How to Write and Sell Your Personal Experiences [Hardcover]

Lois Duncan (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 226 pages
• Publisher: Writer's Digest Books; 1st edition (1979)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0911654747
• ISBN-13: 978-0911654745
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,425,941 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lois Duncan was born in Philadelphia, PA, and grew up in Sarasota, FL.
She knew from early childhood that she wanted to be a writer. She submitted her first story to a magazine at age 10 and became published at 13. Throughout her high school years she wrote regularly for young people's publications, particularly Seventeen.

As an adult, Lois moved to Albuquerque, NM, where she taught magazine writing for the Journalism Department at the University of New Mexico and continued to write for magazines. Over 300 of her articles and stories appeared in such publications as Ladies Home Journal, Redbook, McCall's, Good Housekeeping, and Reader's Digest, and for many years she was a contributing editor for Woman's Day.

Lois is the author of over 50 books, ranging from children's picture books to poetry to adult non-fiction, but is best known for her young adult suspense novels, which have received Young Readers Awards in 16 states and three foreign countries. In 1992, Lois was awarded the Margaret A. Edwards Award, presented by the School Library Journal and the ALA Young Adult Library Services Association for "a distinguished body of adolescent literature." In 2009, she received the Katharine Drexel Award, awarded by the Catholic Library Association "to recognize an outstanding contribution by an individual to the growth of high school and young adult librarianship and literature."

Six of her novels -- SUMMER OF FEAR, KILLING MR. GRIFFIN, GALLOWS HILL, RANSOM, DON'T LOOK BEHIND YOU and STRANGER WITH MY FACE -- were made-for-TV movies. I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER and HOTEL FOR DOGS were box office hits.

Although young people are most familiar with Lois Duncan's fictional suspense novels, adults may know her best as the author of WHO KILLED MY DAUGHTER?, the true story of the murder of Kaitlyn Arquette, the youngest of Lois's five children. Kait's heartbreaking story has been featured on such TV shows as Unsolved Mysteries, Good Morning America, Larry King Live, Sally Jessy Raphael and Inside Edition. A full account of the family's on-going personal investigation of this still unsolved homicide can be found on the Internet at http://kaitarquette.arquettes.com.

Lois Duncan's personal web page is at http://loisduncan.arquettes.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely fantastic inspiration!, March 11, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: How to Write and Sell Your Personal Experiences (Paperback)

If I had to identify one book that started me publishing, it would have to be this one. Duncan gives some very good tips on how to start, and although I have yet to have a $1000+ sale, I have been steadily working and improving. If my basement apartment hadn't flooded, I'd still have my copy--I inhaled almost every word, and still have great swatches memorized! Buy it, you won't regret it!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Advice, February 22, 2006

By 

SVL "Happy Reader" (Westminster, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Write and Sell Your Personal Experiences (Hardcover)

This book is out of print but it's worth it to track down a used copy. The book gives a lot of wonderful advice to anyone thinking about publishing articles, short fiction, poetry, and novels. Lois Duncan is very encouraging. It's important to have a bit of encouragement when there are so many people around to tell you how difficult breaking into writing may be. Lois Duncan gives you so many avenues to get started that your doubts will be taken away. There are a couple of outdated sections, especially one focusing on using a computer to edit your work. (I believe the printing of this book was in the mid 80's). I'd also find a more updated resource on the how-to's of presenting your manuscript. But overall there are some great tips and ideas that will get the creative writing juices flowing. Highly recommended.

5.0 out of 5 stars The Writing Instruction I've Waited for My Entire Life, September 18, 2011

By 

Paula White - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: How to Write and Sell Your Personal Experiences (Paperback)

As an emerging young adult fiction author I received more instruction from this book than I did in four years in graduate school. Lois Duncan makes the craft of writing so accessible that it actually cuts out the middle man of a graduate education in creative writing. I am so happy I found this book! Thank you to Music City Bookworm for sending the book to me in a timely manner and intact!