The Book You Need to Read to Write the Book You Want to Write : A Handbook for Fiction Writers

Have you ever wanted to write a novel or short story but didn't know where to start? If so, this is the book for you. It's the book for anyone, in fact, who wants to write to their full potential. Practical and jargon-free, rejecting prescriptive templates and formulae, it's a storehouse of ideas and advice on a range of relevant subjects, from boosting self-motivation and confidence to approaching agents and publishers. Drawing on the authors' extensive experience as successful writers and inspiring teachers, it will guide you through such essentials as the interplay of memory and imagination; plotting your story; the creation of convincing characters; the uses of description; the pleasures and pitfalls of research; and the editing process. The book's primary aim is simple: to help its readers to become better writers. Cover Reviews Half-title page Title page Copyright page Dedication Contents Preface Acknowledgements 1 Getting started 2 Memory and imagination 3 Character Introducing characters Character and plot Characters are individuals Character and narrative voice How many characters? Minor characters Character isn’t fixed Planning characters 4 Plot and structure I Getting to grips with plot Telling it slant 5 Plot and structure II The patterns of plot Hiding plot – putting doors in alleyways Narrative time 6 Form and length Definitions Novels Short stories Flash fiction 7 Dialogue Dialogue matters Carrying information in dialogue Capturing character in dialogue Writing between the lines Attributing dialogue Punctuating dialogue conventionally Alternative ways of punctuating dialogue Accent and dialect Other worlds, other times How do we show a character’s thoughts? 8 Narrative viewpoint and narrative voice Where do we stand? Author and narrator – knowing and telling First- and third-person narratives: the basics How perspective changes the story Multiple-viewpoint narratives The range of perspectives Centres of consciousness in the third-person narrative Character and state of mind as revealed in first-person voices The unreliable narrator First-person plural narration Second-person address Other-world narrative voices 9 Beginnings and endings; tension and pace A good enough beginning Exposition and starting in medias res A sense of an ending Tension and pace 10 Description The purpose of description Preconceptions about style Clichés Metaphors and similes Modifiers Describing place How much detail? Showing through description 11 Research Keeping research unobtrusive Subjects Sources Serving your story 12 Drawing it all together An approach to editing Editing techniques Getting value from a critical reader Editing in response to notes Accepting imperfection 13 Publication and the writing life Publishing short stories Agents and editors Targeting and pitching Understanding rejection Interpreting rejection It’s just an opinion Hold your nerve The writing life Writer’s block Set achievable goals Stick at it Feed the compost heap The pleasures of writing Notes Select bibliography Index "This is an indispensable handbook for anyone who wants to deepen their understanding of the process of writing a novel or short story. Rather than prescribing restrictive templates or formulae, Sarah Burton and Jem Poster draw on their extensive experience as both successful writers and expert teachers to open up exciting possibilities. Intelligent and jargon-free, their guide thoughtfully navigates some of the most important and challenging aspects of creating fiction, such as the interplay of memory and imagination, the plotting of stories, the creation of convincing characters, the uses of description, and the pleasures and pitfalls of research. A storehouse of ideas and practical advice, from boosting self- motivation, to editing, to ultimately approaching agents and publishers, it will inspire confidence in developing authors. The book's primary aim is simple: to help its readers to become better writers"-- Provided by publisher An indispensable handbook for anyone who wants to deepen their understanding of writing a novel or short story, this jargon-free guide is full of practical tips and helpful discussion. The authors draw on their extensive experience as expert teachers to enable all budding authors of fiction to gain in self-confidence.