Read Like A Writer

There are two ways to learn how to write fiction: by reading it and by writing it. Yes, you can learn lots about writing stories in workshops, in writing classes and writing groups, at writers' conferences. You can learn technique and process by reading the dozens of books like this one on fiction writing and by reading articles in writers' magazines. But the best teachers of fiction are the great works of fiction themselves. You can learn more about the structure of a short story by reading Anton Chekhov's 'Heartache' than you can in a semester of Creative Writing 101. If you read like a writer, that is, which means you have to read everything twice, at least. When you read a story or novel the first time, just let it happen. Enjoy the journey. When you've finished, you know where the story took you, and now you can go back and reread, and this time notice how the writer reached that destination. Notice the choices he made at each chapter, each sentence, each word. (Every word is a choice.) You see now how the transitions work, how a character gets across a room. All this time you're learning. You loved the central character in the story, and now you can see how the writer presented the character and rendered her worthy of your love and attention. The first reading is creative—you collaborate with the writer in making the story. The second reading is critical.


John Dufresne, from his book, The Lie That Tells A Truth: A Guide to Writing Fiction

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Thursday, July 14, 2022

Art in Short Story Narration: A Practical Treatise by Henry Albert Phillips

Art in Short Story Narration, A Practical Treatise by Henry Albert Phillips

Art in Short Story Narration

A Practical Treatise

 

by Henry Albert Phillips

 

 A Searching Analysis of the Qualifications of Fiction in General, and of the Short Story in Particular, with Copious Examples, Making the Work A PRACTICAL TREATISE.
 

CONTENTS


Introduction vii

Foreword xi

CHAPTER PAGE

I Art and Technique 15

Symbols; Six Mediums; Sphere of the Creator; Significance of Repression.

II Literature and Life 24

The Fiction Deluge; Producer vs. Consumer; to Amuse or to Entertain.

III The Artistry of Narration ... 30

Enter Art; What is Demanded; Essentials; Movement and Action; Vividness.

IV The Short Story 36

Cooperation; Isolation; Selection.

V Fact Versus Fiction 41

Taste vs. Truth; Romance and Realism; the True Story; the Improbable and the Impossible.

VI lUFRESSION AND EXPRESSION .... 48

Personal Equation; Reality; Visualizing; the Writer's Ultimate Aim.

VII The Potency of Suggestion ... 53
Re-Creation; Color Values; Association and Relationships; Figurative Language.

VIII Beauty and Embelushment ... 59
Esthetics; Figures; Taste; Revealment; Imagery; the Artist's Vision.

IX The Appeal That Creates Interest . 66
Entertainment; Sympathy and Tolerance; Plausibility; Four Stages in Development of Interest.

X The Psychology of Emohon ... 72
Mood; Feeling; Passion; Eloquence; Pathos.

XI The Scope of Imagination .... 78
Glamor; Fantasy; the Artist's Right to Fame.

XII The Power of Motive 85

Theme; Morals; Unique Power of the Artist; Sermons; the Unconscious Motive.

XIII The Influence of Atmosphere . . 93

Color of Medium; Metaphor; Atmosphere as an Abstract Quality; Two Aspects.

XIV The Charm of Harmony .... 102

Unity; Organism vs. Organization; Color; Harmony of Plot and Theme; Tone Effects.

XV The Human Element 11 1

Life; Characters; Human Interest; Heart Interest and Story Interest; Naturalness.

XVI The Dramatic Spark 118

Contrasts ; Tragedy ; Melodrama ; Suspense; Drama and Literature.

XVII The Temper op Love 124

Details ad Nauseam; Romance and Love; Illicit Love; the Incomparable Theme.

XVIII The Poignancy of Effect . . . . 130
Climax ; Vividness ; Plausibility ; Art for Art's Sake; to Win Fame; When All is Said and Done.

XIX A Study in Analysis 136

A Short Story, "Sacrifice," Dissected With a View to Art in its Narration.


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