Writers Guide

Point of view (POV) is one of the most powerful tools in a writer's kit, but it's also one of the hardest to understand and master. In this book, Sandra Gerth draws on her experience as an editor and a best-selling author to teach you how to handle point of view in a way that will make your readers identify with your main character, draw them into the story, and keep them captivated until the very last page. The book provides concrete examples and exercises that will hone your writing skills. Whether you're a novice writer working on her first story or an established author, this book will help you to: • Discover what point of view is and why it's so important. • Understand the different types of point of view such as first-person, third-person, omniscient, and deep POV. • Choose the point of view that works best for your story.

The beginning is the most important part of your book. The first chapter-probably even the first page-is what makes agents and editors accept or reject a manuscript, and it's what makes readers decide to buy a book or pick another. But writing a compelling opening is hard because there are so many things a great beginning needs to do and so many mistakes to avoid. In this book, Sandra Gerth draws on her experience as an editor and best-selling author to teach you where to start your novel, how to avoid common first chapter problems, and how to hook your readers from the very first page. Each chapter of this practical guide includes concrete examples and exercises that will help you write an irresistible beginning. Whether you're a novice writer working on your first story or an established author with several novels under your belt, this book will help you: • Decide where to start your book, • Understand important elements of every powerful opening such as the inciting incident, • Write a kickass first line, • Hook your readers from the very first page.

Show, don't tell is probably the single most-important piece of advice given to writers. But many writers struggle to understand this powerful principle or have difficulty applying it to their own work. Even experienced authors sometimes don't grasp the finer nuances of showing and telling. In this book, Sandra Gerth draws on her experience as an editor and a best-selling author to show you how to show and tell you when to tell. Each chapter includes concrete examples and exercises that will hone your writing skills. Whether you're a novice writer working on your first story or an established author who has already learned the basics of showing and telling, this book will help you to: • Grasp the difference between showing and telling. • Understand why showing is such a powerful tool. • Spot telling in your own manuscript.