives in Los Angeles

Table of Contents

Introduction xix
I'm Living the Dream
1(4)
Myths & FAQ
5(18)
Interview
15(7)
FAQ
15(7)
Conclusion
22(1)
English 101
23(26)
Grammar Time
27(2)
Parts of Speech
29(1)
``Punks Not Dead''---Grammar Errors
29(20)
Apostrophes
30(1)
Misplaced and Missing Apostrophes
30(1)
Unnecessary Apostrophes Used
30(3)
Necessary Apostrophes Not Used
33(1)
Hyphenation
34(1)
A and An
35(1)
Commas
36(1)
Footnotes and Endnotes
37(1)
Ellipses
38(1)
Semicolons (;)
38(1)
Colons (:)
39(1)
Who/Whom
39(1)
Ending a Sentence with a Preposition
39(1)
Beginning a Sentence with a Conjunction
40(1)
Stress
40(2)
Capitalization
42(1)
Was/Were
43(1)
Anyway/Anyways
43(1)
Then/Than
43(1)
There/Their/They're
44(1)
Quotes and Parentheses
44(1)
Paragraphs
45(1)
When to Use
45(1)
Line Breaks Rather Than Tabs
46(1)
Paragraphing One Line
47(1)
Double Spaces
48(1)
Numbers
48(1)
Outlines Rule
49(20)
Why an Outline?
50(1)
Separate Documents
50(2)
Writing an Outline
52(10)
Beginning, Middle, and End
54(1)
Supporting Your Claims
54(1)
Logical Progressions
55(1)
Writing a TOC
55(7)
How to Write an Outline
62(6)
Conclusion
68(1)
English 102
69(18)
How I Write Fiction
70(3)
Outlines for Fiction
70(2)
What's In a Name
72(1)
Other Story Elements
73(8)
Person
73(2)
Tense
75(1)
Active and Passive Verbs
75(1)
Linear versus Nonlinear Structure
76(1)
Tone
76(1)
Clarity of Subject
77(1)
Foreshadowing
78(1)
Character Arc
79(1)
The Hero's Journey
79(2)
Writer's Books
81(4)
Conclusion
85(2)
How to Write
87(18)
What to Write About?
88(1)
Titles
89(2)
Ideas
91(2)
Dedication
93(3)
Structure
96(5)
Chapters
98(2)
Building Blocks
100(1)
Amount
101(1)
Content
102(1)
Conclusion
103(2)
On Writing
105
Why Write?
106(4)
School or Not?
110(4)
Where to Write
114(4)
Who Writes What, Where?
118(1)
Good Writing versus Bad Writing
118(2)
Research and Fact Checking
120(1)
How to Interview People
121(5)
Permission
122(1)
Tools of the Interviewer
123(1)
How to Interview
124(1)
Accuracy
125(1)
Conclusion
126(1)
Working with an Editor
127(1)
Stages of Editing
128(9)
Tracking Changes
137(4)
Compare Documents Function
141(2)
Version Control
143(2)
The Rest of the Process
145(4)
Conclusion
149(2)
Hardware
151(28)
Typewriter versus Computer
153(2)
Laptop versus Desktop
155(6)
Laptop Computers
155(5)
Desktop Computers
160(1)
Keyboards
161(1)
Backing Up
162(5)
Tweaking Windows to Do Your Bidding
167(2)
Passwords
169(2)
Wireless
171(1)
Mac versus PC
172(2)
Linux
174(1)
Other Hardware Options
175(3)
AlphaSmart and Dana
175(2)
Palm or Handspring
177(1)
Conclusion
178(1)
Software
179(22)
Word Processing
180(9)
Keyboard Shortcuts
182(1)
Find Function and Search Function
183(2)
Format Painter
185(1)
A Note on Cutting and Pasting
186(1)
Word Count
187(2)
Annoyances in Microsoft Office and Windows
189(3)
Only the Tools You Need
190(1)
Final Draft and Final Draft AV
190(2)
Voice Recognition Software
192(2)
Show Desktop
194(1)
Screenshots
194(2)
Callouts
196(1)
MouseCount
197(1)
PawSense
198(2)
Conclusion
200(1)
Selling Your Book
201(24)
Who Does What in the Publishing World?
203(7)
Writer
204(1)
Publisher
204(1)
Agent
205(1)
Acquisitions Editor
206(1)
Project Editor
206(1)
Copy Editor
207(1)
Tech Editor
207(1)
Proofreader
208(1)
Layout/Design
208(1)
Marketing Department
208(1)
Publicist
208(2)
Book Proposals
210(6)
Selling Fiction
216(2)
Selling Screenplays
218(1)
Selling Articles to Magazines
219(1)
Agent: Pros and Cons
219(4)
Finding an Agent and a Publisher
220(3)
Series Editorship
223(1)
Rejection Letters
223(1)
Conclusion
224(1)
More on Business
225(20)
Can I Make a Living?
226(2)
Job Security
228(2)
Being Realistic
230(2)
Contracts
232(3)
Taxes
235(1)
Money for Writing
236(1)
Dealing with the Company
236(1)
Keeping Your Friends
237(1)
Mail Boxes
238(2)
Three Last Ways to Make Money
240(3)
Amazon Advantage
240(1)
Amazon Associates
240(1)
eBay
241(2)
Conclusion
243(2)
Writing on the Road
245(20)
Equipment
246(4)
Voltage Converters
247(1)
Cables
248(1)
Phone
248(1)
Network
249(1)
Getting Online
250(5)
Internet Cafes
252(1)
Call Centres
252(1)
College Networks
253(2)
Wireless
255(1)
Travel Tips
255(3)
Trains
258(2)
Phone Cards
260(1)
Teaching English in Foreign Countries
261(3)
Conclusion
264(1)
Self-Publishing
265(38)
Most Self-Published Writing Stinks
266(6)
Getting Ready for the Printer
272(8)
Cost and Expectations
276(1)
CMYK
276(1)
Adjusting Saturation
277(1)
Adjusting Contrast and Brightness
278(1)
Pantone
279(1)
Image Resolution
280(1)
Using Quark
280(14)
Get Text
283(3)
Move a Text Box or Picture Box
286(1)
To Add a Picture
286(2)
Collect for Output
288(6)
ISBN and Bar Code
294(2)
ISBN
294(1)
Bar Code
294(2)
Chapbooks, Zines, Ezines, Blogs, and More
296(5)
Chapbooks
296(1)
Zines
297(3)
E-Zines
300(1)
Blogs
300(1)
Alternate Multimedia Publishing Models
301(1)
Conclusion
301(2)
Copyrights and Rights
303(12)
Permission
306(2)
Fair Use
308(1)
BookCrossing: A Defense
309(3)
Rights
312(2)
Using Real-Life Events
313(1)
Plagiarism
313(1)
Conclusion
314(1)
Promotion . . . Telling the World
315(28)
Rule One: Be Willing to Get Your Hands Dirty
316(6)
How I Got On VH1, NBC, NPR, BBC, Connie Martinson, and So On
318(2)
Getting Contacts
320(1)
Smaller Papers Rule
320(1)
Mainstream Media
321(1)
Writing Press Releases
322(4)
Being Proactive
326(3)
More on Writing Press Releases
329(4)
Living Vicariously Through Michael Dean
333(1)
Word of Mouth
334(1)
Getting Interviewed
334(4)
How
334(1)
What to Do
335(1)
What to Ask for in Return
335(3)
Quotes
338(1)
Getting Your Books into Stores
339(1)
Undoing Bad Press
340(2)
Miscellaneous
340(1)
Street Teams
340(1)
Devotion and Lack of Fear
341(1)
Conclusion
342(1)
In-Store Appearances and Touring
343(32)
How to Get Booked
350(5)
Bookstores
350(4)
Colleges
354(1)
Museums
354(1)
Alternative Events
354(1)
Events You Set Up Yourself
355(1)
What to Do When You Get There
355(4)
Autographs
358(1)
Lodging
358(1)
Time
359(1)
How to Get Paid
359(1)
What to Do When You Speak at a College or Give a Speech
360(2)
Speaking Abroad
362(5)
PayPal
362(3)
Crossing Borders
365(1)
Passports
366(1)
How to Get Interviewed
367(1)
How to Be Interviewed
368(4)
Tie Up Loose Ends
369(1)
Study Good Interviews
370(1)
Be Available
370(2)
Plan Ahead
372(1)
Conclusion
373(2)
Closing Arguments (a.k.a. ``The $30 Manifesto'')
375(16)
Wrap Up
376(3)
Direction
377(1)
Flow
377(2)
Don't Take Yourself Too Seriously
379(1)
Go Beyond the Dream
380(1)
Don't Follow Trends---Make Trends
381(3)
Longevity and Friends
382(1)
The 30-Dollar Way
383(1)
Purpose
384(1)
Art versus Commerce---Art and Commerce
385(1)
Live for Art
386(5)
Interviews
391(46)
Hubert Selby, Jr.
392(1)
Andy Rathbone
393(6)
Dame Darcy
399(11)
Michael Berube
410(6)
Kimberly Valentini
416(1)
Jackie Cohen
417(12)
Dan Gookin
429(8)
Appendix A Recommended Reading
437(4)
Magazines
438(1)
Books
439(2)
Appendix B Recommended Surfing
441(2)
Recommended Surfing
442(1)
Appendix C What's on the CD-ROM?
443(4)
Movies
444(1)
Release Forms
444(1)
Scans of My Rejection Letters
444(3)
Index 447

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