Vivid and memorable characters aren't born: they have to be made. This book is a set of tools: literary crowbars, chisels, mallets, pliers and tongs. Use them to pry, chip, yank and sift good characters out of the place where they live in your memory, your imagination and your soul. Award-winning author Orson Scott Card explains in depth the techniques of inventing, developing and presenting characters, plus handling viewpoint in novels and short stories. With specific examples, he spells out your narrative options–the choices you'll make in creating fictional people so "real" that readers will feel they know them like members of their own families. You'll learn how to: • draw the characters from a variety of sources, including a story's basic idea, real life–even a character's social circumstances • make characters show who they are by the things they do and say, and by their individual "style" • develop characters readers will love–or love to hate • distinguish among major characters, minor characters and walk-ons, and develop each one appropriately • choose the most effective viewpoint to reveal the characters and move the storytelling • decide how deeply you should explore your characters' thoughts, emotions and attitudes

Describes the function of characters in a story, discusses motive, stereotypes, models, minor characters, comedy, and transformation.

"There are ways to create, fix, steer and discover plots—ways which, over a writing life, you'd eventually puzzle out for yourself," writes Ansen Dibell. "They aren't laws. They're an array of choices, things to try, once you've put a name to the particular problem you're facing now." That's what this book is about: identifying those choices (whose viewpoint? stop and explain now, or wait? how can this lead to that?), then learning what narrative problems they are apt to create and how to choose an effective strategy for solving them. The result? Strong, solid stories and novels that move. Inside you'll discover how to: • test a story idea (using four simple questions) to see if it works • convince your reader that not only is something happening, but that something's going to happen and it all matters intensely • handle viewpoint shifts, flashbacks, and other radical jumps in your storyline weave plots with subplots • get ready for and write your Big Scenes • balance scene and summary narration to produce good pacing • handle the extremes of melodrama by "faking out" your readers—making them watch your right hand while your left hand is doing something sneaky • form subtle patterns with mirror characters and echoing incidents • choose the best type of ending—linear or circular, happy or downbeat, or (with caution!) a trick ending Whether your fiction is short or long, subtle or direct, you'll learn to build strong plots that drive compelling, unforgettable stories your readers will love.

Craft your fiction with scene-by-scene flow, logic and readability. An imprisoned man receives an unexpected caller, after which "everything changed..." And the reader is hooked. But whether or not readers will stay on for the entire wild ride will depend on how well the writer structures the story, scene by scene. This book is your game plan for success. Using dozens of examples from his own work - including Dropshot,Tiebreaker and other popular novels - Jack M. Bickham will guide you in building a sturdy framework for your novel, whatever its form or length. You'll learn how to: • "worry" your readers into following your story to the end • prolong your main character's struggle while moving the story ahead • juggle cause and effect to serve your story action As you work on crafting compelling scenes that move the reader, moment by moment, toward the story's resolution, you'll see why... • believable fiction must make more sense than real life • every scene should end in disaster • some scenes should be condensed, and others built big Whatever your story, this book can help you arrive at a happy ending in the company of satisfied readers.

Even if you have great characters, outstanding dialogue and a gripping plot, your story isn't complete without the appropriate setting. Setting is the unifying element in most fiction, working in concert with plot, characterization and point of view. Here you'll explore how to use setting as the basis for creating dramatic, engaging stories. Focusing on detail, language and observation, Jack Bickham's invaluable instruction will not only improve your ability to create a strong setting, but also enhance your writing skills as a whole. You'll learn:- the function of setting within the fiction writing process- how setting works with plot, characterization and point of view- the effect of setting on unity- ways to generate story ideas through setting- techniques for creating setting- how to use setting as a thematic device- methods for using setting to stimulate your reader's senses- how to incorporate factual information for texture and authenticity- exercises for improving your powers of observation- tips for recording ideas, events and descriptions using notebook entriesOver the course of his esteemed career, Jack Bickham published more than 80 novels and instructional books, including Writing Novels That Sell and the 38 Most Common Fiction Writing Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them). A former creative writing professor, he instructed thousands of writers through his classes, seminars and Writer's Digest magazine articles.

Create Complex Characters How do you create a main character readers won't forget? How do you write a book in multiple-third-person point of view without confusing your readers (or yourself)? How do you plant essential information about a character's past into a story? Write Great Fiction: Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint by award-winning author Nancy Kress answers all of these questions and more! This accessible book is filled with interactive exercises and valuable advice that teaches you how to: • Choose and execute the best point of view for your story • Create three-dimensional and believable characters • Develop your characters' emotions • Create realistic love, fight, and death scenes • Use frustration to motivate your characters and drive your story With dozens of excerpts from some of today's most popular writers, Write Great Fiction: Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint provides you with the techniques you need to create characters and stories sure to linger in the hearts and minds of agents, editors, and readers long after they've finished your book.

Ramp up the tension and keep your readers hooked! Inside you'll find everything you need to know to spice up your story, move your plot forward, and keep your readers turning pages. Expert thriller author and writing instructor James Scott Bell shows you how to craft scenes, create characters, and develop storylines that harness conflict and suspense to carry your story from the first word to the last. Learn from examples of successful novels and movies as you transform your work from ho-hum to high-tension. • Pack the beginning, middle, and end of your book with the right amount of conflict. • Tap into the suspenseful power of each character's inner conflict. • Build conflict into your story's point of view. • Balance subplots, flashbacks, and backstory to keep your story moving forward. • Maximize the tension in your characters' dialogue. • Amp up the suspense when you revise. Conflict & Suspense offers proven techniques that help you craft fiction your readers won't be able to put down.

For more than 10 years, this successful series has helped writers improve their work -- one element at a time. Featuring quality instruction from award-winning authors, each book focuses on a key facet of fiction writing, making it easy for writers to find the specific guidance they're looking for.

Point of view isn't merely another writing craft technique. Point of view is the foundation upon which all other elements of the writing craft stand--or fall.It's the opinions and judgments that color everything the reader believes about the world and the story. It's the voice of the character that becomes as familiar to the reader as their own. It's what makes the story real, believable, and honest.Yet, despite its importance, point-of-view errors are the most common problem for fiction writers.In Point of View in Fiction: A Busy Writer's Guide, you'll learn- the strengths and weaknesses of the four different points of view you can choose for your story (first person, second person, limited third person, and omniscient),- how to select the right point of view for your story,- how to maintain a consistent point of view throughout your story,- practical techniques for identifying and fixing head-hopping and other point-of-view errors,- the criteria to consider when choosing the viewpoint character for each individual scene or chapter,- and much more!Each book in the Busy Writer's Guide series is intended to give you enough theory so that you can understand why things work and why they don't, but also enough examples to see how that theory looks in practice. In addition, they provide tips and exercises to help you take it to the pages of your own story, with an editor's-eye view. Most importantly, they cut the fluff so that you have more time to write and to live your life.