Fiction Writing

A personal pro and con list on fiction writing and why I think fiction writing is an excellent creative outlet.

An online Advanced Experimental Fiction Writing class begins Aug. 9th 2010, taught by Tantra Bensko, MFA. It goes for 10 weeks, with group interaction through discussions.

Want to lighten up your story? Or just make your readers laugh? Using humor in fiction is harder than it looks. The following five tips will help you.

In quality fiction writing it is often important to tell what your character is thinking. The method you choose depends largely on the point of view of your story and the specific publication you are writing for.

Write fiction for fun. Write for the experience. Then success is bound to come. Positive ideas like that are the focus on this article, giving you a clear view on your chances as a fiction writer.

Becoming a successful writer is not easy. This book contains invaluable advice for writers not only of fiction but of non-fiction as well. Includes tips on writing, getting published, promoting and marketing, and setting up your writing business.

Sometimes, when we're working on a piece of fiction writing, we may realize that we don't quite believe the story ourselves-we don't need a reader to tell us that it's not working. One way to climb out of this quagmire is to use autobiographical details.

Writing Fiction

Setting is arguably one of the most important aspects of fiction writing because it makes the story real for your readers.

Many best-selling novels (not just romance) include varying levels of sexual content. Even suspense novels and horror stories have sexual components between one or more characters, so you might want to think about incorporating sex in your fiction writing.

Often, the plot of a fiction story is the product of events that happen before your readers ever meet your main character. Backstory is the information your reader needs to know in order to understand conflict between characters or a sequence of events.

The viewpoint character in your fiction writing is the character through whom your story is told. It is his or her eyes and ears that shape your reader's sense of what is happening, and his or her feelings or opinions translate to your readers, as well.

Many beginning freelance writers search for ways to earn an ongoing stream of income, which isn't always easy. Serial fiction writing, however, offers an opportunity for ongoing paychecks while allowing writers to explore their creativity.

One of the first ways in which I judge a novel is the character development. If I don't care about the plight of the characters, why should I waste my time getting to page three hundred? Characters are the lifeblood of fiction writing.

Fiction writing contests are always a lot of fun, but you can run into trouble. Choosing a fiction writing contest should be the result of research and careful consideration.

A talent for creating descriptive detail is a must for any fiction writer. You not only have to tell the reader what is happening to your characters, but you must be able to provide descriptions for their actions and surroundings.

One of the most important factors in fiction writing is tension, which is the sense of urgency the author creates.

If you ever stop to listen to your own internal monologue, you'll discover that your thoughts are almost overwhelming. Characters in fiction writing are no different, and sometimes you need to incorporate characters' thoughts into your stories.

If you're thinking of breaking into the exciting field of non-fiction writing, then you've probably heard talk or read articles about the necessary development of a writer's style.

We all have certain issues that get our hackles up-abortion, capital punishment, gun control, religious traditions-and writing is a form of personal expression.

Are you kicking around the idea of writing some fiction but just can't seem to get started? Here are a few suggestions to jump-start your fiction writing projects.

Writing is a craft that can always be improved upon. Here are simple steps to take that will greatly increase the quality of your work.

In Follow the Story – How to Write Successful Nonfiction, James B. Stewart does a masterful job of instructing readers on the finer points of writing nonfiction.

This is a consolidation of the short stories that I have published on the internet and namely through Associated Content. Each short story has a link and some information about each story.

We've all heard about journaling, and that it is supposed to be beneficial for writers. Many get hung up on the idea of keeping a journal, though, when it should really be about simply having a place to write without worrying about rules.

Description and imagery go together, but aren't quite the same thing. There are different ways each can be used, depending on what you want from them.

Hyperbole - people use it every day without realizing it. How can you use them to make your writing better?

What is genre? What is it for? Is it really that important? How does it affect what I write?

Flashbacks can be insightful revelations of the past, or they can be tedious memories that drag on for too much time and don't always relate to the story. How and when should you use flashbacks, and how do you transition smoothly in and out of them?

Emotions are something we are all familiar with, but they can be difficult to write, especially if your characters are experiencing something you never have. Learn how to show emotion, rather than telling, and how to identify with your characters.

Dialogue is difficult, but not impossible, and it is crucial for character development. Learn about punctuation, dialogue tags, action tags/beats, indirect dialogue, and creating unique voices for your characters.

There are many different ways of writing dialogue for fiction. While some work well, here are some better tips on how to express what your characters are saying.

Are your characters all straight out of a cookie cutter? Here are some helpful hints for making them true-to-life.

This is a basic guide covering the techniques necessary for writing fiction. New writers will find these useful in avoiding the stardard mistakes of their early works.