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Improv for Writers: 10 Secrets to Help Novelists and Screenwriters Bypass Writer's Block and Generate Infinite Ideas
by Jorjeana MarieFree yourself from writer’s block and inner critics with the creative power of improv! “Jorjeana Marie’s generous, joyful, and oh-so-useful book shows writers—both seasoned and new—how to unleash their creativity and find their best story.”—Gayle Forman, New York Times bestselling author of If I Stay and I Have Lost My Way Improv instructor and writer Jorjeana Marie reveals a new way to generate idea after brilliant idea. Applying the rules of improv to fiction writing, Marie presents fun games and exercises you can do from the comfort of your desk at home. Surprise yourself with new plots, infinite characters and settings, and a supreme confidence in your own process. Armed with the power of improv—and liberating exercises like Ad Agency, Raise the Stakes, and Family Portraits—you’ll soon be an idea machine. With Improv for Writers, your creative storytelling well will never run dry again.Advance praise for Improv for Writers“Here’s a secret. Many authors started out as drama geeks and later found that theatrical skills like deep-diving into character and improvising on the fly were essential tools for writing fiction. Jorjeana Marie’s generous, joyful and oh-so useful book applies the principles of improv to writing and though a series of targeted, fun exercises shows writers—both the seasoned and the new—how to unleash their creativity and find their best story.”—Gayle Forman, New York Times bestselling author of If I Stay and I Have Lost My Way “Part practical, part playful, part encouraging and affirming, Jorjeana Marie’s Improv for Writers is a certain antidote to writing blocks—and writer’s block! This book is a necessary and vital tool for authors and storytellers everywhere.”—Karma Brown, bestselling author of The Life Lucy Knew“Thank you, Jorjeana Marie for infusing joy and play and experimentation in the often-arduous act of writing fiction. I'll be turning to these exercises whenever I need to jump-start my writing session and will be recommending many of my writing students to do the same.”—Nina LaCour, Michael L. Printz Award-winning author of We Are Okay, Hold Still, The Disenchantments, and Everything Leads to You; and You Know Me Well, a novel written in collaboration with David Levithan.
The Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters: A Guide to Creating, Quilting & Living Courageously
by Sherri Lynn WoodAn exciting new approach for beginning to advanced quilters who want to improvise on their own, with a friend, or with a community of fellow makers.Forget step-by-step instructions and copycat designs. In The Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters, Sherri Lynn Wood presents a flexible approach to quilting that breaks free of old paradigms. Instead of traditional instructions, she presents 10 frameworks (or scores) that create a guiding, but not limiting, structure. To help quilters gain confidence, Wood also offers detailed lessons for stitching techniques key to improvisation, design and spontaneity exercises, and lessons on color. Every quilt made from one of Wood’s scores will have common threads, but each one will look different because it reflects the maker’s unique interpretation. Featured throughout the book are Wood’s own quilts and a gallery of contributor works chosen from among the hundreds submitted when she invited volunteers to test her scores during the making of this groundbreaking work.“Wood offers a series of techniques, guidelines and lessons on color choice for those ready to explore improvisational quilting. Her book is loaded with full-color photos and examples to inspire.” —Dallas Morning News“Despite how it may “seam,” quilting isn’t all about rules! Quilting can be an exhilarating way to channel your creativity and express yourself. This book is focused more on exploration than explanation—a perfect mindset for beginners!” —Powell’s Books Staff Pick
Improve Your Writing
by Ron FryFrom selecting a topic and conducting research to developing an outline, writing drafts, proofreading, and more, Improve Your Writing takes you step-by-step through the creation of a successful research paper. Applicable to any kind of writing addressing any subject matter, author Ron Fry's fundamental and systematic approach goes beyond one size fits all checklists to offer real advice that can be adapted according to your individual needs and situations. Ideal for anyone hoping to establish essential research, organization, and writing skills, the text empowers you to excel in school, on essay tests, and in life.
Improve Your Written English: Master The Essentials Of Grammar, Punctuation And Spelling And Write With Greater Confidence (How To Bks)
by Marion FieldWritten in short, accessible sections, this book explains the basics of writing good English. It includes punctuation, sentence construction and spelling. You will learn how to adopt different tasks, such as writing a report, essay or short story. There are also chapters on letter writing, filling in forms and constructing job applications.
Improve Your Written English: Master the essentials of grammar, punctuation and spelling and write with greater confidence
by Marion FieldWritten in short, accessible sections, this book explains the basics of writing good English. It includes punctuation, sentence construction and spelling. You will learn how to adopt different tasks, such as writing a report, essay or short story. There are also chapters on letter writing, filling in forms and constructing job applications.
Improving the Air Force Scientific Discovery Mission: A Workshop Report
by Committee on Improving the Air Force Scientific Discovery Mission: Leveraging Best Practices in Basic Research Management: A WorkshopIn 2014, the Air Force Studies Board conducted two workshops to review current research practices employed by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR). "Improving the Air Force Scientific Discovery Mission" summarizes the presentation and discussion of these two workshops. This report explores the unique drivers associated with management of a 6. 1 basic research portfolio in the Department of Defense and investigates current and future practices that may further the effective and efficient management of basic research on behalf of the Air Force.
Improving the Test Process
by Erik Van Veenendaal Graham BathThis book covers the syllabus for the Improving the Test Process module of the International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB) Expert Level exam. To obtain certification as a professional tester at the Expert Level, candidates may choose to take a course given by an ISTQB accredited training provider and then sit for the exam. Experience shows that many candidates who choose this path still require a reference book that covers the course. There are also many IT professionals who choose self-study as the most appropriate route toward certification. This book can be used both as a preparation guide for those planning to take the ISTQB Expert Level certification exam and as a practical guide for experienced testing professionals who want to develop their skills in improving test processes.
Improving Your Memory: How to Remember What You're Starting to Forget
by Janet Fogler Lynn Stern“The finest handbook we’ve seen on the subject.” —AARP MagazineAppliances and car lights turn themselves off. Smartphones and laptops remind us of appointments. Google lets us search for information we can’t remember. Yet with all these advances, we still grow frustrated and anxious when words won’t come, when we misplace items, or when we forget the name of the person in front of us.Now, University of Michigan social workers Janet Fogler and Lynn Stern have completely updated their friendly, practical guide to memory improvement techniques, many of which can provide immediate results. Recognizing that people worry something is wrong with them when they forget things, they suggest that the antidote to worry is taking positive action to help us remember what we want to remember. They provide tools for understanding and improving memory, including sixteen helpful exercises. Simple techniques like writing information down, creating a catch word or phrase, altering something in your environment, and reviewing details in advance can put you actively in charge of retrieving information more easily.As in previous editions, Improving Your Memory reinforces memory techniques through real-life examples. This accessible handbook also discusses how memory works; how it changes with age, stress, illness, and depression, and why people remember what they do.“One of the most complete memory training guides available . . . This volume has clearly emerged from considerable practical experience with conducting memory courses.” —Contemporary Gerontology
In a Manner of Speaking: Phrases, Expressions, and Proverbs and How We Use and Misuse Them
by Colin McnairnWhat do "the whole kit and caboodle,” "the whole shebang,” "the whole megillah,” "the whole enchilada,” "the whole nine yards,” "the whole box and dice,” and "the full Monty” have in common? They’re all expressions that mean "the entire quantity,” and they’re all examples of the breadth and depth of the English-speaking world’s vocabulary. From the multitude of words and phrases in daily use, the author of this delightful exploration into what we say and why we say it zeroes in on those expressions and sayings and their variations that are funny, quirky, just plain folksy, or playfully dressed up in rhyme or alliteration. Some may have become clichés that, as it’s said with "tongue in cheek,” should be "avoided like the plague. ” Others have been distorted, deemed politically incorrect, or shrouded in mystery and must bear some explanation. Among the topics the author delves into are expressions that shouldn’t be taken literally ("dressed to kill” and "kick the bucket”), foreign expressions that crept into English ("carte blanche,” "carpe diem,” and "que sera, sera”), phrases borrowed from print ads and TV commercials ("where there’s life, there’s Bud” and "where the rubber meets the road”), animal images ("a barrel of monkeys” and "chasing your tail”), and food and drink ("cast your bread upon the water,” "chew the fat,” "bottom’s up!”, and "drink as a lord”). Here’s a book for everyone who delights in the mysteries of language and the perfect gift for all the "wordies” in your life.
In Case You Get Hit by a Bus: How to Organize Your Life Now for When You're Not Around Later
by Gene Newman Abby Schneiderman Adam SeiferA step-by-step program for getting your life in order, so you&’re prepared for the unexpected. The odds of getting hit by a bus are 495,000 to 1. But the odds that you&’re going to die some day? Exactly. Even the most disorganized among us can take control of our on- and off-line details so our loved ones won&’t have to scramble later. The experts at Everplans, a leading company in digital life planning, make it possible in this essential and easy-to-follow book. Breaking the task down into three levels, from the most urgent (like granting access to passwords), to the technical (creating a manual for the systems in your home), to the nostalgic (assembling a living memory), this clear, step-by-step program not only removes the anxiety and stress from getting your life in order, it&’s actually liberating. And deeply satisfying, knowing that you&’re leaving the best parting gift imaginable. When you finish this book, you will have:A system for managing all your passwords and secret codesOrganized your money and assets, bills and debtsA complete understanding of all the medical directives and legal documents you need––including Wills, Powers of Attorney, and TrustsA plan for meaningful photos, recipes, and family heirloomsRecords of your personal history, interests, beliefs, and life lessonsAn instruction manual for your home and vehiclesYour funeral planned and obituary written (if you&’re up for it)
In Control: No More Snapping at Your Family, Sulking at Work, Steaming in the Grocery Line, Seething in Meetings, Stuffing Your Frustration
by Redford Williams Virginia WilliamsClinically proven to reduce anger and stress, this book's easy-to-follow program will enable you to handle anything that today's dangerously out-of-control world throws at you.
In Conversation: A Writer's Guidebook
by Mike Palmquist Barbara WallraffIn Conversation helps you think critically about why you’re writing and who you’re writing to while preparing you for all the kinds of writing you need to do.
In Conversation with Exercises: A Writer's Guidebook
by Mike Palmquist Barbara WallraffIn Conversation with Exercises helps you think critically about why you’re writing and who you’re writing to while preparing you for all the kinds of writing you need to do.
In Defence of Plain English: The Decline and Fall of Literacy in Canada
by Victoria BrandenThis indispensable guide to the English language belongs beside the dictionary in every Canadian home. Written in an easy-to-understand light-hearted style, the content of the book is nevertheless serious and important. Our language is declining; illiteracy is rampant. Worse, the sloppy, incorrect use of language is perpetrated by educators, the media, politicians, and others who should be setting a good example.Besides giving simple illustrations of the correct use of grammar and choice of words, the author deals with the commonest offences: language misused, mis-spelled, and misunderstood, and the appalling use of words (usually incorrect) that many people consider sophisticated or "classy."Using actual quotations from essays of university students, the media, and even "good" books, the author clearly defines bad English and explains in a straightforward manner how to change it to good English. What makes this book unique is its complete lack of pretentiousness and its powerful plea for the return of plain English.
In Her Voice: Women Directors Talk Directing
by Melissa SilversteinIn Her Voice is the first book that takes the words and experiences of a diverse group of celebrated women film directors and puts their voices front and center. This unique volume of interviews presents more than 40 feature and documentary directors from around the world, including Debra Granik (Winter's Bone), Courtney Hunt (Frozen River), Callie Khouri (Mad Money), Sally Potter (Rage), Lone Scherfig (An Education) and Lynn Shelton (Humpday). In Her Voice is a call to arms and a reminder to movie lovers, students and the entertainment industry about the significance of women directors and their growing, integral position in the world of filmmaking. It is also a message for women directors to not give up?--your voice counts. Your vision matters.
In The Know: Understanding And Using Idioms
by Cindy LeaneyIn the Know teaches over 800 colorful idioms in English. The book groups the idioms into units depending on whether the idioms relate to such concepts as danger or honesty, or whether they contain colors or parts of the body, etc. Each unit has a clear four-page format that presents the idioms, explores their meaning, and practices their use.
In Love in New York
by Jacob Lehman Caitlin LeffelNew York is a city for lovers: In Love in New York guides the reader to the most romantic sights and destinations the city has to offer. Whether you want to watch the sun rise over the East River like Woody and Diane or enjoy a Cary Grant/Deborah Kerr moment at the top of the Empire State Building, there is no greater city than New York for couples in love. The book begins with "first impressions," the iconic New York sights that never fail to dazzle: the skyline (and the best places to view it), the most beautiful blocks and neighborhoods, the famous views (rooftops, bridges, riverside parks). Chapters follow on great date ideas, including destination museums and unusual "dinner-and-a-movie/theater" combinations. For readers ready to commit, the authors detail the best proposal spots; where to go ring shopping; the coolest places to register for gifts; and information about the legal requirements for marrying in the city (gay and straight), including a rundown on the classic City Hall wedding--with the best places to buy flowers and to celebrate afterwards, naturally. There are also ideas for planning honeymoons and anniversaries. Throughout, sidebars offer romantic options such as wonderful bars with fireplaces, the prettiest park benches, great New York literary and film affairs to inspire your visit, and romantic day trips within and near the five boroughs. From champagne on the Peninsula rooftop in midtown to ice skating in Bryant Park, In Love in New York is the perfect gift for any couple dreaming of experiencing the romance of New York.
In Memoriam
by Terence B. Foley Amanda BennettThis practical, innovative guide takes friends and family through every step of planning a funeral or memorial service. It also offers detailed advice on how to make any service truly personal--from writing tributes and choosing appropriate music to selecting speakers, organizing the time and place, arranging flowers, and much more.
In Other Words: A Teacher's Guide to Empowering Students through Effective Praise and Feedback
by Annie Brock Heather HundleyLearn how to effectively bring growth mindset into your community and classroom by choosing impactful languageFrom the authors of the bestselling The Growth Mindset Coach, this handy companion is a must-have if you want to empower students through purposeful praise and feedback. Here are the key strategies, helpful tips and go-to phrases for helping students transition thoughts, words and actions into the growth-mindset zone.Designed for ease of use and packed with over a hundred specific examples, this book offers a &“say this, not that&” approach to communication that will help you model and cultivate growth mindset in the classroom. For example:Fixed Mindset• You're so smart.• You&’re wrong.Growth Mindset• l like how you used different strategies to figure out these problems.• That didn&’t work out for you. How could you approach the problem differently?
In Other Worlds: Essays In Cultural Politics (Routledge Classics)
by Gayatri Chakravorty SpivakIn this classic work, Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, one of the leading and most influential cultural theorists working today, analyzes the relationship between language, women and culture in both Western and non-Western contexts. Developing an original integration of powerful contemporary methodologies – deconstruction, Marxism and feminism – Spivak turns this new model on major debates in the study of literature and culture, thus ensuring that In Other Worlds has become a valuable tool for studying our own and other worlds of culture.
In A Pickle: Other Funny Idioms
by Marvin TerbanThirty common English phrases, such as "a chip off the old block" and "cry over spilled milk" are explained.
In Praise of England: Inspirational Quotes and Poems From William Shakespeare to William Blake
by Paul HarperEngland’s beautiful landscapes and rich histories have long moved great writers and poets to capture their glory. Ranging from timeless prose to lyrical poetry, from incisive wit to thoughtful social commentary, these stirring volumes collect the most Inspiring praise for our beloved countries.
In Praise of England: Inspirational Quotes and Poems From William Shakespeare to William Blake
by Paul HarperEngland’s beautiful landscapes and rich histories have long moved great writers and poets to capture their glory. Ranging from timeless prose to lyrical poetry, from incisive wit to thoughtful social commentary, these stirring volumes collect the most Inspiring praise for our beloved countries.
In Praise of Famous Horses: An A-Z of the Most Celebrated in History and Culture, Myth and Sport
by Sean MageeHorses is an A-Z companion to perhaps the most loved of all domesticated animals. The book's entries include a wealth of unexpected, fascinating and serendipitous information, from horse-slang phrases to horses in British pub signs, and from the horse in advertising to the horse as a food item. Themes such as the horse in warfare and the horse in folklore abound.These features add up to a richly satisfying accumulation of information about the horse's role in human culture and society over two millennia. Horses will not only be a helpful reference source and congenial bedside book for those who work with or enjoy horses, but also a satisfying and browsable companion for the inquisitive general reader.
In Praise of Ireland
by Paul HarperIreland's beautiful landscapes and rich histories have long moved great writers and poets to capture their glory. Ranging from timeless prose to lyrical poetry, from incisive wit to thoughtful social commentary, these stirring volumes collect the most inspiring praise for our beloved countries.