Books in the Writing Handbooks series

A good story can easily be ruined by bad dialogue. Now in its 4th edition, Rib Davis's bestselling Writing Dialogue for Scripts provides expert insight into how dialogue works, what to look out for in everyday speech and how to use dialogue effectively in scripts. Examining practical examples from film, TV, theatre and radio, this book will help aspiring and professional writers alike perfect their skills. The 4th edition of Writing Dialogue for Scripts includes: a look at recent films, such as American Hustle and Blue Jasmine; TV shows such as Mad Men and Peaky Blinders; and the award winning play, Ruined. Extended material on use of narration within scripts (for example in Peep Show) and dialogue in verbatim scripts (Alecky Blythe's London Road) also features.

Writing for Radio offers a detailed approach to the process of writing a successful radio play from first draft to production draft and on into the recording studio - with helpful 'tricks-of-the-trade' and informative 'vox pops' from leading radio producers and sound engineers.

In magazines, non-fiction offers many opportunities for the freelance writer. This book discusses surveying the field, ideas, research, style and structure, selling work, interviewing, supplying pictures and problem solving. It includes a section on electronic aids for the magazine writer.

Popular fiction includes romance, thrillers and fantasy but this is a guide to writing any kind of fiction. It is a guide to starting out, avoiding pitfalls and getting published and includes discussion of ideas, research, style, dialogue and construction in writing.

This writer's guide explains how to write short stories and horror fiction for children and adults. The author shows how to build on the inital idea and develop characters and plot. There are ideas for selecting and approaching publishers and information about contracts and publication.

Would-be and established writers or journalists can learn about this lucrative and fascinating line of work and how to break into it. The author covers markets, briefings, style techniques, concepts and campaign developments as well as the practical aspects of freelance work.

What makes fantasy different from other types of fiction? How do you build a science fiction world? Does magic need rules? From outer space to cyberspace, from The Lord of the Rings to Harry Potter, fantasy and science fiction are more popular with readers than ever before, and offer a unique set of challenges to the writer.

How NOT to Write a Sitcom is a troubleshooting guide aimed at both the novice and the practising sitcom writer. It illustrates and explains the many pitfalls in concept, characterisation, plotting and dramatic/comedic writing,which pepper the hundreds of scripts submitted every year.

Written by an experienced journalist, this is an exploration of freelance writing for newspapers. It covers the importance of knowing your readers, contact with editors, how to write regular features, reviewing, interviewing and meeting deadlines - as well as how to acquire a flow of ideas.

This guide to writing crime fiction is based on the author's analysis of the craft from the classic detective story of the 1920s and 30s up to the female private eye novels of the 1990s. It features tips on fictional structure, the plot and its characters, and on submitting a script to publishers.

Many of us have wanted to write a life-story but have been unsure how to set about it or how to bring such a project to completion. Whether you are planning to write about your own family or research the life of a famous historical figure, this book will assist, advise and encourage you.

Written by two sitcom writers, this handbook seeks to break down the process of writing sitcoms into a series of easy-to-follow steps. There are chapters devoted to concept, characters and plot, through to proposals, commissioning and production, with examples from a range of popular sitcoms.

This invaluable resource looks at all the latest markets for comedy writers, with new material on writing 'The Office' style docu-comedies, writing for children's TV, and even how to try out your own jokes in stand-up comedy routines.

This book is a practical guide to the process of play-writing, from the original inspiration through plotting, structuring and characterisation to the successful realisation of the idea. This revised edition includes a new chapter covering stage realism.

Writing Comedy 4th edition is a practical manual for the beginner, as well as for the more experienced writer, in developing the skills to be a successful professional comedy writer. This new edition includes useful advice on how to develop your comedy in an increasingly digital age.