Literary Fiction Writing

Pachinko author Min Jin Lee talks about finding story ideas that truly provoke your passions and how to tune out the burden of expectations.

Robert F. Delaney discusses the process of writing his debut novel, which serves as a case study into the unique experience of writing about a true story that, at the time of its occurrence, received significant media coverage.

Magical realism is a literary genre grounded in reality and imbued with mystical elements. Conjure the extraordinary on the page with these techniques.

Originality is overrated. Discover four reasons you should try tapping into the richness of literary history by writing books based on classic literature.

As fans eagerly await Season 3 of Netflix hit series Stranger Things, Scott Hildreth offers three storytelling lessons and editing goals writers can glean from the show.

Dana Chamblee Carpenter recalls a panel on which Anne Perry tossed aside the idea that the historical fiction writer had a responsibility to get everything “right.” We’re storytellers, after all, not historians.

After more than four decades in publishing, record-breaking bestseller James Patterson has this to say: You can go your own way. Discover an exclusive extended interview with Patterson below.

Well-timed coincidences can catapult a story forward, but a poorly planned one can bring your readers to a dead stop. Use these 7 strategies to harness the power of this storytelling tool while steering clear of common missteps.

The history of the term "Great American Novel" is as interesting as the first book ever given that title by John William De Forest in 1869.

Author Boston Teran discusses his new novel, A Child Went Forth, his choice to use a pseudonym, upcoming film adaptations of his work, and the unique considerations of blending genres including historical fiction, mystery, crime and more.

George Saunders dishes on inventive structure, reveals why he’s wary of outlines, and talks novel-length success with Lincoln in the Bardo.

In a competitive industry, it’s easy to feel like publishers hold all the power. But the truth is they need good content—and writers have a right to not be fleeced. Here are some situations when the best option just might be to walk away from that book contract or that freelance writing job.

This year marks the 300th anniversary of the death of Edward Thache, the notorious privateer-turned-pirate known as Blackbeard. Here, historical fiction author Samuel Marquis, great-grandson of Captain William Kidd and author of a new book on Blackbeard, offers his best advice for writing great historical fiction.

In Iowa Writers’ Workshop–graduate James Han Mattson’s acclaimed first novel, The Lost Prayers of Ricky Graves, the cyber-bullying of a gay teen leads to a multi-victim shooting. Here, he discusses related topics, including LGBTQ literature and writing about gun violence.

Reimagining classic fiction has been a common practice among authors since the dawn of novel writing. Here, learn a few lessons from the masters about writing novels that incorporate elements of the classics.

Are you considering writing a series? Here, Bette Lee Crosby offers some of the benefits and challenges of composing more than one novel in the same universe.

New York Times bestselling author Lisa Genova writes novels chronicling the fate of ordinary people who are diagnosed with extraordinary and often fatal neurological diseases.

We like to think and talk a great deal about protagonists and antagonists, and that’s not a bad way to look at things, exactly. But it’s vital to realize that those two terms are purely a matter of perspective.