Fiction Writing: Have a Fascinating Travel to Virtual Reality

Congratulations – you’ve finally made it! You’ve written a bazillion assignments, and now the time has come for you to become a Writer. Let’s deal with your fiction essay writing!

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:

Writing Fiction	Writing Non-fiction
Tells about an imaginary character; Uses an invented setting; Creates an edgy plot.	Tells about a real person; Uses the real setting; States plain and real facts.
Can and should be exciting and interesting for the audience; Should follow a specific style of storytelling.	–

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

Writer’s commentary	Examples
Long characters description	Example
If you’re no Dickens, you’ll make the readers chew on cardboard out of boredom.	Bad: “Mary had blue eyes, red hair and freckles all over her oval face, and was always hearing a cowboy hat with…” Good: “Mary rushed in and tossed her cowboy hat on the sofa.”
Long scenery description	Example
You’re no Dickens, are you?	Bad: As the sun rose in the sky, shining all over the green lawn and the old and ghostly brownstone manor, the visitor slowly approached the gates… Good: Danny leisurely approached the brownstone. It was about noon.
Cardboard characters	Example
Give your characters some personality and history.	Bad: The Villain: “I am the evil genius, and now I am going to capture the Earth, because I am evil, mwa-ha-haaa!” Good: The Villain: “I’ve lost everything, and there’s nowhere to go. I’m a stranger in this world. I want to destroy it!”
“Suddenly”	Example
In bad fiction, something always happens suddenly. That’s the excuse for a lame plot.	Bad: “Brian thought there was no way out, when suddenly…” (… a fairy came and saved him, he got a promotion, his dog rose from the dead, etc.) Good: “Brian was desperate. He hit the bed and pinned his hopes on the morning.”
Stereotypes	Example
It’s for those who cannot create characters on their own.	Bad: A noisy and hearty Texas farmer, a reckless and handsome hero, a damsel in distress… How many of them can you take? Good: Avoid any existing stereotype.
Names	Example
Be original. Names don’t have to depict characters.	Bad: Prudence (the maid), Dark Castle (the venue), Richie King (the millionaire)… you’ve got the idea. Good: Babydoll (the main villain), Sam Jefferson (the lead character), West Alley (the venue).
Excessive use of slang	Example
They’ll get outdated in a couple of years.	Bad: “I can’t drive you home. My car has a carthritis.” Good: “I can’t drive you home. My car is down.”
Villain telling the lead character about his/her plans.	Example
That’s a typical novice villain mistake.	Bad: The Villain: “Now, while you’re standing helpless, I’ll take over the world!” Good: The Villain: “Let’s just start fighting.”
Best friend gets killed.	Example
That’s what happens when you don’t know what to do with the character.	Bad: You create a side character with little background, (s)he dies, the audience cries. The end. Good: You create a side character with a personality and a specific role (not just as a sidekick).
People drink/eat/ouch something and become tiny.	Example
Lewis Carroll introduced it in 1865. It seems the plot is quite outdated.	Bad: “And then Terry ate the magic salad and shrank to the size of a mouse!” Good: “And then the girl ate the chewing gum… and turned into a blueberry!” (You know where this comes from.)

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!