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. This article is in need of attention. ... A novel (from French nouvelle Italian novella, new) is an extended, generally fictional narrative, typically in prose. ... A novella is a narrative work of prose fiction somewhat longer than a short story but shorter than a novel. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ...

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. ^[1] The average writer, however, usually has a full-time job and a more realistic daily amount would be 500-1,000 words. ^[2] An English writing style is a way of using the English language. ... Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of over 200 stories including over 50 bestselling horror novels. ...

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." ^[3] 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." ^[4]. 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. Look up genre in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

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." ^[5]

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

James N. Frey (born March 15, 1943 in Syracuse, New York USA) is an American writer and creative writing teacher. ... John Champlin Gardner, Jr. ... Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of over 200 stories including over 50 bestselling horror novels. ... Nancy Kress (born Nancy Anne Koningisor in Buffalo, New York on January 20, 1948) is a science fiction writer. ... The tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. ... Terry Brooks Terry Brooks (born January 8, 1944) is a writer of fantasy fiction. ...

Notebook keeping

Keeping a notebook for jotting down ideas can benefit the writer. A writer’s notebook can be divided into several categories: ^[6]

• 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 article: Fiction#Categories of fiction

// Fiction (from the Latin fingere, to form, create) is the genre of imaginative prose literature, including novels and short stories. ...

Elements of fiction

Just as a painter uses art elements such as color or line to create a painting, a fiction writer uses the following to create artistic effects in his or her story: Painting by Rembrandt self-portrait Detail from Las Meninas by Diego Velazquez, in which the painter portrayed himself at work For the computer graphics program, see Corel Painter. ... Color is an important part of the visual arts. ... Look up line in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

• theme — a conceptual distillation of the story; what the story is about.
• character — a participant in the story, usually a person
• plot — a related series of events revealed in narrative
• conflict — a character or problem with which the protagonist must contend
• dialogue — the speech of characters as opposed to the narrator
• point of view — the perspective of the narrator; usually refers to the voice, first or third person.
• scene — a piece of the story showing the action of one event
• setting — the time and place where the action of a story occurs
• structure — the organization of story elements

In literature (as well as many works of nonfiction), a theme is the main idea of the story, or the message the author is conveying. ... Look up plot in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Conflict is a necessary element of fictional literature. ... Dialogue in fiction is a verbal exchange between two or more characters. ... In literature and storytelling, a point of view is the related experience of the narrator — not that of the author. ... A scene is an episode in a story. ... Setting is a term in literature and drama usually referring to the time and location in which a story takes place. ... The term dramatic structure refers to the parts into which a short story, a novel, a play, a screenplay, or a narrative poem can be divided. ...

See also

• Author
• Creative writing
• Fiction
• Figure of speech
• Foreshadowing
• Lists of fictional things
• List of writers' conferences
• Literary criticism
• Literary festival
• Literary fiction
• Literary technique
• Literature
• Narratology
• Show, don't tell
• Writer
• Writer's block
• Writing style

An author is any person(s) or entity(s) that originates and assumes responsibility for an expression or communication. ... Creative writing is a term used to distinguish certain imaginative or different types of writing from technical writing. ... // Fiction (from the Latin fingere, to form, create) is the genre of imaginative prose literature, including novels and short stories. ... A figure of speech, sometimes termed a rhetoric, or elocution, is a word or phrase that departs from straightforward, literal language. ... Foreshadowing is a literary device in which an author drops subtle hints about plot developments to come later in the story. ... This page contains lists of fictional things created in notable literature, film, television, or other media: // Category:Fictional characters Category:Lists of fictional characters Fictional characters based on Howard Hughes List of comic and cartoon characters named after people Fictional characters who are Fictional alcoholics Fictional characters who suffered from... This is a list of worldwide conferences for writers of all genres. ... Literary criticism is the study, discussion, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. ... A literary festival, also known as a book festival or writers festival, is a regular gathering of writers and readers, typically on an annual basis in a particular city, A literary festival usually features a variety of presentations and readings by authors, as well as other events, delivered over a... Literary fiction is a somewhat uneasy term that has come into common usage since around 1970, principally to distinguish serious fiction from the many types of genre fiction and popular fiction. ... A literary technique or literary device may be used in works of literature in order to produce a specific effect on the reader. ... Old book bindings at the Merton College library. ... Narratology, a term coined by Professor Edward Maloney from Georgetown University, is the theory and study of narrative and narrative structure and ([1]) the way they affect our perception. ... Show, dont tell is an admonition given to beginning writers who use too much exposition instead of using action and dialogue. ... A writer is anyone who creates a written work, although the word more usually designates those who write creatively or professionally, or those who have written in many different forms. ... Writers block is a phenomenon involving temporary loss of ability to continue writing, usually due to lack of inspiration or creativity. ... Writing style reveals the personality, thoughts, and voice of a writer in his or her prose. ...

References

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