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The article focuses on how fiction should be able to keep the reader interested. It discusses how language and communication is critical for authors and why setting a tempo and pacing is important, detailing the story elements like plot, how a slow-paced prose could create a character sketch. It also talks about the role of point of view in the narrative.

The article discusses what the author claims are common mistakes made by fiction writers. These include not having an interesting story opening, lacking an active plot, and not portraying characters as under pressure. Other pitfalls mentioned are sticking too closely to one's own experiences, using an unclear point of view, and rushing to submit one's unpolished writing to publishers.

The article presents the author's views and his experience after reading the novel "Les Bienveillantes." He says that in the novel, the author has explained history and fiction in a first person narrative. He opines that the history was the most captivating part of the novel. He was surprised because there was nothing to learn from the novel still he could not stop reading the novel.

This article offers a checklist of items a writer can use to solve common problems in their writing associated with character, plot and story. Advice is given on how to spice up characters who are flat and boring, or who are passive rather than active, and how to add conflict when there is none. Inconsistent point of view, awkward shifts in the point of view, and adding tension in dialogue is also discussed.

This article provides steps on how to analyze a short story. The elements that must be considered in analyzing short stories include character, point of view, setting, symbols and voice. Other factors to bear in mind include the plot and structure of the story. Summarizing stories can also be done. INSET: Favorite stories lead to a successful rewrite.

This article provides the steps in writing stories for children. To develop an appropriate plot and decide on a word count, writers must identify their target audience first and then choose the narrative style and point of view to use. In the beginning of the story, writers should establish the main character and introduce the conflict of the story. Create the dialogues and recognize the best ending. INSET: Easing her way into an article.

This article discusses the essential elements needed in building suspense into the premise and structure of a novel. Presentation of the story's plot as a question; Efforts to create a likeable and competent but flawed protagonist with highly-motivated antagonist characters; Selection of the story's point of view to maximize suspense. INSET: Editing for suspense.

The article offers advice on writing narrative poetry. It defines the difference between lyric poems and narrative poems. The author claims that narrative poems should include a developing plot, a distinctive voice, and a memorable point of view. Examples cited include Elizabeth Bishop's poem "The Fish," Bruce Dethlefsen's poem "Wishbone," and David Wagoner's poem "Algae."

This article discusses the use of point of view in literature. The author examines effective and ineffective uses of point of view, focusing on four myths related to the subject. These myths include the belief that first person narrative is easier to write and that dialogue has no discernible point of view.

Discusses the factors to be considered in editing fiction stories. Point of view of the story; Choreography of the characters in the scene; Qualities of the dialogue of the characters; Development of the events to support the climax.

The article discusses the benefits and drawbacks of writing a novel in the first person voice. It discusses the need for authors to consider the effects of first person on the style and content of the work, such as the level of colloquialism, the need for insight into the character's mind, and the level of intimacy first person creates between the novel and the reader.

In this article the author considers and reinterprets "Oliver Twist," by Charles Dickens. Conventional views of the story suggest that Oliver Twist was a wronged child saved from the clutches of Fagin. In this new analysis, the author considers the story from Fagin's point of view, concluding that he was not a bad man and his only mistake was to have shown kindness to Twist, who ruined his life.