Learn the basic rules of writing fiction—Short stories, novels, and dramas are all alike in being scenic; that is, the writer has created a series of scenes imaginatively with short passages of necessary exposition between scenes. When the fiction writer has learned this elementary law, and has learned how to abide by it in his own work, half his task toward writing good fiction is done.
Essentially, fiction is narrative and all narrative tells about changes taking place in time. Fiction is not necessarily untrue; historical fiction may be quite true, perhaps more fully true than history itself.
A second characteristic of fiction is that its chief concern is not with what happens, but with what happens to somebody. It is narrative that centers around a personality.
Finally, most good fiction is descriptive. Poor writers believe that simply telling a story, without trying to make the reader see the action, constitutes good fiction.
Download our free ebook, Getting Started in Fiction Writing and learn the valuable rules governing good fiction writing.
Cover Artwork by Allison Tomazin