Home > Articles > My Articles
	Teach Yourself How To Write Fiction
	by Susan Molthop

Revised August 3, 2007

Before you sign up for a class or workshop, find out if you really want to be a writer, and start teaching yourself how to write fiction.

Step One -- Write something.

It doesn't matter what, but your first effort should be short, so you can analyze it easily. If you're having trouble getting started, here are some ideas:

Describe an unforgettable character from your past.
Create a 100-word mystery (romance, sci-fi, horror, etc.).
Write a conversation between two people that tells the reader more than they tell each other.
Write about an avalanche (tidal wave, tornado, ship wreck, etc.) from a survivor's point of view.

When you've finished this writing exercise, read it over a few times and polish it up until it's the best you can make it. Now put it away and forget about it.

Step Two -- Think about writing.

Did you enjoy the writing exercise? Did time fly? Did you get excited and have trouble sitting still? Did you make yourself laugh or cry while writing? Did your own words make you think?

If you answered "no" to all of the above questions, then ask yourself why you want to write? If the answer is compelling ("I HAVE to write; It's what I LIVE for") then it's time to get serious about developing your skills and your markets. If the answer is lukewarm ("I had some time to kill before The X Files started") then consider writing as a hobby, but look elsewhere for a career--serious writing is too much like work.

Step Three -- Get organized.

Writing is a lifestyle, compatible with any other lifestyle you may choose. The key to making it work is organization. You'll need a system for keeping track of all your ideas, work-in-progress, learning tools, finished projects, submissions, and revenue. You won't always be near a computer when inspiration or learning opportunities present themselves, so a hardcopy system is necessary, too. Make your systems flexible, so you can change directions, easily, and accommodate different types of projects.

Step Four -- Study and learn.

Here is a link to a whole page of articles on the craft of writing: Deep Magic Articles

Step Five - Revisit your writing exercise.

Now's the time to evaluate and analyze your writing. Pretend your worst enemy wrote it and RIP IT TO SHREDS! Is it boring? Did you ramble on and on and on? Did you lose focus and wander off into an unrelated subject? Were the descriptive words dull and lifeless? Was it confusing to read because it didn't flow in a logical manner? Did it have a "grabber" at the beginning and a "gotcha" at the end?

Based on that single writing sample, try to analyze your strengths and weaknesses. Separate what you do best from what you need to improve and give yourself more assignments in each area. Some bestselling authors have serious weaknesses, but their strengths carry them to wealth and fame. You must excel at something. A great plot can go a long way to cover up poor dialog. Fascinating characters can carry a book even when the story line is predictable.

If your strongest area is description, you'll need more to carry you through. Develop strong characters, add a moral or message, and consider writing literary fiction.

If your strength is in action scenes, develop your plotting skills, write "larger-than-life, quirky characters, and you should be able to find a home in almost any genre of popular fiction.

Step Six -- WRITE, WRITE, WRITE!!

Start a story or novel. Think up and write some more exercises. Start a journal. Write every day and never stop.

Back to My Articles About Writing