Writing Fiction for Dummies

by Randy Ingermanson, Peter Economy

A complete guide to writing and selling your novel.

So you want to write a novel? Great! That's a worthy goal, no matter what your reason. But don't settle for just writing a novel. Aim high. Write a novel that you intend to sell to a publisher.

Writing Fiction for Dummies is a complete guide designed to coach you every step along the path from beginning writer to royalty-earning author. Here are some things you'll learn in "Writing Fiction for Dummies"

* Strategic Planning: Pinpoint where you are on the roadmap to publication; discover what every reader desperately wants from a story; home in on a marketable category; choose from among the four most common creative styles; and learn the self-management methods of professional writers.

* Writing Powerful Fiction: Construct a story world that rings true; create believable, unpredictable characters; build a strong plot with all six layers of complexity of a modern novel; and infuse it all with a strong theme.

* Self-Editing Your Novel: Psychoanalyze your characters to bring them fully to life; edit your story structure from the top down; fix broken scenes; and polish your action and dialogue.

* Finding An Agent and Getting Published: Write a query letter, a synopsis, and a proposal; pitch your work to agents and editors without fear.

Writing Fiction For Dummies takes you from being a "writer" to being an "author." It can happen--if you have the talent and persistence to do what you need to do.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Reference, Self Help, How To, Education, Ebooks

384 pages, Paperback

First published October 27, 2009

About the author

I'm a novelist, physicist, and fiction teacher. People around the world call me "the Snowflake Guy" because of my wildly popular "Snowflake method" for writing a novel.

I've published 6 novels and won about a dozen awards for my writing. I'm a theoretical physicist with a Ph.D. from UC Berkeley. I publish the world's largest electronic newsletter on how to write fiction. I run the software division at Vala Sciences, a biotech company in San Diego.

Why do I do all this? Because I like to. Life is too short to do things you don't like to do.

Reviews

[butterbook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me begin this review by saying that I'm usually *not* a fan of the Dummies series. I hate the fonts and layout, they're odd-sized and ugly, and the information harbored within is almost always sub-par. Let me also point out that I am *not* a Dummy or a beginner, but an experienced writer who has read upwards of 20 books about the craft of writing.

So I was surprised that I really, really liked this book.

If you're looking for advice about craft, the finer points of good prose, or syntax, look elsewhere. But if you want ideas about plot and structure, how to organize scenes, when to cut a scene, how to analyze your characters, keeping your story focused, and what order to do it all in, Ingermanson has some insights that might blow your mind.

Here's my metaphor. Say your finished novel is a completed puzzle that you made yourself from scratch. Most writing books (about craft) will tell you how to make each individual piece beautiful and functional: how to paint them, what colors to use, what the best shape is, etc. Another handful of writing books (about plot) will tell you what the finished picture should look like: that the edges should be on the outside, that people prefer rectangular to triangular finished puzzles, that gray is the new blue, and so on.

What Ingermanson teaches you is *how to put the damned thing together.* If you're like me, you've got great writing skills and a vision of what the big picture should look like, but stumble through getting from A to B. Ingermanson, in my elaborate metaphor, says: first you put all the edge pieces in a pile, then you separate the different colors, then you check your reference photo...

It's *enormously* helpful, and he has some pieces of advice that I haven't read *anywhere* else, which is saying a lot since (god help me) I've read about a bajillion books about writing.

FYI: Writing Fiction for Dummies is basically an expanded explanation of his Snowflake Method of plotting, which you can read about for free on his website. If it resonates with you at all, I would highly recommend checking his book out.

[Gypsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

وخ ندارم حقیقتاً. ولی باید اینا رو بگم؛ ذهنمو باز کرد. و دقیقاً چیزایی رو گف که دنبالش بودم. ازین‌رو، ازون‌کتابایی هس که هر از گاهی باید یه‌گریزی بهش بزنم و آدم نمی‌تونه جلوی خودشو بگیره که زیر جمله‌هاش خط نکشه. هر چقدم ازین‌کار خوشش نیاد و به‌نظرش بی‌احترامی باشه.( آره می‌دونم خیلی الکی حسّاسم. :| ) خیلی مفصّل امّا نه خسته‌کننده، آروم آروم خواننده رو دنبال خودش می‌کشید و قدم به‌قدم، بهش آگاهی می‌داد. خودمم نمی‌فهمم چرا بهش پنج نمی‌دم. :)) شاید به‌این‌خاطر که خیلی همه چیـو با هم کنار هم گذاشته بود و به‌موازات هم توضیح می‌داد و آدم یه‌جاهایی گیج می‌شد. شایدم چون یه‌جاهایی دیگه خیلی توضیح می‌داد. امّا در مجموع، دلیل موجّهی برای پنج ندادنش ندارم. :))

خوبیش این بود که بر خلاف خیلی از کتابای تو سبک خودش، خیلی محدود نمی‌کرد آدمو به‌یه‌سری اصول و به‌خلّاقیّت احترام می‌ذاش و حتّی خیلی رُک و صریح، از آدم می‌خواس اونو چراغ راه ِ نوشتنش کنه. من همیشه می‌گم، هر کسی می‌تونه داستان تکنیکی بنویسه؛ خصوصاً با کارگاه‌ها و کتب و مقالاتی که امروزه خیلی در دسترس و زیادن. امّا داستان خلّاقه، حقیقتاً از یه‌سری تکنیک‌ها پوزخندزنان رد می‌شه و از ورای اونا به‌داستان نیگا می‌کنه. باید قبول کرد هر کسی دارای این‌نگاه نیس.

[آرمین م.ز · Rating 5 out of 5]

در تاریخ ۱۰ شهریور سال ۱۳۹۸ کتاب را برای بار دوم به اتمام رساندم و امتیازم ۵ ستاره است.
دامیز برای هر نوقلمی نیاز است و خواندنش برای کسی که می‌خواد نویسندگی را به صورت حرفه‌ای شروع کند ضروری است. حتی یک نویسنده‌ی حرفه‌ای نیز باید با تمامی مفاهیم عمیق آن آشنا باشد.
بیشتر مفاهیم داستان‌نویسی به همراه مثال از کتب مشهور در کتاب آمده است. همچنین راهنمای مناسبی برای پس از اتمام کتاب یعنی بازنگری و ویرایش کتاب و فروش و معرفی آن به ناشر است.
کتاب از همه نظر تکمیل است و آنقدر خوب است که تنها چیزی که برای نویسندگان تجربه‌گرای ایرانی و بدون علم داستان‌نویسی می‌توانم بگویم این است:
کتاب داستان‌نویسی بخوانید، دامیز بخوانید!

[Wes Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. I don't always read Dummies books cover to cover because they are how-to guides but this one was great. I've recently read several writing books and I regularly listen to a writing podcast. This book explained many of the key concepts that I have run into in other books in a clear and concise manner and added some additional tools/approaches. They didn't settle for hand-waving they got down into the nitty gritty and really helped me understand how-to-write in a way that I hadn't seen before. I especially liked the sections on specific writing tools (i.e. action, dialogue, description, interior monologue, interior emotion, flashbacks, and narrative summary) and writing clips (a few lines or paragraphs focused on a character at a time).
The book is full of examples to illustrate the points that they are making. The content is spot on. I found myself highlighting and bookmarking my way through the whole text. I got it free on my kindle and then ended up buying it to have as a quick writing reference (I wanted to be able to quickly flip back and forth and thumb through the text).
On a separate note there is so much good content in this book you may feel overwhelmed after reading it. Remember line upon line, here a little and there a little--you don't have to be perfect but this book will get you closer.

[امیرمحمد حیدری · Rating 1 out of 5]

زیادی بیسیک (که اصلا ویژگی منفی‌ای محسوب نمی‌شود) و زیادی خلاصه؛ خلاصه‌وار بودن کتب مرجع فقط خواننده را نسبت به موضوع گیج‌تر می‌کند.

[Jack · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book, but I didn't. It is highly-rated both here and on Amazon, and I am familiar with Ingermanson's website "Advanced Fiction Writing." I figured I would give it a shot.

I think part of the problem is that this book sticks to the Dummies format of step-by-step instructions, helpful hints, and a beginning-to-end process. The problem is that there isn't a strict process in writing, which to be fair to Ingermanson, he does point out (before giving a step-by-step process). What works for him may not work for you, and almost undoubtedly will not work the same way.

There is some good information in there. It is a good overview of terms and general "rules" for writing, although there are a lot of books that address those topics more completely, some of which he mentions in this book. Go through and make a list of the books and sites he references, it could be worth your time. They, for the most part, do a better job of addressing their topics.

However, my real problem with this book concerns how it treats publication. Going with the general format of a Dummies book, it addresses the process of publication, and even goes through rejection as if it was troubleshooting errors on Windows 8. In someways, this trivializes the toughest part about being a writer. Golf for Dummies doesn't talk about how to win tournaments. Cooking for Dummies won't help you open a restaurant as head chef. Baseball for Dummies isn't going to get you a pro contract. Instead, you learn the basics to use Linux or build a deck, or whatever you are reading about. Publication (and getting paid for it) makes a professional writer.

Most pro-rate magazines have a acceptance rate of less than 5%. That means the editor has to like your story better than 95% of the other stories. Book publishers have just as high of a rejection rate. Neil Gaiman could write a shopping list tomorrow, and it would be nominated for a Hugo. Stephen King could write poetry that started with "There once was a girl from Nantucket..." and Esquire would publish it in the next issue. But until you are at that level, you are going to be rejected. Even professional writers who do this for a living deal with rejection. Unfortunately, this book doesn't really address that. Even if you have a strong story, it might get rejected, probably will, in fact. Look at the list of publishers that rejected Harry Potter, one of the best-selling series of all-time.

This business requires a thick skin and a lot of time. If you follow this book step-by-step, you will have a story. But that is all you will have,and it probably won't be any good, especially if you are a beginner. Don't be afraid of that. Embrace it. Start writing another. Read a lot. Write a lot. Submit your strongest, most polished stories, shrug off the rejections and keep going, because that is really the only way to get there.

[Robert Bidinotto · Rating 5 out of 5]

I downloaded Writing Fiction for Dummies with some trepidation, figuring that any book with a title like that had to be hack-work. And that it also had to contain tips and advice redundant with every one of the dozens of other books I've read on fiction-writing. I thought that, by now, I'd read about everything to be said on the topic.

Boy, was I wrong.

This is THE best book on fiction-writing. Bar none. Period. End of story. It is THE most systematic, comprehensive, creatively fertile, and technically useful guide on the subject that I've ever had the pleasure to encounter. I'm not exaggerating when I say that I've learned more about fiction-writing from Mssrs. Ingermanson and Economy than from all the other books on the topic, combined.

I won't try to itemize its many virtues or summarize the breathtaking scope of its content. Suffice it to say that if you are going to read just one book on writing fiction, Writing Fiction for Dummies is the one to read.

[Merb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Writing Fiction for Dummies essentially goes out to complete what the title implies - teach dumbos like myself how to begin writing fiction. It is a beginning analysis, with no bias included in all aspects of creating and method. The writers are open to all kinds of fiction, and unlike teachers at school, do not hype up classics and literature and make fun of books like Harry Potter. The language is very easy to approach and understand, with concise headers throughout the book. Examples are also thrown in throughout every chapter to allow readers to see things clearly.
Although this book is easy to follow and understand, I believe it is beneficial to have already done some writing yourself so you have something to reflect upon, but this is not necessary as it really does go back to the roots of writing fiction.
Some topics it touches upon are:
- Writing paradigms
- Character values, story goal and ambition
- Scene structure
- Pro-active scenes and re-active scenes
- Storyline
- The publication process
- World building
- Showing vs telling
- Narrative summary
the list goes on

This is my first dive into a writing fiction book so I have nothing to compare this to, but I do believe it went deep into the nitty gritty, which is what I was looking for. Whilst going over the basics, it still had some new extended information to allow readers to actually go straight onto creating for themselves with some good knowledge of what they are doing. For more advanced writers this most likely is not going to be beneficial, however it is nice to see all the fundamental tasks written out nice and clearly. My only wish is that it could have gone a little further into unique voice, as I feel I am not ready to look into this yet and will need further understanding. Yes it is a personal task, but it feels like I need a little more groundwork to help guide my personal endeavour.

Either way, for beginners this is definitely a good place to start. The writing is down to earth and approachable, unbiased and not judgemental, with many passages about normalising failure and mistakes. I left this book feeling like anyone, including myself, had a chance at working hard and writing some good fiction.

[Heather Mims · Rating 5 out of 5]

Books about writing are an addiction of mine, though I never bothered to read this one until it was offered on Kindle Unlimited. I assumed it would be overly simplistic, dumbed down to the point that only writing novices would gain any insight from its contents. Happy to say I was wrong about that! This book offers unique perspectives on everything from writing summaries to plot structure and character development, including quite a few suggestions that i've never found anywhere else. Though the publishing information is a little outdated, there are still lots of helpful tips on writing query letters and finding the right agent (for those interested in traditional publishing). Definitely recommended!

[Labeba Salameh · Rating 5 out of 5]

الكتاب اكثر من رائع
ان كنت تفكر في كتابة عمل روائي او كنت قد بدأت رواية ما ولكنك حائر في كيفية ضبطها.. نشرها .. او حتى انهائها فهذا هو الكتاب الأمثل
متسلسل بخطوات واضحة لكنها لا تعني ابدا ان التأليف مجرد معادلة كيميائية

[Mb · Rating 1 out of 5]

وقتتون رو تلف نکنید..به جاش یه رمان خوب بخونید بیشتر چیز یاد میگیرید..

[Nia · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was very good, but as I have taken so long to read and work with this book, I will need some time to find and gather all of my notes, before writing the review, which will be on the ShiraDest blog, shortly.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I would've had Writing Fiction for Dummies when I wrote my first novel several years ago. Such a wealth of information! I appreciate the authors taking a multi-faceted approach, giving room for different types of plotters. I also applaud the attention to scene structure and self editing. If you're starting this journey, or you're partway through and you don't quite know how to continue, or you're farther along but want some excellent tips, this is an informational and inspirational read. It's such a holistic resource that I plan on using it when I teach fiction.

[C.M. Skiera · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a lot of good information and is a very helpful writing guide. The main reason I only gave it three stars is because it suffers from the same type of bloat I see in a lot of writing guides. Too much repeating the same information and too much cross-referencing (i.e., "we discuss this topic more in Chapter Two...etc., etc.).

[Evelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Needs to be updated.

The book is kinda old. It may not seem so since the copyright is only 2010, but a lot has happened in the publishing industry since then. The book doesn’t even mention self-publishing once.

Also I think I was a little too advanced for it, I mean sure it’s a “for dummies” book but I was required to read it for a course I was taking and I realized as I was reading through it that I was learning nothing. There’s nothing in this book I couldn’t have found with a quick google search or a browse through a few of my favorite writing blogs. It’s a good handbook, but reading through it feels like reading an encyclopedia. Best to just keep this one on a shelf and pick it up when you get stuck on something and skim through the related chapter.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am generally a fan of dummies books (while not the best style, they are consistent and only presents information that is well-accepted by professionals in the industry). While I have studied writing at the post-secondary level, a traumatic event became associated with writing for me and I hadn’t written a word for well over a decade. Spontaneously, I began writing again, but I could tell immediately that I am not at my former level.

While this book did not help remind me of everything I once knew, it had great coverage of the basics including structure and housekeeping (also referred to as paperwork). I appreciate that they emphasized that planner writers and improvisational writers are equivalent and equally talented; approach is individual, and gets you to the same place. It is going to help me get my novel to the next level, even if I see how many more levels I have to go.

The publishing information is quite dated, though I am reading a 2010 edition. Not only did it gloss over some important aspects to publishing that I learned in school, it does not represent the current industry. Now, I still read it over to (a) remind me of what I learned then and since; and (b) can be easier to update yourself than learn new, especially since now you have an idea of what questions to ask (not all, but a place to start).

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Questa si qualifica come la seconda lettura più lenta di quest'anno. Il manuale in sé è completo ed esauriente quasi fino alla nausea: i concetti sono esposti in maniera chiara, corredati da svariati esempi e ripetuti di capitolo in capitolo, a seconda della correlazione tra gli argomenti trattati. Gli autori conducono il lettore attraverso un percorso che analizza tutte le tappe della creazione di un romanzo: dalla concezione dell'idea, alla schematizzazione, alla stesura, all'editing e all'eventuale proposta a una casa editrice. Consigliato.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me awhile to finish this book because it was mainly about technique. Halfway through, I realized that most of what Randy Ingermanson was describing seemed obvious to me, instinctual. Technique isn’t my problem (yet), my roadblock seems to be a paralyzing fear that what I have to say won’t be interesting or important. So for me, this book became a tool of avoidance to keep me from actually writing, because I could say “I’m doing research on writing” instead. That said, this is a reference book that I will keep handy and my copy is marked up with all kinds of things I want to remember. My single best take away: “You don’t develop your voice by just doing exercises. You develop your voice by writing - for real, without a net.”

[Emriderman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wholesome, thorough guide to steps of writing fiction. A lot of rules discussed in the final chapters of the book might vary based on location.

[NatalyaVqs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great for the birds eye overview and includes excellent resources on what to read next

[mejjimelk · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best writing advice books I have come across. I read Randy Ingermanson's Snowflake books which I also liked. After reading this book, I think this one covers everything mentioned in those books, only much more concise.

This book covers general writing advice, "the five pillars of fiction" (story world, characters, plot & structure, theme, style), and seven writing tools (action, dialogue, interior monologue, interior emotion, description, flashback, narrative summary). Each of these pillars / tools are discussed in detail with illustrative examples, most of which are from Star Wars, The Godfather, Outlander, Pride & Prejudice.

I have read many books on writing and I like this book in particular because it doesn't bog the content down with anectodes or fluffy examples just to amp up the word count. This book is clear and concise, and seems like a very good introductory book on writing.

That said, it lacks in some areas, such as chapters on story structure and theme.

This book explains story structure in terms of setup, 3 disasters, and resolution (corresponding to setup, first plot point, midpoint, second plot point, resolution). For an introductory book on writing, I think it should have included descriptions and illustrative examples of the common conventional story structure elements (inciting incident, key incident, first/second pinch point etc.)

I also found the chapter on theme to be in stark contrast to other writing books. This book argues that a story should not be designed with a theme in mind, rather that the theme should be found in the story after it's been written and then rewrite it to clarify the theme in where appropriate in selective scenes. It strikes me as weird to not design your story with a specific theme in mind from the start like many other writing books recommends. From what I gathered, this book argued this should be avoided because it risks falling in the category of preaching a message. I would have preferred a more nuanced discussion about this, or at least more facts or anectodes on when designing the story around a theme becomes too preachy.

My advice is that you combine this book with other books that covers above shortcomings. For story structure, I suggest "Structuring your Novel" by K. M. Weiland (box set if possible) or "Save the Cat" by Blake Snyder. For theme, I suggest "Wired for Story" by Lisa Cron.

Highly recommended if you identify as a novice writer.

[Jill Williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review by Jill Williamson

Randy Ingermanson is my hero. I have been learning from him since I discovered his website in 2005. The man is not only a wealth of information, he teaches in such a fun and friendly way, you can’t fail to learn. And now, everything Randy teaches is here in one convenient package. Man, how I wish he had written this a few years ago! It would have saved me a lot of trouble.

I highly recommend this book to any writer, but especially to beginners who want to write a novel. You’ll learn how to come up with a plot and test it to see if it’s strong, how to create amazing characters that are deep and engaging, how to plot your story and avoid the dreaded sagging middle, how to keep the tension and pacing strong, and how to edit your novel. This book even includes cool things like an interview between J.R.R. Tolkien and Frodo Baggins. Ahh, Randy. What a funny guy.

[Sara Farinha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cinco estrelas. Um autêntico e útil manual de escrita ficcional que nos ensina, passo a passo, a desmistificar alguns dos paradigmas da boa ficção. Um livro a ter à mão quando pensamos em escrever, quando analisamos a nossa produção literária, ou quando nos predispomos a rever de forma séria o que escrevemos.

Parte de uma colecção que se predispõe a ajudar o leitor a compreender de forma fácil, mas aprofundada, diversos temas, este exemplar não foge a esse princípio. Com a tónica no ‘for dummies’ cuja tradução transformou em ‘para tótós’, é um livro que deve fazer parte dos manuais de escrita de qualquer escritor principiante de ficção.

Ler opinião completa aqui: http://sarinhafarinha.wordpress.com/2...

[Abdullah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've not read the whole book cover to cover. I actually skipped the parts I already know. It is a good reference for starters. It certainly gives you some useful insights about developing characters, scenes...etc. I'm going to keep it as a reference and refer to it whenever needed. While it mostly concentrates on novel writing, it is definitely recommended for any one interested in fiction writing.

[Margaret Metz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun to read with lots of helpful insights. I liked the way they used known books as examples. They did a very good job of using examples all the way through. Some writing books just tell and don't show. ;o) This is one I can see myself referring to again in the future.

[Corrie Eavenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book for my creative writing class and found it pretty helpful. It's an easy read and full of relevant advice for aspiring writers. I'll probably hold onto it for future reference when I need to troubleshoot specific issues.

[Macster · Rating 5 out of 5]

ithink it was a really good books because now i know what fiction is

[Jodie Renner · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent resource for anyone who's getting started writing fiction!

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I definitely learned a lot from this book.

[Michael Rhames · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall: 4.1/5
This is a powerful tool for aspiring fiction writers with some to no knowledge about the craft or the publishing industry. It guides them through the whole process, from writing a novel to selling it, in layman's terms. It's definitely helped bring focus to my work.

Cover: 5/5
Well, it's a Dummy series installment, so not much else to be expected here.

Writing/Delivery: 10/10
It's my first time reading this book to which I'll be coming back for sure. While the guidance us step-by-step, there are constant references to other parts of the book which allow you to tackle any particular topic at any given time, so you're not restrained to a traditional reading sequence. I still wanted to go with the intended flow for my first read, though.

Editorial: 6/10
It was okay for the most part, but there was room for improvement. Chapter fonts seem too large to me, for example. Page breaks seem nonexistent. The book seems to end abruptly, with none of those sections that tell you beyond doubt that you're indeed done. Just the 100% mark makes it obvious.