The more I learn about writing fiction, the more I realize how complicated and challenging it can be to tell an interesting story. A quote from Ernest Hemingway gives me some comfort, "We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master."
Most of what I've learned about writing has been by studying how-to books about fiction. I'm grateful to authors who have taken time to study the craft and then share their knowledge through fiction-writing seminars, articles, and books. I've reviewed many of the books I have studied over the years, and I've posted the reviews on my blog and at Helium.com.
I've noticed that, although most fiction-writing books offer useful insight into the craft, no one book has all the answers. Some books offer advice that conflicts with recommendations in others. And some advice is more confusing than helpful. In an effort to help others better understand the craft of fiction-writing, I've written a series of articles on the subject of fiction-writing and have posted them on my blog and at Helium.com.
To view a list of my articles and book reviews, just scroll down this page. Categories include:
Young-adult fiction
Fundamentals of fiction
Fiction-writing: a learning process
Reviews of books about writing fiction
Happy Writing,
Mike Klaassen
YOUNG-ADULT FICTION
YOUNG-ADULT FICTION: What Makes a Great Novel for Boys?
http://www.helium.com/tm/772208/young-adult-fiction-makes
VIOLENCE IN YOUNG-ADULT FICTION: Acceptable, Beneficial, or Inexcusable?
http://www.helium.com/tm/347575/violence-childrens-fiction-think
CUSS, CURSE, OR CLEAN IT UP: How Much, if Any, Profanity to Use in Young-Adult Fiction
http://www.helium.com/tm/197281/curse-clean-uphow-profanity
FUNDAMENTALS OF FICTION
THE FIFTH ELEMENT: The "Other Stuff" of Fiction
http://www.helium.com/tm/197298/fifth-element-other-stuff
FICTION-WRITING SCHIZOPHRENIA: The Relationship Between Author, Narrator, Character, and Reader
http://www.helium.com/tm/197356/fiction-writing-schizophrenia-relationship
SCENE & SEQUEL: The Ebb and Flow of Fiction
http://www.helium.com/tm/197378/scene-sequel-fictionscene-sequel
FICTION-WRITING MODES: The Tools of a Novelist
http://www.helium.com/tm/197336/fiction-writing-modes-tools
SUMMARIZATION: An Unfairly Maligned Fiction-Writing Mode
http://www.helium.com/tm/558240/summarization-unfairly-maligned-fiction
INTROSPECTION: The Thinking Mode of Fiction-Writing
http://www.helium.com/tm/624520/introspection-thinking-fiction-writingintrospection
FICTION-WRITING: How to Write Your Character's Thoughts
http://www.helium.com/tm/614947/mechanics-introspection-fiction-writing
FICTION-WRITING: How to Portray Your Character's Perception of the Senses
NARRATION AS A FICTION-WRITING MODE
FICTION-WRITING: A Learning Process
The Next Great American Novel
http://www.helium.com/tm/341138/great-american-novelso-write
FICTION-WRITING BOOKS: Gold Mine or Slag Heap?
http://www.helium.com/tm/281407/fiction-writing-books-heapcritics
CRITIQUE GROUPS: Boon or Bane?
http://www.helium.com/tm/259765/critique-groups-banefrom-wonder
BLANK PAGE TO PUBLICATION: One Writer's Experience
http://www.helium.com/tm/249438/blank-publication-writers-experiencemy
THE BEST BOOKS ABOUT WRITING FICTION
http://www.helium.com/tm/233722/books-about-writing-fiction
The Importance of Self-Editing Fiction
http://www.helium.com/tm/197407/importance-editing-fictionaccording-renni
REVIEWS OF BOOKS ABOUT WRITING FICTION (in alphabetic order by title)
BETWEEN THE LINES: Master the Subtle Elements of Fiction, by Jessica Page Morrell
http://www.helium.com/tm/197463/review-between-lines-master
BY CUNNING & CRAFT, by Peter Selgin
http://www.helium.com/tm/517956/peter-selgins-cunning-craft
CHARACTERS, EMOTION, & VIEWPOINT: Techniques and Exercises for Crafting Dynamic Characters and Effective Viewpoints, by Nancy Kress
http://www.helium.com/tm/209275/review-characters-emotion-viewpoint
DARE TO BE A GREAT WRITER: 329 Keys to Powerful Fiction, by Leonard Bishop
http://www.helium.com/tm/214249/review-great-writer-powerful
DESCRIPTION & SETTING, by Ron Rozelle
http://www.helium.com/tm/209258/review-description-setting-rozelle
DIALOGUE: Techniques and Exercises for Crafting Effective Dialogue, by Gloria Kempton
http://www.helium.com/tm/209267/review-dialogue-techniques-exercises
FICTION FIRST AID: Instant Remedies for Novels, Stories, and Scripts, by Raymond Obstfeld
http://www.helium.com/tm/209348/review-fiction-first-instant
FINDING YOUR VOICE: How to Put Personality in Your Writing, by Les Edgerton
http://www.helium.com/tm/197480/review-finding-voice-personality
FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS: A Novel Writer's System for Building a Complete and Cohesive Manuscript, by Karen Wiesner
http://www.helium.com/tm/198677/review-first-draft-novel
HOOKED: Write Fiction That Grabs Readers at Page One and Never Lets Them Go, by Les Edgerton
http://www.helium.com/tm/690865/books-about-fiction-writing
HOW I WRITE: Secrets of a Bestselling Author, by Janet Evanovich
http://www.helium.com/tm/381942/blasthow-write-janet-evanovich
HOW TO WRITE AND SELL HISTORICAL FICTION, by Persia Woolsey
http://www.helium.com/tm/238597/review-write-historical-fiction
LESSONS FROM A LIFETIME OF WRITING, by David Morrell
http://www.helium.com/tm/334227/fascinating-informativelessons-lifetime-writing
NOVELIST'S BOOT CAMP: 101 Ways to Take Your Book from Boring to Bestseller, by Todd A. Stone
http://www.helium.com/tm/197494/review-novelists-boring-bestseller
PLOT & STRUCTURE: Techniques and Exercises for Crafting a Plot That Grips Readers from Start to Finish, by James Scott Bell
http://www.helium.com/tm/209201/review-structure-techniques-exercises
ROBERT'S RULES OF WRITING: 101 Unconventional Lessons Every Writer Needs to Know, by Robert Mosello
http://www.helium.com/tm/202633/witty-refreshing-scrambled-format
SCENE & STRUCTURE: How to Construct Fiction with Scene-by-Scene Flow, Logic and Readability, by Jack M. Bickham
http://www.helium.com/tm/197505/review-scene-structure-construct
SELF-EDITING FOR FICTION WRITERS, by Renni Brown and Dave King
http://www.helium.com/tm/238223/review-ofself-editing-fiction
TEACH YOURSELF: Writing a Novel, by Nigel Watts
http://www.helium.com/tm/229807/review-ofteach-yourself-writing
THE MARSHALL PLAN FOR GETTING YOUR NOVEL PUBLISHED: 90 Strategies and Techniques for Selling Your Fiction, by Evan Marshall
http://www.helium.com/tm/226410/review-marshall-getting-novel
THE MARSHALL PLAN FOR NOVEL WRITING, by Evan Marshall
http://www.helium.com/tm/197471/review-ofthe-marshall-novel
WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL, by Donald Maass
http://www.helium.com/tm/214371/review-writing-breakout-novelby
20 MASTER PLOTS (And How to Build Them), by Ronald B. Tobias
http://www.helium.com/tm/228001/review-master-plots-build
45 MASTER CHARACTERS: Mythic Models for Creating Original Characters, by Victoria Lynn Schmidt
http://www.helium.com/tm/214287/review-master-characters-mythic
REVIEWS OF BOOKS ABOUT GRAMMAR, PUNCTUATION, AND STYLE
EATS, SHOOTS & LEAVES: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation, by Lynne Truss
http://www.helium.com/tm/198735/shoots-leaves-tolerance-approach
ON WRITING WELL: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction, by William Zinsser
http://www.helium.com/tm/336739/writing-william-zinsser-meant
THE SOUND ON THE PAGE: Great Writers Talk About Style and Voice in Writing, by Ben Yagoda
http://www.helium.com/tm/229869/review-sound-great-writers
The Writer's Digest GRAMMAR DESK REFERENCED, by Gary Lutz and Diane Stevenson
http://www.helium.com/tm/197239/review-writers-digest-grammar