"It's easy to write about your feelings in a journal. It's more difficult, however, to convert personal experiences into stories worthy of publication--fiction, non-fiction, or poetry. Filled with engaging exercises, Writing what you know will guide you in identifying story-worthy material and transforming your raw material into finished pieces, through conquering fears associated with personal exposure, determining a story's focus, shaping the material into a cohesive whole, and editing and revising as needed. In addition, you will learn to: Tap into difficult, guarded parts of your life to tell the stories you desire -- Write emotionally intense material -- Decide which literary form is right for your stories -- Create the illusion of real speech with effective dialogue -- Tell your stories with authority -- Develop effective beginnings, middles, and ends -- Share your work with others and deal with reactions courageously."--Page [4] of cover.
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