William Bernhardt has 28 audiobooks on Listento.it, narrated by 8 narrators, with an average listener rating of 4.3★ across 8 ratings. The most-rated is The Last Chance Lawyer.
Sizzling Style
Summary
Sizzling Style is what distinguishes a spellbinding book from an ordinary one. The writer who understands the fundamentals of fictional writing style knows how to capture readers and never let them go. Too often aspiring writers are frustrated by rejection, not realizing that the problem is not the story but the way they are telling it. In this audiobook, best-selling author William Bernhardt brings his down-to-earth approach to the subject of style, revealing everything you need to know to write with the art and craft of a seasoned professional. Bernhardt goes beyond memorizing rules to a fresh approach, a philosophy of writing that will transform your work and take it to a higher level. Because as William Goldman famously said, "No one really knows what will be commercial, but everyone knows good writing from bad writing." The audiobook also includes exercises designed to help writers apply this approach to their own writing.
©2014 William Bernhardt Writing Programs (P)2014 Babylon Books
Dynamic Dialogue: Letting Your Story Speak (Red Sneaker Writers Book)
Summary
Dynamic dialogue can turn an otherwise ordinary novel into a delightful read, but dull, uninspired dialogue will cause readers to lose interest and try something else. In this book, best-selling author William Bernhardt, renowned for his handling of dialogue, explains his techniques for making characters come to life through their words. He explains the importance of matching character and dialogue, of avoiding dialogue that's “on-the-nose,” and the value of using dialogue to suggest what no one will say aloud. Bernhardt explains how to enrich your story and quicken the pace with dramatic and clever dialogue exchanges, skillful use of dialogue beats, and subtext. The book also includes exercises designed to help writers apply these ideas to their own writing. William Bernhardt is the bestselling author of more than thirty books, including the blockbuster Ben Kincaid novels and Nemesis: The Final Case of Eliot Ness, currently in production as an NBC miniseries. Bernhardt is also one of the most sought-after writing instructors in the nation. He is the only person to have received the Southern Writers Gold Medal Award, the Royden B. Davis Distinguished Author Award (U Penn) and the H. Louise Cobb Distinguished Author Award (OSU), which is given “in recognition of an outstanding body of work that has profoundly influenced the way in which we understand ourselves and American society at large.” The Red Sneaker Writing Center is dedicated to helping writers achieve their literary goals. What is a red sneaker writer? A committed writer seeking useful instruction and guidance rather than obfuscation and attitude. Red sneakers get the job done and so do red sneaker writers, by paying close attention to their art and craft, committing to hard work, and never quitting. Are you a red sneaker writer? If so, this book is for you.
©2014 William Bernhardt Writing Programs (P)2014 Babylon Books
Dazzling Description: Painting the Perfect Picture
Summary
How do you create a fictional world that audiences will want to visit? How do you paint a picture that springs to life? William Bernhardt explains how to use description and setting to enhance your story without slowing the pace. Bernhardt discusses showing without telling, providing descriptive details that inform character, and integrating visuals and action with "stealth description". In his direct, no-nonsense style, Bernhardt explains how to use all five senses to create a fully realized portrait. William Bernhardt is the best-selling author of more than 50 books, including the best-selling Daniel Pike novels. Bernhardt is also one of the most sought-after writing instructors in the nation. He has received the Southern Writers Gold Medal Award and the H. Louise Cobb Distinguished Author Award, which is given "in recognition of an outstanding body of work that has profoundly influenced the way in which we understand ourselves and American society at large". In 2019, he received the Arrell Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award. The Red Sneaker Writing Center provides a free e-newsletter, podcast, workshops, retreats, and an annual conference to help writers achieve their goals. What's a red sneaker writer? A committed writer seeking useful instruction rather than obfuscation and attitude. Red sneakers get the job done and so do red sneaker writers, by paying close attention to their art and craft, committing to hard work, and never quitting. Are you a red sneaker writer? If so, this book is for you.
©2020 William Bernhardt Writing Programs (P)2020 William Bernhardt Writing Programs
Story Structure: The Key to Successful Fiction
Summary
“Writing is structure,” William Goldman said, but too often aspiring writers plunge into their work without grasping this fundamental principle. Story structure is one of the most important concepts for a writer to understand - and ironically, one of the least frequently taught. In this book, New York Times best-selling author William Bernhardt explains the elements that make stories work, using examples spanning from Gilgamesh to The Hunger Games. In each chapter, he introduces essential concepts in a direct and easily comprehended manner. Most importantly, Bernhardt demonstrates how you can apply these ideas to improve your own writing. William Bernhardt is the author of more than 30 books, including the blockbuster Ben Kincaid series of legal thrillers. Bernhardt is also one of the most sought-after writing instructors in the nation. His programs have educated many authors now published by major houses. He is the only person to have received the Southern Writers Gold Medal Award, the Royden B. Davis Distinguished Author Award (U Penn), and the H. Louise Cobb Distinguished Author Award (OSU), which is given "in recognition of an outstanding body of work that has profoundly influenced the way in which we understand ourselves and American society at large." The Red Sneaker Writing Center is dedicated to helping writers achieve their literary goals. What is a red sneaker writer? A committed writer seeking useful instruction and guidance rather than obfuscation and attitude. Red sneakers get the job done, and so do red sneaker writers, by paying close attention to their art and craft, committing to hard work, and never quitting. Are you a red sneaker writer? If so, this book is for you.
©2013 William Bernhardt Writing Programs (P)2014 Babylon Books
Criminal Intent
Summary
When a priest with radical ideas and a parish council with traditional values lock horns over the beliefs they hold most sacred, there’s bound to be controversy - and consequences. But murder crosses the line between committing a sin and committing a crime, turning a battle over faith into a battle for justice. And smack in the middle of the explosive case is Tulsa attorney Ben Kincaid. Kincaid rescued Father Daniel Beale once before. When the priest’s renegade views and violent temper nearly cost him his position as rector of St. Benedict’s Church, Ben intervened and saved the day. Now Beale is the prime suspect in the brutal murder of a female parishioner - though lack of evidence has left the case unsolved. But as Father Beale struggles to escape the shadow of suspicion, another woman is savagely slaughtered. And this time, Ben himself discovers Beale literally red-handed...with the blood of the victim. As Father Beale declares his innocence, Ben and his team feverishly work to build a defense that will deliver the man of God from a date with the death chamber. But each new revelation that emerges in the packed courtroom only serves to tilt the scales increasingly in the prosecution’s favor. And Father Beale’s own shocking testimony ignites a firestorm of controversy that could doom his last best hope for acquittal. In his heart and in his gut, Ben knows Father Beale is innocent. But proving it means taking a leap of faith that will plunge Ben into the whirlpool of dark secrets and dangerous intentions that surround St. Benedict’s. And ultimately, it will force the idealistic attorney to confront the chilling face of evil in the most unexpected of places. Criminal Intent proves beyond a reasonable doubt that the author of Murder One has earned his critical reputation as the master of the courtroom drama whose novels of legal suspense consistently offer a one-of-a-kind listening experience.
©2002 William Bernhardt (P)2006 Books on Tape
Creating Character: Bringing Your Story to Life
Summary
All fiction is character-driven, according to William Bernhardt, despite what you might have heard elsewhere. If your characters don’t interest readers, even the most exciting plots will fail. “Action is character,” Aristotle wrote, but what does that mean, and how can you use that fundamental principle to create dynamic fiction that will captivate readers? This audiobook explains the relationship between character and plot, and how the perfect melding of the two produces a mesmerizing story. Using examples spanning from The Odyssey to The Da Vinci Code, Bernhardt discusses the art of character creation in a direct and easily comprehended manner. The audiobook also includes exercises designed to help writers apply these ideas to their own work. William Bernhardt is the author of more than thirty novels, including the blockbuster Ben Kincaid series of legal thrillers. Bernhardt is also one of the most sought-after writing instructors in the nation. His programs have educated many authors now published by major houses. He is the only person to have received the Southern Writers Gold Medal Award, the Royden B. Davis Distinguished Author Award (U Penn) and the H. Louise Cobb Distinguished Author Award (OSU), which is given "in recognition of an outstanding body of work that has profoundly influenced the way in which we understand ourselves and American society at large." The Red Sneaker Writing Center is dedicated to helping writers achieve their literary goals. What is a red sneaker writer? A committed writer seeking useful instruction and guidance rather than obfuscation and attitude. Red sneakers get the job done, and so do red sneaker writers, by paying close attention to their art and craft, committing to hard work, and never quitting. Are you a red sneaker writer? If so, this book is for you.
©2013 William Bernhardt Writing Programs (P)2013 Babylon Books
Trial by Blood
Summary
A billion-dollar inheritance. A relative’s suspicious reappearance. Can Dan dig up the secrets of the past before he’s buried six feet under? Attorney Daniel Pike’s flashy courtroom antics have earned him plenty of enemies - but also freed many innocent people. When he learns that the same crooked cop who got his father locked up for life is testifying in a contested-identity suit, Daniel takes the case. But it won’t be easy to prove his client is the long-lost heir to an immense estate since the young man can’t remember the last 14 years.... His civil litigation becomes a criminal trial when another heir is violently murdered and the mysterious amnesiac looks like the prime suspect. Battling vanishing evidence, political interference, and a brutal attack on his life, the savvy lawyer knows he’ll need to put on his best performance yet. Can Dan clear his client’s name and inheritance? Or will they both pay with their lives? Trial by Blood is the third book in the nail-biting Daniel Pike legal thriller series. If you like sinister conspiracies, brash attorneys, and dark-alley danger, then you’ll love William Bernhardt’s addictive novel. Buy Trial by Blood and take a crack at injustice today!
©2020 William Bernhardt (P)2020 William Bernhardt
Twisted Justice
Summary
If he loses this case, the consequence is death.... Ever since his father’s wrongful incarceration, defense lawyer Daniel Pike has defended the innocent at any cost. But he’s stunned when his archrival DA is found shot dead and brutally crucified. And after Pike himself lands in jail for the crime, he smells a terrifying setup. Fearing he’ll suffer the same fate as his parent, the determined attorney uncovers evidence that the DA was involved with a sinister sex-trafficking ring. But with the prosecution presenting an ironclad case against him, it’s clear someone wants Pike out of the way. And if they can’t get him with a lethal injection, they may resort to bullets.... Can Pike get to the truth before he’s condemned to die behind bars? Twisted Justice is the tense fourth novel in the Daniel Pike Legal Thrillers series. If you like dark conspiracies, heart-stopping suspense, and courtroom battles against the odds, then you’ll love William Bernhardt’s breathtaking tale. Buy Twisted Justice to escape death row today!
©2020 William Bernhardt Writing Programs (P)2020 Babylon Books