Crafting Novels & Short Stories: Everything You Need to Know to Write Great Fiction 9781599635736, 1599635739
Learn How to Create Stories That Captivate Agents, Editors, and Readers Alike!Inside you'll find the tools you need
807 115 369KB
English Pages 461 Year 2011
Table of contents :
Cover
Title Page
Contents
Foreword
Introduction
Focus on the Writing Life: GETTING STARTED GET OFF YOUR BUTT & WRITE by the Editors of Writer's Digest YOUR NOVEL BLUEPRINT by Karen S. Wiesner
Part 1. CHARACTERS: THE STAKEHOLDERS IN YOUR STORY
Chapter 1. DRAW CHARACTERS FROM THE STRONGEST SOURCES by Nancy Kress
Chapter 2. EMOTION-DRIVEN CHARACTERS by David Corbett
Chapter 3. DEPICTING CONVINCING RELATIONSHIPS by Elizabeth Sims
Chapter 4. CREATE THE (IM)PERFECT HEROIC COUPLE by Leigh Michaels
Chapter 5. CHOOSING YOUR CHARACTER by Michael J. Vaughn. Chapter 6. THREE TECHNIQUES FOR CRAFTING YOUR VILLAIN by Hallie EphronChapter 7. CREATE VICIOUS VILLAINS by Charles Atkins
Focus on the Writing Life: FEEDING YOUR CREATIVITY CREATIVE LOLLYGAGGING: WORK HARDER AT WORKING LESS by Michael J. Vaughn
Part 2. PLOT & CONFLICT: YOUR STORY'S ACTION & SUSPENSE
Chapter 8. STORY TRUMPS STRUCTURE by Steven James
Chapter 9. MAP YOUR NOVEL WITH A REVERSE OUTLINE by N.M. Kelby
Chapter 10. WRITE WELL-CRAFTED SCENES TO SUPPORT YOUR STORY by James Scott Bell
Chapter 11. USE BRAIDING TO LAYER YOUR STORY LINE by Heather Sellers. Chapter 12. CRAFT AN OPENING SCENE THAT LURES READERS INTO Chapter TWO by Les EdgertonChapter 13. WRITE A FIVE-STAR Chapter ONE by Elizabeth Sims
Chapter 14. STRENGTHEN YOUR SCENES by James Scott Bell
Chapter 15. RESCUE YOUR STORY FROM PLOT PITFALLS by Laura Whitcomb
Focus on the Writing Life: BEATING WRITER'S BLOCK START ME UP by Elizabeth Sims
Part 3. POINT OF VIEW: THE VOICE OF YOUR STORY
Chapter 16. UNDERSTANDING DIFFERENCES IN POV by James V. Smith, Jr.
Chapter 17. USING PERCEPTION TO ENHANCE YOUR POV by Alicia Rasley. Chapter 18. POV CHARACTERS WHO OVERSTEP THEIR BOUNDS by Kristen Johnson IngramChapter 19. MASTERING MULTIPLE POINTS OF VIEW by Simon Wood
Focus on the Writing Life: USING YOUR MUSE MAKE YOUR OWN MUSE by N.M. Kelby FUELING YOUR MUSE WITH COMPOST by Heather Sellers
Part 4. SETTING & BACKSTORY: THE CONTEXT FOR YOUR STORY
Chapter 20. CREATING YOUR STORY'S TIME & PLACE by Donald Maass
Chapter 21. REFINE YOUR SETTING SKILL SET by Brian Kiteley
Chapter 22. WHY BACKSTORY IS ESSENTIAL by Larry Brooks
Chapter 23. SIX WAYS TO LAYER IN BACKSTORY by Hallie Ephron. Chapter 24. WEAVE IN BACKSTORY TO REVEAL CHARACTER by Rachel BallonChapter 25. HOW TO BUILD SUSPENSE WITH BACKSTORY by Leigh Michaels
Focus on the Writing Life: BALANCING WRITING WITH THE REST OF LIFE MARRY YOUR LIFE TO YOUR WRITING by Sheila Bender THE WRITE-AT-HOME MOM by Christina Katz
Part 5. DIALOGUE: WHAT YOUR CHARACTERS SAY TO EACH OTHER
Chapter 26. AMP UP DIALOGUE WITH EMOTIONAL BEATS by Todd A. Stone
Chapter 27. WEAVE ACTION, NARRATIVE, & DIALOGUE by Gloria Kempton
Chapter 28. AVOID WRITING SAME-OLD, SAME-OLD CONVERSATIONS by Michael Levin.
