Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft

by Burroway, Janet

• ISBN13: 9780321026897
• ISBN10: 0321026896
• Edition: 5th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-07-01
• Publisher: Prentice Hall

Summary

This comprehensive, informal, practical guide/anthology approaches the elements of fiction from the writer's point of view. Writing Fiction, 5/e, includes freewriting to revision, addressing how writers must work through problems in plot, style, characterization, dialogue, atmosphere, imagery, and point of view to write exciting and fresh stories. The tone of this market-leading text is non-prescriptive and personal, helping students feel comfortable with themselves and their writing.

Table of Contents

Preface	xi
Whatever Works: The Writing Process	1	(26)
Get Started	3	(10)
Journal Keeping	3	(1)
Freewriting	4	(1)
Clustering	5	(3)
The Computer	8	(1)
The Critic: A Caution	8	(1)
Choosing a Subject	9	(4)
Keep Going	13	(2)
A Word about Theme	15	(11)
``Shitty First Drafts''	16	(3)
Anne Lamott
From ``The Writing Life''	19	(7)
Annie Dillard
Writing Assignments	26	(1)
The Tower and the Net: Story Form and Structure	27	(26)
Conflict, Crisis, and Resolution	29	(4)
Connection and Disconnection	33	(2)
Story Form as a Check Mark	35	(4)
Story and Plot	39	(2)
The Short Story and the Novel	41	(11)
``The Use of Force''	42	(4)
William Carlos Williams
``How Far She Went''	46	(6)
Mary Hood
Writing Assignments	52	(1)
Seeing is Believing: Showing and Telling	53	(41)
Significant Detail	54	(5)
Filtering	59	(2)
The Active Voice	61	(2)
Prose Rhythm	63	(3)
Mechanics	66	(26)
``The Things They Carried''	67	(13)
Tim O'Brien
``Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?''	80	(12)
Joyce Carol Oates
Retrospect	92	(1)
Writing Assignments	92	(2)
Book People: Characterization, Part I	94	(33)
Credibility	97	(2)
Purpose	99	(1)
Complexity	100	(2)
The Indirect Method of Character Presentation: Authorial Interpretation	102	(2)
The Direct Methods of Character Presentation	104	(21)
Appearance	104	(2)
Action	106	(3)
``The Enormous Radio''	109	(8)
John Cheever
``Yours''	117	(2)
Mary Robison
``The Only Traffic Signal on the Reservation Doesn't Flash Red Anymore''	119	(6)
Sherman Alexie
Retrospect	125	(1)
Writing Assignments	125	(2)
The Flesh Made Word: Characterization, Part II	127	(40)
The Direct Methods of Character Presentation (Continued)	128	(16)
Speech	128	(7)
Format and Style	135	(3)
Thought	138	(1)
Conflict Between Methods of Presentation	139	(4)
Creating a Group or Crowd	143	(1)
Character: A Summary	144	(21)
``Girls at War''	145	(11)
Chinua Achebe
``Saint Marie''	156	(9)
Louise Erdrich
Retrospect	165	(1)
Writing Assignments	165	(2)
Long Ago and Far Away: Fictional Place and Time	167	(29)
Setting and Atmosphere	169	(9)
Harmony and Conflict between Character and Background	170	(1)
Symbolic and Suggestive Setting	171	(4)
Alien and Familiar Setting	175	(1)
An Exercise in Setting	176	(2)
Some Aspects of Narrative Time	178	(16)
Summary and Scene	178	(4)
Flashback	182	(1)
Slow Motion	183	(2)
``A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings''	185	(5)
Gabriel Garcia Marquez
``Bullet in the Brain''	190	(4)
Tobias Wolff
Retrospect	194	(1)
Writing Assignments	194	(2)
Call Me Ishmael: Point of View, Part I	196	(39)
Who Speaks?	197	(8)
Third Person	197	(5)
Second Person	202	(2)
First Person	204	(1)
To Whom?	205	(6)
The Reader	206	(1)
Another Character	207	(1)
The Self	208	(3)
In What Form?	211	(22)
``Girl''	213	(2)
Jamaica Kincaid
``Hips''	215	(2)
Sandra Cisneros
``Royal Beatings''	217	(16)
Alice Munro
Retrospect	233	(1)
Writing Assignments	234	(1)
Assorted Liars: Point of View, Part II	235	(33)
At What Distance?	235	(8)
Spatial and Temporal Distance	237	(3)
Intangible Distance	240	(3)
With What Limitations?	243	(23)
The Unreliable Narrator	244	(1)
An Exercise in Unreliability	245	(2)
Unreliability in Other Viewpoints	247	(1)
``Gryphon''	248	(13)
Charles Baxter
``Jealous Husband Returns in Form of Parrot''	261	(5)
Robert Olen Butler
Retrospect	266	(1)
Writing Assignments	266	(2)
Is and is Not: Comparison	268	(35)
Types of Metaphor and Simile	269	(4)
Metaphoric Faults to Avoid	273	(7)
Allegory	277	(1)
Symbol	278	(2)
The Objective Correlative	280	(21)
``San''	282	(8)
Lan Samantha Chang
``The Falling Girl''	290	(4)
Dino Buzzati
``Menagerie''	294	(7)
Charles Johnson
Retrospect	301	(1)
Writing Assignments	301	(2)
I Gotta Use Words When I Talk to You: Theme	303	(29)
Idea and Morality in Theme	304	(3)
How Fictional Elements Contribute to Theme	307	(2)
``A Man Told Me the Story of His Life''	307	(2)
Grace Paley
Developing Theme as You Write	309	(20)
``Ralph the Duck''	313	(11)
Frederick Busch
``Ad Infinitum: A Short Story''	324	(5)
John Barth
Retrospect	329	(1)
Writing Assignments	330	(2)
Play It Again, Sam: Revision	332	(35)
Worry It and Walk Away	333	(2)
Criticism	335	(1)
Revision Questions	336	(1)
An Example of the Revision Process	337	(29)
``Wanting to Fly''	342	(2)
Stephen Dunning
``The Bath''	344	(5)
Raymond Carver
``A Small, Good Thing''	349	(17)
Raymond Carver
Retrospect	366	(1)
Writing Assignments	366	(1)
Appendix A: Kinds of Fiction	367	(4)
Appendix B: Suggestions for Further Reading	371	(6)
Credits	377	(1)
Index	378