Making Shapely Fiction

A deft analysis and appreciation of fiction―what makes it work and what can make it fail.

Here is a book about the craft of writing fiction that is thoroughly useful from the first to the last page―whether the reader is a beginner, a seasoned writer, or a teacher of writing. You will see how a work takes form and shape once you grasp the principles of momentum, tension, and immediacy. "Tension," Stern says, "is the mother of fiction. When tension and immediacy combine, the story begins." Dialogue and action, beginnings and endings, the true meaning of "write what you know," and a memorable listing of don'ts for fiction writers are all covered. A special section features an Alphabet for Writers: entries range from Accuracy to Zigzag, with enlightening comments about such matters as Cliffhangers, Point of View, Irony, and Transitions.

• The Scribner Anthology of Contemporary Short Fiction: 50 North American Stories Since 1970 (Touchstone Books (Paperback))
• The Triggering Town: Lectures and Essays on Poetry and Writing
• Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft (9th Edition)
• Flash Fiction Forward: 80 Very Short Stories
• Micro Fiction: An Anthology of Fifty Really Short Stories
• The Best American Short Stories 2015 (The Best American Series ®)
• The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction (Shorter Eighth Edition)
• Best American Poetry 2017 (The Best American Poetry series)
• New American Stories (Vintage Contemporaries)
• The Ecco Anthology of Contemporary American Short Fiction