Introduction to Writing Fiction

Get started by meeting Sylvia A. Zéleny and find out how her interests and influences have impacted her literary works as well as her approach to teaching others to write. She also gives you an overview of the planning, development, and writing phases for your project.

Dive straight into some theory and study each of the elements that make up a story. Begin with the plot and learn how to create one by weaving together time and space. Continue with the narrator and different character types before discovering how to dig up raw materials for the prewriting phase and what tools you can use to mold them.

Next, Sylvia helps you make decisions to outline and conceptualize your project and shares some tips on time-management and creativity while writing. Now it's time to write, rewrite, edit, and revise until you have the first draft of your story.

Once you've let it rest, come back to your story and share it with others to get feedback on your work. Finally, explore different options for the future of your text: is it a story for a collection or the intro to a novel?