Writing Tips

A Beginner’s Guide on How to Write Fiction

Catherine Shaffer 07/09/2017 General Life Rants, Writing Guides, Writing Tips

People who say that writing is something that can’t be taught is talking nonsense. You can’t spoonfeed people with inspiration and imagination, but writing is something that can be taught just like other skills such as baking.

Sure, some people may be born with a natural talent in writing, but this doesn’t mean that they are the only ones who can write good works of fiction. Anyone can learn how to write a good story, and this article will guide you on how to write fiction.

Read, read, and read!

Before you write your own fictional story, it is recommended that you read other writers’ stories first. As the famous writer William Faulkner said, “Read, read, read. Read everything—trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You’ll absorb it. Then write. If it is good, you’ll find out. If it’s not, throw it out the window.”

By reading the works of famous and even not-so famous authors, you will be able to enhance your vocabulary, learn new styles and techniques, hone your imagination, creativity, and critical thinking, as well as improve your overall writing skills.

Decide on the format and genre of your fictional story.

Carefully decide on what type of fictional story would you want to write—whether you want to write a short story, a novel, or a series of novels for instance. Moreover, you should also consider the type of genre such as sci-fi, romance, fantasy, or a combination of various genres.

Create an outline of your story.

Once you’ve decided on the format and genre, it is now time to develop an outline for your work of fiction. Decide on the setting, plot, and the characters, including their unique personalities and flaws. Think and take down notes of what you want to happen for each chapter and where your characters will come in.

You don’t necessarily have to write down an extremely detailed outline because there is a fairly good chance that you will deviate from the outline that you originally created as you go through the writing process. The purpose of the outline is just to serve as a guide or map that will help you develop your story.

Start writing.

Now it’s time to put your story down on paper. You can write your ideas with a pen and paper, typewriter, or a computer—whatever suits you. Just write everything down with guidance from your outline and fix errors later.

Reread your work and revise.

Don’t expect to get everything right the first time. Even the best writers make several revisions with their work. So reread everything you’ve written, read it aloud if you want, and proofread your work until it comes out the way you want it to.

One of the most difficult parts of writing is knowing where and how to start. I hope this article helped you understand the writing process much better and encourages you to push through with this endeavour. You may find things complicated at first, but let this serve as a challenge for you to practice more and be better at this craft.

Here’s How Fictional Writing Can Be Beneficial

Catherine Shaffer 16/07/2017 Writing Guides, Writing Tips

I’ve heard some people say that fictional stories aren’t significant to the society, and that being a fiction writer is a career that is not worth pursuing. They say that storytelling and fictional writing are not beneficial to your life and your future. If you also hear these things and you are somehow being dissuaded from your dream of becoming a fiction writer, let this article serve as an encouragement for you.

Below are some of the ways by which fictional writing can be beneficial and worthy of pursuing.

Fiction stories can make a significant difference in your life.

Despite being a work of fiction, stories can inspire, motivate, inform, as well as trigger emotions and actions. Hence, this type of literature can touch and make a huge difference in your life and the lives of other people.

Through effective writing and made-up characters, people will learn that there are some things in life that are worth fighting for or believing in for instance. Just as fictional stories can make a difference, so do the writers who create them.

If you want to make a difference in this world, fictional writing can serve as a clear shot at this objective. So it is your dream to write and tell interesting stories? That’s good. Don’t let go of that desire; and trust me, your story will make a difference.

Fiction can teach valuable life lessons.

Fictional stories can be one of your best teachers—about people and their cultures, about the concept of right and wrong, or about life in general. Again, this doesn’t only apply to you as the author, but to your readers as well.

The thing about writing is that the skills and knowledge that you acquire through fictional writing and making use of your imagination can be applied to many other aspects of your life. For instance, mastering the art of writing fiction can help you communicate more effectively and craft better essays or other forms of writing.

It widens people’s imagination and promotes critical thinking.

When you take fictional writing seriously, you will find yourself exploring various subjects and carefully pondering on things that you haven’t put much attention into in the past. Things such as philosophy, beliefs, the way people relate to each other, as well as logic are now more interesting than before. In addition, using your imagination frequently can broaden it, and allow you to practice your ability to create.

In other words, writing fiction challenges you to think outside the box and thoroughly consider concepts on a much deeper level—a good mental workout.

Writing reveals truth.

Fictional writing is an interesting way of communicating truths to readers of all ages. The thing about fiction is that it shows or portrays a truth in such an effective way that other ways fail to do so because it puts that “truth” in a whole new light.

Through fictional writing, ideas and concepts can be painted in a unique picture that invokes creative and critical thinking from its audience; thereby, making it a powerful tool for revealing truths.

Fictional stories can add perspective for the writer and the audience.

Perhaps, one of the most important benefits that you can obtain from writing and reading fiction is the fact that you can acquire a fresh perspective about life and the world. Who would’ve thought that made-up characters in a made-up world going through made-up circumstances can give us incredible insights? And I think that’s the beauty of it all.

As you write and read more fictional stories, you will be able to understand the complexities of life better, and be able to appreciate the simpler aspects too. Furthermore, as a writer, fictional writing can give you new perspectives about your own self that you’ve never known before. Therefore, it transforms you into a better person with a more open mind.

Final Thoughts

Fictional writing is an activity that allows you to create—create new worlds, characters, and events. It allows you to express yourself freely. Furthermore, fictional writing or writing in general can give you a purpose in life. So don’t ever think that pursuing your passion for writing is a waste of your life. Just dream, write, and don’t stop!

5 tips to help you write a good novel

Catherine Shaffer 23/06/2017 Writing Guides, Writing Tips

Many people think that writing fiction is easy. But in reality, writing fiction is a form of art. You need lots of practice and patience to write a good fiction. If you really want to write fiction then here are some tips that can help you improve your writing.

Begin your story with action

You should start your novel with an action. This grabs the attention of the readers. However, you have to make sure that the action is important to the story. It should take you to the main character. You can start with tension also; for example, the main character is searching for something or trying hard to protect someone, etc.

Use the five senses

You should apply senses other than sight and sound. You should try to go even beyond these senses. You should use body language when narrating your story. This will give depth to your story.

Use your IQ well

Most of the readers are very well educated, so you should use your IQ well when writing a story. You should not think customers to be not intelligent and tone down your book for audiences of lower intellectual ability. People are smarter now. So, you should be smart in your writing as well. You shouldn’t overexplain things thinking that the readers won’t understand.

Make them laugh and cry

You should get your readers emotionally involved. You should write in a way so that the readers laugh and cry reading the story. The reader should be able to get inside the story and really feel it.

End every chapter carefully

You should end every chapter unanswered or on the verge of some action so that the reader feels the urge to read the next chapter. So, the ending of your chapters must be interesting.

You should understand your audience well. Then you should write for the vast audience who will accept your story. You should use these tips when writing. there are various online resources available where you can get more tips on writing a novel.

4 major differences between fiction and non-fiction writing

Catherine Shaffer 23/06/2017 Blog, Fictional Writing, Writing Tips

In simple terms, fiction is something imaginary and non-fiction is something that’s true. In non-fiction writing, real people and real places are involved. On the other hand, in fiction stories, everything is from the writer’s imagination. Here are some major differences between the two types of writing.

Fiction is made up, non-fiction is fact

Fiction stories are all made up. All the characters and places come from the authors’ imagination. Non-fiction writing, on the other hand, is fact-based and informative. Fiction books are written for entertaining readers and the non-fiction books are written to give more knowledge to the readers. Examples of fictions are novels, short stories, etc. History books, autobiography, etc. are non-fictions.

Fiction is more elaborate

In fiction, the writer can go along with his or her imagination without any limit. They can elaborate on a plot or character as far as their imagination goes. In non-fiction, the writer has to be straight forward. There is no scope for any imagination. It is actually reallocation of facts.

Fiction can be interpreted in different ways

The story that is written by a fictional writer can be interpreted in various ways by the audience. But non-fiction writings are simple and direct. They can have only one interpretation.

Non-fiction writing needs references

In non-fiction writing, you may need to give references for your writing and include quotes to the story. This is needed to make your story or writing more credible. But in fiction writing, no such references are required.

These are the differences between fiction and non-fiction writing that you must remember. You should simply remember that fiction is imaginative and non-fiction is true. Fiction writing is fun to read and non-fiction writing is informative. So, next time when you read a book, you will be able to tell easily whether it’s fiction or non-fiction.