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SoBrief
Searching...
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers
by Renni Browne • 1993
The self-editing techniques that find and fix the flaws keeping your novel from publication.
4.25
7k+
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers Summary
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers 90%
The self-editing techniques that find and fix the flaws keeping your novel from publication.
by Renni Browne 1993
4.25
7k+ ratings
The First Five Pages
by Noah Lukeman • 2000
99% of manuscripts get rejected by page five. Catch the invisible flaws that trigger the no.
3.98
4k+
The First Five Pages Summary
The First Five Pages 89%
99% of manuscripts get rejected by page five. Catch the invisible flaws that trigger the no.
by Noah Lukeman 2000
3.98
4k+ ratings
Making a Good Script Great
by Linda Seger • 1987
Script doctor's toolkit: structure fixes, subplot craft, and momentum rules that sell a screenplay.
3.88
1k+
Making a Good Script Great Summary
Making a Good Script Great 89%
Script doctor's toolkit: structure fixes, subplot craft, and momentum rules that sell a screenplay.
by Linda Seger 1987
3.88
1k+ ratings
The Story Grid
by Shawn Coyne • 2015
Why stories fail, scene by scene: an editor's diagnostic that finds the break and the fix.
4.30
2k+
The Story Grid Summary
The Story Grid 89%
Why stories fail, scene by scene: an editor's diagnostic that finds the break and the fix.
by Shawn Coyne 2015
4.30
2k+ ratings
Documentary Storytelling
by Sheila Curran Bernard • 2010
From research to final cut: the craft rules for making nonfiction films that grip like fiction.
4.00
148
Documentary Storytelling Summary
Documentary Storytelling 89%
From research to final cut: the craft rules for making nonfiction films that grip like fiction.
by Sheila Curran Bernard 2010
4.00
148 ratings
Good Prose
by Tracy Kidder • 2013
Everything a Pulitzer winner and his editor know about writing nonfiction that people finish.
3.92
1k+
Good Prose Summary
Good Prose 89%
Everything a Pulitzer winner and his editor know about writing nonfiction that people finish.
by Tracy Kidder 2013
3.92
1k+ ratings
Plot Perfect
by Paula Munier • 2014
Build novels scene by scene, using theme as your compass and emotional rhythm as your engine.
4.25
461
Plot Perfect Summary
Plot Perfect 89%
Build novels scene by scene, using theme as your compass and emotional rhythm as your engine.
by Paula Munier 2014
4.25
461 ratings
Save the Cat! Strikes Back
by Blake Snyder • 2009
Script problems aren't failure. They're the raw material of every breakthrough draft.
4.17
1k+
Save the Cat! Strikes Back Summary
Save the Cat! Strikes Back 88%
Script problems aren't failure. They're the raw material of every breakthrough draft.
by Blake Snyder 2009
4.17
1k+ ratings
Wordcraft
by Jack R. Hart • 2021
Writing isn't magic. A step-by-step method for clear, powerful prose, from idea to final polish.
4.13
107
Wordcraft Summary
Wordcraft 88%
Writing isn't magic. A step-by-step method for clear, powerful prose, from idea to final polish.
by Jack R. Hart 2021
4.13
107 ratings
In the Blink of an Eye
by Walter Murch • 1995
An editor discovers, not assembles. The audience's blink reveals where every cut belongs.
4.21
9k+
In the Blink of an Eye Summary
In the Blink of an Eye 88%
An editor discovers, not assembles. The audience's blink reveals where every cut belongs.
by Walter Murch 1995
4.21
9k+ ratings
Techniques of the Selling Writer
by Dwight V. Swain • 1965
Master the rhythm of conflict and emotional reaction that makes any story impossible to put down.
4.33
2k+
Techniques of the Selling Writer Summary
Techniques of the Selling Writer 88%
Master the rhythm of conflict and emotional reaction that makes any story impossible to put down.
by Dwight V. Swain 1965
4.33
2k+ ratings
The Anatomy of Story
by John Truby • 2007
The organic alternative to formula: how character, plot, and theme grow from a single premise's DNA.
4.25
7k+
The Anatomy of Story Summary
The Anatomy of Story 88%
The organic alternative to formula: how character, plot, and theme grow from a single premise's DNA.
by John Truby 2007
4.25
7k+ ratings
Write Your Novel From The Middle
by James Scott Bell • 2014
Forget outlining and pantsing. The one scene every novel needs sits exactly in the middle.
4.20
3k+
Write Your Novel From The Middle Summary
Write Your Novel From The Middle 88%
Forget outlining and pantsing. The one scene every novel needs sits exactly in the middle.
by James Scott Bell 2014
4.20
3k+ ratings
On Writing Well
by William Zinsser • 1976
Your personality is the only writing tool: how to strip away everything that buries it.
4.23
31k+
On Writing Well Summary
On Writing Well 88%
Your personality is the only writing tool: how to strip away everything that buries it.
by William Zinsser 1976
4.23
31k+ ratings
Screenplay
by Syd Field • 1979
The structural template that turned screenwriting into a learnable craft, from setup to final draft.
3.99
9k+
Screenplay Summary
Screenplay 88%
The structural template that turned screenwriting into a learnable craft, from setup to final draft.
by Syd Field 1979
3.99
9k+ ratings
Beginnings, Middles & Ends
by Nancy Kress • 1992
Three pages to lose an editor: a framework for beginnings, middles, and endings that deliver.
4.00
3k+
Beginnings, Middles & Ends Summary
Beginnings, Middles & Ends 88%
Three pages to lose an editor: a framework for beginnings, middles, and endings that deliver.
by Nancy Kress 1992
4.00
3k+ ratings
Dreyer's English
by Benjamin Dreyer • 2019
A copy chief teaches the cuts, the commas, and the confidence to write clear, unstoppable prose.
4.34
9k+
Dreyer's English Summary
Dreyer's English 88%
A copy chief teaches the cuts, the commas, and the confidence to write clear, unstoppable prose.
by Benjamin Dreyer 2019
4.34
9k+ ratings
Crafty Screenwriting
by Alex Epstein • 2002
Write the hook they can't forget and the package they can't resist: the rules of screenwriting.
3.85
120
Crafty Screenwriting Summary
Crafty Screenwriting 88%
Write the hook they can't forget and the package they can't resist: the rules of screenwriting.
by Alex Epstein 2002
3.85
120 ratings
Stein on Writing
by Sol Stein • 1995
The editor's craft: making dialogue bristle, scenes unfold in real time, and flab vanish.
4.28
5k+
Stein on Writing Summary
Stein on Writing 88%
The editor's craft: making dialogue bristle, scenes unfold in real time, and flab vanish.
by Sol Stein 1995
4.28
5k+ ratings
Immediate Fiction
by Jerry Cleaver • 2002
A no-jargon writing method that centers on conflict and emotion, and how to finish the stuck draft.
4.14
755
Immediate Fiction Summary
Immediate Fiction 88%
A no-jargon writing method that centers on conflict and emotion, and how to finish the stuck draft.
by Jerry Cleaver 2002
4.14
755 ratings
Storyworthy
by Matthew Dicks • 2018
Find the hidden moments in your life and a structure to turn them into unforgettable stories.
4.26
8k+
Storyworthy Summary
Storyworthy 88%
Find the hidden moments in your life and a structure to turn them into unforgettable stories.
by Matthew Dicks 2018
4.26
8k+ ratings
Nicely Said
by Nicole Fenton • 2014
Your website has a voice. The rules for making it helpful, clear, and worth reading.
4.11
554
Nicely Said Summary
Nicely Said 88%
Your website has a voice. The rules for making it helpful, clear, and worth reading.
by Nicole Fenton 2014
4.11
554 ratings
Making Movies
by Sidney Lumet • 1995
How a director keeps a movie from dying the death of a thousand compromises.
4.29
10k+
Making Movies Summary
Making Movies 88%
How a director keeps a movie from dying the death of a thousand compromises.
by Sidney Lumet 1995
4.29
10k+ ratings
Draft No. 4
by John McPhee • 2013
How a New Yorker writer earns every sentence: drafts, checking, silence, and a dictionary.
4.09
4k+
Draft No. 4 Summary
Draft No. 4 88%
How a New Yorker writer earns every sentence: drafts, checking, silence, and a dictionary.
by John McPhee 2013
4.09
4k+ ratings
The Art and Craft of Storytelling
by Nancy Lamb • 2008
Fiction's core toolkit: structure that moves, characters who breathe, and revision that polishes.
4.06
204
The Art and Craft of Storytelling Summary
The Art and Craft of Storytelling 88%
Fiction's core toolkit: structure that moves, characters who breathe, and revision that polishes.
by Nancy Lamb 2008
4.06
204 ratings
Steering The Craft
by Ursula K. Le Guin • 1998
Hear your prose, fix your grammar, and cut what drags: a master novelist's craft manual.
4.24
6k+
Steering The Craft Summary
Steering The Craft 88%
Hear your prose, fix your grammar, and cut what drags: a master novelist's craft manual.
by Ursula K. Le Guin 1998
4.24
6k+ ratings
Video Game Storytelling
by Evan Skolnick • 2014
Screenwriting's classic tools applied to games, so story and gameplay pull the same direction.
3.99
503
Video Game Storytelling Summary
Video Game Storytelling 88%
Screenwriting's classic tools applied to games, so story and gameplay pull the same direction.
by Evan Skolnick 2014
3.99
503 ratings
Screenwriting Is Filmmaking
by Brian Dunnigan • 2020
Write screenplays that think like a camera: the craft of making films from the page up.
3.33
3
Screenwriting Is Filmmaking Summary
Screenwriting Is Filmmaking 88%
Write screenplays that think like a camera: the craft of making films from the page up.
by Brian Dunnigan 2020
3.33
3 ratings
The Anatomy of Genres
by John Truby • 2022
Genres are philosophies disguised as story types. Crack the beats and you crack writing and life.
4.21
607
The Anatomy of Genres Summary
The Anatomy of Genres 88%
Genres are philosophies disguised as story types. Crack the beats and you crack writing and life.
by John Truby 2022
4.21
607 ratings
Pixar Storytelling
by Dean Movshovitz • 2017
Pixar's narrative playbook: what makes a concept rich, a character stick, and an ending feel earned.
3.95
903
Pixar Storytelling Summary
Pixar Storytelling 88%
Pixar's narrative playbook: what makes a concept rich, a character stick, and an ending feel earned.
by Dean Movshovitz 2017
3.95
903 ratings
Story Engineering
by Larry Brooks • 2011
Six storytelling skills and a four-part map that transform an idea into a novel that works.
4.10
3k+
Story Engineering Summary
Story Engineering 88%
Six storytelling skills and a four-part map that transform an idea into a novel that works.
by Larry Brooks 2011
4.10
3k+ ratings
Screenwriters Problem Solver How To R
by Syd Field • 1998
Ten ways a screenplay breaks, and the concrete fix for each.
3.82
373
Screenwriters Problem Solver How To R Summary
Screenwriters Problem Solver How To R 88%
Ten ways a screenplay breaks, and the concrete fix for each.
by Syd Field 1998
3.82
373 ratings
The Marshall Plan For Novel Writing
by Evan Marshall • 1998
Turn one crisis into a full novel: three acts, three shocks, a synopsis that sells.
3.76
482
The Marshall Plan For Novel Writing Summary
The Marshall Plan For Novel Writing 88%
Turn one crisis into a full novel: three acts, three shocks, a synopsis that sells.
by Evan Marshall 1998
3.76
482 ratings
Monkeys with Typewriters
by Scarlett Thomas • 2012
Fiction is craft, not chance: the rules for plot, character, and sentences that grip readers.
4.17
534
Monkeys with Typewriters Summary
Monkeys with Typewriters 88%
Fiction is craft, not chance: the rules for plot, character, and sentences that grip readers.
by Scarlett Thomas 2012
4.17
534 ratings
Write to the Point How to be Clear, Correct and Persuasive on the Page
by Sam Leith • 2017
From Aristotle to email, the sentence craft that makes readers absorb ideas before they can resist.
3.73
195
Write to the Point How to be Clear, Correct and Persuasive on the Page Summary
Write to the Point How to be Clear, Correct and Persuasive on the Page 88%
From Aristotle to email, the sentence craft that makes readers absorb ideas before they can resist.
by Sam Leith 2017
3.73
195 ratings
Writing Your Novel from Start to Finish
by Joseph Bates • 2015
Your novel, start to finish: a guide that treats structure as discovery's framework, not a cage.
4.21
184
Writing Your Novel from Start to Finish Summary
Writing Your Novel from Start to Finish 88%
Your novel, start to finish: a guide that treats structure as discovery's framework, not a cage.
by Joseph Bates 2015
4.21
184 ratings
How to Write a Dynamite Scene Using the Snowflake Method
by Randy Ingermanson • 2018
Two scene patterns drive every novel: one forces a setback, the other forces a hard choice.
4.33
634
How to Write a Dynamite Scene Using the Snowflake Method Summary
How to Write a Dynamite Scene Using the Snowflake Method 88%
Two scene patterns drive every novel: one forces a setback, the other forces a hard choice.
by Randy Ingermanson 2018
4.33
634 ratings
A Swim in a Pond in the Rain
by George Saunders • 2021
Seven Russian classics, read one line at a time, reveal the hidden machinery of great fiction.
4.53
26k+
A Swim in a Pond in the Rain Summary
A Swim in a Pond in the Rain 88%
Seven Russian classics, read one line at a time, reveal the hidden machinery of great fiction.
by George Saunders 2021
4.53
26k+ ratings
Save the Cat!
by Blake Snyder • 2005
Fifteen beats, forty cards, and one rule to make your hero likeable on page ten.
4.01
22k+
Save the Cat! Summary
Save the Cat! 88%
Fifteen beats, forty cards, and one rule to make your hero likeable on page ten.
by Blake Snyder 2005
4.01
22k+ ratings
Description & Setting
by Ron Rozelle • 2005
Harvest details. Deploy the senses. Make setting an engine for character, mood, and plot.
4.02
954
Description & Setting Summary
Description & Setting 88%
Harvest details. Deploy the senses. Make setting an engine for character, mood, and plot.
by Ron Rozelle 2005
4.02
954 ratings
How to Write Short Stories And Use Them to Further Your Writing Career
by James Scott Bell • 2016
One moment, properly placed, can make a short story unforgettable and launch a career.
3.87
743
How to Write Short Stories And Use Them to Further Your Writing Career Summary
How to Write Short Stories And Use Them to Further Your Writing Career 88%
One moment, properly placed, can make a short story unforgettable and launch a career.
by James Scott Bell 2016
3.87
743 ratings
The 101 Habits of Highly Successful Screenwriters
by Karl Iglesias • 2001
101 screenwriters reveal the habits that separate careers that sell from ones that stall.
3.87
479
The 101 Habits of Highly Successful Screenwriters Summary
The 101 Habits of Highly Successful Screenwriters 88%
101 screenwriters reveal the habits that separate careers that sell from ones that stall.
by Karl Iglesias 2001
3.87
479 ratings
Crafting Novels & Short Stories
by The Writer's Digest • 2011
Character, plot, prose, and revision: the craft kit every fiction writer returns to.
3.89
373
Crafting Novels & Short Stories Summary
Crafting Novels & Short Stories 88%
Character, plot, prose, and revision: the craft kit every fiction writer returns to.
by The Writer's Digest 2011
3.89
373 ratings
How to Shoot Video That Doesn't Suck
by Steve Stockman • 2011
Ten seconds is all your video gets. The working-director playbook for making people stay past that.
4.20
1k+
How to Shoot Video That Doesn't Suck Summary
How to Shoot Video That Doesn't Suck 88%
Ten seconds is all your video gets. The working-director playbook for making people stay past that.
by Steve Stockman 2011
4.20
1k+ ratings
Am I Making Myself Clear?
by Terry Felber • 2002
Ten clarity techniques from the world's best communicators, for making complex ideas stick.
4.16
488
Am I Making Myself Clear? Summary
Am I Making Myself Clear? 88%
Ten clarity techniques from the world's best communicators, for making complex ideas stick.
by Terry Felber 2002
4.16
488 ratings
Invisible Ink
by Brian McDonald • 2010
Forget formulas: the deep craft of story is a hidden framework of theme, pain, and dramatic irony.
4.38
2k+
Invisible Ink Summary
Invisible Ink 88%
Forget formulas: the deep craft of story is a hidden framework of theme, pain, and dramatic irony.
by Brian McDonald 2010
4.38
2k+ ratings
Revision & Self-Editing
by James Scott Bell • 2008
A big-picture-first revision system: fix your novel's bones before you polish a single sentence.
4.19
2k+
Revision & Self-Editing Summary
Revision & Self-Editing 88%
A big-picture-first revision system: fix your novel's bones before you polish a single sentence.
by James Scott Bell 2008
4.19
2k+ ratings
But Can I Start a Sentence with "But"?
by University of Chicago Press • 2016
Grammar superstitions debunked: the Chicago Style Q&A teaches editing judgment, not rigid rules.
4.27
132
But Can I Start a Sentence with "But"? Summary
But Can I Start a Sentence with "But"? 88%
Grammar superstitions debunked: the Chicago Style Q&A teaches editing judgment, not rigid rules.
by University of Chicago Press 2016
4.27
132 ratings
Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies
by Blake Snyder • 2007
Fifty films, ten master genres, one hidden template: the blueprint behind every story that works.
4.00
2k+
Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies Summary
Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies 88%
Fifty films, ten master genres, one hidden template: the blueprint behind every story that works.
by Blake Snyder 2007
4.00
2k+ ratings
Writing Short Films
by Linda J. Cowgill • 1997
Minutes, not hours. The structural rules for short films that features never taught you.
3.70
303
Writing Short Films Summary
Writing Short Films 88%
Minutes, not hours. The structural rules for short films that features never taught you.
by Linda J. Cowgill 1997
3.70
303 ratings
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