A comprehensive guide with practical advice to help writers prepare themselves and their work for the screen industry, indentify available paths, and make the leap from aspirant to working professional.

There are so many ways practitioners can get children ready for writing and Alistair explores these in this step by step practical guide. Starting with the theory this book takes practitioners through the developmental stages, looks at gender differences in mark making and then provides some innovative ideas for intervention such as Dough Gym and writing like a Jedi! Alistair is convinced that once practitioners understand the developmental stages of becoming a mark maker (from palm gripping to shoulder pivot) and are given the tried and tested activities to use, they will see a significant difference in progress.

Breaking In: Tales from the Screenwriting Trenches is a no-nonsense, boots-on-the-ground exploration of how writers REALLY go from emerging to professional in today’s highly saturated and competitive screenwriting space. With a focus on writers who have gotten representation and broken into the TV or feature film space after the critical 2008 WGA strike and financial market collapse, the reader will learn from tangible examples of how success was achieved via hard work and specific methodology. This book includes interviews from writers who wrote major studio releases (The Boy Next Door), staffed on television shows (American Crime, NCIS New Orleans, Sleepy Hollow), sold specs and television shows, placed in competitions, and were accepted to prestigious network and studio writing programs. These interviews are presented as Screenwriter Spotlights throughout the book and are supported by insight from top-selling agents and managers (including those who have sold scripts and pilots, had their writers named to prestigious lists such as The Black List and The Hit List) as well as working industry executives. Together, these anecdotes, learnings and perceptions, tied in with the author's extensive experience in and knowledge of the industry, will inform the reader about how the industry REALLY works, what it expects from both working and emerging writers, as well as what next steps the writer should engage in, in order to move their screenwriting career forward.

Now updated for 2015! The best, most comprehensive guide for writers is now revised and updated, with new sections on ebooks, self-publishing, crowd-funding through Kickstarter, blogging, increasing visibility via online marketing, micropublishing, the power of social media and author websites, and more—making The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published more vital than ever for anyone who wants to mine that great idea and turn it into a successfully published book. Written by experts with twenty-five books between them as well as many years’ experience as a literary agent (Eckstut) and a book doctor (Sterry), this nuts-and-bolts guide demystifies every step of the publishing process: how to come up with a blockbuster title, create a selling proposal, find the right agent, understand a book contract, and develop marketing and publicity savvy. Includes interviews with hundreds of publishing insiders and authors, including Seth Godin, Neil Gaiman, Amy Bloom, Margaret Atwood, Leonard Lopate, plus agents, editors, and booksellers; sidebars featuring real-life publishing success stories; sample proposals, query letters, and an entirely updated resources and publishers directory.

'The unrelenting tension of this well-crafted debut kept me whizzing through the book . . . I loved the tension, the secrets and the satisfying, unexpected conclusion' KL Slater In a converted Georgian townhouse in south west London, three families live under one roof. The large flat that takes up the top two floors is home to the Harlow family: happily married Paul and Steph, and their bubbly teenage daughter Freya. The smaller first floor flat is rented by Emma, who spends most of her time alone, listening to people coming in and out of the building. And the basement flat belongs to Chris, a local driving instructor, who prefers to keep his personal life private from the neighbours. But their lives are all upended when Freya vanishes. As the police become involved and a frantic Paul and Steph desperately search for answers, they begin to realise that the truth behind their daughter's disappearance may lie closer to home than they were expecting. When everyone has something to hide, can you ever really know those closest to you? Or will some secrets be taken to the grave?

Too often, people drift through life with a feeling of frustration, longing to find some adventure or purpose in life, envious of those whose lives seem exciting. In WRITE IT DOWN, MAKE IT HAPPEN, Henriette Anne Klauser shows you how to write your own lifescript. Simply writing down your goals in life is the first step towards achieving them. The 'writing it down' part is not about time management; it is not a 'to-do today' list that will make you feel guilty if you don't get everything done. Rather, writing it down is about clearing your head, identifying what you want and setting your intent. You can 'make it happen' purely by believing in the possibility. In WRITE IT DOWN, MAKE IT HAPPEN, there are stories from ordinary people who witnessed miracles large and small unfold in their lives after they performed the basic act of putting their goals on paper.

What message do you want or need to share with the world? Are you ready to add your voice to the conversation, expand your impact, and influence others as an author? Get the ideas out of your head and into the world. Get the Word Out is a guide to writing a nonfiction book or memoir grounded in a sense of purpose. This practical and inspiring book offers advice for every phase of the journey, from clarifying your concept and owning your authority to drafting the manuscript and doing the important work after publishing. Whether you’re an industry thought leader seeking to expand your impact or someone with a tiny following and a big idea, this book will help you approach your book project with clarity, confidence, and commitment: • Clarity about your message, your audience, and your vision for the work • Confidence in your expertise, authority, and ability to write the book • Commitment to see the book through to publication and spread the word beyond If you’re looking for a quick-and-easy recipe or a promise of a best-seller, you won’t find it here. You will find suggested exercises, original research from a survey of hundreds of nonfiction authors, and stories and advice from other authors who have written meaningful, purposeful books. Many authors report that they wish they’d written their books sooner. What are you waiting for?