Introduction to Writing Fiction Step by Step

I'm going to be taking a crack at fiction writing and posting it here on my blog. I make no guarantee that I am any good at it, but this is for practice and hopefully your enjoyment. Josip Novakovich's (pictured at left) writing exercise book Writing Fiction Step by Step has been on my bookcase for at least five years now. It's time I actually looked at it and gave it a shot. You can get Writing Fiction Step by Step used from Amazon.com for pretty reasonable. Right now it looks like a used copy only costs about $.50.

Writing Fiction Step by Step is set up in fourteen chapters, with exercises at the end of each chapter. Each chapter covers a different aspect of writing. For example, chapter two covers character, chapter eight, scene and so on.

Today I'm going to write about his advice in the introduction. Novakovich advises that practice is incredibly important for the art of writing. That is why he has written his book based on exercises to refine a writer's craft. He suggests that a writer may be able to connect the products of these exercises into a larger work of fiction. To get the most from the book, the writer should read and think about what Novakovich says in the related chapter, and try to apply what he or she has learned. Next post I will be tackling the first chapter: Ideas for Fiction. Wish me luck!

Novakovich, Josip. Writing Fiction Step by Step. Cincinnati, Ohio: Story Press, 1998. Print.