The Language of Fiction - 9781611683301

In the world of prose, writing fiction has its own sets of rules, norms, and worries. In addition to developing plot and characters, a fiction writer must also make decisions about such things as what tense best suits a narrative, how to punctuate and attribute dialogue, and whether to phonetically construct speech dialects.

Informal and engaging in tone, The Language of Fiction guides professional writers and students alike through the fiction-writing process. While many books that deal with fiction writing explore content-based issues such as characterization, setting, and plot, this unique new stylebook by author and writing instructor Brian Shawver focuses exclusively on language and how it is used in fiction.

Beginning with stylistic decisions relating to tenses, dialogue, and thought, Shawver moves on to fundamentals of language, such as the proper use of the past-perfect tense and objective and subjective pronouns, questions of proper diction, and modifying participial phrases. He then explores the many nuances of punctuation as used in fiction. He provides a final section on common errors in fiction writing and how to avoid them. The Language of Fiction is a vital addition to every writer's reference bookshelf and an essential tool in any fiction classroom or workshop.