Building Great Sentences: Exploring the Writer's Craft
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Building Great Sentences: Exploring the Writer's Craft
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Narrated by:
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Brooks Landon
About this listen
Why do some lengthy sentences flow effortlessly while others stumble along? Why are you captivated by the writing of particular authors? How can you craft sentences that reflect your unique outlook on the world?
This lively, 24-lecture course introduces you to the myriad ways in which we think about, talk about, and write sentences. Reviving the sentence-oriented approach to studying writing, Professor Landon provides a greater context for what makes sentences great - and how you can apply these methods to your own writing.
You'll look at the kernels from which sentences grow - minimal base clauses - and how adding words or phrases creates larger, cumulative sentences that lead toward great writing. You'll explore sentence constructions that make writing more complex and add exciting levels of suspense, and see tactics that create balance and rhythm.Recognizing and appreciating these and other eye-opening aspects of sentences helps you understand the work that goes into creating an effective, pleasurable sentence, which can make you more aware of why particular lines, passages, or phrases in the poems, novels, or articles you read so enchant you.
Professor Landon draws abundantly on examples from the work of brilliant writers, including Don DeLillo, Virginia Woolf, Samuel Johnson, and more. With its passionate approach to writing and reading and its indulgence in the sheer joy of language, this journey gives you unique insights into the nature of great writing-and also teaches you how you can achieve some of this greatness yourself.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.
©2008 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2008 The Great CoursesListeners also enjoyed...
What listeners say about Building Great Sentences: Exploring the Writer's Craft
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- mel
- 23-09-15
Very good
What did you like most about Building Great Sentences: Exploring the Writer's Craft?
It goes to the nuts and bolts of building a sentence.
Who was your favorite character and why?
There was none.
Which character – as performed by Professor Brooks Landon – was your favourite?
Himself
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes.
Any additional comments?
Well worth listening to.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- I. P. Gearing
- 19-01-19
technical but very interesting
A very broad subject explored meaningfully and amply illustrated a good listen for the student of writing
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 05-11-21
I wanted to give it five stars, but couldn't
I learned so much from these lectures that Landon will probably assume I should be so grateful that i shouldn't let its single glaring flaw affect my rating. But I just can't help it. I couldn't recommend it more for anyone wanting to write better. These lectures accomplish exactly what Comrade Landon set out to achieve. Nevertheless, while he may not think he dipped his toe into contentious political waters, for me he definitely did. His hero worship of Winston Churchill I find stomach churning for many reasons, none of which I'll go into here. Praising Britain's war-time Prime Minister - the one voters got rid of the very first chance they got - for his politics, rather than just his undeniable rhetorical flair, is bound to alienate everyone proud to describe themselves as a socialist. But if you are so right wing or so apolitical as not to be bothered by this, if all you care about is learning how to appreciate good literature and, perhaps, to create some of your own, then go ahead and carefully study everything he says here. In such circumstances go ahead and add your own five star rating.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- hearne
- 01-03-17
If you learn through Repetition then this for you
Is there anything you would change about this book?
The content - make it snappy, it seems as if the authors want to make books longer as well as sentences.
What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?
Nothing really
How did the narrator detract from the book?
Not the narrator as much as the looped clap tape
Could you see Building Great Sentences: Exploring the Writer's Craft being made into a movie or a TV series? Who would the stars be?
No
Any additional comments?
Aimed at at 14 to 15 year olds
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Chong Beng Lim
- 17-07-18
The best audio book about writing
Building Great Sentences is the best book or lectures I have ever come across. It is easy to follow and be understood. Professor Landon rendered the lectures with clarity, fun, and eloquence. They were enriched with a wealth of writing wisdom that had been culled from an eclectic mix of sources. It is a must read for aspiring writers.
There is only one imperfection in that I would like to see how cumulative sentences could be applied to nonfiction writing.
All in all, it's worth a five-star performance. Thank you professor Brooks Landon!
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Kitty cat 17
- 24-08-17
Couldn't listen to this
Would you try another book written by The Great Courses or narrated by Professor Brooks Landon?
Not by this narrator. I had to stop after ten minutes due to the mis-pronunciation. For an audio book all about sentences you could at least pronounce the word correctly! There is a 't' in it so why say 'sen-ance-ees'. It was so irritating I switched off.
Has Building Great Sentences: Exploring the Writer's Craft put you off other books in this genre?
Not really. I still enjoy books about language and writing. Just not this one!
Would you be willing to try another one of Professor Brooks Landon’s performances?
No! See my statement above re the pronunciation of sentences. It was infuriating!
Do you think Building Great Sentences: Exploring the Writer's Craft needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?
Yes by someone who knows how to say sentences.
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7 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Dottie
- 09-04-16
How to write a sennanse!
I have arrived at chapter 8; I feel this is an achievement. A pretty hefty achievement because the narrator is punching my brain with side swipes in his pronunciation.
The word is sentence so why does he insist on pronouncing it as SENNANSE?
My head hurts!
Otherwise, pretty good.
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15 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Chadwick1848
- 25-02-19
Technical and detailed
Delivered with an intensity and passion for the subject, soaked in technical detail, this course is inspiring for people like myself; who cannot write for toffee.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
- David Josey
- 02-01-21
Master the synance of English writing.
Everything you ever wanted to know about English synance. Includes many excellent examples of English sentences.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- W GRAHAM ESQ
- 07-02-23
Brilliant
I only wish they had aught me some rhetoric at school. The concept of cumulative modifying phrases will have a major impact on the quality of my writing.
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