Fiction Writing Definition and Various Elements: What’s Cooking?

Well, okay, writing fiction is fun, but what is fiction writing after all?
 
Fiction writing is the writing of a (short) story with imaginary characters and/or plot.
 
And this is what it’s made of:

• Characters;
  E.g., a knight and a dragon, a man with superpowers and a damsel in distress, a saucepan and a cheesecake, etc.;
• Plot;
  E.g., a quest for a captive princess, a crime investigation, a night in a haunted house, etc.;
• Setting;
  E.g., city suburbs, a Texan farm, a secret lab, etc.;
• Theme;
  E.g., convince the readers that a criminal has to be punished, divorce is painful, people can make friends with aliens., etc.
• Style.
  E.g., cheerful and simple, gloomy and dark, edgy and thrilling, etc.

That’s what fiction story writing is made of. All in all, you’re more than welcome to let your imagination loose. Let’s get it started!

Fiction Writing Secrets: Seventeen Easy Steps to Becoming a Pro.

Like in any line of work, in writing fiction there are some rules to follow. Try to:

1. Be creative.
2. Pick a specific character.
3. Think of an unusual adventure (s)he/it could have.
4. Put the character in a specific setting.
5. Create a sidekick for your character.
6. Think of the writing style that suits the plot and the genre.
7. Draw an outline of the adventures the character will have.
8. Create an unusual and non-trivial ending.
9. Focus on the action, not the descriptions.
10. Make your character change throughout the story.
11. Think through the key message of your story.
12. Write the draft of the first and the last paragraphs.
13. Take a break and read what you’ve written.
14. Correct what you think is wrong and go on writing.
15. Take a short break and read the entire paper.
16. Find someone to critique your work.
17. Add the final touches and get ready to become famous!

Whenever you follow these tips on writing fiction, you’ll get a top-notch result!

Fiction Writing and Non-fiction Writing: Find Five Differences.

When writing a fiction story, you should keep it as far from non-fiction as possible.
Well, what is non-fiction writing then, you might ask.
 
Non-fiction writing means telling simple facts, and it’s the plain opposite of writing fiction novels:
 

 
That’s what short fiction writing and nonfiction writing differ in. Now let’s see some examples of fiction writing!

Fiction Writing. Gross Errors and Horrendous Clichés: Keep Away!

 
The cliché
 

Fiction Writing: An Essential Recommendation. Take Your Chance!

And now, the word from the Wisest Writer of All:
 
“Think of the readers’ impression of each element/passage/character.” Now you don’t have to search any further for answers to questions like “What is fiction writing?” Follow the pieces of advice above, and you’ll always win!

How to Write a Critique: Preliminary Steps

Prior to writing a critique paper, a student should carefully evaluate the book or article that will be critiqued. There are several ways of making this process more interesting and productive. This is how you can do it:

1. Use asterisks and colors to highlight the most important quotations and paragraphs in the book. If you do so, it will be easier for you to find the most important information later on.
2. Briefly summarize the key arguments that the author or authors advance. You should write them down using bullet points. Again, you need to write down the number of the pages where they appear in the book, so that you easily find them again when writing the paper.
3. Look at the data that the author discusses. When were these data collected? Does this information come from credible sources? Is it fully relevant to the ideas that the writer discusses?
4. Think how the author’s arguments can be disputed. Does the researcher acknowledge possible limitations of his or her ideas? Suppose that you were an opponent of the writer’s arguments, how would you criticize them?
5. Write down the new ideas or concepts that you have learned from this book or article. Has it been of any use to you?

How to Write a Critique: An Outline for Your Paper

Very often, students struggle with their critique papers because they don’t know how to structure them. You should look at this detailed outline explaining how to write a critique:

1. Introduction. In this section of your paper you need to describe the main idea the writer focuses on. More importantly, you should give an overall evaluation of this book or study.
2. Main body. In this part, you should evaluate the authors’ theories or arguments in more detail. Focus on the hypothesis or theories that the author advances. What are their strengths and weaknesses?
3. In the main body, you also need to assess the examples that the writer gives. Do these examples really back up the author’s claims? Are these examples relevant to the topic?
4. Furthermore, you need to discuss the practical implications of the writer’s work. Can his or her ideas be used to solve a certain problem or answer some important question?
5. Finally, it is necessary to determine whether this book or article offers any original ideas.
6. Conclusion. In the last part, you should briefly restate your thesis about this book or article.

How to Write a Critique: Follow-Up

So, now you know how to write a good critique. Hopefully, you will remember the suggestions provided in this article. If you take them into account, you will see that critical papers are not as hard to write as they seem to be. So, good luck to you!

Critique essay: what it is and what it is not

A critique essay is an objective and well-argued analysis of somebody’s creation. Critical writing should not be confused with:

• negative criticism (critique essays discuss both positive and negative aspects);
• review (NO PERSONAL OPINIONS or IMPRESSIONS in critique essays, please);
• summary (summaries may be present in critique essays, but they always have to be accompanied by evaluation and critical discussion).

Only having these simple principles in mind, you may proceed to writing an essay.

Critique essay: step 1 – choose a topic

If you wonder how to write a critique essay, start from choosing a good topic. Make certain that it is narrow, manageable and interesting. For example, if you are assigned a critique essay about a movie, it can be nearly impossible to evaluate all aspects, such as plot lines, implied messages, symbols, play of actors, music, light, costumes etc.
 
Be realistic when choosing topics for your critique essays. For instance, if you are to write a critique essay about the movie Titanic, you may want to analyze the play of Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet and how it contributes to making the development of their relationship believable. Or, you can make it even narrower and research the way in which face expressions of Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet contribute to the development of the love story plot line in the movie.

Critique essay: step 2 – investigate what you critique

The next thing you should do when writing a critique essay is to investigate the work you are going to critique. Make sure that you have a perfect understanding of the creation you are going to analyze and evaluate. In other words, carefully, even meticulously, watch the movie, read the book, article or poem that you are going to critique. Pay special attention to the aspects you have chosen as your topic in step 1. Here are some guiding questions for your note taking:

1. Are the author’s messages clear?
2. Did the author choose the best methods for communicating his/her messages?
3. Is the choice of techniques appropriate for the chosen genre and target audience?

Do not rely on your memory only, no matter how brilliant it may be. Take notes when watching a movie (reading a book, article or poem).

Critique essay: step 3– organize your notes

The next step is to look through your notes and logically organize them. Check this example of a critique essay outline:

1. Introduction (introduce the author, his/her work, the aspects you are going to analyze and present your judgment in a clear and concise thesis statement).
2. Main body
   • A brief summary (make it ice-cold, no emotions and no personal impressions, please.)
   • A well-argued evaluation (At last! Here you should place the meat of your essay critique. Discuss main strengths and weaknesses you have found in the creation, supporting your every claim with concrete arguments giving clear examples from the movie, text or artwork that you are analyzing.
3. Conclusion (sum up your evaluation and restate your thesis sentence; do not add any new information in this part).

Critique essay: step 4 – write an essay

Use your notes and the outline and write a critique essay. If you have any doubts as to your notes, be sure to rewind certain episodes of the movie or reread some passages of the book (article, poem etc.). Use only verified information in your critique essays.

Critique essay: step 5 – proofread, proofread, proofread

After completing your critique essays, have a good rest and start proofreading your papers. Here are some niceties to consider if you want to proofread effectively:

• Print your essay instead of proofreading from a computer screen.
• Read it aloud to detect any flaws in style or inconsistencies in content.
• Finally, read it backwards if you want to see the paper from a new perspective and correct even the slightest errors.

So, now you have a clear understanding of how to write a critique essay. Use these five easy steps, make an effort and you will never have problems with your critique essays.

1. Learn more about the genre of the movie you are analyzing. For instance, if you have to write about Hitchcock’s film Strangers on a Train, you’ll need to read about such a genre as film noir.
2. In case your movie is based on a novel or a short story, you may find it useful to learn more about the literary origins of the movie.
3. It is also necessary to write down the names of the movie’s director, actors, scriptwriters, and studio. Students should also specify the release date. You will use this information when compiling a bibliography for your paper.
4. Apart from that, students should focus on such aspects of a movie as the running time, use of camera, or setting.

So, you can see that the analysis of a movie must be based on some research. If you intend to write a movie analysis essay, you should discuss such issues as:

1. The setting of the movie. You need to tell where and when the action takes place.
2. The role that the music plays. Your movie analysis should explain how music supplements the plot. Moreover, you should tell how music bridges various scenes.
3. The use of special effects, lighting, and color. For example, you can explain how colors are used to describe the main characters.
4. Professional movie critics often focus on various elements of a plot. So, students can describe the use of flashbacks and flashforwards in the movie and explain how they support the main idea.
5. The main characters. In this part of your paper, you can assess actors’ performance and determine whether the main characters are convincing or not.
6. Brief evaluation of the movie. Finally, you need to give a brief assessment of the film, and describe its strengths and weaknesses

By following these tips, you will easily write your paper. Hopefully, you’ll see that movie analysis can be both interesting and enjoyable.

1. Who is the author? What is the title of the artwork? When was it created? Where is it exhibited?
2. Does the artwork depict something? If yes, what is it? (In fact, in contemporary art the answer is frequently not that obvious.)
3. What is the main thing you notice when you see the artwork for the first time?
4. What are the rest of details which seem important as you keep looking at it?

 
Art Critique: Analysis (what has the artist done?)
 
At the stage of analysis you need to disclose the artist’s secrets. What has he/she done to impress the audience? These questions will help you:

1. What materials did the artist use?
2. How did the artist use the elements of art?
   • colors (complementary, analogous, warm or cool, light or dark, bright or dull);
   • lines (thick or thin, mostly vertical or horizontal, straight or curved, deep or shallow);
   • shape (two-dimensional or three-dimensional, natural or abstract);
   • texture (hard, soft, rough, abstract).
3. How did the artist use the principles of design?
   • Balance;
   • emphasis;
   • contrast.

Art Critique: Interpretation (what is the meaning of the artwork?)
 
Understanding what the artist has done, try to understand what he/she wanted to say through this artwork. What was his/her main message? Be careful, some artworks are so highly intellectual that the answer is not as obvious as you would like it to be. However, you should not be afraid of expressing your personal ideas and interpretations. Here are some leading questions:

• What do you feel when you look at the artwork? What is its dominant mood?
• What are the main artist’s messages you can find in this artwork?
• How do you understand these messages?

Art Critique: Judgment (is the artwork good?)
 
The formula of art criticism would be incomplete without this final stage of judgment and evaluation. First of all, you should avoid the confusion of art critique with negative criticism. You do not necessarily need to include negative remarks into your judgments. If you consider the artwork a masterpiece, you may confess it. The leading questions for this part are:

1. Did your first impression of the artwork change during your analysis and interpretation? Why (not)?
2. Did you learn something from this artwork (applied to your own artworks or personal life)?
3. What is your main judgment about the quality of this artwork (use evidence from analysis and interpretation)?

 
So, this advanced formula of artwork critique will save you from unnecessary disappointment every time you need to critique art. Perfect art critiques and excellent grades for them will become a reality.

• your academic strengths and weaknesses;
• your personal reasons for applying;
• your prior relevant experience;
• ANY other relevant information that you believe might be helpful to persuade the committee.

Essays on nursing: best advice
 
The best advice to follow when writing winning nursing essays is to be yourself. So, be yourself and try to convey the best image possible relying on your true qualities and relevant background or experience.
 
You want to get into a nursing school because you really deserve it. You understand all the difficulties of this career path and still insist on your calling. It is really praiseworthy. Perhaps you have this very strong desire to help others since early childhood. Maybe Mr. (or Ms.) Compassion is the oldest nickname your friends gave you. You can mention it in your application essay.

Essays on nursing: writing prompts
 
Try to recollect the moment when the idea of becoming a certified nurse first came into your head. You may tell a touching story from your childhood about treating a kitten or something like that. If you have any firsthand knowledge of what it means to be a nurse, make sure to discuss it. Have you ever assisted professional nurses? Have you ever seen the emotional side of saving people’s lives and the weight of the understanding that that every mistake of yours might cost somebody’s life? Don’t be too modest and mention whatever you think can be helpful for persuading the commission and making your essay about nursing personal and standing out from the crowd.
 
Essay on nursing: final touches
 
The final touch is proofreading your essay “Why I want to be a nurse”. Ask your peers or parents to look through your essay for nursing school and to critically evaluate it. Accept constructive criticism and remember that your destiny is at stake. Make sure you sound sincere but persuasive. Check to make sure that your personal statement clearly conveys the main reasons why you think nursing is your calling and why the commission should choose you instead of other applicants.
 
Follow your dream and use these simple steps to write winning essays on nursing that will persuade the committee that you are the one they have been looking for.

1. A topic sentence that introduces the main idea of this paragraph. In this case, you need to state the main argument that you will discuss in the subsequent text;
2. A series of supporting sentences providing examples, explanation, and persuasive detail;
3. A concluding sentence which restates or sums up the main idea of the paragraph. This should be stated in different words.

These are the key elements of a paragraph, and every student, or working adult, for that matter, should know how to create them and feel comfortable creating and manipulating them. Anyone writing a paragraph for a letter, an essay, a research paper, or a creative piece, should place themselves in the position of the reader.
 
There are several mistakes to avoid when writing a paragraph for an academic paper:

• First, you should not write paragraphs that are too long. Be considerate of your audience! Some students write paragraphs that are more than half a page. It can be rather difficult to plow through such stuff and still grasp the gist of you – the writer’s – arguments;
• While writing a paragraph, pay attention to the length of your sentences, as well. When a sentence gets much beyond 50 words your reader may lose the thread of your idea.
• Avoid verbose phrases and expressions, for example, “It is worth mentioning that”. Such expressions only distract the reader’s attention.
• Vary the sentence structure to retain your reader’s interest.

If you want to know how to write a paragraph, you should pay attention to your arguments and examples. You may take several steps, for example:

1. List the main arguments and examples you will include in the paragraph;
2. Single out the key idea of this passage;
3. Think of the most convincing examples;
4. Try to find ways of linking your arguments and examples, for instance, you can use such words and phrases like, additionally, furthermore, moreover, or apart from that. They will add fluency and grace to your transitions. They will also help you to set off and highlight different ideas and examples.
5. Devote equal thought and effort to your concluding sentence: Be strong and persuasive!

You can see that these prewriting steps are very important to paragraph writing. If you will follow these recommendations, you will see that writing a good paragraph is not as difficult as it may seem.

• equipment
• techniques
• materials
• tools
• books
• manuals
• human or non-human subjects
• the physical setting
• statistical or calculationalgorithms, techniques or calculation software
• websites
• data sets in the public domain

Assume that no detail is too picayune for the thesis methodology section, for example: the season
the people doing the work (of course this could be you), brand names, stable URLs of any web-based resources.
 
Depending on the discipline and subject of your thesis, you might be using, and needing to document in the thesis methodology section, any of the following sources of information:

1. Observation
2. Literature review
3. Prototyping a computer program
4. Interviews
5. Brainstorming/focus groups
6. Surveys
7. Tests (this covers an lot of ground)
8. Congruence with Ethics guidelines

If the methodologies your thesis employs involve living subjects, or even human tissues, you should assure your readers that you have dotted ‘I’s and crossed ‘t’s. In an era when, for example, at the University of Pennsylvania, someone died in a genetics experiment, such considerations are critical! This section is where you should discuss what went wrong, but without any subjective commentary – even if the reason is hilarious!
 
Here are some helpful links. These articles explain and give guidance (in some cases very humorously) on how to document the methodology your thesis employed.
 
http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/
http://online.sfsu.edu/
http://isites.harvard.edu/
http://www.iups.edu/