The Basic Formulas of Fiction

by William Foster-Harris

Foster-Harris's theories about writing were rooted in Aristotelian philosophy, and his book elucidates those theories and provides practical instruction in clear thinking and clear prose.

Genres: Writing, Literature

146 pages, Textbook Binding

First published December 1, 1977

Reviews

[Phillip]

This book is both a sleeper and also an important book for explaining the craft of writing fiction. I say it is a sleeper because it is easy to dismiss because of the chatty conservative religious voice that it has due to its 1944 origin.

The meat of the book is a metaphor the author uses of a lens that the hero must pass through. It is what he calls the basic formula of fiction. For it to be a story the hero must pass left through the lens in which case he will come out at the top of the diagram and be changed. In his diagram of the lens the author shows that if the hero passes through the lens to the right then he will come out at the bottom of the diagram and nothing will have been changed. If this happens then what is written is not a well crafted story.

My interpretation of this is that the lens is the point that shows a decision and a way of working out the resolution of the conflict. If the resolution costs the hero an appropriate amount then he will have done the right thing and be thereby transformed upward. If the story is written so that it doesn't cost the character enough then the story will have an inadequate resolution and therefore be a poorly crafted story.

If you are studying the craft of writing fiction then "The Basic Formulas of Fiction" does provide a major piece of the craft.

[Jin]

The first page was a revelation to me.

[Igc]

Bão +/-