Learn fiction writing from a master of the craft, the editor, teacher, and published author who in 1997 founded the z7 novel writer's workshop. Lessons on fiction writing include subjects applicable to all fiction writing, as well as lessons specifically taylored to novel writing or to short story writing. Each week more lessons, essays, and articles are added, so check back often. You can also sign up for our newsletter so you can be notified when new lessons and articles become available.

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Lessons presently available include articles in the following categories:

• General Fiction Writing Lessons,
• Novelist's Lessons,
• Short Story Writer's Lessons,

FICTION WRITING LESSONS

• Accomplished Fiction Writing
• Change and Growth in Characters: Is It Mandatory?
• A Critique is a Review by a Knowledgeable, Limited Audience
• Don't Contrive
• Don't Listen to Dummies
• Facing the Reality: You are a Writer
• The Fiction Writer's Life
• Finding Plot, Theme, and Story Through Character
• Finding Your True Voice and Style
• To Get Published, Compel Your Reader
• Stop with the Rules NEW
• What is a four space skip, and what is the difference between the four space skip and a section break in a fiction manuscript?
• What is Showing in Fiction? Suggestion, Inference, Evidence.
• Writing Real
• Write What You Know

UPCOMING FICTION WRITING LESSONS

• Substantial Basis Means Credibility Coupled with Logic & Cohesion
• POV, What Is It and How to Pick the Right One for Your Book or Story
• Believe in Your Own Dream
• Passion, the Critical Ingredient
• Fiction Has To Be Truer Than Life
• If You Insist on Contriving, Do It Right
• Is it a Book or a Short Story: How to Know
• Critical Transitions
• Passive and Active
• Theme, Plot, Story
• Character and Setting
• Successful Use of Omniscient POV
• Head-Hopping How-To
• Multiple POV's
• Multiple Plots
• Simultaneous Story
• Interlocking Elements
• CYOA Books
• Complications, What They Are and How to Build & Use Them
• Using Symbolism
• Like-a-Like-a-Like-a-NOT
• Shorter than a Novel, Longer Than a Short
• Writing it Your Way

NOVELIST'S WRITING LESSONS

• Building Blocks of Fiction Yield Author Tools NEW
• Dealing with Problem Novel Manuscripts
• The End Begets the Beginning which Begets the Story Itself NEW
• The Epic Series, How to Plan and Write One, part 1
• The Epic Series, How to Plan and Write One, part 2
• Fast Novel Manuscript Preparation When You're in a Panic
• Having Lost the Thread of Your Story, Finding Your Story Again
• How to Write a Two-Page Novel Synopsis
• A Novelist's Program for Success
• Out of Chaos, a Novel is Born
• Story Catalyst Verses Book Beginning NEW
• What is a Chapter?

UPCOMING NOVELIST'S WRITING LESSONS

• Plot Mapping
• Basic Novel Plot Mapping
• Plotting the Novel: Creating the Detailed Plot Map
• Scene Maps & Synopses
• Outline It
• The Prologue
• The Epilogue
• Epic Series & How to Plan and Write One
• Writing the Epic Series, Part 3
• Writing the Epic Series, Part 4
• Writing the Epic Series, Part 5
• Writing a Series, How to Set It Up Right From the Start
• How to Write an Episodic Novel
• Every Book's a Series Starter
• How to Write a Blurb
• The Scene-by-Scene Synopsis
• The Chapter-by-Chapter Synopsis or Book Outline
• Writing The Novel
• The Draft
• The Rewrite, Second Draft, and Edit
• When You Get Stuck
• Finalling Your Manuscript
• Getting Feedback on Your Novel and What To Do With It

SHORT STORY WRITER'S LESSONS

• A Short Story Writer's Program for Success

UPCOMING SHORT STORY LESSONS

• Born of Inspiration, Fueled by Energy
• Taking a Scene from a Book and Selling It as a Short Story
• Every Story Has a Book Inside It
• How to Write an Episodic Anthology of Short Stories
• Getting Feedback on Your Short Story and What To Do With It

Benefits of Joining

Access to all lessons, plus access to both editors, zentao and womblin, to whom you may pose questions.

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FICTION WRITER'S RESOURCES

FWW editors critique you

AAR Literary Agents

Preditors & Editors

Ms. Snark

SlushPile.net

The Editorial Department ($2/pg) & will fix your mss

20 Worst Agencies

ONLINE FICTION

The Atlantic Monthly

The Deepening

The New Yorker