
Several Short Sentences About Writing
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed

Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $10.47
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Verlyn Klinkenborg
About this listen
Most of what you think you know about writing is useless. It's the harmful debris of your education - a mixture of half-truths, myths, and false assumptions that prevents you from writing well. Drawing on years of experience as a writer and teacher of writing, Verlyn Klinkenborg offers an approach to writing that will change the way you work and think. There is no gospel, no orthodoxy, no dogma in this book. What you'll find here isn't the way to write. Instead, you'll find a way to clear your mind of illusions about writing and discover how you write.
Several Short Sentences About Writing is a book of first steps and experiments. They will revolutionize the way you think and perceive, and they will change forever the sense of your own authority as a writer. This is a book full of learning, but it's also a book full of unlearning - a way to recover the vivid, rhythmic, poetic sense of language you once possessed.
An indispensable and unique book that will give you a clear understanding of how to think about what you do when you write and how to improve the quality of your writing.
©2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc. (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Save the Cat!
- The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need
- By: Blake Snyder
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 5 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Here's what started the phenomenon: This book has been a best seller for over 15 years and has been used by screenwriters around the world! Blake Snyder tells all in this fast, funny, and candid look inside the movie business. Save the Cat is just one of many ironclad rules for making your ideas more marketable and your script more satisfying.
-
-
Don't waste your time
- By Amazon Customer on 02-05-20
By: Blake Snyder
-
On Writing
- A Memoir of the Craft
- By: Stephen King
- Narrated by: Stephen King, Joe Hill, Owen King
- Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
“Long live the King” hailed Entertainment Weekly upon publication of Stephen King’s On Writing. Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this superb volume is a revealing and practical view of the writer’s craft, comprising the basic tools of the trade every writer must have. King’s advice is grounded in his vivid memories from childhood through his emergence as a writer, from his struggling early career to his widely reported, near-fatal accident in 1999—and how the inextricable link between writing and living spurred his recovery.
-
-
Who needs a print edition when King reads King?
- By Cather on 11-18-05
By: Stephen King
-
Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t
- And Other Tough-Love Truths to Make You a Better Writer
- By: Steven Pressfield
- Narrated by: Steven Pressfield
- Length: 3 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There's a mantra real writers know but wannabe writers don’t. And the secret phrase is this: "Nobody wants to read your shit." Recognizing this painful truth is the first step in the writer's transformation from amateur to professional.
-
-
How to get over the mediocre part of yourself
- By RICHARD on 11-24-18
-
The Iliad
- By: Homer, Richmond Lattimore - translator
- Narrated by: Charlton Griffin
- Length: 22 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Iliad is one of the most enduring creations of Western Civilization and was originally written to be recited or chanted to the accompaniment of various instruments. Properly performed, this work today is just as meaningful, just as powerful, and just as entertaining as it was in the ninth century BC, and it casts its spell upon modern listeners with the same raw intensity as it did upon the people of ancient times.
-
-
An Excellent Iliad
- By Jefferson on 04-17-10
By: Homer, and others
-
Building a Second Brain
- A Proven Method to Organize Your Digital Life and Unlock Your Creative Potential
- By: Tiago Forte
- Narrated by: André Santana, Tiago Forte
- Length: 7 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For the first time in history, we have instantaneous access to the world’s knowledge. There has never been a better time to learn, to contribute, and to improve ourselves. Yet, rather than feeling empowered, we are often left feeling overwhelmed by this constant influx of information. The very knowledge that was supposed to set us free has instead led to the paralyzing stress of believing we’ll never know or remember enough. Now, this eye-opening and accessible guide shows how you can easily create your own personal system for knowledge management, otherwise known as a Second Brain.
-
-
Huge over promise
- By MARCELO F. on 03-15-23
By: Tiago Forte
-
Writing Down the Bones
- By: Natalie Goldberg
- Narrated by: Natalie Goldberg
- Length: 8 hrs and 50 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Here is a new collector's edition of this modern classic as you have never heard it before, read by Natalie Goldberg herself and then infused with her most personal reflections about this "magic manual" for all writers. Try these ingenious, Zen-based exercises to expand your writing skills - or just for fun.
-
-
The Substance
- By Krissy D. on 07-09-10
By: Natalie Goldberg
-
Save the Cat!
- The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need
- By: Blake Snyder
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 5 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Here's what started the phenomenon: This book has been a best seller for over 15 years and has been used by screenwriters around the world! Blake Snyder tells all in this fast, funny, and candid look inside the movie business. Save the Cat is just one of many ironclad rules for making your ideas more marketable and your script more satisfying.
-
-
Don't waste your time
- By Amazon Customer on 02-05-20
By: Blake Snyder
-
On Writing
- A Memoir of the Craft
- By: Stephen King
- Narrated by: Stephen King, Joe Hill, Owen King
- Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
“Long live the King” hailed Entertainment Weekly upon publication of Stephen King’s On Writing. Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this superb volume is a revealing and practical view of the writer’s craft, comprising the basic tools of the trade every writer must have. King’s advice is grounded in his vivid memories from childhood through his emergence as a writer, from his struggling early career to his widely reported, near-fatal accident in 1999—and how the inextricable link between writing and living spurred his recovery.
-
-
Who needs a print edition when King reads King?
- By Cather on 11-18-05
By: Stephen King
-
Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t
- And Other Tough-Love Truths to Make You a Better Writer
- By: Steven Pressfield
- Narrated by: Steven Pressfield
- Length: 3 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There's a mantra real writers know but wannabe writers don’t. And the secret phrase is this: "Nobody wants to read your shit." Recognizing this painful truth is the first step in the writer's transformation from amateur to professional.
-
-
How to get over the mediocre part of yourself
- By RICHARD on 11-24-18
-
The Iliad
- By: Homer, Richmond Lattimore - translator
- Narrated by: Charlton Griffin
- Length: 22 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Iliad is one of the most enduring creations of Western Civilization and was originally written to be recited or chanted to the accompaniment of various instruments. Properly performed, this work today is just as meaningful, just as powerful, and just as entertaining as it was in the ninth century BC, and it casts its spell upon modern listeners with the same raw intensity as it did upon the people of ancient times.
-
-
An Excellent Iliad
- By Jefferson on 04-17-10
By: Homer, and others
-
Building a Second Brain
- A Proven Method to Organize Your Digital Life and Unlock Your Creative Potential
- By: Tiago Forte
- Narrated by: André Santana, Tiago Forte
- Length: 7 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For the first time in history, we have instantaneous access to the world’s knowledge. There has never been a better time to learn, to contribute, and to improve ourselves. Yet, rather than feeling empowered, we are often left feeling overwhelmed by this constant influx of information. The very knowledge that was supposed to set us free has instead led to the paralyzing stress of believing we’ll never know or remember enough. Now, this eye-opening and accessible guide shows how you can easily create your own personal system for knowledge management, otherwise known as a Second Brain.
-
-
Huge over promise
- By MARCELO F. on 03-15-23
By: Tiago Forte
-
Writing Down the Bones
- By: Natalie Goldberg
- Narrated by: Natalie Goldberg
- Length: 8 hrs and 50 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Here is a new collector's edition of this modern classic as you have never heard it before, read by Natalie Goldberg herself and then infused with her most personal reflections about this "magic manual" for all writers. Try these ingenious, Zen-based exercises to expand your writing skills - or just for fun.
-
-
The Substance
- By Krissy D. on 07-09-10
By: Natalie Goldberg
-
Turning Pro
- Tap Your Inner Power and Create Your Life's Work
- By: Steven Pressfield
- Narrated by: Steven Pressfield
- Length: 2 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The follow-up to his best-seller The War of Art, Turning Pro navigates the passage from the amateur life to a professional practice.
-
-
Audio book was not the best format
- By John AZ on 11-09-18
-
Dreyer's English
- An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style
- By: Benjamin Dreyer
- Narrated by: Benjamin Dreyer, Alison Fraser
- Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As Random House’s copy chief, Dreyer has upheld the standards of the legendary publisher for more than two decades. He is beloved by authors and editors alike - not to mention his followers on social media - for deconstructing the English language with playful erudition. Now, he distills everything he has learned from the myriad books he has copyedited and overseen into a useful guide not just for writers but for everyone who wants to put their best prose foot forward.
-
-
You'll be horrified at a lifetime of usage errors.
- By RTaylor on 05-16-19
By: Benjamin Dreyer
-
Draft No. 4
- On the Writing Process
- By: John McPhee
- Narrated by: John McPhee
- Length: 6 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Draft No. 4 is an elucidation of the writer's craft by a master practitioner. In a series of playful but expertly wrought essays, John McPhee shares insights he's gathered over his career and refined during his long-running course at Princeton University, where he has launched some of the most esteemed writers of several generations. McPhee offers a definitive guide to the crucial decisions regarding structure, diction, and tone that shape nonfiction pieces and presents extracts from some of his best-loved work, subjecting them to wry scrutiny.
-
-
McPhee is the Craft
- By Darwin8u on 09-19-17
By: John McPhee
-
The Sense of Style
- The Thinking Person's Guide to Writing in the 21st Century
- By: Steven Pinker
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Sense of Style, the best-selling linguist and cognitive scientist Steven Pinker answers these questions and more. Rethinking the usage guide for the 21st century, Pinker doesn’t carp about the decline of language or recycle pet peeves from the rulebooks of a century ago. Instead, he applies insights from the sciences of language and mind to the challenge of crafting clear, coherent, and stylish prose.
-
-
A great book, done a great injustice by the audio
- By M. Kunze on 10-17-14
By: Steven Pinker
-
Without Saying a Word
- By: Kasia Wezowski, Patryk Wezowski
- Narrated by: Kate Mulligan
- Length: 4 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One wrong move can undercut your message. Believe it or not, our bodies speak louder than our words. Postures, gestures, and expressions convey reams of information - and often not what you'd expect. A smile, for example, is usually considered welcoming. But crook one corner of your mouth higher, and you project superiority, subconsciously chasing other people away. Without Saying a Word explains how even the subtlest motions have meaning.
-
-
Excellent
- By Amazon Customer on 07-24-18
By: Kasia Wezowski, and others
-
Stein on Writing
- A Master Editor Shares His Craft, Techniques, and Strategies
- By: Sol Stein
- Narrated by: Christopher Lane
- Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Stein on Writing provides immediately useful advice for writers of fiction and nonfiction, whether newcomers or accomplished professionals. As Sol Stein, renowned editor, author, and instructor, explains, "This is not a book of theory. It is a book of usable solutions, how to fix writing that is flawed, how to improve writing that is good, how to create interesting writing in the first place."
-
-
Excellent advice and examples for better writing.
- By Jane on 06-22-12
By: Sol Stein
-
The Daily Stoic
- 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living
- By: Ryan Holiday, Stephen Hanselman
- Narrated by: Brian Holsopple
- Length: 10 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Why have history's greatest minds - from George Washington to Frederick the Great to Ralph Waldo Emerson along with today's top performers, from Super Bowl-winning football coaches to CEOs and celebrities - embraced the wisdom of the ancient Stoics? Because they realize that the most valuable wisdom is timeless and that philosophy is for living a better life, not a classroom exercise. The Daily Stoic offers a daily devotional of Stoic insights and exercises, featuring all-new translations.
-
-
Not well made as audio
- By Andreas on 12-27-16
By: Ryan Holiday, and others
-
Smarter Faster Better
- The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business
- By: Charles Duhigg
- Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
- Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The author of The Power of Habit and “master of the life hack” (GQ) explores the fascinating science of productivity and offers real-world takeaways to apply your life, whether you’re chasing peak productivity or simply trying to get back on track.
-
-
Read the last chapter first
- By A. Yoshida on 04-29-16
By: Charles Duhigg
-
Psychic Witch
- A Metaphysical Guide to Meditation, Magick & Manifestation
- By: Mat Auryn
- Narrated by: James Anderson Foster
- Length: 7 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Discover how to be a powerful psychic witch with this book on wielding energy and awakening your psychic senses. Psychic Witch explores the relationship between psychic ability and magick, interweaving them to create a strong foundation for accessing the full potential of your mind, body, and spirit. Mat Auryn reveals some of his most closely guarded tips, secrets, practices, and meditations so that you can master the perception and manipulation of energy.
-
-
Great content, needs a pdf
- By B from the D on 04-24-20
By: Mat Auryn
-
The 5AM Club
- Own Your Morning. Elevate Your Life.
- By: Robin Sharma
- Narrated by: Adam Verner
- Length: 11 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Legendary leadership and elite performance expert Robin Sharma introduced The 5am Club concept more than 20 years ago, based on a revolutionary morning routine that has helped his clients maximize their productivity, activate their best health and bulletproof their serenity in this age of overwhelming complexity. Now, in this life-changing guide, handcrafted by the author over a rigorous four-year period, you will discover the early-rising habit that has helped so many accomplish epic results while upgrading their happiness, helpfulness, and feelings of aliveness.
-
-
An absolute waste of time!!
- By Sheldon Baranec on 01-22-19
By: Robin Sharma
-
Refuse to Be Done
- How to Write and Rewrite a Novel in Three Drafts
- By: Matt Bell
- Narrated by: Matthew Boston
- Length: 3 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
They say writing is rewriting. So why does the second part get such short shrift? Refuse to Be Done will guide you through every step of the novel writing process, from getting started on those first pages to the last tips for making your final draft even tighter and stronger.
-
-
many great tips
- By lauren on 06-30-24
By: Matt Bell
-
Writing Tools (10th Anniversary Edition)
- 55 Essential Strategies for Every Writer
- By: Roy Peter Clark
- Narrated by: Neil Kaplan
- Length: 9 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ten years ago, Roy Peter Clark, America's most influential writing teacher, whittled down almost 30 years of experience in journalism, writing, and teaching into a series of 50 short essays on different aspects of writing. In the past decade, Writing Tools has become a classic guidebook for novices and experts alike and remains one of the best loved books on writing available. This new edition includes five brand-new, never-before-shared tools.
-
-
Refreshing
- By Danielle on 06-15-21
By: Roy Peter Clark
People who viewed this also viewed...
-
Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t
- And Other Tough-Love Truths to Make You a Better Writer
- By: Steven Pressfield
- Narrated by: Steven Pressfield
- Length: 3 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There's a mantra real writers know but wannabe writers don’t. And the secret phrase is this: "Nobody wants to read your shit." Recognizing this painful truth is the first step in the writer's transformation from amateur to professional.
-
-
How to get over the mediocre part of yourself
- By RICHARD on 11-24-18
-
On Writing Well: Audio Collection
- By: William Zinsser
- Narrated by: William Zinsser
- Length: 2 hrs and 23 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This expanded audio collection presents William Zinsser's On Writing Well, the classic teaching book that has sold more than 1 million copies, together with a new 90-minute section that tells you how to write a memoir.
-
-
This is not the described book.
- By Brianna on 11-06-13
By: William Zinsser
-
Stein on Writing
- A Master Editor Shares His Craft, Techniques, and Strategies
- By: Sol Stein
- Narrated by: Christopher Lane
- Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Stein on Writing provides immediately useful advice for writers of fiction and nonfiction, whether newcomers or accomplished professionals. As Sol Stein, renowned editor, author, and instructor, explains, "This is not a book of theory. It is a book of usable solutions, how to fix writing that is flawed, how to improve writing that is good, how to create interesting writing in the first place."
-
-
Excellent advice and examples for better writing.
- By Jane on 06-22-12
By: Sol Stein
-
Pity the Reader
- On Writing with Style
- By: Kurt Vonnegut, Suzanne McConnell
- Narrated by: Karen White
- Length: 12 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Here is an entirely new side of Kurt Vonnegut, Vonnegut as a teacher of writing. Of course he's given us glimpses before, with aphorisms and short essays and articles and in his speeches. But never before has an entire book been devoted to Kurt Vonnegut the teacher. Here is pretty much everything Vonnegut ever said or wrote having to do with the writing art and craft, altogether a healing, a nourishing expedition.
-
-
Unlistenable
- By Grant Swalwell on 01-06-20
By: Kurt Vonnegut, and others
-
A Poetry Handbook
- By: Mary Oliver
- Narrated by: Kimberly Farr
- Length: 3 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With passion and wit, Mary Oliver skillfully imparts expertise from her long, celebrated career as a disguised poet. She walks listeners through exactly how a poem is built, from meter and rhyme, to form and diction, to sound and sense, drawing on poems by Robert Frost, Elizabeth Bishop, and others. This handbook is an invaluable glimpse into Oliver’s prolific mind—a must-have for all poetry-lovers.
-
-
I learned some things
- By Tim on 03-16-25
By: Mary Oliver
-
Your Brain at Work, Revised and Updated
- Strategies for Overcoming Distraction, Regaining Focus, and Working Smarter All Day Long
- By: David Rock
- Narrated by: Roger Wayne
- Length: 9 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Your Brain at Work, Dr. David Rock goes inside Emily and Paul's brains to see how they function as each attempts to sort, prioritize, organize, and act on the vast quantities of information they receive in one typical day. Dr. Rock is an expert on how the brain functions in a work setting. By analyzing what is going on in their heads, he offers solutions Emily and Paul (and all of us) can use to survive and thrive in today's hyperbusy work environment - and still feel energized and accomplished at the end of the day.
-
-
Thought provoking
- By Prince Ebenezer on 11-02-20
By: David Rock
-
Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t
- And Other Tough-Love Truths to Make You a Better Writer
- By: Steven Pressfield
- Narrated by: Steven Pressfield
- Length: 3 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There's a mantra real writers know but wannabe writers don’t. And the secret phrase is this: "Nobody wants to read your shit." Recognizing this painful truth is the first step in the writer's transformation from amateur to professional.
-
-
How to get over the mediocre part of yourself
- By RICHARD on 11-24-18
-
On Writing Well: Audio Collection
- By: William Zinsser
- Narrated by: William Zinsser
- Length: 2 hrs and 23 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This expanded audio collection presents William Zinsser's On Writing Well, the classic teaching book that has sold more than 1 million copies, together with a new 90-minute section that tells you how to write a memoir.
-
-
This is not the described book.
- By Brianna on 11-06-13
By: William Zinsser
-
Stein on Writing
- A Master Editor Shares His Craft, Techniques, and Strategies
- By: Sol Stein
- Narrated by: Christopher Lane
- Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Stein on Writing provides immediately useful advice for writers of fiction and nonfiction, whether newcomers or accomplished professionals. As Sol Stein, renowned editor, author, and instructor, explains, "This is not a book of theory. It is a book of usable solutions, how to fix writing that is flawed, how to improve writing that is good, how to create interesting writing in the first place."
-
-
Excellent advice and examples for better writing.
- By Jane on 06-22-12
By: Sol Stein
-
Pity the Reader
- On Writing with Style
- By: Kurt Vonnegut, Suzanne McConnell
- Narrated by: Karen White
- Length: 12 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Here is an entirely new side of Kurt Vonnegut, Vonnegut as a teacher of writing. Of course he's given us glimpses before, with aphorisms and short essays and articles and in his speeches. But never before has an entire book been devoted to Kurt Vonnegut the teacher. Here is pretty much everything Vonnegut ever said or wrote having to do with the writing art and craft, altogether a healing, a nourishing expedition.
-
-
Unlistenable
- By Grant Swalwell on 01-06-20
By: Kurt Vonnegut, and others
-
A Poetry Handbook
- By: Mary Oliver
- Narrated by: Kimberly Farr
- Length: 3 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With passion and wit, Mary Oliver skillfully imparts expertise from her long, celebrated career as a disguised poet. She walks listeners through exactly how a poem is built, from meter and rhyme, to form and diction, to sound and sense, drawing on poems by Robert Frost, Elizabeth Bishop, and others. This handbook is an invaluable glimpse into Oliver’s prolific mind—a must-have for all poetry-lovers.
-
-
I learned some things
- By Tim on 03-16-25
By: Mary Oliver
-
Your Brain at Work, Revised and Updated
- Strategies for Overcoming Distraction, Regaining Focus, and Working Smarter All Day Long
- By: David Rock
- Narrated by: Roger Wayne
- Length: 9 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Your Brain at Work, Dr. David Rock goes inside Emily and Paul's brains to see how they function as each attempts to sort, prioritize, organize, and act on the vast quantities of information they receive in one typical day. Dr. Rock is an expert on how the brain functions in a work setting. By analyzing what is going on in their heads, he offers solutions Emily and Paul (and all of us) can use to survive and thrive in today's hyperbusy work environment - and still feel energized and accomplished at the end of the day.
-
-
Thought provoking
- By Prince Ebenezer on 11-02-20
By: David Rock
-
How to Write a Sentence
- And How to Read One
- By: Stanley Fish
- Narrated by: Rick Adamson
- Length: 5 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Like a seasoned sportscaster, Fish marvels at the adeptness of finely crafted sentences and breaks them down into digestible morsels, giving listeners an instant play-by-play. Drawing on a wide range of great writers, from Philip Roth to Antonin Scalia to Jane Austen, How to Write a Sentence is much more than a writing manual—it is a spirited love letter to the written word, and a key to understanding how great writing works. It is a book that will stand the test of time.
-
-
Excellent book for writers
- By missbizinla on 07-15-23
By: Stanley Fish
-
Dreyer's English
- An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style
- By: Benjamin Dreyer
- Narrated by: Benjamin Dreyer, Alison Fraser
- Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As Random House’s copy chief, Dreyer has upheld the standards of the legendary publisher for more than two decades. He is beloved by authors and editors alike - not to mention his followers on social media - for deconstructing the English language with playful erudition. Now, he distills everything he has learned from the myriad books he has copyedited and overseen into a useful guide not just for writers but for everyone who wants to put their best prose foot forward.
-
-
You'll be horrified at a lifetime of usage errors.
- By RTaylor on 05-16-19
By: Benjamin Dreyer
-
Stylish Academic Writing
- By: Helen Sword
- Narrated by: Virginia Wolf
- Length: 6 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Stylish Academic Writing showcases a range of scholars from the sciences, humanities, and social sciences who write with vividness and panache. Individual chapters take up specific elements of style, such as titles and headings, chapter openings, and structure, and close with examples of transferable techniques that any writer can master.
-
-
This is inspirational
- By M.Biblioswine on 03-11-20
By: Helen Sword
-
Bird by Bird
- Some Instructions on Writing and Life
- By: Anne Lamott
- Narrated by: Anne Lamott
- Length: 6 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For a quarter century, more than a million readers and listeners—scribes and scribblers of all ages and abilities—have been inspired by Anne Lamott’s hilarious, big-hearted, homespun advice. Advice that begins with the simple words of wisdom passed down from Anne’s father—also a writer—in the iconic passage that gives the book its title.
-
-
Why oh why did she narrate this?!
- By Amor Fati on 01-02-23
By: Anne Lamott
-
How to Say It: Words That Make a Difference
- By: Allison Friederichs Atkison, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Allison Friederichs Atkison
- Length: 4 hrs and 44 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Words. We use them all the time, every day, mostly without giving them much thought at all. We take for granted that they’re here at our disposal whenever we need them. But if you’ve ever wished you could communicate more effectively, words are the place to start. It’s incumbent upon you to choose the best words to accomplish your goals, because how you choose to communicate influences—well, everything! The power of communication shapes our professional goals, our relationships, and our lives—so the words we choose to use carry a great deal of power.
-
-
Meh. Glad I didn't pay for it.
- By Paula on 07-23-22
By: Allison Friederichs Atkison, and others
-
Supercommunicators
- How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection
- By: Charles Duhigg
- Narrated by: Charles Duhigg
- Length: 7 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Come inside a jury room as one juror leads a starkly divided room to consensus. Join a young CIA officer as he recruits a reluctant foreign agent. And sit with an accomplished surgeon as he tries, and fails, to convince yet another cancer patient to opt for the less risky course of treatment. In Supercommunicators, Charles Duhigg blends deep research and his trademark storytelling skills to show how we can all learn to identify and leverage the hidden layers that lurk beneath every conversation.
-
-
Valuable advice and information.
- By Cheryl J. on 03-13-24
By: Charles Duhigg
Highly recommended.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A great listen!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Unlearn What You Have Learned (About Sentences)
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I wonder if he could’ve read the book slower.
Maybe he could add some longer pauses.
Slow
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The examples at the end will help you to understand how to look at your sentences, pick apart the parts of speech, and realize the power of each word.
Top takeaways:
Use powerful verbs.
Revise as you write.
Unlearn most formal training.
Relearn to write as if the reader is reading between the lines.
A new way to think about writing
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
There are so many great lessons here for novice and veteran writers who either forgot or never learned the basic skills of putting pen to paper. Chapter Three alone is worth the price of admission and the Final Chapter is a terrific Final Exam full of examples of how to improve any sentence.
Buy this book before writing your next Great American Novel or a Thank You Note to your Aunt Clara. Four Stars ****
Wonderfully poetic Manual for anyone who would try to write.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
word choice and knowledge and research
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Dry wit and great advice
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The only thing I really disagree with is the turning over of sentences in your head until you get them perfect before writing them down. He gives his reasons. I just disagree. The hardest thing about writing is just... writing. So throwing up on the paper is fine as long as you get it down. I would rather have a so-so short story completed that I never have time to revise to perfection, than nothing but the first two perfect paragraphs of said story. I rant.
Overall, would recommend as there are plenty of ideas to pick and choose from.
Go ahead. Download it.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The performance is monotone and uninspired. The performance would have been better suited for a book on hypnosis.
One long tangent thought
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.