Includes index

Preface -- Whatever works: the writing process -- Seeing is believing: showing and telling -- Building character: characterization, part I -- The flesh made word: characterization, part II -- Long ago and far away: fictional setting -- The tower and the net: plot and structure -- Call me Ishmael: point of view -- Is and is not: comparison -- Play it again, Sam: revision and theme

A creative writer's shelf should hold at least three essential books: a dictionary, a style guide, and Writing Fiction. Janet Burroway's best-selling classic is the most widely used creative writing text in America, and for more than three decades it has helped hundreds of thousands of students learn the craft. Now in its tenth edition, Writing Fiction is more accessible than ever for writers of all levels-inside or outside the classroom. This new edition continues to provide advice that is practical, comprehensive, and flexible. Burroway's tone is personal and nonprescriptive, welcoming learning writers into the community of practiced storytellers. Moving from freewriting to final revision, the book addresses "showing not telling," characterization, dialogue, atmosphere, plot, imagery, and point of view. It includes new topics and writing prompts, and each chapter now ends with a list of recommended readings that exemplify the craft elements discussed, allowing for further study. And the examples and quotations throughout the book feature a wide and diverse range of today's best and best-known creators of both novels and short stories