Writing Fiction : A Guide to Narrative Craft,9780321277367

Writing Fiction : A Guide to Narrative Craft

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Edition: 7th
ISBN13: 9780321277367
ISBN10: 0321277368
Format: Paperback
Pub. Date: 2011-01-01
Publisher(s): Longman
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List Price: $89.67

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Summary

A bestseller through six editions,Writing Fictionby novelists Janet Burroway and Elizabeth Stuckey-French explores the elements of fiction, providing practical writing techniques and concrete examples. Written in a tone that is personal and non-prescriptive, the text encourages writers to develop proficiency through each step of the writing process, offering an abundance of exercises designed to spur writing and creativity. The text also integrates diverse contemporary short stories in every chapter in the belief that the reading of inspiring fiction goes hand-in-hand with the writing of fresh and exciting stories.Thorough and practical discussions of all the major fictional elements offer students a comprehensive guide to the craft of writing stories. Topics include freewriting, plot, style, characterization, dialogue, time, place, imagery, and point of view. For novice writers looking to develop proficiency.

Table of Contents

Preface ix
To Instructors: About This Book ix
To Students: About the Writing Workshop xi
1 WHATEVER WORKS: The Writing Process
1(24)
Get Started
2(10)
Journal Keeping
3(1)
Freewriting
4(2)
Exercises
6(1)
The Computer
7(1)
The Critic: A Caution
7(1)
Choosing a Subject
8(4)
Keep Going
12(2)
A Word about Theme
14(8)
Shitty First Drafts
15(3)
ANNE LAMOTT
Why! Write
18(8)
JOAN DIDION
Writing Exercises
22(3)
2 SEEING IS BELIEVING: Showing and Telling
25(55)
Significant Detail
26(7)
Writing about Emotion
31(1)
Filtering
32(1)
The Active Voice
33(5)
Prose Rhythm 36 Mechanics
38(39)
Big Me
39(14)
DAN CHAON
The Things They Carried
53(12)
TIM O'BRIEN
Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?
65(21)
JOYCE CAROL OATES
Writing Exercises
77(3)
3 BUILDING CHARACTER: Characterization, Part I
80(57)
The Direct Methods of Character Presentation
81(1)
Appearance
81(2)
Action
83(3)
Dialogue
86(11)
Summary, Indirect, and Direct Dialogue
86(1)
Economy in Dialogue
87(1)
Characterizing Dialogue
88(1)
Other Uses of Dialogue
89(1)
Dialogue as Action
90(2)
Text and Subtext
92(1)
"No" Dialogue
93(1)
Specificity
94(1)
Format and Style
95(1)
Vernacular
96(1)
Thought
97(38)
Gryphon
99(11)
CHARLES BAXTER
Every Tongue Shall Confess
110(10)
ZZ PACKER
Rock Springs
120(17)
RICHARD FORD
Writing Exercises
135(2)
4 THE FLESH MADE WORD: Characterization, Part II
137(36)
The Indirect Methods of Character Presentation
137(3)
Authorial Interpretation
137(1)
Interpretation by Another Character
138(2)
Conflict Between Methods of Presentation
140(5)
The Character Journal
142(1)
The Universal Paradox
143(2)
Credibility
145(2)
Purpose
147(1)
Complexity
147(2)
Change
149(1)
Reinventing Character
150(2)
Creating a Group or Crowd
152(1)
Character: A Summary
153(17)
A Visit of Charity
154(4)
EUDORA WEALTY
Bullet in the Brain
158(3)
TOBIAS WOLFF
Tandolfo the Great
161(26)
RICHARD BAUSCH
Writing Exercises
170(3)
5 FAR, FAR AWAY: Fictional Place
173(45)
Place and Atmosphere
176(1)
Harmony and Conflict Between Character and Place
177(1)
Place and Character
178(2)
Place and Emotion
180(2)
Symbolic and Suggestive Place
182(4)
Alien and Familiar Place
186(1)
An Exercise in Place
187(28)
The English Pupil
188(7)
ANDREA BARRETT
Wickedness
195(11)
RON HANSEN
Love and Hydrogen
206(23)
JIM SHEPARD
Writing Exercises
215(3)
6 LONG AGO: Fictional Time
218(41)
Summary and Scene
219(5)
Revising Summary and Scene
224(3)
Flashback
227(2)
Slow Motion
229(28)
The Swimmer
231(8)
JOHN CHEEVER
Mrs. Duffa Writes a Letter
239(14)
CHITRA BANERJEE DIVAKARUNI
A Serious Talk
253(23)
RAYMOND CARVER
Writing Exercises
257(2)
7 THE TOWER AND THE NET: Story Form, Plot, and Structure
259(37)
Conflict, Crisis, and Resolution
261(3)
The Arc of the Story
264(1)
Patterns of Power
265(2)
Connection and Disconnection
267(2)
Story Form as a Check Mark
269(4)
Story and Plot
273(2)
The Short Story and the Novel
275(1)
Reading as Writers
276(16)
The Use of Force
277(2)
WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS
Happy Endings
279(3)
MARGARET ATWOOD
Everything That Rises Must Converge
282(14)
FLANNERY O'CONNOR
Writing Exercises
292(4)
8 CALL ME ISHMAEL: Point of View
296(40)
Who Speaks?
296(8)
Third Person
297(2)
Second Person
299(1)
First Person
300(4)
To Whom?
304(3)
The Reader
304(1)
Another Character
304(1)
The Self
305(1)
Interior Monologue
305(1)
Stream of Consciousness
306(1)
In What Form?
307(1)
At What Distance?
308(2)
Consistency: A Final Caution
310(22)
Orientation
311(4)
DANIEL OROZCO
Who's Irish
315(8)
GISH JEN
Gusev
323(20)
ANTON CHEKHOV
Writing Exercises
332(4)
9 IS AND IS NOT: Comparison
336(23)
Types of Metaphor and Simile
337(2)
Metaphoric Faults to Avoid
339(4)
Allegory
343(1)
Symbol
343(14)
The Symbolic Mind
346(16)
The First Day
347(1)
EDWARD P. JONES
Hotel Touraine
350(1)
ROBERT OLEN BUTLER
Writing Exercises
357(2)
10 I GOTTA USE WORDS WHEN I TALK TO YOU: Theme 359(29)
Idea and Morality in Theme
360(2)
How Fictional Elements Contribute to Theme
362(3)
A Man Told Me the Story of His Life
363(2)
GRACE PALEY
Developing Theme as You Write
365(20)
Winky
368(9)
GEORGE SAUNDERS
This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona
377(19)
SHERMAN ALEXIE
Writing Exercises
385(3)
11 PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM: Revision 388(25)
Re-Vision
389(1)
Worry It and Walk Away
389(2)
Criticism and the Story Workshop
391(2)
Revision Questions
393(2)
Further Suggestions for Revision
395(1)
Examples of the Revision Process
396(14)
Notes on "Keith"
398(2)
RON CARLSON
Keith
400(10)
RON CARLSON
Writing Exercises
410(3)
Appendix A: Kinds of Fiction 413(11)
Appendix B: Suggestions for Further Reading 417 Credits 424(2)
Index 426

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