Fiction Writing Tips

I read somewhere that each of us has a story to tell. In our life we go through so many different phases, feel a plethora of emotions, see so many incidents - both happy as well as unhappy, taking place around us that subconsciously we all collect and save them in our memories. Some people never realize that they have so much in them while others very beautifully bring it forth by way of some creative medium, such as singing, dancing, acting or writing.

Fiction writing, just like any other art form, becomes perfect with practice. Your grasp of the language as well as how creatively you are able to put your point across, determines your success with it. Still, there are some basic writing tips which every aspiring writer should be aware of so that he is able to bring out his best in writing.

Components of the Story
There are in all six components of a story. A fiction writer needs to work on each of them in order to develop the story fully. These components are - the main plot, the theme of the story, characters of the story, the setting i.e. time and place where the story takes place, the dialogs spoken by characters and the point of view of the narrator with regards to the characters and events taking place in the story.

Developing a Style of Writing
Develop a style of writing of your own. The use of language and the choice of words should be solely dependent on the demands of the story. Sometimes it happens that a new writer uses a lot of long, heavy-duty words just to show off his vocabulary. This is a strict no-no. Be concise, concrete and specific while writing as the readers tend to enjoy such a style of writing more.

Recreating...not Retelling
Let your imagination go far and wide. The story and writing style should be such that the entire scene is recreated in the mind of the reader as if it is something real. At no point a reader should feel that he is reading something unreal. The language should be used so creatively that the reader is actually able to visualize the whole scene in his mind.

The Opening Page
The first paragraph or the first page of a fiction novel should be written in the most interesting manner. Preferably, it should surprise the reader or make him think. Many a time, if the reader does not find the beginning compelling enough, he tends to discard the novel. So write the first page with a lot of creativity and imagination.

Authenticity
Another tip for fiction writing is to be authentic when giving out technical details or descriptions. The writers should cross check all facts before including them in their story, cause if at any point, the readers detect that the author has given some wrong or false information, they can be put off or feel offended by it.

Revision
At the end of writing any story or book, revise it a number of times to see if anything is missing or if anything needs to be changed or modified, before finally submitting it to a publisher. A good idea here is to ask a fellow writer whom you know personally or a friend to proofread it for you.

Here's hoping that these fiction writing tips come handy to all aspiring writers when they set out to write. You can even consider taking up some exercises such as building stories around writing prompts to brush up your skills. In the end, it can be said that just like creativity cannot be defined or captured in closed quarters, writing too is not bound by any hard and fast rules. So write what you believe in, the way you think will bring out the essence of the story as well as the personality of the characters in the most lucid way, without bothering much about the rules!