Nonfiction
The General Woldbuilding Guide
As a writer, I like to think I know everything about my characters and the world they inhabit.
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But do I? I certainly don’t always recall those details—and definitely not when I need them most. Cue the dive down an internet rabbit hole for the next hour instead of continuing to write my draft. There’s a time for writing, and there’s a time for worldbuilding—and they aren’t the same!
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Use this book to build your world in all its glory, so that the next time those townsfolk are suspicious of strangers, you know what happened the last time they trusted someone who walked into town from the world beyond. Just imagine, when you sit down to write, already knowing the answers to questions like:
What is that song on the radio at the bar?
How long does it take to drive from Town A to Town B?
Who established that law about bathtubs in the street?
Where is the best place to get a burger in this town?
When did that family take over the monarchy?
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Tackling everything from creation myths and cultural practices to building relationships and measuring time, this worldbuilding guide has the questions and activities you need to help you craft a believable world for your story.


10 Steps to Save Your Editor's Sanity
Dreading the moment when your manuscript comes back from the editor dripping in red lines?​
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You can save both of you time and energy with a few basic steps. Sending your work to an editor can be a nerve-wracking experience, but it is possible to make the moment worth celebrating if you have confidence in your writing quality and edit for the most common issues that plague manuscripts. Follow these 10 steps before hitting send and your editor will thank you!
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Part One: Start with the Big Picture
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Step One: Consider Point of View
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Step Two: Fix Pesky Dialogue Formatting Stuff
Part Two: Zoom in to Examine the Nitty Gritty
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Step Three: Up Your Verb Game
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Step Four: Use Punctuation as Intended
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Step Five: Track Your Bad Habits
Part Three: Come Over to the Deep End—you’ll be fine!
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Step Six: Tweak Your Sentence Structure
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Step Seven: Add Sentence Variety
Part Four: Before You Click “Send”…
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Step Eight: Know What You Want
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Step Nine: Create a Style Sheet
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Step Ten: Just Breathe
Sentence Diagramming 101: Fun with Liguistics (and Movies)
“A surprisingly fun jaunt into the convoluted wilds of the English language!”
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Sentence Diagramming 101: Fun with Linguistics (and Movies) explores the relationship between words using traditional sentence diagramming and amusing movie references. Inside this textbook, you’ll find detailed explanations as well as 50+ film-focused practice exercises, and on the companion website, you can explore the answer key, informative videos, additional practice, and lively discussions about the English language.
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One abiding question often accompanies any discussion of traditional sentence diagramming (Reed & Kellogg): does sentence diagramming create better writers? This book’s answer: Maybe. If you think of the English language as a car, think of this book as a look under the proverbial hood of the language. Someone may know the names of all the parts and how they work together to make the vehicle move when the gas pedal is held down–but does that knowledge create a better driver? Perhaps. Perhaps not. Perhaps that driver will explain spark plugs while they drive straight off a cliff.
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Such is also true of writing. English can be messy, filled with archaic bolts and cobbled coils, but somehow, it still manages to get users where they want to go. Hop in and enjoy the ride!
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A great primer for writers, word enthusiasts, and those seeking to understand the fundamentals of English grammar, this textbook breaks down complicated ideas into digestible pieces.


Composition and Grammar: For HCC by HCC
We live in a world of words.
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The way we interact with our fellow humans is very often based on the language that always surrounds us, whether it be the messages we send, the news we read, or the assignments we complete in classes that give us the education intended to lead us to success.
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What might be the best way to navigate the complexity of language, especially in a first-year composition course? This book addresses these issues by presenting lessons, examples, and student samples through an approach that is friendly, conversational, and realistic.
Created by actual instructors of composition at HCC, this book includes many resources to guide composition students of different skill levels:
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In-depth overviews of reading, writing, and revising
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Engaging exercises that anticipate and address the most common errors of writers
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Actual student samples that provide the basis of class discussions and analysis
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With guidance that includes both theory and practice, Composition and Grammar for HCC by HCC provides students with the skills they need for their educational goals, their careers, and their lives.