Basic Fiction Writing Tips

Usually, I refrain from writing about “Fiction writing” techniques, tricks and tips. There are much better blogs/articles already floating in the cyber world. Nonetheless, the temptation this time around was too strong to resist. Moreover, I had to kill the demon called procrastination. This blog helped me do that!

Mentioned below are few important pointers for budding writers.

– Compelling Story –

“Fictional Story” is a piece of made-up tale that is presented through films, recitation or written words, and that too in the most compelling manner. It is a series of occurrences which have not taken place. However, many fictional stories are triggered by real-life incidents. These events are then stretched and moulded to take shape of a fabricated narrative. An enthralling story should have the following elements – goal/s, conflict/s, struggle/s, failure/s and success ( Optional ).

Most stories follow the three act structure ( Setup – Confrontation – Resolution ).

– Real Life Characters –

Whether it is a protagonist or an antagonist, readers should instantly connect with them. Typically, a protagonist is an entity who is not a superhero but an ordinary human being ( Genre dependent ). He/she has the same aspirations, conflicts and problem solving skills like any other person next door ( Genre dependent ). The protagonist’s physical and behavioural attributes need to be defined through scenes and actions so that the reader knows his/her weaknesses and strengths at the very outset.

– Persuasive & Engaging Scenes –

Look around! People are involved in romance, gossip, chat/debate and assorted battles. This could happen on the road, in a café, library or in a shopping mall. Capturing them in the story is a great way to build engaging scenes. It allows readers to get under the skin of the protagonist. So, when the protagonist finally triumphs, it invariably brings a smile or even tears in the eyes of the readers. It should be the reader’s coup and not just the protagonist’s victory. A persuasive scene takes a reader on an emotional roller coaster ride.

– Authentic Character Driven Dialogues –

Natural sounding dialogues make the reading process a breezy affair. However, it should match with the character’s traits or personality attributes which are defined early on. Is the character from a different culture, background, country? Is this personality educated or simply a street bum? Need a tip here. Read the dialogues loudly. Do they sound convincing, believable? Yes, then you have hit the bull’s eye.