FICTION WRITING

'Fiction writing' consists of fashioning works of prose based on the imagination that could possibly be published in literary form. The result may be a short story, novel, novella, screenplay, or drama.

Habits of the fiction writer

There is no surefire method for producing a good work of fiction. Techniques and habits that work for some writers do not work for others, and the creative process can vary greatly from writer to writer. However, certain habits are generally accepted as constructive and conducive for the fiction writer. To master the creation of fiction, the writer usually incorporates the following habits into his or her daily life:

Consistent practice

Writing on a consistent basis produces the finished product and improves writing style. Stephen King, a prolific writer of dozens of novels, claims to take no day off when it comes to writing. "The truth is that when I’m writing, I write every day, workaholic dweeb or not. That includes Christmas, the Fourth, and my birthday." He produces ten pages a day, which is an average of 2,000 words. The average writer, however, usually has a full-time job and a more realistic daily amount would be 500-1,000 words.
Talent is important, but it may not be enough. "Most of these folks with so much raw talent will not make it as novelists. Why? Because they lack what’s truly necessary: self-discipline, dogged determination, and stick-to-itiveness." The writer who waits for "the muse" for inspiration may never finish his work. He has to write consistently whether he feels like it or not.

Voracious reading

"You can’t be a writer if you’re not a reader." . The writer of fiction probably has a specific genre in which he wants to write. Taking several of his favorite novels or short stories in that genre, the writer should read them each two or three times. The first read should be for enjoyment; a second reading of a book could be more critical. In the second reading, the writer should make notes: turning points in the story; introduction of characters; appearances of symbolism.
The fiction writer should attempt to read widely, that is, read not only fiction from the genre in which he prefers to write, but also genres in which he has not explored. If he wants to write a Science Fiction novel, he should read from a genre with which he may not be familiar such as murder mysteries. Reading widely will "help you learn more about writing than anything else you can do for yourself. It will keep your mind active, keep you interested in writing, and help you learn to recognize and fix your mistakes."
The fiction writer should also read books ''on'' writing. Some recommended books would be:

★ Lyon, Elizabeth. ''A Writer's Guide to Fiction'', Perigee, The Berkley Publishing Group, 2004. ISBN 0-399-52858-X

★ Frey, James. ''How to Write a Damn Good Novel'', St. Martin’s Press, 1987. ISBN 0-312-01044-3

★ Gardner, John. ''The Art of Fiction'', Vintage Books, 1983. ISBN 0-679-73403-1

★ Lukeman, Noah. ''The First Five Pages'', Fireside Books, 2000. ISBN 0-684-85743-X

★ King, Stephen. ''On Writing'', Scribner, 2000. ISBN 0-684-85352-3

★ Kress, Nancy. ''Beginnings, Middles & Ends'', Writer’s Digest Books, 1993. ISBN 0-89879-550-8

★ Card, Orson Scott. ''How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy'', Writer’s Digest Books, 1990. ISBN 0-89879-416-1

★ Brooks, Terry. ''Sometimes the Magic Works: Lessons from a Writing Life '', Ballantine Books, 2003 ISBN 0-34546-551-2

Notebook keeping

Keeping a notebook for jotting down ideas can benefit the writer. A writer’s notebook can be divided into several categories:

★ ideas for character names

★ possible titles for stories

★ observations

★ eavesdropping

★ unfamiliar and unique words
A fiction writer can also keep a section in a writer’s notebook for journal entries, ideas for future stories, character descriptions, and scene or chapter summaries.

Types of fiction prose

Main articles: Fiction#Categories of fiction

Elements of fiction

Just as a painter uses color and line to create a painting, an author uses the elements of fiction to create a story:
The 'elements of fiction' are: 'character', 'plot', 'setting', 'theme', and 'style'. Of these five elements, character is the ''who'', plot is the ''what'', setting is the ''where'' and ''when'', and style is the ''how'' of a story.
A 'character' is any person, persona, identity, or entity whose existence originates from a fictional work or performance.
A 'plot', or storyline, is the rendering and ordering of the events and actions of a story, particularly towards the achievement of some particular artistic or emotional effect.
'Setting' is the time and location in which a story takes place.
'Theme' is the broad idea, message, or lesson of a story.
'Style' includes the multitude of choices fiction writers make, consciously or subconsciously, as they create a story. They encompass the big-picture, strategic choices such as 'point of view' and 'narrator', but they also include the nitty-gritty, tactical choices of grammar, punctuation, word usage, sentence and paragraph length and structure, 'tone', the use of 'imagery', chapter selection, titles, and on and on. In the process of writing a story, these choices meld to become the writer's 'voice', his or her own unique style.

Character

'Characterization' is one of the five elements of fiction, along with plot, setting, theme, and writing style. A 'character' is a participant in the story, and is usually a person, but may be any persona, identity, or entity whose existence originates from a fictional work or performance.
Characters may be of several types:

★ 'Point-of-view character': the character from whom the story is viewed. The point-of-view character may or may not also be the main character in the story.

★ 'Protagonist': the main character of a story

★ 'Antagonist': the character that stands in opposition to the protagonist

★ 'Minor character': a character in a supporting role

Plot

'Plot' is one of the five elements of fiction, along with character, setting, theme, and style. A 'plot', or storyline, is the rendering and ordering of the events and actions of a story.
On a micro level, plot consists of action and reaction, also referred to as stimulus and response. On a macro level, plot has a beginning, a middle, and an ending. Plot is often depicted as an arc with a zig-zag line to represent the rise and fall of action.
Plot also has a mid-level structure: scene and sequel. A scene is a unit of drama—where the action occurs. Then, after a transition of some sort, comes the sequel—an emotional reaction and regrouping, an aftermath.

Setting

'Setting' is one of the five elements of fiction, along with character, plot, setting, and theme. 'Setting' is the locale and time of a story. Sometimes setting is referred to as 'milieu', to include a context (such as society) beyond the immediate surroundings of the story.

Theme

'Theme' is one of the five elements of fiction, along with character, plot, setting, and style. 'Theme' is a conceptual distillation of the story; what the story is about.

Style (Fiction)

'Style' is one of the five elements of fiction, along with character, plot, setting, and theme. Style includes the multitude of choices fiction writers make, consciously or not, in the process of writing a story. It encompasses the big-picture, strategic choices such as point of view and narrator, but style also includes the tactical choices of grammar, punctuation, word usage, sentence and paragraph length and structure, tone, the use of imagery, chapter selection, titles, and on and on. In the process of creating a story, these choices meld to become the writer’s voice, his or her own unique style.

Components of Style

For each piece of fiction, the author makes many choices, consciously or subconsciously, which combine to form the writer's unique style. The components of style are numerous, but include point of view, narrator, fiction-writing mode, person and tense, grammar, punctuation, word usage, sentence length and structure, paragraph length and structure, tone, imagery, chapter usage, and title selection.

Narrator

The 'narrator' is the teller of the story, the orator, doing the mouthwork, or its in-print equivalent.

Point of View

'point of view' is from whose consciousness the reader hears, sees, and feels the story.

Tone

'tone' is the mood that the author establishes within the story.

Suspension of Disbelief

'Suspension of disbelief' is the reader's temporary acceptance of story elements as believable, regardless of how implausible they may seem in real life.

References

# On Writing pp. 153–, –154., King, Stephen, , , Scribner, 2000, ISBN 0-684-85352-3
# Abbott, Jillian (Sep., 2005). "How to keep tabs on your novel’s progress". ''The Writer'', p. 39.
# How to Write a Damn Good Novel p. 164., Frey, James N., , , St. Martin’s Press, 1987, ISBN 0-312-01044-3
# The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Writing a Novel p. 51., Monteleone, Tom, , , Scribner, 2004, ISBN 1-59257-172-7
# The Complete Handbook of Novel Writing p. 324., Leder, Meg, ed., , , Writer’s Digest Books, 2002, ISBN 1-58297-160-9
# So You Want to Write a Novel p. 15, Stanek, Lou Willett., , , Avon Books, 1994, ISBN 0-380-77688-X

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