Most Popular Books by Matthew Dicks

A five-time Moth GrandSLAM winner and bestselling novelist shows how to tell a great story — and why doing so matters. Whether we realize it or not, we are always telling stories. On a first date or job interview, at a sales presentation or therapy appointment, with family or friends, we are constantly narrating events and interpreting emotions and actions. In this compelling book, storyteller extraordinaire Matthew Dicks presents wonderfully straightforward and engaging tips and techniques for constructing, telling, and polishing stories that will hold the attention of your audience (no matter how big or small). He shows that anyone can learn to be an appealing storyteller, that everyone has something “storyworthy” to express, and, perhaps most important, that the act of creating and telling a tale is a powerful way of understanding and enhancing your own life.

REALIZE YOUR CREATIVE DREAMS — STARTING TODAY Are you good at dreaming about what you’re going to accomplish “someday” but not good at finding the time and getting started? How will you actually make that decision and do it? The answer is this book, which offers proven, practical, and simple ways to turn random minutes throughout your days into pockets of productivity, and dreams into accomplishments. In addition to presenting his own winning strategies for getting from dreaming to doing, Matthew Dicks offers insights from a wide range of creative people — writers, editors, performers, artists, and even magicians — on how to augment inspiration with motivation. His actionable steps will help you: silence negative messages from family, friends, and teachers eliminate time-sucking activities (and people) be willing to make terrible things find supporters here, there, and everywhere cultivate optimism in the face of negativity and obstacles Each strategy is accompanied by amusing and inspiring personal and professional anecdotes and a clear plan of action. Someday Is Today will give you every tool to get started and finish that _________ [fill in the blank].

A tale imparted from the perspective of long-time imaginary friend, Budo, traces his awareness of his advancing age and constant thought of the inevitable day when eight-year-old Max, an autistic boy, will stop believing in him.

"The story of an obsessive-compulsive housebreaker whose every waking moment is jam-packed with finicky clockwork ritual--the kind of intense micro-planning that might have made even Napoleon back off...Matthew Dicks has created an unforgettable character that will have you torn between wanting to throttle him--or adopt him." --Alan Bradley, author of the New York Times bestselling Flavia de Luce novels A career criminal with OCD tendencies and a savant-like genius for bringing order to his crime scenes, Martin considers himself one of the best. After all, he’s been able to steal from the same people for years on end—virtually undetected. Of course, this could also be because of his unique business model—taking only items that will go unnoticed by the homeowner. After all, who would notice a missing roll of toilet paper here, a half-used bottle of maple syrup there, or even a rarely used piece of china buried deep within a dusty cabinet? Even though he''s never met these homeowners, spending hours in their houses, looking through their photo albums and reading their journals, he feels like he knows them. So Martin decides to meddle more in their lives—playing the part of a rather odd guardian angel—even though it means breaking many of his neurotic rules. In this hilarious, suspenseful and often profound novel about a man used to planning every second of his life, Martin comes to realize that life is much better lived on the edge (at least some of the time).

WIN CUSTOMERS AND BUILD BRANDS THROUGH THE POWER OF STORYTELLING Moth GrandSLAM all-time champion storyteller, writer, and business coach Matthew Dicks presents a guide to using the power of storytelling for success in business of any type or size. Matt has found that the basic principles of effective storytelling are universal, teachable, and more crucial than ever for business communication. Jam-packed with examples, Stories Sell reveals the ingredients of a compelling story and then demonstrates how they can be incorporated into persuasive marketing copy, productive face-to-face conversations, effective sales pitches, and presentations that people actually want to hear. Topics include: • The three elements of a winning story: stakes, suspense, and surprise • Finding the right narrative structure (and why beginning at the beginning isn’t always the best method) • The power of being vulnerable: how admitting your mistakes can build rapport with audiences • When and how to use humor • Zigging while others zag: making yourself stand out from competitors Whether you’re an online marketer, advertising professional, salesperson, small business owner, independent contractor, or Fortune 500 executive, Stories Sell will teach you to find your voice and get your message across for maximum impact and profit.

From the beloved author of Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend comes a wonderful new novel about a struggling man, written entirely in lists. Daniel Mayrock''s life is at a crossroads. He knows the following to be true: 1. He loves his wife Jill... more than anything. 2. He only regrets quitting his job and opening a bookshop a little (maybe more than a little) 3. Jill is ready to have a baby. 4. The bookshop isn’t doing well. Financial crisis is imminent. Dan doesn''t know how to fix it. 5. Dan hasn’t told Jill about their financial trouble. 6. Then Jill gets pregnant. This heartfelt story is about the lengths one man will go to and the risks he will take to save his family. But Dan doesn’t just want to save his failing bookstore and his family’s finances: 1. Dan wants to do something special. 2. He’s a man who is tired of feeling ordinary. 3. He’s sick of feeling like a failure. 4. He doesn''t want to live in the shadow of his wife’s deceased first husband. Dan is also an obsessive list maker; his story unfolds entirely in his lists, which are brimming with Dan’s hilarious sense of humor, unique world-view, and deeply personal thoughts. When read in full, his lists paint a picture of a man struggling to be a man, a man who has reached a point where he’s willing to do anything for the love (and soon-to-be new love) of his life.

From Matthew Dicks, the beloved author of Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend, comes The Other Mother, a novel about a teenage boy coping with the rupture of his family by viewing his mother in an unusual light. The one he loves most, is the one he knows least. Thirteen-year-old Michael Parsons is dealing with a lot. His father''s sudden death; his mother''s new husband, Glen, who he loathes; his two younger siblings, who he looks after more and more now that his mother works extra shifts. And then one day, Michael wakes up and his mother is gone. In her place is an exact, duplicate mother. The ''other mother''. No one else seems to notice the real version is missing. His brother, his sister, and even Glen act as if everything''s normal. But Michael knows in his heart that this mother is not his. And he begins to panic. What follows is a big-hearted coming-of-age story of a boy struggling with an unusual disorder that poses unparalleled challenges—but also, as he discovers, offers him unique opportunities.

The author of SOMETHING MISSING returns with another hilarious and sneakily profound tale about a man whose behavior is truly odd, but also oddly relatable. Milo Slade, a thirty-three year old home healthcare aide, is witnessing the rapid dissolution of his three-year marriage to a polished, high-powered attorney named Christine. Though Milo doesn''t quite know the root of his marital problems, he inevitably blames himself, or more specifically, he faults the demands his obsessive compulsive personality place upon him--the need to open a jar of Smuckers grape jelly or sing 99 Luftballons in front of an audience, to name just a couple. Yet Christine is still none the wiser about these inexplicable quirks as Milo has painstakingly hidden them from her and everyone else for years. No one knows the true--and in his mind more insidious--Milo, and such is the root of his profound loneliness, especially now that he and Christine are living apart during a trial separation. Then one day Milo stumbles across a video camera and tapes, left behind in a park. He watches the first tape, which is a heartfelt confessional by a young woman who begins to reveal her secrets, starting small at first, and finally revealing that she blames herself for a tragic death of a friend. But not all the details add up and Milo is struck with the urge to free the sweet confessor from her guilt. He is, after all, an expert in keeping secrets… In typical screwball fashion, Milo sets out on a cross-country journey to crack the case, but quickly gets sidetracked as his un-ignorable demands call. But it is during these sidetracks that the true meaning of his adventure takes shape. Milo is weird, but as he discovers, so is everyone else. UNEXPECTEDLY, MILO is a humorous and touching novel about finding oneself, embracing the journey, and, unexpectedly, love.

From the beloved author of Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend comes a wonderful new novel about a broken woman who faces her past and, armed with the perfect comeback, finds a way to set herself free. Caroline Jacobs has lost herself. She''s a wife, mother (to a tattooed teenage daughter she avoids), Sears Portrait Studio photographer, and wimp. Asserting herself, taking the reins, or facing life head-on are not in her repertoire. So when Caroline suddenly cracks and screams "Fuck you!" at the PTA president, she is shocked. So is her husband. So is the PTA president. So is everyone. But Caroline soon realizes the true cause of her outburst can be traced back to something that happened to her as a teenager, a scarring betrayal by her best friend Emily. This act changed Caroline''s life forever. So, with a little bit of bravery flowing through her veins, Caroline decides to go back to her home town and confront Emily. She busts her daughter Polly out of school, and the two set off to deliver the perfect comeback, which is twenty-five years in the making. But nothing goes as planned. Long buried secrets begin to rise to the surface, and Caroline will have to face much more than one old, bad best friend. A heartwarming story told with Matthew Dicks'' signature wit, The Perfect Comeback of Caroline Jacobs is a deceptively simple novel about the ways in which our childhood experiences reverberate through our lives, and the bravery of one woman trying to change her life and finds true understanding of her daughter, and herself, along the way.

Benvolgut lector: La novel·la que tens a les mans és molt especia, com en Max. La novel·la que tens a les mans és única, com en Max. La novel·la que tens a les mans és valenta, com en Max. En Max només té vuit anys i no és un nen com els altres. Ell viu en el seu interior i com menys el molestin, millor. No li agraden els canvis, ni les sorpreses, ni els sorolls, ni que el toquin ni que el facin parlar per parlar. Si algú li preguntés quan és més feliç, segur que diria que jugant amb els legos i planificant batalles entre exèrcits enemics. En Max no té amics perquè ningú no l''entén i tothom vol que sigui d''una altra manera, fins i tot els seus professors i els seus pares. Només em té a mi, que sóc el seu amic des de fa cinc anys. Ara sé que en Max corre perill i només jo el puc ajudar. El problema és que en Max és l''únic que em pot sentir i l''únic que em pot veure. Pateixo per ell, però també per mi. Els pares d''en Max diuen que sóc un «amic imaginari». Espero que a aquestes altures tinguis ben clar que això no és veritat, jo no sóc imaginari. Ressenyes: «Dicks agafa alguns elements d'' El curiós incident del gos a mitjanit, els barreja amb uns altres de No em deixis mai i transforma una història entendridora en una aventura per mossegar-se les ungles.» Psychologies «Un conte entranyable sobre l''amor, la lleialtat i un nen amb una imaginació extraordinària.» Glamour «Un thriller psicològic molt intens sobre l''amor, la mort i l''amistat.» Daily News «Una història fascinant i colpidora.» Cosmopolitan

Cinq choses à savoir sur Dan : - Il aime plus que tout sa femme, Jill. - Il ne regrette qu’un tout petit peu d’avoir démissionné de son poste de prof pour ouvrir une librairie. - Il panique lorsque Jill émet le souhait d’avoir un enfant. - Il ne sait pas comment se dépêtrer de ses problèmes d’argent. - Il ferait n’importe quoi pour sa famille. Des détails les plus insignifiants aux questions les plus profondes, Dan nous confie son quotidien, ses projets, ses peurs. Il ne veut pas seulement sauver sa librairie et protéger les siens, il est las d’avoir l’impression d’être un raté. D’où l’idée d’accomplir un acte aussi fou que risqué... Son histoire, construite à partir de listes et relatée d’une voix singulière, sincère et désopilante, dévoile un homme en proie au doute, prêt à tout pour l’amour de sa vie. Traduit de l’anglais par Claire Breton

Querido lector: La novela que tienes en tus manos es especial, como Max. La novela que tienes en tus manos es única, como Max. La novela que tienes en tus manos es valiente, como Max. Max solo tiene 8 años y no es como los demás niños. Él vive para adentro y cuanto menos le molesten, mucho mejor. No le gustan los cambios, las sorpresas, los ruidos, que lo toquen y que le hagan hablar por hablar. Si alguien le preguntara cuándo es más feliz, seguro que diría que jugando con sus legos planeando batallas entre ejércitos enemigos. Max no tiene amigos, porque nadie lo entiende y todos, hasta los profesores y sus propios padres, quieren que sea de otra manera. Solo me tiene a mí, que soy su amigo desde hace cinco años. Ahora sé que Max corre peligro y solo yo lo puedo ayudar. El problema es que Max es el único que puede verme y oírme. Tengo mucho miedo por él, pero sobre todo por mí. Los padres de Max dicen que soy un «amigo imaginario». Espero que a estas alturas tengas claro que no soy imaginario. Reseñas: «Dicks toma algo de El curioso incidente del perro a medianoche, lo cruza con Nunca me abandones y convierte una historia enternecedora en una aventura para morderse las uñas.» Psychologies «Un entrañable cuento sobre el amor, la lealtad y un niño con un poder de la imaginación extraordinario». Glamour «Un tenso thriller psicológico sobre el amor, la muerte y la amistad». Daily News «Una historia fascinante y conmovedora». Cosmopolitan

Per Max vivere è una faccenda piuttosto complicata: va in tilt se deve scegliere tra due colori, non sopporta il minimo cambio di programma, detesta essere toccato, persino da sua madre che vorrebbe abbracciarlo molto di più. Del resto ha nove anni ed è un bambino autistico. Per fortuna c''è Budo, il suo invisibile e meraviglioso amico immaginario che non lo abbandona mai e da molto vicino ci racconta la sua storia. Finché un giorno accade qualcosa di terribile: Budo vede Max uscire nel cortile della scuola e sparire nell''auto della signora Patterson, la maestra di sostegno. Lo chiama, gli intima di fermarsi, lo rincorre, ma è tutto inutile. L''auto sfreccia via e per la prima volta Budo è solo. Da quel momento, di Max non si hanno più notizie. E quando a scuola arriva la polizia per interrogare gli insegnanti, Budo è l''unico a sapere con certezza che la signora Patterson non sta dicendo la verità. Ma nessuno al mondo può sentire le sue parole, nessuno, tranne il suo amico scomparso... Dov''è finito Max? Che cosa può fare Budo per risolvere un mistero più grande di lui e riaverlo con sé? Mentre la tensione sale, la voce incantata e potentissima di Budo rapisce il lettore fino alla fine, travolgendolo di commozione e poesia. Un romanzo indimenticabile.

Budo is dan wel het denkbeeldige vriendje van de autistische achtjarige Max, maar dat wil niet zeggen dat hij niet bestaat. Als Max op een dag verdwijnt, weet alleen Budo waar zijn vriend is. Er is echter één probleem: Max is de enige levende persoon die Budo kan zien en die met hem kan praten. Budo moet alles op alles zetten om zijn beste vriend te redden. Herinneringen van een denkbeeldig vriendje is een prachtig, ontroerend en verrassend verhaal over vriendschap, opoffering en de kracht van verbeelding.

Der 33-jährige Milo kann seinen regelmässigen Ticks seit der Trennung von seiner Frau ungeniert nachgehen. Als er in einem Park Videokassetten findet, muss er sich natürlich die Filme ansehen und lernt so über ein Videotagebuch eine sommersprossige, verzweifelte Frau kennen - eine Seelenverwandte ...

Budo, amigo imaginario de Max, explica su historia en Memorias de un amigo imaginario y cómo tuvo que desaparecer para poder salvar a Max, el único que lo ve y lo oye, porque él lo ha creado. Querido lector: La novela que tienes en tus manos es especial, como Max. La novela que tienes en tus manos es única, como Max. La novela que tienes en tus manos es valiente, como Max. Max sólo tiene ocho años y no es como los demás niños. Él vive para adentro y cuanto menos le molesten, mucho mejor. No le gustan los cambios, las sorpresas, los ruidos, que lo toquen ni que le hagan hablar por hablar. Si alguien le preguntara cuándo es más feliz, seguro que diría que jugando con sus legos y planeando batallas entre ejércitos enemigos. Max no tiene amigos, porque nadie lo entiende y todos, hasta los profesores y sus propios padres, quieren que sea de otra manera. Sólo me tiene a mí, que soy su amigo desde hace cinco años. Ahora sé que Max corre un gran peligro y sólo yo lo puedo ayudar. El problema es que Max es el único que puede verme y oírme. Tengo mucho miedo por él, y sobre todo por mí. Los padres de Max dicen que soy un "amigo imaginario". Espero que a estas alturas tengas claro que no soy imaginario.

A tale imparted from the perspective of long-time imaginary friend, Budo, traces his awareness of his advancing age and constant thought of the inevitable day when eight-year-old Max, an autistic boy, will stop believing in him.

Aussi longtemps que Max croit en moi, j''existe. Les gens disent que c''est ça qui fait de moi un ami imaginaire. Ce n''est pas vrai : j''ai mes idées et ma vie en dehors de lui. Mais j''étais là le jour où il a disparu. Je sais qu''il est en danger. Et je suis le seul à pouvoir l''aider.

Den je pasionirani sastavljač spiskova i cela njegova priča odvija se u spiskovima punim urnebesnog smisla za humor, jedinstevnog pogleda na svet i duboko ličnih misli. Kad se pročitaju do kraja, spiskovi oslikavaju čoveka koji se muči da bude muško, čoveka koji je stigao do tačke kad je spreman na sve zbog ljubavi (i uskoro nove ljubavi) svog života. Ova iskrena priča prikazuje šta će sve čovek uraditi i šta će rizikovati da spase porodicu. Međutim, Den ne želi samo da spase knjižaru i porodične finansije -- želi da postane neko i nešto. --page 4 of cover.

Een fantasievriendje doet zijn uiterste best om de 8-jarige autistische Max te redden nadat deze op een dag niet uit school is gekomen.