Writing and editing guides Books

Book SynopsisStyle guides come in many shapes and sizes, usually focused toward scientific or academic use only. However, business writing is a space occupied by many individuals that has not been given the attention it deserves. The Style Guide for Business Writing, Second Edition, is designed specifically to assist business writers in both the public and private sector, including those publishing with English as a second language; authors of academic papers; business book authors; financial journalists; and writers of reports, proposals or even just e-mail and memoranda. This book provides a comprehensive guide to clear and precise writing that will help develop basic communication skills for the beginner, and refresh the basics for the experienced business writer. Major topics are arranged alphabetically and the cross references and index enable quick and easy access to information. Michael C. Thomsett is a market expert, author, speaker, and coach. His many books include Stock Market Math, Candlestick Charting, The Mathematics of Options, and A Technical Approach to Trend Analysis.Table of ContentsA  1 A or an  1 Abbreviation  1 Abridgement  6 Abstracts  6 Accessibility  7 Acknowledgments  8 Acronyms  8 Active and passive voice  9 Adnouns  12 Afterword  12 Agreement  12 Alphabetizing  17 Annotations  21 Annualization  22 Anonymous publication  23 Anthology  23 Antonyms  24 Appendices  25 Appositives  25 Apps  26 Archive  26 Articles  27 Artwork  29 Attribution  30 B  33 Backmatter  33 Baseline  34 Bibliography  36 Blogging  37 Budgets and forecasts  37 Bullet points  39 C  41 Callouts and sidebars  41 Capitalization  41 Captions  44 Case studies  45 Casual assertions and inferences  46 Charts and Graphs  48 Circa (ca.) 57 Circular arguments  57 Citations  58 Clauses  64 Cleft sentences  65 Cliches  66 Coinage of words  73 Colloquialism  73 Compound Words  74 Conclusions  75 Copyright  76 Cross reference  77 D  81 Dangling modifiers  81 Data analysis  81 Databases  85 Data collection methods  85 Data matrices  86 Dates and times  87 Decimals, fractions, and percentages  92 Definitions  96 Denotation and connotation  98 Derivative work  99 Descriptive statistics and inference  99 Desktop publishing  100 Dictionaries  101 Double negatives  101 Dysphemism  101 E  103 Editing and proofreading  103 e.g. and i.e. 106 Electronic mail (email) 106 Electronic mail formatting guidelines  108 Emphasis  109 Empirical approach  114 Endnotes  115 et al. 115 Euphemism  116 F  117 Fact checking  117 False subjects  117 Figure of speech  118 File naming  119 Financial reports  120 Flowcharts  122 Footnotes  124 G  127 Generalizations  127 Gerunds  128 Glossary formatting  128 Graphics  129 H  131 Headings  131 Highlighting in text  132 Homonyms  135 Hyperbole  135 Hyperlinks  136 Hypothesis formulation  136 I  139 Ibid. 139 Idiom  139 Imperative sentences  140 Indexing  141 Introductions, forewords and prefaces  143 Irony  145 J, K  147 Jargon  147 L  151 Legends, titles, and labels  151 Letters  152 Lists  163 M  169 Manuscripts  169 Mathematical symbols  171 Means testing  175 Measurement strategies  175 Memos  177 Metadata  179 Metaphors  180 Money and currency  180 N  183 Nominative, objective, and possessive pronouns  183 Numerals and numbering  184 O  191 Obfuscation  191 Objective and goal statements  192 Online etiquette  194 Op. Cit. 196 Organization charts  197 Outlining  199 P  203 Paradox  203 Paragraphs  203 Parallelism  207 Parentheses and brackets  209 Participles  213 Parts of speech  213 Patents  234 Peer review  234 Photographs  235 Planning documents  236 Possessives  239 Presentations  240 Problem statement  242 Procedures manuals  243 Proposals  246 Punctuation  248 Q  269 Quotations  269 R  273 Redundancy and repetition  273 Relative clauses  274 Reports  275 Rhetorical questions  278 Rhythm in sentences  278 Roman numerals  279 Run-in quotations  280 Run-on sentences and sentence fragments  281 S  283 Salutations  283 Sampling  285 Sarcasm  286 Scaling  287 Scientific method  289 Screen shots  290 Sentences  291 Sexist writing  296 Signs and symbols  298 Similar words  299 Similes  317 Singular and plural  318 Spacing  321 Spelling  323 Statistical references  329 Style and tone  329 Suffixes  332 Summarizing  333 Superscript and subscript  334 Symbolism  335 Synonyms  336 T, U  339 Table of contents  339 Tables  340 Technical writing  341 Tenses  342 Titles  343 Trademarks  344 Transitions  345 Translations  349 V  351 Variable measurements  351 Variable relationships  351 Video best practices  352 W  355 Webinar and conference call etiquette  355 Webpage references and citation  356 Websites  356 Word processing  357 X, Y  361 X and y axes  361 Z  363 Zombie nouns  363 Index  365

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisA writing and creativity teacher for more than twenty years, Rosanne Bane has given thousands of writers the tools to bust through self-defeating writing behaviour. In AROUND THE WRITER''S BLOCK, Bane helps us understand where writer''s resistance comes from: the "fight-or-flight" responses hardwired into our brains, which can make us desperate to flee the source of our anxiety (writing) by any means possible. Using the most recent breakthroughs in neuroscience and a three-part plan that helps readers develop new, regular writing habits, Bane coaches us on how to rewire our brain''s responses to the anxiety produced by writing-turning writing from a source of stress and anxiety into a source of joy and personal growth. Do you want to write, but find yourself unable to get started? Edit your first page over and over and feel unable to move on? Keep your schedule so full that you don''t have time to write? You''re not alone. Many writers are plagued by "writer''s resistance," behaviour that prevents us from being able to get words down on the page. Writer''s resistance can make us feel adrift, hopeless, discouraged and ready to give up. The good news is that you can beat writer''s resistance. You just need to learn what''s going on inside your brain-and harness that knowledge to develop a productive writing habit. *Including Writer''s Block, Procrastination, Paralysis, Perfectionism, Postponing, Distractions, Self-Sabotage, Excessive Criticism, Over-scheduling and Endlessly Delaying Your Writing.

Read more less

Book SynopsisBy the author of Shred Sisters, longlisted for The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize The Forest for the Trees should become a permanent part of any writer's or editor's personal library. -The Seattle TimesQuickly established as an essential and enduring companion for aspiring writers when it was first published, Betsy Lerner's sharp, funny, and insightful guide has been meticulously updated and revised to address the dramatic changes that have reshaped the publishing industry in the decade since. From blank page to first glowing (or gutting) review, Betsy Lerner is a knowing and sympathetic coach who helps writers discover how they can be more productive in the creative process and how they can better their odds of not only getting published, but getting published well. This is an essential trove of advice for writers and an indispensable user's manual to both the inner life of the writer and the increasingly anxious place where art and commerce meet: the boardrooms and cubicles of the publishing house.

Read more less

Book SynopsisTake a Deep Dive into Plot and Scene and Improve Your WritingWhether you're planning your first novel or have already written a first draft, you need to master the concepts of plot and scene to truly realize your story's potential. Writing Deep Scenes teaches you how to write strong, layered, and engaging scenes--the secret to memorable, page-turning plots. It's filled with practical tools for building layers and nuance into your scenes, employing the right scene types at the right junctures, and developing a profound understanding of how plot and scene intertwine.Inside you'll learn:   • How scenes are comprised of three key layers: action, emotion, and theme.   • How to recognize each layer and weave them seamlessly into a scene.   • How to develop an intricate relationship between the action and emotion in every scene.   • How thematic imagery embedded in scenes increases a story's tension and contributes to the story's meaning.Using contemporary examples from a variety of genres, Writing Deep Scenes provides an effective method for plotting at the scene level. Use these techniques and enrich your fiction and memoirs with page-turning suspense and pathos, and explore new depths in every story you write.

Read more less

Book SynopsisSupport 2nd-grade students with scaffolded text-based writing practice! Lessons include leveled texts with science, social studies, and health topics, as well as comprehension questions, graphic organizers, writing prompts, and more.

Read more less

Book SynopsisSupport 3rd-grade students with scaffolded text-based writing practice! Lessons include leveled texts with science, social studies, and health topics, as well as comprehension questions, graphic organizers, writing prompts, and more.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisPixar Storytelling is about effective storytelling rules based on Pixar’s greatest films. The book consists of ten chapters, each of which explores an aspect of storytelling that Pixar excels at. Learn what Pixar’s core story ideas all have in common, how they create compelling, moving conflict and what makes their films’ resolutions so emotionally satisfying. The book also examines Pixar’s character development, unique, intricate story structure and use of theme, all of which are key to the studio’s storytelling achievements. This book is great for writers interested in writing for animation or mainstream feature films, animators or aspiring directors who want to know how some of the best animated films work, and even Pixar fans or film buffs who are interested in learning more about the awesome world of storytelling.

Read more less