General Fiction

Victorian Advice for Modern Writers

Here are some great tips "From an Editor's Wife" that are just as true today as when they were written in 1881! Excerpted from The Girl's Own Paper. (For more Victoriana, visit Moira Allen's new website, Mostly-Victorian.com.)

Literary Work for Girls

How to Write a Story

Getting Started: The Fundamentals of Fiction, by Marg Gilks

Part I: "I've Got an Idea!"

Part II: Read, Read, Read!

Part III: Critique Groups and Writers' Groups

Part IV: Writers Write!

Part V: Learning How: Courses, Workshops and Tutors

Part VI: Learning the Lingo

Part VII: Being Realistic About Your Work

Part VIII: Finding Markets for Your Fiction

Part IX: Writing Etiquette

Part X: Avoid Those Beginners' Blunders

Characters and Viewpoint

Creating Memorable Characters - Lee Masterson

Creating Villains People Love to Hate - Lee Masterson

Do Werewolves Wear Shoes? Building Successful Horror Characters, by Shaunna Privratsky

Establishing the Right Point of View: How to Avoid "Stepping Out of Character" - Marg Gilks

Finding Your Characters - Mary Cook

Handling a Cast of Thousands I: Getting to Know Your Characters - Will Greenway

Handling a Cast of Thousands II: Your Story as Your Characters (and Readers) See It - Will Greenway

Handling a Cast of Thousands III: Developing the Five-Act Scene - Will Greenway

Headhopping, Authorial Intrusion, and Shocked Expressions - Anne Marble

Motivation - Hank Quense

The Mystery of Character - Robert Wilson

Plotting by Personality - Marg McAlister

Targeting Enemy Words - Sandra Miller

Viewpoint, Perspective and Time - Will Greenway

Dialogue

Creating Dynamic Dialogue - Will Greenway

It's Not What They Say... - Mary Cook

Off with the Talking Heads! - Marg Gilks

Punctuating Dialogue - Marg Gilks

Slang and How to Sling It - Randall Platt

The Use and Abuse of Dialogue Tags - Anne Marble

Description and Setting

The Art of Description: Eight Tips to Help You Bring Your Settings to Life - Anne M. Marble

Four Ways to Bring Settings to Life - Moira Allen

Houses are People Too: The Structure of a Literary Device - Geoff Hart

Location, Location, Location! - Jim C. Hines

Story Structure

Choosing the Right Name for Your Story - John Floyd

Dynamic Beginnings: Getting Your Story Off to a Great Start - Will Greenway

Fewer Words Mean Bigger Bucks, by Shaunna Privratsky

Five Fiction Mistakes that Can Spell Rejection - Moira Allen

From Beginning to End, A Fiction Format to Your Next Sale, by Shaunna Privratsky

Plotting Your Novel - Lee Masterson

Plunge Right In... Into Your Story, That Is! - Rekha Ambardar

To Outline or Not to Outline - Tim Hallinan

Where to Begin? When, Where and How to Write a Prologue - Lital Talmor

Why Do I Need an Outline? - Cheryl Sloan Wray

Your Story Outline: What It's All About - Rekha Ambardar

Flash Fiction

Flash What? A Quick Look at Flash Fiction - Jason Gurley

Flashes of Brilliance: Writing Flash Fiction - Joan Popek

Flashes on the Meridian: Dazzled by Flash Fiction - Pamelyn Casto

General Tips

25 Unique Places to Find Story Ideas - Michelle Giles

Becoming a Fiction Aficionado, by Shaunna Privratsky

Blueprints: Building a Home for Your Characters - Elizabeth Chayne

Can I Make a Living as a Novelist? - Marilyn Henderson

The Ethics of Tragedy: Plot Victims are People Too! - Paula Fleming

A Field Guide to Genre Writers' Organizations - Catherine Lundoff

Historical Research for Fiction Writers - Catherine Lundoff

How Long Should Your Story Be? - Lee Masterson

Keeping Your Story On Track with Style Sheets - Marg Gilks

Lateral Thinking - Ahmed A. Khan

Look before You Write: Applying the Lessons of the Visual Arts - Paula Fleming

Mindplay - Peggy Bechko

Mixing It Up: Writing Across Genres - Penny Lockwood Ehrenkranz

Partly Cloudy, Scattered Showers: Setting the Scene with Weather - Larissa Ione

"Prove" Your Story with Evidence - Sue Fagalde Lick

A Research Primer for Historical Fiction Writers - Erika Dreifus

Stuck in the Middle of Your Story? Try Prompts! - Alina Sandor

The Top Ten Mistakes New Fiction Authors Make - Sally Zigmond

Visualization Exercises for Writers - Holly Lisle

What, Where, When and Why - Marg Gilks

Write What You Know -- Because You Know More than You Think! - Marg Gilks

Writing Confessions: An Interview with Bea Sheftel - Moira Allen

Getting Published

How to Write a Novel Synopsis - Marg Gilks

The Midlisters: Backbone of the Publishing Industry - Sean McLachlan

Research, Track and Conquer: How to Research Short Fiction Markets, Track Submissions, and Ultimately Get Published - Joseph Thomas

Serial Writing: The Ongoing Paycheck - Alina Sandor

Small Press Magazines: Should You Bother? - Bruce Boston

Yes, You Can Make Money Writing Fiction - Patricia Fry

For More Information, see also Writing-World.com's sections on:

Children's Writing

Mysteries

Romance

Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror

Getting Published - Fiction queries and synopses

Contest Database and tips on entering contests

Related Links:

Character Naming Resources

Children's Writing

Horror

Mystery

Romance

SF/Fantasy

Writer's Market	Novel & Short Story Writers' Market	Beginnings, Middles and Ends	Characters and Viewpoint
Characters, Emotion and Viewpoint	The Complete Handbook of Novel Writing	Creating Short Fiction	Creating the Story : Guides for Writers
From First Draft To Finished Novel: A Writer's Guide To Cohesive Story Building	Get that Novel Written!	Guide to Literary Agents	How to Write a Damn Good Novel
Manuscript Makeover	On Writing (Stephen King)	Plot and Structure	Self-Editing for Fiction Writers

MORE RESOURCES FROM THE EDITOR:

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