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Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer
- The Artistry, Joy, and Career of Storytelling
- Narrated by: Joe Hempel
- Length: 7 hrs and 2 mins
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Publisher's summary
In the words of novelist Harlan Ellison, "The trick is not becoming a writer. The trick is staying a writer."
New York Times best-selling author and British Academy Award nominee J. Michael Straczynski knew he wanted to be a writer ever since he was a child. What he didn't know was how to actually become, or stay, a writer.
Now, he's giving fellow writers the comprehensive guide he wishes he had all along, personalized tips and techniques that can't be found in any other book on writing.
Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer culls from Straczynski's more than 30 years of experience writing for film, television, books, and comics. Designed for writers in any stage of their career, this quirky, insightful and often humorous book provides an inside look at these industries with advice and wisdom covering such topics such as:
- What fledgling writers need to know to improve and sell their work - and avoid wasting valuable time
- Tips for experienced writers who want to get to the next level
- Staying disciplined when writing is your day job
- Why writers should never wait for inspiration
- Story-planning strategies that don't kill your spontaneity
- Expert techniques for effective, memorable world-building
- How to get an agent and survive the writer's journey in more personal relationships
- Revising and editing with precision
- When and how to reinvent yourself as an artist
Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer includes Straczynski's unique, tried-and-true methodologies that will help storytellers sharpen their work so that it's polished and ready for publication. Part toolbox and part survival guide, this book will be an indispensable guide throughout your entire writing career, offering fresh and practical insights every step of the way.
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Make Noise brings all the wisdom, advice, practical information, and big-picture thinking that any individual or business needs to make a successful podcast. He identifies core principles - such as create empathetically, i.e., think like the audience listens, and stay focused on what’s unique to you and what you have to say. He helps listeners come up with a “Ten Word Description” that will guide them throughout the creative process and then gets into how-tos - how to develop character, story, voice, and more.
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Excellent, thought provoking.
- By William Scott on 09-05-20
By: Eric Nuzum
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Accidental Genius
- Using Writing to Generate Your Best Ideas, Insight and Content
- By: Mark Levy
- Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot
- Length: 4 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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When it comes to creating ideas, we hold ourselves back. Thats because inside each of us is an internal editor whose job is to forever polish our thoughts, so we sound smart and in control, and so that we fit into society. But what happens when we encounter problems for which such conventional thinking fails us? How do we get unstuck? For Mark Levy, the answer is freewriting....
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Great Ideas
- By Amazon Customer on 12-31-10
By: Mark Levy
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Process
- The Writing Lives of Great Authors
- By: Sarah Stodola
- Narrated by: Andi Arndt
- Length: 7 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Ernest Hemingway, Zadie Smith, Joan Didion, Franz Kafka, David Foster Wallace, and more. In Process, acclaimed journalist Sarah Stodola examines the creative methods of literature's most transformative figures. Each chapter contains a mini biography of one of the world's most lauded authors, focused solely on his or her writing process.
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Excellent!
- By Davina Rush on 04-10-15
By: Sarah Stodola
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The Simpsons
- An Uncensored, Unauthorized History
- By: John Ortved
- Narrated by: John Allen Nelson, Justine Eyre
- Length: 11 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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John Ortved's oral history is the first-ever look behind the scenes at the creation and day-to-day running of the television phenomenon known as The Simpsons, as told by many of the people who produce it.
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Great Content, Awful Reading
- By JH Easton on 03-13-11
By: John Ortved
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Unmistakable
- Why Only Is Better Than Best
- By: Srinivas Rao
- Narrated by: Srinivas Rao
- Length: 3 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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After getting rejected from many business schools and fired from several sales jobs, Srinivas Rao decided to stop doing what he thought he was supposed to do and start working in a way that felt honest. He launched the Unmistakable Creative Podcast to interview some of the greatest minds in business - including Seth Godin, Simon Sinek, Pam Slim, Elle Luna, and Ryan Holiday - and found a surprisingly big audience. This book distills the lessons, anecdotes, and insights of the 500+ people he has interviewed.
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Being Unique is a Necessity
- By The Treadmill Doctor on 08-03-16
By: Srinivas Rao
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Big Magic
- Creative Living Beyond Fear
- By: Elizabeth Gilbert
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Gilbert
- Length: 5 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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People of all ages and walks of life have drawn inspiration and empowerment from Elizabeth Gilbert’s books for years. Now this beloved author digs deep into her own generative process to share her wisdom and unique perspective about creativity. With profound empathy and radiant generosity, she offers potent insights into the mysterious nature of inspiration. She asks us to embrace our curiosity and let go of needless suffering. She shows us how to tackle what we most love, and how to face down what we most fear.
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Biggest Inspiration In a Long Time
- By Gillian on 09-23-15
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Story
- Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting
- By: Robert McKee
- Narrated by: Robert McKee
- Length: 6 hrs and 12 mins
- Abridged
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Robert McKee's screenwriting workshops have earned him an international reputation for inspiring novices, refining works in progress, and putting major screenwriting careers back on track. Quincy Jones, Diane Keaton, Gloria Steinem, Julia Roberts, John Cleese, and David Bowie are just a few of his celebrity alumni. Writers, producers, development executives, and agents all flock to his lecture series, praising it as a mesmerizing and intense learning experience.
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Only 5 Chapters
- By Stephen Buck on 02-15-11
By: Robert McKee
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Failing Up
- How to Take Risks, Aim Higher, and Never Stop Learning
- By: Leslie Odom Jr.
- Narrated by: Leslie Odom Jr.
- Length: 3 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Leslie Odom Jr. burst on the scene in 2015, originating the role of Aaron Burr in the Broadway musical phenomenon Hamilton. Since then he has performed for sold-out audiences, sung for the Obamas at the White House, and won a Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. But before he landed the role of a lifetime in one of the biggest musicals of all time, Odom put in years of hard work as a singer and an actor.
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When you take one step, the universe takes two
- By Amy Aguilar on 04-11-18
By: Leslie Odom Jr.
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Significant Zero
- Heroes, Villains, and the Fight for Art and Soul in Video Games
- By: Walt Williams
- Narrated by: Kevin T. Collins
- Length: 9 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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When his satirical musings in a college newspaper got him discharged from the Air Force, it became clear to Walt Williams that his destiny in life was to be a writer - he just never thought he'd end up writing video games, let alone working on some of the most successful franchises in the industry - Bioshock, Civilization, Borderlands, and Mafia, among others. Williams pulls back the curtain on an astonishingly profitable industry that has put its stamp on pop culture and yet is little known to those outside its walls.
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it's a bad autobiography not what the title says
- By Chelsea on 11-22-17
By: Walt Williams
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Before and After the Book Deal
- A Writer’s Guide to Finishing, Publishing, Promoting, and Surviving Your First Book
- By: Courtney Maum
- Narrated by: Courtney Maum
- Length: 10 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Everything you've ever wanted to know about publishing but were too afraid to ask is right here in this funny, candid guide by acclaimed author Courtney Maum. Before and After the Book Deal: A Writer's Guide to Finishing, Publishing, Promoting, and Surviving Your First Book has over 150 contributors from all walks of the industry, including internationally best-selling authors Anthony Doerr, Roxane Gay, Garth Greenwell, Lisa Ko, R. O. Kwon, Rebecca Makkai, and Ottessa Moshfegh, alongside cult favorites Sarah Gerard, Melissa Febos, Mitchell S. Jackson, and Mira Jacob.
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A gem for early-stage writers
- By Ludmil Mitrev on 03-20-21
By: Courtney Maum
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Pictures at a Revolution
- Five Movies and the Birth of the New Hollywood
- By: Mark Harris
- Narrated by: Lloyd James
- Length: 17 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Here is the epic human drama behind the making of the five movies nominated for Best Picture in 1967 - Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, The Graduate, In the Heat of the Night, Doctor Dolittle, and Bonnie and Clyde - and through them, the larger story of the cultural revolution that transformed Hollywood and America forever.
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Would It Be Too Much To Ask?
- By Casey Keller on 12-31-08
By: Mark Harris
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Great cast, great writing, an emotional ride!
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"Every morning I jump out of bed and step on a land mine. The land mine is me. After the explosion, I spend the rest of the day putting the pieces back together. Now, it's your turn. Jump!" Zest. Gusto. Curiosity. These are the qualities every writer must have, as well as a spirit of adventure. In this exuberant book, the incomparable Ray Bradbury shares the wisdom, experience, and excitement of a lifetime of writing. Here are practical tips on the art of writing from a master of the craft - everything from finding original ideas to developing your own voice and style.
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Evocative fuel for any Muse!
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What listeners say about Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Jennifer Baratta She/Her
- 07-17-21
Joe Hempel is an outstanding narrator.
please listen or read this book after reading Becoming Superman by JMS. You can read or listen to Together We Will go by JMS afterwards.
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- Joshua R. Holmes
- 03-03-22
Inspiration & advice from the creator of Babylon 5
If you need me, I will be behind my keyboard.
Strazynski is my new writing drill sergeant.
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- Hrafnkell Stefánsson
- 12-10-21
One of the best
I've been a working screenwriter for about 12 years now, read most screenwriting books that are out there. This ranks among the best. Recommend Becoming Superman as companion book.
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1 person found this helpful
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- 1genxer
- 02-12-22
Perfect for Writers.
Perfect book for any writer who feels alone with their thoughts and drive. Perfect for anyone trying to understand the writers in their lives. While this isn't a writing manual, it does cover many unsaid realities of what being a writer takes. Read it for insight, not for instruction.
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- Jake Marley
- 07-08-21
My New Favorite Book
This isn't a How To Write book, but a How To Be a Writer book. Straczynski's charming honesty and his willingness to share failures along with his successes makes this an invaluable book to any new or established writers. I bought it on a whim--I've read quite a few comics by J. Michael Straczynski, but I've never seen Babylon 5--and as I listened to his advice and experiences, I was shocked to realize that I had found a portable mentor. He's insightful and encouraging, and for someone like me, this book was EXACTLY what I needed. There's HEART in these pages. If I ever get a chance to meet the man, I'm going to thank him. There are parts of this book that I won't forget, and even though I just finished it, I'm starting it up again.
If you want books on craft, I recommend THRILL ME by Benjamin Percy and ON WRITING by Stephen King . . . but then come get this book, and Straczynski will tell you how to take what you've learned and apply it to a life where you can BE a writer.
Highly recommended.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Jeffrey Higgins
- 09-10-23
Wonderful
Enjoyable and informative book on the writing life. It’s full of gems. I highly recommend it for writers at any stage of their careers.
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- Jay Parker
- 04-16-22
Narrator was whiney.
I'll need to get the hard copy. By the time I got to the end I had it with the narrator.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Joseph Blackhurst
- 01-30-23
Excellent but a little too much ego
I recommend this book to every writer. The advice is unique and the encouragement is true. It is slightly geared more towards the film and tv writer but a lot is applicable too all writers. My only negative is the author often tells stories from his career that seem only to inflate his own ego or work through his own demons by convincing himself he was right in stories that involved him being a bit of a jerk.
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- Robert Tillsley
- 09-24-23
Concise, thought provoking, and practical
The first section was a little harrowing. Sharing his experiences was an act of vulnerability that set the stage for his reasoning and realism. JMS provided an outlook that is often forgotten. I found it relevant even as an indie author.
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