Writing First

Master chords, scales, and harmony through an intuitive, ear-first approach designed for the self-taught musician. If you currently rely on tabs, play purely by feel, or tinker endlessly in a DAW without understanding why certain notes work, this empowering audio journey will instantly demystify...

Penguin presents the audiobook edition if First You Write a Sentence by Joe Moran, read by Roy McMillan. The sentence is the common ground where every writer walks. A poet writes in sentences, but so does the unsung author who came up with Items trapped in doors cause delays. A good sentence can...

“Mary Oliver would probably never admit to anything so grandiose as an effort to connect the conscious mind and the heart (that’s what she says poetry can do), but that is exactly what she accomplishes in this stunning little handbook.”—Los Angeles Times From the beloved, legendary poet...

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER **INCLUDES NEW MATERIAL** ‘If you want to write a novel or a script, read this book’ SUNDAY TIMES ‘The best book on the craft of storytelling I’ve ever read’ MATT HAIG ‘A masterpiece. I am in awe’ ADAM RUTHERFORD Why stories make us human and how to tell...

Every aspect of screenwriting is covered with an authority and credibility never seen in any book to come before. Told with honesty, humor, and vulnerability from the real-world perspective of a working, professional screenwriter, Kill the Dog reveals the secrets of what it takes to have a successful career as a Hollywood screenwriter.

“Do you want to write clearer, livelier prose? This witty primer will help.” —The New York Times Book Review An exploration of how the most ordinary words can be turned into verbal constellations of extraordinary grace through the art of building sentences The sentence is the common ground...

This guide reveals how writers can utilize cognitive storytelling strategies to craft stories that ignite readers’ brains and captivate them through each plot element. Imagine knowing what the brain craves from every tale it encounters, what fuels the success of any great story, and what keeps...

From a spectrum of talented authors, a collection of essays on food, and its entwinement with our emotions and our lives. Of all the essentials for survival: oxygen, water, sleep, and food, only food is a vast treasure trove of memory and of sensory experience. Food is a portal to culture, to...

Papyrus rolls and Twitter have much in common, as each was their generation's signature means of "instant" communication. Indeed, as Tom Standage reveals in his scintillating new audiobook, social media is anything but a new phenomenon. From the papyrus letters that Roman statesmen used to exchange news across the Empire to the advent of hand-printed tracts of the Reformation to the pamphlets that spread propaganda during the American and French revolutions, Standage chronicles the increasingly sophisticated ways people shared information with each other....

Immortalized as Dean Moriarty by Jack Kerouac in his epic novel, On the Road, Neal Cassady was infamous for his unstoppable energy and his overwhelming charm, his savvy hustle and his devil-may-care attitude. A treasured friend and traveling companion of Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, William Burroughs, and Ken Kesey, to name just some of his cohorts on the beatnik path, Cassady lived life to the fullest, ready for inspiration at any turn. Here are his autobiographical writings, the rambling American saga of a free man.

Turn your raw movie idea into an industry-ready feature script with this practical, step-by-step screenwriting guide. Overcome the terror of the blank page by following a single, hypothetical film concept from initial spark to a fully realized final draft. Demystify the storytelling process and...

The Indignities of Coach Class, the Torments of Low Thread Count, the Never-Ending Quest for Artisanal Olive Oil, and Other First World Problems David Rakoff’s collection of autobiographical essays, Fraud, established him as one of our funniest, most insightful writers. In Don’t Get Too...

Transform creative blocks into original music with practical songwriting techniques designed for absolute beginners. Whether you are commuting, relaxing at home, or staring at an intimidating blank page, this empowering audio guide makes crafting melodies feel completely accessible. Overcome the...

Transform your blank page into a finished fiction manuscript with this practical creative writing guide. Whether you are battling writer's block or seeking inspiration during a morning commute, this step-by-step roadmap demystifies the storytelling process. Stop dreaming about drafting a book...

Uncover the profound theology and fierce resilience of the early church as a persecuted faith shaped history. Whether you are seeking spiritual roots during a reflective commute or craving a grounding introduction to ancient dogmas, this immersive audio journey brings forgotten voices back to...

In the summer of 1869, John Muir, a young Scottish immigrant, joined a crew of shepherds in the foothills of California's Sierra Nevada Mountains. The diary he kept while tending sheep formed the heart of this book and eventually lured thousands of Americans to visit Yosemite country. First...

WINNER OF THE NGAIO MARSH AWARD BEST FIRST NOVEL 2019 SHORTLISTED FOR THE ABIA MATT RICHELL AWARD 2020 SHORTLISTED FOR THE NGAIO MARSH AWARD BEST NOVEL 2019 LONGLISTED FOR THE NED KELLY AWARD BEST FIRST FICTION 2019 LONGLISTED FOR THE ABIA GENERAL FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD 2020 'Almost...

This program is read by the author. From #1 New York Times bestselling author and the creator and host of the popular podcast, The Happy Writer, comes the ultimate guide to writing with less stress and more JOY. If you aren’t suffering, you aren’t creating. Right? Wrong! Writing can and...

The Nature Writing Essentials Collection gathers fourteen works of wilderness reflection, natural history, travel, memoir, and literary observation.

A successful lawyer and loving mother, Nina Bloom would do anything to protect the life she's built in New York - including lying to everyone, even her daughter, about her past. But when an innocent man is framed for murder, she knows that she can't let him pay for the real killer's crimes...