Writing Fiction Craft

A creative writer's shelf should hold at least three essential books: a dictionary, a style guide, and Writing Fiction. Janet Burroway's best-selling classic is the most widely used creative writing text in America, and for more than three decades, it has helped hundreds of thousands of students learn the craft.

While writers might disagree over showing versus telling or plotting versus pantsing, none would argue this: If you want to write strong fiction, you must make your readers feel. The reader's experience must be an emotional journey of its own, one as involving as your characters' struggles, discoveries, and triumphs are for you. That's where The Emotional Craft of Fiction comes in. Veteran literary agent and expert fiction instructor Donald Maass shows you how to use story to provoke a visceral and emotional experience in readers.

Learn Fun and Creative Ways to Enhance Your Descriptions! The advice, tools, and reference lists in this writing guide for fiction authors will inspire writers to create original and vibrant descriptions of characters, locations, weather, and mood that can greatly enhance anyone’s storytelling, whether you’re writing adult fiction, young adult fiction, or children’s books. Fictional and real settings are much more effective, dramatic, and evocative when they’re visible, auditory, olfactory, and tactile. Character depictions are much more imaginative, lifelike, and vivid for readers ...

This national bestseller is "a significant contribution to discussions of the art of fiction and a necessary challenge to received views about whose stories are told, how they are told and for whom they are intended" (Laila Lalami, The New York Times Book Review). The traditional writing...

Learn to Improve Emotional Descriptions, Create Believable Settings, and Craft Powerful Descriptive Writing. This guidebook is a companion to the first volume in the Fiction Writing Tools series, "The Writer's Guide to Character Emotion" on descriptive writing and Deep POV, with Immersive Writing Techniques. Within this in-depth writing craft book are practical tools on how to apply descriptive writing to create realistic settings, visceral responses, and lifelike characters. Included are lists and advice on: Setting Descriptors Character Personality Traits Character Development Descriptive...

Crafting Immersive Fiction: A Comprehensive Guide is the ultimate resource for writers eager to create stories that captivate from start to finish. Whether you're a new writer or a seasoned author, this guide offers the tools you need to craft unforgettable fiction. What’s Inside: Core Elements of Storytelling: Develop complex characters, authentic voices, and engaging arcs. Understand plot structure, from exposition to resolution, and how to balance themes and subtext to deepen your narrative. Building Conflict and Stakes: Master the art of tension, conflict, and pacing to keep readers ...

Most writers struggle with creating a captivating story. The fastest way to improve your writing skills is by applying the Deep Point-of-View technique, which can transform your storytelling into riveting prose. This fiction writing guide includes hundreds of amazing ways to use “show don’t tell” to submerge readers so deeply into a scene they will experience the story along with the characters. Plus, this useful author resource includes a thesaurus with inspiring word choices! Writers will learn to: Revise Shallow Writing Deepen Characterization Craft Realistic Visceral Reactions ...

Gotham Writers' Workshop has mastered the art of teaching the craft of writing in a way that is practical, accessible, and entertaining. Now the techniques of this renowned school are available in this audiobook. Once you've listened—and written—your way through this book, you'll have a command of craft that will enable you to turn your ideas into effective short stories and novels. You will be a writer.

In this book, I'll reveal the powerful techniques employed by best-selling authors, and I'll show you how to apply them to rivet your readers. I'll start with the basics of Point of View - if you're already familiar with the concept, you can treat them as a refresher - and then guide you to advanced strategies for taking your reader deep.

Everybody wants to write a book, but most authors fall short. If only there was a clear, systematic, structured approach to crafting bestsellers that would... help you organize your creative ideas unravel the messy writing process save months of editing and revision increase engagement and get more book reviews keep readers glued to each page with dramatic tension impress your mom (and everyone else) with your genius When I started out as an author, I read every book on craft, plotting and writing techniques I could find - but they left me more confused than ever. I ended up quitting, and ...

The Art of Suspense: Mastering Mystery and Thriller Writing is a comprehensive craft guide designed for writers who want to elevate their ability to create tension, deepen emotional stakes, and keep readers turning pages late into the night. Blending psychological insight with practical technique and demystifies how suspense truly works—why it grips us, how it manipulates our expectations, and what separates a predictable story from an unforgettable one. We will explore the core mechanics of suspense, including the psychology of fear and anticipation, the strategic use of foreshadowing, ...

“Guide makes using AI seem easy” - Amazon Review “A Plotser’s Perfect Brainstorming Partner” - Amazon Review “Made me a romance writing AI ninja!” - Amazon Review Romance writers, take your romance writing to the next level with Artificial Intelligence and this guide from a USA Today Bestselling romance author of over 80+ romance novels. Hi, I’m author Rachelle Ayala, a prolific author and writing coach with my Romance In A Month method, and I’m here to lead you through the wonderful world of AI (Artificial Intelligence). I’ll show you the importance of prompting and how...

Struggling with writer’s block? Wish you could generate story ideas and drafts more efficiently? This first-of-its-kind guide reveals how writers at any level can collaborate with AI to supercharge their fiction craft. Inside you’ll discover step-by-step techniques for: - Brainstorming compelling premises and characters with AI in minutes - Using AI templates to easily outline plot sequences, relationships and arcs - Drafting scenes, chapters, and full manuscripts with AI writing assistance - Revising work faster by having AI assess pacing, consistency, clarity - Optimizing book ...

Master writer’s block and spark your creativity with this workbook full of helpful tips and a variety of prompts for writers of all experience levels to create their perfect dystopian story! Write a Dystopian Novel guides writers of all experience levels through the tropes and themes that...

Learn from the masters. Shape your craft. Write the novel you were born to write. Pride and Prejudice is a witty, romantic story of first impressions, misunderstandings, and unexpected love as Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy discover the truth about themselves and each other. The Pride and Prejudice Writer’s Companion pairs perfectly with any edition or audiobook of Jane Austen’s classic, offering practical writing insights that help you see exactly how her craft works and how to apply her techniques to your own fiction. This companion transforms your reading experience into a guided ...

You want to write erotica. Maybe you've got a story burning inside you, or you've heard it's a way to make money writing online. But every time you sit down to write that steamy scene, something feels... off. Clinical. Awkward. Like you're describing a medical procedure instead of passion. This book fixes that. As a writing coach who's helped dozens of new erotica writers find their voice, I've seen the same problems over and over: clunky timelines that kill the mood, word choices that make readers cringe instead of tingle, emotions that fall flat when they should sizzle. Writing Erotica ...

You’ve written a short story or a novel. You keep receiving rejection slips from editors and publishing houses … and now you’re not sure it’s good enough to self-publish. You know your story needs a rewrite yet don’t know how to improve it … besides, work or school is hectic, the house needs to be cleaned, and the kids demand your attention, so who has time? … But we bet you can find just 7 minutes a day to achieve your dream of getting that story published. If you can, this is the book for you. This practical, how-to guide takes you step-by-step through improving your story ...

Learn from the masters. Shape your craft. Write the novel you were born to write. Dracula is a haunting tale of fear, devotion, and courage as a small band of determined souls confront an ancient evil and discover that love, loyalty, and shared belief are the strongest weapons against darkness. The Dracula Writer’s Companion pairs perfectly with any edition or audiobook of Bram Stoker’s classic, offering practical writing insights that help you see exactly how his craft works and how to apply his techniques to your own fiction. This companion transforms your reading experience into a ...

Learn from the masters. Shape your craft. Write the novel you were born to write. The Great Gatsby is a tragic portrait of longing, illusion, and self-invention, as Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan are drawn together by desire, wealth, and the impossible hope of reclaiming the past. The Great Gatsby Writer’s Companion pairs perfectly with any edition or audiobook of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic, offering practical writing insights that help you see exactly how his craft works and how to apply his techniques to your own fiction. This companion transforms your reading experience into a ...

The Little Book of Muses invites the reader to embark on a fantastical journey to discover the beauty of the written word. Within its pages is a collection of poetic, whimsical sayings with words entwined to serenade the logophile, invoke a storyteller’s soul, and warm the writer’s spirit. From elegant phrases, humorous expressions to thought-provoking reflections, this is a delightful book to sip tea, ponder, and dip in and out of often for a generous dose of literary inspiration. The book is also available in Spanish and Italian