Fiction first aid : instant remedies for novels, stories, and scripts /
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| Author / Creator: | Obstfeld, Raymond, 1952- |
|---|---|
| Imprint: | Cincinnati, Ohio : Writer's Digest Books, c2002. |
| Description: | 290 p. : ill. ; 23 cm. |
| Language: | English |
| Subject: | |
| Format: | Print Book |
| URL for this record: | http://pi.lib.uchicago.edu/1001/cat/bib/4559849 |
Table of Contents:
- Chapter 1. Plot
- Symptom: "Writer's block": Common Ailment
- The Flypaper Effect
- Case Study: Plot-Driven vs. Character-Driven Stories
- Case Study: Chinatown's Ending
- Symptom: Predictable plots: Common Ailments
- Rushing
- Underexposure
- Overly Mechanical Plots (Joseph Campbell Syndrome)
- Case Study: Fresh Plotting, Stale Plotting
- Symptom: Ho-hum suspense: Common Ailments
- Uninvolving characters
- Low Stakes
- Symptom: Flat payoff scenes: Common Ailments
- Promising Too Much
- Paying Off Too Little
- Chapter 2. Characterization
- Symptom: Contrived pivotal action: Common Ailment
- Insufficient Character Motivation
- Symptom: Flat scenes, predictable traits: Common Ailment
- Cardboard Minor Characters
- Symptom: Low stakes, bland personality: Common Ailment
- Uninvolving Protagonist
- Symptom: One-dimensional antagonist, overly evil antagonist: Common Ailment
- Stereotypical Antagonist/Villain
- Chapter 3. Setting
- Symptom: Underdescription/overdescription: Common Ailment
- Wallpaper Settings
- Symptom: Description overload: Common Ailment
- Clumping
- Symptom: Low-impact settings, off-beat pacing: Common Ailment
- Wrong-Address Settings
- Chapter 4. Style
- Symptom: Bland phrasing; writing that echoes published writers but is less effective: Common Ailments
- No Style
- Cliched or Imitative Style
- Symptoms: Monotonous phrasing; overwritten and confusing passages; muddled details: Common Ailment
- Inappropriate Style
- Symptoms: Oversimplified, emotionally shallow characters; major crossgender characters who seem minor; inaccurate gender-specific details: Common Ailment
- Unconvincing Cross-Gender POVs
- Chapter 5. Theme
- Symptoms: Melodrama; narrow, plot-centered focus: Common Ailment
- Insufficient Intellectual Involvement
- Symptom: Noticeable lack, or overbearing use, of symbols: Common Ailment
- Crash Symbols
- Symptom: Imitative theme: Common Ailment
- The Photocopy Effect
- Case Study: Groundhog Day
- Case Study: What Makes "AandP" Naturalist
- Chapter 6. The Writer's Life
- How can I find more time to write?
- How can I tell if what I'm writing is good?
- How much outlining do I have to do?
- How can I get the most out of a writing workshop?
- What is the best way to revise my manuscript?
- How can I improve my own writing by reading fiction?