I just finished Janet Burroway’s Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft, 10th edition, and here are some takeaways:
“Most writing is done between the mind and the hand, not between the hand and the page.”
“Keep the journal regularly, at least at first. It doesn’t matter what you write and it doesn’t matter very much how much, but it does matter that you make a steady habit of the writing.”
“The mystique and the false glamour of the writing profession grow partly out of a mistaken belief that people who can express profound ideas and emotions have ideas and emotions more profound than the rest of us. It isn’t so. The ability to express is a special gift with a special craft to support it and is spread fairly equally among the profound, the shallow, and the mediocre.”
“Specific, definite, concrete, particular details—these are the life of fiction. Details (as every good liar knows) are the stuff of persuasiveness.”
“Don’t dread. Do.”
Burroway provides plenty of writing craft concepts and expands them with examples from well-known authors. At the end of each chapter, she provides a list of short stories and writing prompts for further development. I’m already planning on going back over my notes and doing some of the writing exercises.
Friday’s Findings:
- Fiction University: 5 Common Problems With Middles (janicehardy.com)
- Why You Should Ditch Character Profiles | by Margery Bayne | May, 2024 | The Writing Cooperative
- A 5 Step Process to Refine Your Story Premise (thewritepractice.com)
- The Most Potent Little Gadget In Your Writer’s Toolbox | Killzoneblog.com
- What is the Climax of a Story? Examples & Tips (reedsy.com)
Photo by Vikash Singh: https://www.pexels.com/photo/beautiful-landscape-in-suru-valley-ladakh-18002557/
Andrew M. Friday 
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