"Discover Your Voice and Enthrall Readers!The craft of writing is filled with various debates: Should I include a prologue? Should I delete all adverbs from my manuscript? Just how much backstory--if any--can I include in my story? These questions--and their often-contradictory answers--can cause confusion, frustration, and even paralysis in the writer."The Irresistible Novel" frees you from the limits of so-called "rules" and instead provides you...

It's 1939, in New York City. Josef "Joe" Kavalier, a young Jewish artist who has also been trained in the art of Houdiniesque escape, has just pulled off his greatest feat, smuggling himself out of Hitler's Prague. He's looking to make big money, fast, so that he can bring his family to safety. His cousin, Brooklyn's own Sammy Clay, is looking for a partner in creating the heroes, stories, and art for the latest novelty to hit the American dreamscape:...

"You know it when you read it: In page after page and scene after scene, a truly engrossing novel has qualities that set it apart. Authentic characters, a well-rounded plot, and immersive settings work in harmony to create a three-dimensional experience--one you can practically step inside and explore. But while you can recognize this work when you read it, writing it can be much more challenging. Bring Your Fiction to Life teaches you how to build...

"Just as a compass provides direction for an explorer, so does motivation provide direction for characters in fiction. The 'compass' of character motivation is composed of four points: Lack, Yearning, Resistance, and Desire. In The Compass of Character, you'll learn to deeply consider the key question 'What does my character want?' and learn techniques to answer that question by writing realistic and empathetic characters without falling into formulaic,...