Fiction Writing Q&A
This is the place to come with any fiction writing questions you might have.
Ideally, the information here at Novel Writing Help would be so comprehensive that there wouldn't be a single thing about writing fiction that you didn't understand.
Meantime in the real world, things don't work out like that.
So if you need a nudge in the right direction right now, simply ask a question about any aspect of writing fiction that you like and I will get back to you in a few days.
Previous Fiction Writing Questions
(Click the links to read the answers)
A Question About 1st Person Point of View
"In 1st person point of view, what is the best way to describe the main character's physical appearance?"
Overwhelmed By the Writing Process?
"The thing that struck me most about your Novel Writing Process is there is so much to think about! Everything you said makes perfect sense but it makes my head spin too. Part of me wants to ignore it all and just WRITE! Any advice?"
Creating Character Profiles
"How do you create a character profile in a novel?"
Books For Writers - Any Recommendations?
"Hi. Just wondering what books for writers you would recommend?"
The Value of Learning Literary Techniques?
"Don't take this question the wrong way, I'm just curious. You teach a lot of techniques on your site (and you do it brilliantly) but can you ever become a great artist by sticking to the fiction writing rules alone? I mean, isn't artistic talent and natural flair and doing things your own way just as important?"
Should You Show Your Creative Writing to Others?
"I'm a very private, painfully shy aspiring author. The problem I'm having is letting others read my work..."
Writing a Plot Outline
"What is the best way to outline?"
The Novel Writing Process and Creativity
"In your Novel Writing Process you talk a lot about planning a novel first. But isn't writing the only 'creative' part of fiction writing? Won't too much planning result in a mechanical unartistic book?"
A Question About Metafiction
(Short and sweet this one!) "What Is Metafiction?"
More On "Deus Ex Machina" Endings
"I have a question about deus ex machina endings. In my story the main character ends up a quadriplegic, but with the aid of stem cells and lots of physio she walks again. Does that constitute what you call a contrived ending?"
More On "In Media Res"
"Is in media res only used at the beginning of novels or can you use it any where else in your fiction?"
Writing a Novel Synopsis
"When is the best time to write a novel synopsis and how do you construct one?"
Can You Write Fiction In a Strange Setting?
"Hi. Is it ok to write fiction about a setting you have never visited?"
Voice In Writing
"Something else I would love to know about fiction writing: you know when you said a writer should find their own voice - what if that voice involves fancy language?"
The Importance of Sub Plot
"I'm worried. I haven't got a single sub plot in my novel and was wondering if that's a bad thing."
Other Books On Writing
"I'm impressed with your website. But I'm also considering getting a load of books on writing instead."
Character Emotions and Character Thoughts
"How do you write character emotions and thoughts in a novel? Do you write reaction before action?"
Fiction Writing and Reality
"Can I use the actual names of pro football teams in a fiction novel?"
Avoiding Plagiarism In Your Writing
"I'm 18 years old and all I know is from influence. I love writing but sometimes when I'm writing I feel as though I am stealing those ideas even though I have completely changed the idea around."
Writing Novels While Reading Novels
"I read somewhere that it is not a good idea to read novels whilst writing novels. Is there any truth to this?"
Plot Structure and Percentages
"Hi Harvey. I have a question about overall plot structure and pacing of the action."
Are Novel Themes Like Novel Blurbs?
"Is there a difference between what is written on the back of the book jacket and the theme?"
Having Confidence In Your Fiction
"I have finished writing my first book. Actually I am on my third book. It is a series. The first book is almost ready to go live. All of a sudden I am now extremely nervous, almost to the point of having a panic attack. What if my book actually sucks?"
More On Successful Novel Writing
"I've been writing novels for almost 2 years now but with no success. Everything I sent to agents is just returned with no explanation or nothing. I'm just wondering if I'm actually cut out for writing fiction."
Which Is Best - Narrative or Dialogue?
"I wonder what type of fiction novel would you like to read; the one with more narrative or one with more dialogue; and why?"
Continuity When Creating Characters
"When you create characters or settings for a novel and you do a series is it best to use a spreadsheet to make sure that you get continuity?"
More On Foreshadowing
"In your article on foreshadowing, you talked about misleading the readers. Isn't there a danger with this kind of foreshadowing of giving them broken promises instead?"
Should You Pay For Writing Research?
"If I'm to approach experts as part of my writing research, is it conventional to pay them? If not, exactly how much of their time can one expect to take up?"
My Top Novel Writing Tips?
"First off, love the site - so much great fiction writing info. Just wondering what your best tips for writing a novel are - like if you had to pick just 3 things?"
