The Elements of Storytelling: How to Write Compelling Fiction (Wiley Books for Writers)

Peter Rubie's "holistic" approach to fiction writing is simple without being simplistic. Rubie addresses issues of character, viewpoint, dialogue, pacing, etc., but his emphasis is on their contribution to the big picture. "The art of the storyteller," he says, "is figuring out a story. The craft of the storyteller is working out the best way to tell that story." The Elements of Storytelling addresses both art and craft. For the former, Rubie presents exercises throughout the book aimed at developing story ideas, creating characters, and the like. For the latter, he offers up a generous helping of common sense. "Start the scene as near the action as possible," he recommends. "Ideally, everything in the story should have more than one function." And, "When writing dialogue, keep in mind that people rarely explain themselves." One of Rubie's most interesting pieces of advice involves the use of the theories behind method acting to get inside one's characters and bring them to life. "Without admitting to and exploring your own dark nature," he says, "you will never successfully understand it in others. I am not suggesting you must become a Nazi or a cannibalistic serial killer in order to successfully create them as fictional characters. I am suggesting that you try to find that part of yourself that, under certain circumstances, you could imagine going berserk and committing singularly antisocial acts." --Jane Steinberg