The Writer’s Craft

An index of discussions concerning problems and opportunities that writers commonly encounter. Everything in green is a link and will open in a new window.

Basic Principles
Effective Prose Style : Mark Twain What Was Mark Twain’s Real Target? : Bertil Falk, Gary Inbinder, Don Webb
General
Code and Message : Bill Bowler Finding a Writing Voice : David H. Fears The Five Stages of a Writing Workshop : Kenneth Nichols	The Meaning of Stories : D. M. Paramskas Rejections : Jerry Wright What Do Editors Want? (discussion)
Composition
Narration and Structure	Characterization
Action and Plot : Don Webb The Dead Narrators’ Unsociety : Don Webb Endings : Don Webb Figurative Language : Don Webb The Larger Story : Bill Bowler, Gary Inbinder, Don Webb Loose Ends : David J. Rank, Don Webb Narration and Point of View : Bill Bowler Narrative Time : Bill Bowler Narrative Voice : Clyde Andrews, S. Michael Leier, Don Webb Plotting and Characterization : discussion Subtlety and Symbol : Don Webb Pastiches : Don Webb	Naming Characters : Cheryl W. Ruggiero, Don Webb When East Isn’t East : Don Webb Titles, Audience, and Culture What’s in a Title? : Don Webb Who’s Your Audience? : Don Webb Brand Names and Cultural References : Don Webb What Were the Songs of Yesteryear? : Don Webb
Prose Genres The Art of Flash Fiction : Gloria Watts The Revenge Fantasy : Don Webb Short Fiction vs. Novel : Carmen Ruggero Space Aliens as Metaphor : Don Webb Story vs. Vignette : Thomas F. Wylie & Don Webb Poetry Beasts of My Land : Michael Murry Gaelic Bardic Verse : Michael Murry	Grammar and Mechanics California, Here I Comma : Don Webb The Million-Dollar Commas : Clyde Andrews Those Commas of Yore : Gary Inbinder Jots and Tittles : Michael E. Lloyd and Don Webb Contractions : Don Webb Fun With Present Participles : Don Webb
Special Cases
A Perspective from the Past : Bill Bowler, Harry Lang High School Honey: Confessions of a Conflicted Author : Bill Bowler Promotion: Three Case Studies : Don Webb Bewildering Stories’ Tenth Anniversary : Don Webb

Basic Principles

Effective Prose Style : Mark Twain
What Was Mark Twain’s Real Target? : Bertil Falk, Gary Inbinder, Don Webb

General

Code and Message : Bill Bowler
Finding a Writing Voice : David H. Fears
The Five Stages of a Writing Workshop : Kenneth Nichols

The Meaning of Stories : D. M. Paramskas
Rejections : Jerry Wright
What Do Editors Want? (discussion)

Composition

Narration and Structure

Characterization

Action and Plot : Don Webb
The Dead Narrators’ Unsociety : Don Webb
Endings : Don Webb
Figurative Language : Don Webb
The Larger Story : Bill Bowler, Gary Inbinder, Don Webb
Loose Ends : David J. Rank, Don Webb
Narration and Point of View : Bill Bowler
Narrative Time : Bill Bowler
Narrative Voice : Clyde Andrews, S. Michael Leier, Don Webb
Plotting and Characterization : discussion
Subtlety and Symbol : Don Webb
Pastiches : Don Webb

Naming Characters : Cheryl W. Ruggiero, Don Webb
When East Isn’t East : Don Webb

Titles, Audience, and Culture

What’s in a Title? : Don Webb
Who’s Your Audience? : Don Webb
Brand Names and Cultural References : Don Webb
What Were the Songs of Yesteryear? : Don Webb

Prose Genres

The Art of Flash Fiction : Gloria Watts
The Revenge Fantasy : Don Webb
Short Fiction vs. Novel : Carmen Ruggero
Space Aliens as Metaphor : Don Webb
Story vs. Vignette : Thomas F. Wylie & Don Webb

Poetry

Beasts of My Land : Michael Murry
Gaelic Bardic Verse : Michael Murry

Grammar and Mechanics

California, Here I Comma : Don Webb
The Million-Dollar Commas : Clyde Andrews
Those Commas of Yore : Gary Inbinder
Jots and Tittles : Michael E. Lloyd and Don Webb

Contractions : Don Webb
Fun With Present Participles : Don Webb

Special Cases

A Perspective from the Past : Bill Bowler, Harry Lang
High School Honey: Confessions of a Conflicted Author : Bill Bowler
Promotion: Three Case Studies : Don Webb
Bewildering Stories’ Tenth Anniversary : Don Webb

Related departments

The official Challenge normally appears in every issue.
The Critics’ Corner appears irregularly.

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