Fiction Articles

Writing » Fiction | By Steve Dempster @ Wednesday, 6th December 2006 @ 5:08 PM

In short story writing, dialogue is very important for a number of reasons. I've listed a few below, not in order of importance - all are important - but to give a 'points to ponder' rundown. So - what about dialogue, then? Dialogue can be defined as the interaction between two characters on a vocal level. Good dialogue can and should convey mood, information and move the story along. It is important within a story specifically written for printing in, say, women�... more...

Writing » Fiction | By Steve Dempster @ Wednesday, 6th December 2006 @ 5:08 PM

In short story writing, dialogue is very important for a number of reasons. I've listed a few below, not in order of importance - all are important - but to give a 'points to ponder' rundown. So - what about dialogue, then? Dialogue can be defined as the interaction between two characters on a vocal level. Good dialogue can and should convey mood, information and move the story along. It is important within a story specifically written for printing in, say, women�... more...

Writing » Fiction | By Steve Dempster @ Wednesday, 6th December 2006 @ 4:39 PM

Have you ever wondered how some writers seem to have plenty of ideas to work with and others very few? Well, here perhaps is one reason why . . . If you have ever listened to anyone say something along the lines of 'I had this most amazing dream last night - but I can't just remember what it was about' you may start to guess where I'm coming from. Firstly, it's not about writing about dreams! I just used that as an example of the nature of memory. Sometimes... more...

Writing » Fiction | By Steve Dempster @ Wednesday, 6th December 2006 @ 7:44 AM

Of the many different writing styles, viewpoint writing is probably the one that works best for aspiring writers - but what is it? Viewpoint writing is used extensively in modern novels, especially ones that contain fast-paced action. As its name suggests, it's written from the active character's viewpoint, telling the reader what the character sees, how they feel, what they know, and so on. We'll look here at seeing through your character's eyes. Maybe you thi... more...

Writing » Fiction | By Steve Dempster @ Tuesday, 5th December 2006 @ 9:03 AM

The short story genre is one that is thriving - but only in certain places. Where are they? A short story can be roughly defined as any work of fiction below about 12,000 words. A greater wordcount tends to move the story into the realms of the 'Novella' or Novelette', a niche in the writing field that falls between the short story and the full-blown novel. For many years the short story was a thriving branch of fiction but took a downturn during the middle section ... more...

Writing » Fiction | By Steve Manning @ Saturday, 2nd December 2006 @ 7:23 PM

Dialogue isn't so much read as it is heard by the reader. The eyes see the words on the page, the brain processes the thought, but then that little voice we all have in the back of our head becomes the character and actually says the words. We immediately hear those words and decide whether the dialogue is legitimate. We decide whether the character, as we know him or her so far, would actually talk that way. If we don't know the character at all, we use a very broad baseline an... more...

Writing » Fiction | By Kathryn Lively @ Monday, 13th November 2006 @ 2:43 AM

You want to write that novel. For years you've dream of taking time off to transcribe the idea you've nurtured for years. You can see the action taking place and you know every detail you want to convey, right down to your heroine's eye color and her favorite foods. Maybe now you do have the time, you're on sabbatical from work, or you're retired altogether. You have the time, the paper, the workspace, but when it comes down to getting the story on paper, nothing. No �... more...

Writing » Fiction | By Kathryn Lively @ Friday, 10th November 2006 @ 6:56 PM

You want to write, but there are so many duties that take precedence over your personal goals. For those like me, who work full-time and are raising a young child, there is always the struggle to find time for writing. Once you do grasp the opportunity, after the baby is in bed and the husband is settled in to watch the big game, the words just don't come. You're exhausted, and you've drawn a complete blank. Will it ever get better? Will you ever be able to fill that empty page... more...

Writing » Fiction | By Kathryn Lively @ Friday, 10th November 2006 @ 6:56 PM

Ten years ago my husband interned as an English teacher at a public high school in Orange Park, Florida. For nine weeks he taught five standard-level eleventh-grade classes, his classroom bursting beyond capacity as the student-to-teacher ratio appeared to rise each day. Suffice to say, between the crowded environment and the apathy among his students, many of whom were more interested in working at the mall than investing in an education that could lead to a more lucrative career, my husband... more...

Writing » Fiction | By Kathryn Lively @ Friday, 10th November 2006 @ 6:55 PM

I've been following an interesting thread of conversation on a writing message board: a debate as to whether or not the practice of writing fan fiction is healthy for an aspiring writer. By definition: "fan fiction" are stories involving characters from a television series or movie, written by fans and usually printed in underground magazines or on the Internet for other fans to enjoy. This concept is especially popular among fans of science fiction programs, and writers of a... more...

Writing » Fiction | By Saleem Rana @ Saturday, 28th October 2006 @ 10:48 AM

After my spaceship had landed on Antichronous and I had spent a good deal of time amongst the enlightened inhabitants, I also lost track of time. Like earth, the planet rotates around the sun and time can be measured. And the people are certainly clever enough to create measuring devices for time, from watches to calendars to history, but they prefer not to do it. "Time is an illusion," explained the sage, Viji. "You see," she said, "we can remember the future... more...

Writing » Fiction | By Kristy Taylor @ Friday, 8th September 2006 @ 9:06 PM

No matter how fantastic the short story you have written may be, without a catchy title the chances are good that an editor will not read it. The title is the most important part of the story as this is what first captures the reader's attention. A good title should grab the reader and make them wonder what the story is about. A bad title will probably cause the reader to skip the story altogether. This holds true when submitting your stories for publication. Editors are busy people ... more...

Writing » Fiction | By Saleem Rana @ Tuesday, 29th August 2006 @ 12:58 AM

RTD2, who actually liked to call himself "Artie De True" after the humor circuit had been added to his metallic cranium, stopped by the computer lab on his way to work at the Infinite Robotics Factory. His friend, Random Bytes, a new flat screen, completely automated psychological responsive unit was not busy and had time to see him. "How can I help you?" asked RB as soon as Artie had hit the blue 'on' button. (Incidentally, RB hated the electronic echo in... more...

Writing » Fiction | By Saleem Rana @ Monday, 7th August 2006 @ 12:36 AM

The Martian stood in the open field surrounded by the best government artillery pointed at his head and chest and back. The infantry troops formed a circle around him. Up above, fighter jets waited for the word to launch a missile right into the corn field if necessary. Unaware of the hostile force that had greeted him, innocent of all thoughts of death and destruction, the handsome green giant, using his intergalactic translator device, said: "My wonderful frie... more...

Writing » Fiction | By Saleem Rana @ Friday, 4th August 2006 @ 10:35 PM

The young man stood on the steps of the library, waiting for it to open. The librarians, three elderly ladies sedately dressed and whispering even amongst themselves, came at the appointed hour, unlocked the door, and went in. Ten minutes later, after completing their opening ritual, they decided to open the door five minutes earlier to let the young man in. "How may we help you?" asked one of the ladies. "It is I who have come to help you," he said. ... more...

Writing » Fiction | By Saleem Rana @ Wednesday, 19th July 2006 @ 11:11 PM

Sitting by the fireside in the cold desert night, the sky above him pitch black and mysteriously void of stars, he reflected on who he was and what he might have been and the history of the troubled times that were unfolding all around him. His name was Chief Joseph. Possibly the greatest of the Nez Perce Indian Tribe. On a parchment in front of him, he wrote these words. “Let me be a free man. Free to travel. Free to stop. Free to work. Free to choose m... more...

Writing » Fiction | By Hugh Rosen @ Wednesday, 12th July 2006 @ 8:41 AM

Let's begin by uncovering the hidden premise of the title, which is that characters lead the author. But do they? I think we are faced with a paradox here. That's not necessarily bad or surprising, since some of life's most challenging questions imply paradoxical answers. Those with a black and white cognitive mindset may be disappointed at this suggestion, but I believe it's true. In writing fiction, there can be no doubt that the words, sentences, paragraphs, and so ... more...

Writing » Fiction | By Marvin Cloud @ Tuesday, 11th July 2006 @ 12:32 AM

Every week, editors and book agents, receive many first-time authors' manuscripts for review purposes. Some authors want them to read their manuscript and give them a complete written report while others simply want them to look at their manuscript and see if the possibility exists that they can help them to publish it as a book. Still others, while acknowledging the rough draft form of their manuscript, only want professional thoughts of what they believe to be a bestseller. Most ed... more...

Writing » Fiction | By Eric Penz @ Wednesday, 5th July 2006 @ 1:20 AM

The question of why research should be a part of the craft of writing fiction I’ll leave for another article. Suffice it to say, there are three reasons at minimum to include the skill of research in your craft. The first and second reasons require an understanding of the reader. It may or may not be surprising to learn that far more non-fiction titles are published and sold every year than fiction. And this should tell you that readers would actually rather be educated than entertained (it may ... more...

Writing » Fiction | By frankie anon @ Sunday, 25th June 2006 @ 3:53 AM

You’re going to write a book, sell it, become rich and famous. You’ll need an Editor willing to read it and be sufficiently inspired to offer you a contract. How do you set about convincing him/her to take a chance and publish your book? Most of you will try. Most will fail, and wonder why! The answer is simple: You are trying to convince the wrong person - FORGET THE EDITOR: The person you should be convincing of your manuscript’s merits is ME. Who am I? What’s so special ... more...