Writing Brave and Free

Encouraging Words for People Who Want to Start Writing

Ted Kooser, Steve Cox, Steve F Cox

• Publisher: University of Nebraska Press
• Year: 2014
• Print ISBN: 9780803227804
• eBook ISBN: 9780803276963
• Topic: Languages & Linguistics
• Subtopic: Authorship
• Index: Languages & Linguistics

Sometimes setting pen to paper requires bravery, and writing well means breaking free of the rules learned in school. Liberating and emboldening the beginning writer are the goals of Ted Kooser and Steve Cox in this spirited book of practical wisdom that brings to bear decades of invaluable experience in writing, teaching, editing, and publishing.

Unlike “how to write” books that dwell on the angst and the agony of the trade, Writing Brave and Free is upbeat and accessible. The focus here is the work itself: how to get started and how to keep going, and never is heard a discouraging word such as “no, ” “not, ” or “never.” Because of the wealth of their experience, the authors can offer the sort of practical publishing advice that novices need and yet rarely find. Organized in brief, user-friendly chapters—on everything from sensory details to a work environment, from creating suspense to revising and taking criticism—the book allows aspiring (and practicing) writers to dip in anywhere and find something of value.

Table of contents

• Front Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• 1. Writing Brave and Free
• 2. What’s Standing in Your Way?
• Section 1: Yes, You Can
• Section 2: Rules? We Don’ Need No Stinkin’ Rules!
• Section 3: Getting Started
• Section 4: The Environment for Writing
• Section 5: You and Your Readers
• Section 6: Elements of a Piece of Writing
• Section 7: Revision and Getting Help
• Section 8: The Business of Writing
• Section 9: Acknowledgments and Further Reading
• Back Cover