Welcome to Fiction Writing Tips. Dedicated to the classic books on fiction writing. Learn to write short stories, novels, and plays by studying the classic how-to books. I believe fiction writing is a Craft. In the hands of a writer who has mastered the Craft, it can become more than that. It can become Art. Art = Talent + Craft But the bedrock is Craft. There are fundamental techniques to be studied, unfamiliar tools to be mastered, tricks of the trade to be learned. And it all takes time.
True plot is the grand strategy the author and the main opponent use to put the hero in the greatest possible trouble and fool the reader.
Once you know this, the entire writing game changes.
When you think in terms of grand strategy instead of individual obstacles, you realize that great plot comes from a carefully designed campaign, a sequence of moves constructed to checkmate the hero and shock the audience.
-- John Truby
Also see:
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The Anatomy of Genres: How Story Forms Explain the Way the World Works
is finally in stores and I couldn’t be more excited about it.
Genres have more to do with how your story works than any other element — any other idea, plot device, character archetype, beat sheet, methodology, or prescribed structure — by far.
Whether you're writing for movies, TV, or novels, the game is won or lost in genres.
This book tells you exactly how to write the 14 major genres from which 99% of stories are made.
They are: Horror, Action, Myth, Memoir and Coming-of-Age, Science Fiction, Crime, Comedy, Western, Gangster, Fantasy, Detective, Thriller, and Love Story.
The first half of each chapter tells you how to execute the 15-20 specialized genre plot beats that must be in your story if you are to compete successfully with everyone else writing in your form.
The second half tells you how to transcend your form and really separate yourself from the crowd by expressing the deep life philosophy found in that genre’s theme.
Here’s what advanced readers are saying:
“Essential storytelling guidance... we're given the tools and techniques to make certain that our own specific stories can include the depth and beats necessary to illuminate advanced themes and complex plot in the most effective (but not formulaic) ways.” Christine Toy Johnson
“During my first pass, I stopped several times to capture thoughts and notes for my current work. This is perhaps the highest compliment I can offer - when a book prompts you to act immediately, the author has achieved something remarkable.” Michael Maloof
