The more I learn about writing fiction, the more I realize how complicated and challenging it can be to tell an interesting story. Most of what I've learned about writing has been by studying how-to books about fiction. I'm grateful to authors who have taken time to study the craft and then share their knowledge through fiction-writing seminars, articles, and books. I've reviewed many of the books I have studied over the years, and I've posted the reviews at Helium.com. I've also noticed that, although most fiction-writing books offer useful insight into the craft, no one book has all the answers. Some books offer advice that conflicts with recommendations in others. And some advice is more confusing than helpful. In an effort to help others better understand the craft of fiction-writing, I've written a series of articles on the subject of fiction-writing and have posted them on Helium.com. To view a list of my articles and book reviews, just scroll down on this page. Categories include: Happy Writing, YOUNG-ADULT FICTION YOUNG-ADULT FICTION: What Makes a Great Novel for Boys?http://www.helium.com/tm/772208/young-adult-fiction-makes VIOLENCE IN YOUNG-ADULT FICTION: Acceptable, Beneficial, or Inexcusable?http://www.helium.com/tm/347575/violence-childrens-fiction-think CUSS, CURSE, OR CLEAN IT UP: How Much, if Any, Profanity to Use in Young-Adult Fiction FUNDAMENTALS OF FICTION THE FIFTH ELEMENT: The "Other Stuff" of Fiction FICTION-WRITING SCHIZOPHRENIA: The Relationship Between Author, Narrator, Character, and Reader SCENE & SEQUEL: The Ebb and Flow of Fiction FICTION-WRITING MODES: The Tools of a Novelist SUMMARIZATION: An Unfairly Maligned Fiction-Writing Mode INTROSPECTION: The Thinking Mode of Fiction-Writing FICTION-WRITING: How to Write Your Character's Thoughts
Mike Klaassen
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http://www.helium.com/tm/197378/scene-sequel-fictionscene-sequel
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http://www.helium.com/tm/624520/introspection-thinking-fiction-writingintrospection
http://www.helium.com/tm/614947/mechanics-introspection-fiction-writing
FICTION-WRITING: How to Portray Your Character's Perception of the Senses NARRATION AS A FICTION-WRITING MODE FICTION-WRITING: A Learning Process The Next Great American Novel FICTION-WRITING BOOKS: Gold Mine or Slag Heap?http://www.helium.com/tm/281407/fiction-writing-books-heapcritics CRITIQUE GROUPS: Boon or Bane?http://www.helium.com/tm/259765/critique-groups-banefrom-wonder BLANK PAGE TO PUBLICATION: One Writer's Experience THE BEST BOOKS ABOUT WRITING FICTION The Importance of Self-Editing Fiction REVIEWS OF BOOKS ABOUT WRITING FICTION BETWEEN THE LINES: Master the Subtle Elements of Fiction, by Jessica Page Morrell BY CUNNING & CRAFT, by Peter Selgin CHARACTERS, EMOTION, & VIEWPOINT: Techniques and Exercises for Crafting Dynamic Characters and Effective Viewpoints, by Nancy Kress DARE TO BE A GREAT WRITER: 329 Keys to Powerful Fiction, by Leonard Bishop DESCRIPTION & SETTING, by Ron Rozelle DIALOGUE: Techniques and Exercises for Crafting Effective Dialogue, by Gloria Kempton FICTION FIRST AID: Instant Remedies for Novels, Stories, and Scripts, by Raymond Obstfeld FINDING YOUR VOICE: How to Put Personality in Your Writing, by Les Edgerton FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS: A Novel Writer's System for Building a Complete and Cohesive Manuscript, by Karen Wiesner HOOKED: Write Fiction That Grabs Readers at Page One and Never Lets Them Go, by Les Edgerton HOW I WRITE: Secrets of a Bestselling Author, by Janet Evanovich HOW TO WRITE A DAMNED GOOD NOVEL, by James N. Frey LESSONS FROM A LIFETIME OF WRITING, by David Morrell NOVELIST'S BOOT CAMP: 101 Ways to Take Your Book from Boring to Bestseller, by Todd A. Stone PLOT & STRUCTURE: Techniques and Exercises for Crafting a Plot That Grips Readers from Start to Finish, by James Scott Bell ROBERT'S RULES OF WRITING: 101 Unconventional Lessons Every Writer Needs to Know, by Robert Mosello SCENE & STRUCTURE: How to Construct Fiction with Scene-by-Scene Flow, Logic and Readability, by Jack M. Bickham SELF-EDITING FOR FICTION WRITERS, by Renni Brown and Dave King TEACH YOURSELF: Writing a Novel, by Nigel Watts THE MARSHALL PLAN FOR GETTING YOUR NOVEL PUBLISHED: 90 Strategies and Techniques for Selling Your Fiction, by Evan Marshall THE MARSHALL PLAN FOR NOVEL WRITING, by Evan Marshall 20 MASTER PLOTS (And How to Build Them), by Ronald B. Tobias http://www.helium.com/tm/228001/review-master-plots-build 45 MASTER CHARACTERS: Mythic Models for Creating Original Characters, by Victoria Lynn Schmidt REVIEWS OF BOOKS ABOUT GRAMMAR, PUNCTUATION, AND STYLE EATS, SHOOTS & LEAVES: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation, by Lynne Truss ON WRITING WELL: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction, by William Zinsser THE SOUND ON THE PAGE: Great Writers Talk About Style and Voice in Writing, by Ben Yagoda The Writer's Digest GRAMMAR DESK REFERENCED, by Gary Lutz and Diane Stevenson
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HOW TO WRITE AND SELL HISTORICAL FICTION, by Persia Woolsey
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http://www.helium.com/tm/334227/fascinating-informativelessons-lifetime-writing
http://www.helium.com/tm/197494/review-novelists-boring-bestseller
http://www.helium.com/tm/209201/review-structure-techniques-exercises
http://www.helium.com/tm/202633/witty-refreshing-scrambled-format
http://www.helium.com/tm/197505/review-scene-structure-construct
http://www.helium.com/tm/238223/review-ofself-editing-fiction
http://www.helium.com/tm/229807/review-ofteach-yourself-writing
http://www.helium.com/tm/226410/review-marshall-getting-novel
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THE MARSHALL PLAN FOR NOVEL WRITING TEMPLATE GENERATOR, by Evan Marshall and Martha Jewell
http://www.helium.com/items/1148827-marshall-plan-evan-marshall-marshall-novel-writing-template-generator-software
WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL, by Donald Maass
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