What are some good books or writing on what it feels like to be denied tenure?
There is a great piece of writing by Daniel Drezner, who now teaches at Tufts University, and his wife on him being denied tenure at the University of Chicago. http://chronicle.com/article/A-P...A small excerpt:In one important way, however, my particular arc does suggest some advice. Tenure denials come with a multiplicity of stresses. The emotional pain of rejection is married to the material anxiety of trying to find gainful employment elsewhere, the anxiety of reassuring friends and family, and the existential anxiety of questioning if academe is the right career. In my case, however, only the emotional pain was an issue.
Is my writing any good?
It's actually very good. Nice hook in the first line - a first sentence should always put a question in the reader's mind. You do that. You use a little too much description here and there though. A good rule of thumb is to never use more than one adjective to describe something, unless absolutely necessary. Also, adverbs are the devil ;) You can get away with using thrm every now and then, but not very often. I suggest going through and taking out all your description, and seeing how it looks. Then from there, adding in description that you feel is necessary. You have a lot of promise, though. Keep writing. P.S. A post above mine said to get it published. Now this is on Y!A it is already self published, and no magazine will take it on. Be sure to write something else, though! And don't post anything online that you ever want to submit for publication!
Good writing tips/books/help?
Do what every writer of every book you've ever loved did: go to the library. For each book you want to write you have to read 200 other books. Learn from the best writers in the world. Read how your favorite writers taught themselves. Go to the 808 section, which has all the books on writing and publishing and read them. I went through that part of the library when I was just 14. It helped knowing that my favorite writers shared how they got published. Ray Bradbury had little money and no computer, but he did have the library and spent hours there every day reading *everything*. He couldn't afford to buy a typewriter, so he used the one the library provided, renting it for 10 cents an hour. He wrote Fahrenheit 451 that way. I bet it's one of the books taught in English classes at your school. Nothing's changed for him. He reads every day; he writes every day. That's why I do. I sold my first novel 20+ years ago, and I read and I write and I read and I write!
Are there any good websites for writing a book?
While everyone else seems to be touting their own websites, I’ll try to actually answer the question.If you’re asking if there’s a website out there that you can basically generate a book, no, at least none of which I am aware.There are multiple writing platforms like Wattpad and Shorti, but they’re mainly for short stories and will be exposed to the public. Not a good solution if you’re looking to actually write a decent book.There are several resourceful websites that have aids for writing, like Reedsy, Absolute Write Water Cooler, Goodreads, Quick and Dirty Tips, and Dictionary.com. They can all aid you in your journey to become a more informed writer, if that’s what you’re looking for.If you’re looking for inspiration, really any website that is associated with your genre will work. Places like Pinterest, Colossal, and the Jealous Curator have massive amounts of creative prompts and visual aids.If you want a platform to actually write and edit, I’m afraid to say the best is going to be a non-website word processor, like Microsoft Word. Or even better, a notebook and your own lovely handwriting.
Are there any good books about writing fantasy and building fantasy worlds?
I am a big fan of books on the craft, and have read many of them. I highly recommend using the wisdom of those who came before to further your own writing pursuits - obviously excepting plagiarism. Some that have really helped with my writing are: Wonderbook. Very interesting book, and although it goes over a lot of the basics, it also has little gems hidden between the things you probably already know.Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy, by Orson Scott Card. Although it has a lot about Sci-Fi, and less about fantasy, it is still a good book.Characters and Viewpoint, also by O.S. Card.The Writer's Fantasy Reference. Not technically about the craft, but very insightful when seeking to add a dose of realism to your work. It speaks on various types of governments; punishments; clothing medieval people wore and food they ate; castle anatomy and the meaning of various terms concerning sieges and the like; different weapons of war, whether melee, ranged, or artillery; and other stuff that isn't coming to mind.Plot Perfect, for pantsers like me who can't plot a novel to save their life.Writing Fantasy Heroes, to explain how to create believable do-gooders.Lastly, The Complete Guide to Fantasyland; This book is a great read. It isn't really even a writing book, though. What it does, is this: it makes fun of fantasy clichés. So how does this help you? Duh. It tells you whenever you're writing something cliché.There are many more, but those are some of my favorites.
Recommend any good books on comedy writing?
I'm looking to sharpen my comic writing skills, sitcoms, stand-up, comedy films, etc... So far on my list I've got... Comedy Writing Step by Step by Gene Perret What Are You Laughing At?: How to Write Funny Screenplays, Stories, and More by Brad Schreiber The Comic Toolbox: How to Be Funny Even If You're Not by John Vorhaus How to Write Funny by John KachubaHow to Click With Everyone Every Time by David Rich Your Seventh Sense: How to Think Like a Comedian by Karyn Ruth White The Comedy Bible: From Stand-up to Sitcom--The Comedy Writer's Ultimate "How To" Guide by Judy Carter You're Lucky You're Funny: How Life Becomes a Sitcom by Phil Rosenthal Comic Insights: The Art of Stand-up Comedy by Franklyn Ajaye How to Write Jokes (By the Numbers in 20 Funny Lessons) by Hume R. Russ Laughter: A Scientific Investigation by Robert R. Provine Zen and the Art of Stand-Up Comedy by Jay Sankey Step by Step to Stand-Up Comedy by Greg Dean Sandi C. Shore's Secrets to Standup Success: A Complete Step-by-Step Workbook by Sandi C. Shore Writing Comedy (Writing Handbooks) by John Byrne Damn! Thats Funny!: Writing Humor You Can Sell by Gene Perret Made You Laugh: The Funniest Moments in Comedy by Joe Garner The Complete Idiot's Guide to Comedy Writing by James Mendrinos Writing Humor: Giving a Comedic Touch to All Forms of Writing by Ian Bernard Writing Comedy: A Guide to Scriptwriting for TV, Radio, Film and Stage by Ronald Wolfe Merry Wives and Others: A History of Domestic Humor Writing by Penelope Fritzer Writing the Romantic Comedy by Billy Mernit Jokes: Philosophical Thoughts on Joking Matters by Ted Cohen Training to Imagine: Practical Improvisational Theatre Techniques to Enhance Creativity, Teamwork, Leadership, and Learning by Kat Koppett Writing Television Comedy by Jerry Rannow Comedy Writing (Teach Yourself) by Jenny Roche The Physical Comedy Handbook by Davis Rider Robinson That's Funny! by Michael Cader Comedy Writing Workbook by Gene Perret Stand-Up Comedy: The Book by Judy Carter Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre by Keith Johnstone How to Be a Working Comic: An Insider's Guide to a Career in Stand-Up Comedy by Dave Schwensen
What are some good resources, tips or books on writing sales and performance reports?
Have a look at "the Balanced Scorecard" by Kaplan and Norton to assist in thinking about what to report. "Strategy Maps" also by Kaplan and Norton to get to the causal drivers that have an impact on sales. Lastly "The Visual Display of Quatitative Information" by Edward Tufte to assist with how to present the information.
What are some good books on writing clearly, not ones that focus on grammar and mechanics, but ones that focus on thought and structure?
I'll start by saying this: if you want to write clearly, then you will have to continually improve your mechanics. Writing involves many complex components, and if you improve in one area such as mechanics you will most likely improve in another area such as thoughts. Why? Writing is like having an intimate conversation with yourself, and your writing (hence your thoughts) improves when that conversation is clear. Writing well always involves rewriting (editing). While editing, you may notice that your mechanics need refining. Consequently, you improve the mechanics and your sentence becomes more clear. Clearer sentences will allow you to understand, explore and refine your ideas and thoughts. If your mechanics are not consistently refined, then your thoughts stay buried under cluttered prose. Your inner conversation will not progress and your ideas will remain inchoate or disorganized. I like On Writing Well by William Zissner. The book is divided into several sections: Principles, Methods, Forms, and Attitudes. Zissner, along with many professional writers, are adamant about removing clutter from sentences e.g., using too many adjectives, unnecessary adverbs, big words when shorter words will do, etc. They claim, and I can attest to this, that you will realize how little you are saying after you edit and strip your sentences. Once you see the bareness of your writing, you should be encouraged to think more so that your writing has more ideas. I would recommend watching Youtube interviews of writers discussing their creative process.Hope this helps and I apologize for being long!