Writing Better Fiction

by Harvey Stanbrough

This is the only book you need on the craft of writing fiction.

It is an ambitious, comprehensive guide to writing any form from short stories to novellas to novels and novel series and in any genre.

In twelve generous chapters, this professional, prolific fiction writer discusses every applicable general topic on the craft of writing

Definition of Character-Driven Fiction
The Writer's Role in the Story
Story Ideas (and where to get them)
Writing the Opening
Writing the Cliffhanger and the Hook
Writing Setting
Writing the Scene
Writing the Ending
The Pseudonym (Pen Name) vs. the Persona
Writing Into the Dark
It's All Up to You
A Grammar Refresher and Notes on Punctuation and Dialogue

Throughout, this book is replete with examples of how to write the various aspects of fiction listed above.

The final chapter is a reasoned explanation of the conscious, critical mind and the creative subconscious mind and their very different roles in writing fiction.

Finally, in six appendices, the author adds invaluable information in the form of

General Tips for Writing Fiction
Two Fiction Exercises
An Example of POV and Timeline Indicators
Rules of Writing from Masters
My Personal Experience with Branding
How to Continue Learning Craft

What Writers Are Saying about Writing Better Fiction

"Can you be taught to write genre fiction? Yes. If you are one of the lucky few who has shown some aptitude for creating good and entertaining stories, Writing Better Fiction is for you. Take it from one who knows. If you learn how to get it right, there is no better fun you can have with your clothes on than writing character-driven fiction." Vincent Zandri, New York Times bestselling ITW Thriller and PWA Shamus Award winning author of The Remains, The Innocent, and the Dick Moonlight PI series

"[In Writing Better Fiction] the explanations are perfectly clear. There's no question of misinterpretation. And the examples/illustrations are succinct. It makes one wonder how the purveyors of so many myths that run rampant (especially on the Internet) can even pretend that what they are doing is 'teaching writing.' Most everyone who is even attempting writing should know the rudiments of spelling, grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and paragraph construction. This deceptively simple manual shows them what to do with their otherwise basic skills. ... Congratulations on a job extraordinarily well done!" Michaele Lockhart, Author and Copyeditor

"Writing Better Fiction is for the writer who, like Teddy Roosevelt’s 'man in the arena,' works faithfully at the craft of writing excellent fiction. It is for the writer who isn’t afraid to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard every day to honor the craft of writing. Harvey Stanbrough writes and instructs from the arena. That’s where the action is, and where the fun is too. Mark this up as essential reading." Dan Baldwin, Author

"I own several books on writing, most of which take up space on my bookshelf. Being able to look back and consult the commonsense advice contained in this book on each of the parts of a story make it invaluable as a refence. The easy to read, approachable style of Writing Better Fiction makes it my go to reference. It will be allowed space to reside on my desk." David Taylor, Ed.D

211 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 15, 2024

About the author

Harvey Stanbrough was born in New Mexico, seasoned in Texas, and baked in Arizona. After having survived a 21-year civilian-appreciation course in the US Marine Corps, Harvey managed to sneak up on a bachelor’s degree at Eastern New Mexico University in Portales in 1996. Harvey has written and published nine nonfiction ebooks on writing, including Punctuation for Writers and Writing Realistic Dialogue & Flash Fiction, which are also available in print, and his very popular The Essentials of Digital Publishing. His comprehensive poetry collection, Beyond the Masks, was nominated for the National Book Award and he’s published three other poetry collections. Finally, he’s published four short story collections (Vignettes from a C-130, Six Years in May, The Well, and Stories from the Cantina), plus numerous other short stories. He most enjoys writing magic realism, and one of his major characters, Juan-Carlos Salazár, actually has his own blog at CantinaTales.com. In all, Harvey's works have been nominated for the Frankfurt Award, the Pulitzer Prize, the Pushcart Prize and the National Book Award. Harvey spoke at writers’ conferences around the country for several years, but now he teaches his Writing the World Seminars mostly in southeast Arizona. However, he plans to offer those in webinars soon.