By M. Graae

We recently discussed the elements of fiction writing. These are the basic concepts, such as characterization, plot and setting, which allow a writer to form and create the “big picture” of a novel. If you master nothing else about fiction writing but the elements, you could be able to write a novel, but you will probably run into difficulties in terms of execution. The conventions of fiction writing provide techniques for handling the elements and crafting them into a novel.

It is a simple fact that certain writing techniques are very helpful in the development of specific elements of the novel, and many writers have put these techniques to good use. The skillful use of these techniques—the conventions – allows writers to eliminate trite or derivative approaches to fiction and make their writing more accessible and engaging to their readers.

If you are hopelessly lost, consider this: The conventions of fiction are to elements as training is to a beautiful young horse. The horse has a great deal of potential for becoming a wonderful source of pleasure and pride, but without training, you cannot ride it, drive it, show it, jump it, or even transport it. Just as training allows you to get the maximum from a horse, conventions allow you to make the most of the elements.

Again, the conventions of fiction writing are:
Point of View (POV)
Plotting techniques (pressure, suspense, drama, parallel structure)
Scenes and transitions
Dialogue and narrative
Gingerbread (frames, flashbacks, prologues, epilogues and similar techniques)
Imagery

By far and away the most perplexing, confusing, and bewildering convention of the lot is point of view. (If learning to write is a journey, then POV is the necessary but frustrating roadmap.) Some students of writing catch on to POV immediately after it is explained; these writers don’t get what the big hue and cry about POV is all about. Others never quite understand what POV entails or how it is used in crafting a novel. Handling POV well does not ensure a successful novel; however, if point of view is not consistent in your writing, or even worse, if it is ignored entirely, chances are that nothing else in your novel will function well, and at best it will be hard to read.

So…what is this magic, elusive Pretty Odd Varmint? POV means what its name says: a viewpoint, or a specific perspective or angle of observation. Since a novel is basically a story, then it stands to reason that someone must be observing and reacting to the characters and action in the story. This observing character is the POV character, and is often the main character.

Events – in life or fiction – take on different meanings to the different people
involved in them. Each person will have different feelings and reactions to the event, and therefore a different perspective on it. This is the basic idea behind the concept of POV. Imagine a scene in which an attractive female employee and her male boss are in his office, discussing some facet of their work. In rushes the boss’s jealous wife, accusing them -- erroneously, it turns out -- of having an affair. All three people will have vastly different perspectives on this event. The employee is likely to be embarrassed, but perhaps also shocked and even angry. The wife is exhibiting one or more of various stages of fury. She may be out of control, or she may be sarcastic and accusatory. She may even, after a few moments, realize that she is mistaken, but is too proud to give in to the obvious. The boss may be calmer; he’s probably fielded this situation before and may be intent on reassuring or placating his wife so he can get on with his job…which indeed may be more important to him than her dramatics.

Every day we see things from different people’s perspectives. We feel sorry for the child being scolded in public by his mother…but we can certainly appreciate a parent’s frustration. We can view events from many different angles, and each view produces a different interpretation, a new “side of the story.”

A fiction writer takes advantage of this common experience by writing a story or novel from the point of view of a specific character, or several characters, or even an omniscient narrator who often isn’t even part of the story. Point of view is often used to develop a character, but can also be used to enhance setting and develop the plot. It is also a magic mirror that reveals the point of view character’s thoughts, emotions, hopes, dreams, fears, and much, much more. An effective point of view allows the writer to examine the innermost workings of a character’s mind. If you wish to reveal a character’s thoughts, and you are not using a consistent, constructive POV, then you’ll find yourself intruding in your own novel, telling the reader what your character thinks. This is a flaw called “authorial intrusion” or “author intrusion.”

Here are some questions to ask yourself as you think about point of view and how it can be used to investigate the inner workings of the mind:

•What motivates your characters? Sex? Love? Revenge? Survival? Are your characters’ actions rising naturally from their motivations?

•How do your characters react to events? Are they impetuous…or deliberate? What is the level of their self-esteem?

•Are your characters’ feelings and reactions appropriate to events? How would they react if they were under maximum stress from, say, the news that their best friend had just died?

•Are your characters reflective? Do they frequently remember people and events from their childhood? Do certain topics or people rouse certain feelings in them?

•How do they express strong emotions? Do they punch a hole in a wall…or do they keep their feelings at bay?

(Whew! See? There’s a lot to this whole “POV” thing!)
The Writer’s Journey will continue next time with more explorations into point of view and an examination of the three basic narrative formats.

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By M. Graae

It’s been said that “everyone has a book in him,” and when journalists get together, they joke about “having half a novel tucked away in my desk at work. One of these days….” The truth is, very few people will ever write a novel, and fewer still will write a novel that is marketable. It is a rare breed indeed that actually creates a novel that is eventually published and achieves any degree of success. Why is that the case? What makes a serious writer different from everyone else who wants to write a novel? What is the first step in becoming that serious writer?

Virtually no one would attempt to build a house without first learning basic carpentry and architectural skills. Then why is it that so many people attempt to write a novel without learning the craft of novel-writing, or without even knowing what a novel is? Perhaps this question has no rational answer, but it does underline the first step in the novel-writing process: Realizing that fiction writing is a craft, and as such it requires skills that must be learned. (The actual writing of a novel is one of the more advanced stages in the process.)

When we say “the craft of writing” we mean all the techniques that combine to create a novel, which is no less than a long, fictional, dramatic written narrative depicting some aspect of the lives of fictional people. In other words, the “craft” is the “what” and the “how” of the novel, and we have to know what parts compose something, and how they are assembled, before we can create that something. This is as true of a novel as it is of your sister’s amazing cherry pie or your brother’s sure-fire fishing lures. The writer’s creativity, imagination, language skills and vocabulary, in conjunction with his or her knowledge of the craft of fiction writing, ultimately combine to result in an effective novel. It is nothing short of alchemy, and yet it is possible.

Recognizing that writing is a craft requires that a fledgling writer must realize that a novel is composed of certain elements, which are in turn manipulated through a set of conventions. (Of course, when one achieves mastery of these elements and conventions, one is then free to experiment, which can result in novels that are anything but traditional. The key word here is “mastery.”) The elements of a novel, that is, the basics that must be thoroughly studied and understood before one seriously attempts to write a novel, include a fully developed main character, somewhat developed secondary characters, a plot and usually subplots, setting and sequence, theme, voice and tone. Most beginning writers will spend a lot of time practicing these elements, writing many a short story or vignette in order to hone their writing skills in these areas. Even more difficult to identify and learn are the writing skills associated with the conventions of writing. These are the techniques a writer uses to achieve certain aspects of the novel that simulate real life…even in a fantasy. To have some concept of the craft of writing, one must understand that a novelist, among other things, attempts to: bring characters to life; present events through a character’s perspective, or point of view; create forward motion in the plot; render dialogue believable; integrate dialogue with narrative; vary the pace of the novel; craft effective scenes; create, for the reader, the sense of “being there,” and other goals too numerous to mention here. Writing a novel is a big undertaking, which requires a writer to bring together many threads in order to produce a beautiful, well-constructed fabric of dreams.

Notice that we have not even yet mentioned the phrase, “an idea for a novel.” As a practical matter, the concept of “novel,” and all the skills necessary to produce it, must come first. Beginning writers might consider jotting down ideas for novels in a notebook or journal. These ideas may become powerful catalysts for creating a novel as a writer becomes familiar with the daunting task of understanding, learning…and honoring…the craft of writing.

2. Learning the Basic Skills of Fiction Writing (The Elements)

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