Making Shapely Fiction

by Stern, Jerome

• ISBN13: 9780393321241
• ISBN10: 039332124X
• eBook ISBN(s): 9780393077698
• Additional ISBN(s): 9780393029291
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-11-17
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• More Book Details

About This Book

Making Shapely Fiction by Jerome Stern is a comprehensive guide to the craft of writing fiction. This book is designed to be useful from the first to the last page, whether you're a beginner, a seasoned writer, or a teacher of writing. It provides a deep analysis and appreciation of fiction, exploring what makes it work and what can make it fail.

Who Uses It?

Primarily, this book is used by students and instructors in creative writing courses at the college and university levels. It's also a valuable resource for anyone interested in understanding the principles of fiction writing, including aspiring authors and professionals looking to refine their skills.

History and Editions

The first edition of Making Shapely Fiction was published in 1991 by W. W. Norton & Company. The book has been a staple in the writing community for over three decades, with its principles and techniques remaining relevant and useful. The 2000 edition, which is the one with the ISBN 9780393321241, includes detailed discussions on momentum, tension, and immediacy in fiction writing. It also covers essential topics such as dialogue and action, beginnings and endings, and the true meaning of "write what you know."

Author and Other Works

Jerome Stern was a professor of English and popular culture. He was known for his incisive monologues on National Public Radio and his ability to break down complex writing principles into clear, actionable advice. Making Shapely Fiction is one of his most acclaimed works, and it continues to be a go-to resource for writers of all levels.

Key Features

• Principles of Fiction: The book explores the fundamental principles of fiction writing, including momentum, tension, and immediacy.
• Dialogue and Action: Stern provides detailed guidance on how to craft compelling dialogue and action scenes that drive the narrative forward.
• Beginnings and Endings: He offers insights into creating effective beginnings and endings that engage readers.
• Alphabet for Writers: A special section features an alphabet for writers, covering topics from Accuracy to Zigzag, with enlightening comments about cliffhangers, point of view, irony, and transitions.
• Memorable Listing of Don'ts: The book includes a memorable listing of don'ts for fiction writers, providing practical advice on common pitfalls to avoid.

Detailed Information

ISBNs and Formats

• ISBN-13: 9780393321241
• ISBN-10: 039332124X
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Publication Date: November 17, 2000
• Number of Pages: 288
• Language: English
• Book Format: Paperback

Other Editions and Formats

While the primary focus is on the paperback edition with ISBN 9780393321241, here are some additional formats and ISBNs for reference:

• Digital and eTextbook ISBNs: 9780393077698 (available through VitalSource)
• eBook Price: $16.10 USD (available through VitalSource)

Related ISBNs:

• Digital Version: 9780393077698 (VitalSource)

Publication Details

• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Publication Date: November 17, 2000
• Number of Pages: 288
• Language: English

This detailed information section provides a quick reference for all the available formats and sources for Making Shapely Fiction, making it easier to find and access the book in the preferred format.

Table of Contents

What This Book Does and Why	xiii
Acknowledgments	xvii
PART I THE SHAPES OF FICTION
Facade	5	(3)
Juggling	8	(4)
Iceberg	12	(3)
Last Lap	15	(3)
Trauma	18	(3)
Specimen	21	(4)
Gathering	25	(2)
A Day in the Life	27	(3)
Onion	30	(3)
Journey	33	(4)
Visitation	37	(3)
Aha!	40	(5)
Bear at the Door	45	(3)
Snapshot	48	(3)
Blue Moon	51	(4)
Explosion	55	(6)
PART II A CAUTIONARY INTERLUDE
Write What You Know	61	(4)
Don't Do This: A Short Guide to What Not to Do	65	(14)
PART III FROM ACCURACY TO ZIGZAG: AN ALPHABET FOR WRITERS OF FICTION
Accuracy	79	(2)
Advice	81	(1)
Allegory	82	(1)
Allusion	83	(1)
Ambiguity	84	(1)
Anti-hero	85	(3)
Archetype	88	(1)
Atmosphere	89	(1)
Avant-garde	90	(1)
Bathos	91	(1)
Beginnings	92	(2)
Catharsis	94	(2)
Character	96	(4)
Cliche	100	(4)
Cliff-hanger	104	(1)
Coincidence	105	(1)
Comedy	106	(2)
Convention	108	(1)
Crisis	109	(1)
Description	110	(3)
Dialect	113	(1)
Dialogue	114	(6)
Diction	120	(1)
Didacticism	121	(1)
Documents/Diaries/Letters	122	(2)
Endings	124	(3)
Epigram	127	(1)
Epilogue	127	(1)
Epiphany	127	(1)
Episode	128	(1)
Exposition	129	(2)
Fable	131	(1)
Fairy Tale	131	(1)
Farce	132	(1)
Flashback	133	(1)
Formula	134	(1)
Frame Story	135	(2)
Freytag's Pyramid	137	(1)
Genre	138	(1)
Grotesque	139	(1)
Hero	139	(1)
Imagery	140	(2)
Imagination	142	(1)
Immediacy	143	(2)
Interior Monologue	145	(2)
Intrigant	147	(1)
Irony	148	(2)
Legend	150	(1)
Local Color	150	(2)
Melodrama	152	(1)
Metafiction	152	(1)
Metaphor and Simile	153	(1)
Mise-en-scene	154	(1)
Motif	155	(1)
Myth	156	(1)
Names	157	(2)
Narrative	159	(1)
Narrator	160	(3)
Naturalism	163	(2)
Negative Positive Knowledge	165	(1)
Novel	166	(2)
Objective Correlative	168	(1)
Parable	169	(1)
Parody	169	(2)
Pathetic Fallacy	171	(1)
Picaro	171	(1)
Places and Place Names	172	(2)
Plot	174	(3)
Poetic Justice	177	(1)
Point of View	178	(14)
Position	192	(3)
Premise	195	(2)
Profanity / Obscenity	197	(1)
Psychic Distance	198	(1)
Reading	199	(1)
Realism	200	(3)
Red Herring	203	(1)
Resolution	204	(1)
Revision	204	(2)
Roman a Clef	206	(1)
Romance	207	(2)
Satire	209	(2)
Scene	211	(1)
Science Fiction	212	(1)
Sentimentality	212	(2)
Sex	214	(1)
Short Novel	215	(1)
Short Story	216	(2)
Showing and Telling	218	(2)
Stereotype	220	(1)
Stories within Stories	221	(1)
Stream of Consciousness	222	(1)
Structure	223	(1)
Style	224	(8)
Subtlety	232	(1)
Suspense	233	(1)
Suspension of Disbelief	234	(1)
Symbolism	235	(2)
Tension	237	(2)
Texture	239	(1)
Theme	240	(1)
Title	241	(2)
Tour de Force	243	(1)
Transitions	243	(3)
Trust Your Material	246	(1)
Voice	247	(2)
Workshops	249	(5)
Zigzag	254
PART IV READABLES: WHERE TO LEARN MORE