The Language of Fiction: A Writer’s Stylebook

by Brian Shawver

Grand themes and complex plots are just the beginning of a great piece of fiction. Mastering the nuts and bolts of grammar and prose mechanics is also an essential part of becoming a literary artist. This indispensable guide, created just for writers of fiction, will show you how to take your writing to the next level by exploring the finer points of language. Funny, readable, and wise, this book explores the tools of the fiction writer’s trade, from verb tenses to pronouns to commas and beyond. Filled with examples from the best-seller lists of today and yesterday, it will help you consider the hows and whys of language, and how mastery of them can be used to achieve clarity and grace of expression in your own work. Here, you’ll find Encouragement and advice to face the big questions: Past or present tense? Comma or semicolon? Italic or roman? Should your dialogue be phonetically rendered, or follow standard rules of grammar? (And where does that pesky quotation mark go, again?) Warning signs of the betrayal of language, and ways to avoid it: Unwitting rhymes, repetition, redundancy, cliché, and the inevitable failure of vocabulary How-to (and how-not-to) examples: The grammatical “mistakes” of Charles Dickens; ambiguous pronoun usage by Nathaniel Hawthorne; the minefield of paragraph fragments found in one of today’s most successful authors.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Crafts

257 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 8, 2012

Reviews

[Ron · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are a ton of style guides out there ready to help writers make their work read like business letters, academic papers, or magazine articles. But fiction is a different animal and this book is one of the very few to acknowledge that fact. Entertaining and downright funny at times, Shawver debates the pros and cons of the options writers have regarding issues like dialogue punctuation; semicolons; to adverb or not; portraying thoughts; portraying dialect; pronouns; dashes, parentheses and commas; fragments; and assorted common errors like tense shifting and clichés. Under each topic you’ll find eloquent and witty exploration of the issue plus discussion on what a writer has to gain or risk by the available options. Contents include a glossary, index, and exercises.

Working writers aside, this book is indispensible for editors and creative writing instructors. Your students and clients will benefit from the advice you find here. Download the free Kindle sample for a taste. I bought both e-book and paper editions.

[GK Jurrens · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hate studying grammar.

I am fortunate. I possess some natural proclivity for not screwing up grammar too egregiously. Equally fortuitous, there are tools such as AutoCrit, ProWritingAid, Grammarly, and Hemingway that pick up the load where my feeble knowledge—and the desire to memorize sundry grammatical structure—atrophies.

Plus, I can always task my favorite new online search engine, “DuckDuckGo” (doesn’t track and micro-market like “Google”), to seek answers for my grammatical questions; but, that first assumes I am aware of what questions to ask.

So why the heck am I reading a book that at first blush I thought used its title as a “bait and switch”? I wasn’t counting on a deep dive on boring grammatical constructs.

Even the table of contents promised treatises on stylistic decisions and in which verb tense I should write my fiction. It also promised to teach me how to format and punctuate dialogue, as well as options for portraying characters’ thoughts and common errors to avoid. You know, the good stuff. But when I got into the meat, much of it tasted like chicken. Just another boring book on grammar. 

My first reaction to the book wasn’t good. Who in their right mind wants to memorize verb conjugations or the proper use of modifying participial phrases? And speaking of modifiers, can somebody please tell me why I should care about prepositional phrases? Or subordinate conjunctions? Or adjectives and infinitive phrases (and forbid I should ever transgress the laws of grammar by using a split infinitive)?

In a word, “Boring!” But don’t stop reading my humble book review yet! “The Language of Fiction” has a few surprises of value in store…

But then I bit into bigger bites and became hungrier. How the author explained this boring stuff in and around the promised tidbits of style got me reflecting on my writing style. Constructs I assumed were correct were rookie mistakes. Maybe not as many as most writers, but I strive for perfection. Or at least I wish to sneak closer to it. I’m no literary giant, may never be, but I don’t want you informed readers viewing me as an oaf either. I keep returning to that adage, “you need to know the rules before you break them.”

In retrospect, instead of skimming the book I didn’t think I had selected, I re-examined its major structure. Part one: stylistic decisions; part two: fundamentals of language; part three: nuances of punctuation; part four: common errors. Okay, so I gave the book another more serious look. Guess what? I got hooked. Like so many things in life, if you observe with care, you’ll see more good stuff. Just must take the time to… listen.

I identified numerous errors in my “polished” writing from the book’s examples. It became a troubleshooting guide of sorts. Two problems. First, I don’t have a great memory. So in order for me to maximize value from this book, I need to re-read it many times to burn it in, to highlight, to scratch out margin notes, and to dog-ear a bunch of pages. Since I had checked this book out from my local library, none of that was possible. Second, I live in a bus-style motorhome, so I have little shelf space for reference books in print. I guess I must add it to my soon-to-be-overloaded eBook reference shelf. 

Criticisms aside, I found Brian Shawver’s treatment of what could be a boring subject humorous, sprinkled with his dry wit. He offers useful explanations with examples that brought some more subtle aspects of this subject to life for me. Well done, Brian.

I found the chapter on the often maligned adverb especially useful, this “sad little modifier”. For example, like so many other grammar experts, Brian didn’t just say, “avoid adverbs,” unless being threatened by terrorists (Shawver). Or that their use is a mortal sin (Leonard). Or “the road to hell is paved with adverbs (King). I learned that while there are many reasons to avoid, or at least limit the use of adverbs (timidity/redundancy, less is more, sound and rhythm…), there are also good reasons I and other great writers (!) should use adverbs, but with restraint in the “delicate art of modification”. I found this excellent treatment of adverbs a useful gem.
 
Well, that’s about it. This looks to be a useful reference. The only reason I didn’t rate it higher was its slow start and rather wordy explanations of some more boring aspects of grammar for this short-attention-span reader. I wandered and sometimes wondered whether I would read on. And if Shawver reads this humble book review, I’m sure he’d find countless subtle rules of grammar I’ve broken. I promise my continuing studies will find me following the rules with greater effect. And with luck, following these rules will not reduce the readability and entertainment value of my narrative.

I’d remind us all, however, that as Shawver states, “I am a writer; nothing in language is off limits to me.” I would just add that readers like you forgive such transgressions as long as you are entertained. Who’s with me?

So, dear readers, I recommend “The Language of Fiction - A Writer’s Stylebook” as a useful reference for serious authors on the subtler aspects of fictional style. Note, however, it is not a beginner’s guide to writing fiction,. More of a graduate course.  

[Scott Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A conversational, informative and effective look at the profound depth of stylistic choices a writer faces just in matters of language, and how their mastery and use with intentionality can make a writer a better artist. I found it readable--which says a lot in itself for a stylebook--engaging, and practical. I'm already looking at aspects of my fiction differently/more intently as a result of Shawver's work.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars, with a caveat "for a book on writing." Tons of useful info, written with amusing examples. For example, lines like "You can get away with a few accidentally alliterative words, but no reader's going to make it through 'Frederick fought the ferocious Finn with frantic fists' without wondering what's wrong with you" just make me snicker. This was a book I randomly picked up at the library (and written by a local author!), but I may just have to go buy it.

[Chelsea Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably one of the first writing books I've read front to back. While I had to read for class, I often skim these books because the text is just so expansive. But I loved this one!

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

A grammar book tailored for fiction writers that manages to be both erudite and entertaining. Why, I wonder, are authors and editors still directed to read Strunk and White’s Elements of Style when this gem has been around for nearly a decade? It is more readable, insightful, and specialized than any grammar book I have encountered, and although it is also lengthier than some concise guides in circulation, Shawver’s engaging style sweeps us along while infusing his astute literary analysis. I now feel I am equipped for my journey to master language with grace, efficient clarity, understated surprise, and ultimately—profundity.

Topics covered include:
● Selecting verb tense, dialogue punctuation, and dialogue tags
● Representing phonetic dialect and reverie
● Dealing with past perfect tense in flashback
● Coping with our shameful lack of a singular, non-gendered third-person pronoun
● “That,” “which,” and “who”
● The most thorough, informative, and level-headed analysis of adverbs I have ever read
● Avoiding illogical modifying participial phrases, dangling participles, and misplaced modifiers
● Latinate versus anglo-saxon diction in the balance of economy, simplicity, clarity, specificity, and lyricism
● Using sentence fragments and paragraph fragments for their dramatic potency while avoiding melodrama
● Comma splices for cadence, run-on sentences for immersive intensity, and the autocratic weight of semicolons for comma-fight policing
● Parentheses, dashes, and nonessential commas for injecting appositives or modifying phrases (listed in order of ascending formality and descending sequestration)
● Exclamation points for emotive tone and italics for contextual emphasis
● Verb tense shifting, including the use of present tense for the historical case, the factual case, the habitual case, and the literary case
● Avoiding unintentional repetition of words or sounds, unintentional rhymes, and awkward synonym substitution
● Appreciating clichés beyond the standard mandate to avoid them (sometimes, light clichés like idioms can engender intimacy with the reader)

”I am a writer, nothing in language is off limits to me.”

”A fiction writer shouldn’t look for ways to play it safe, she shouldn’t be shooed away from difficulty with the notion that there’s a cheap way to avoid it. Instead, she has to engage with that difficulty until she can use it to her advantage, even if the advantage is slight.”

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Language of Fiction: A Writer's Stylebook by Brian Shawver is one of the best help books for editing your own writing I've read.

Why: It's Swawver's communication skills. He is funny, real, like he's sitting across from the reader, knowing what question is popping up in their mind, the ifs and whatabout's. I underlined many sections, will not give this book away, and during the reading, I would call a fellow writer and read a sentence that cracked me up, but was so spot on.

Truly one of the best how-to-edit-your-writing books on my shelf.

Ten stars out of five. Highly recommend

[rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd give this book 5 stars, because I think every fiction writer should read it!!! It explains so many important elements of writing so well, and it also explains why writers should invest time in and care about mastering language. Shawver explains it all in a way that is understandable and interesting, and he always explains himself rather than stating hard rules as though they are indisputable facts. I will be coming back to this book whenever I want to remember language rules or find artistic ways to break them.

[Henry Birch]

I was assigned to read this in the Creative Writing MFA program at SNHU. It was very thorough, even addressing with seemingly some kind of sixth sense many of the questions of style that have always plagued my writing. I'll use it as my standard writing style reference book from now on throughout my writing and editing career.

[Dan Beliveau · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a pretty basic explanation of grammar. While there were some tidbits that I found interesting, it seemed like it was written for individuals who were not well versed in writing; high schoolers, perhaps. It did not seem to rise to the level of graduate reading.

[Lee Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an editor, I'm always reading about how to make writing better, and this book is now at the top of my list for literary assistance. He examines the nitty-gritty of verb tense, punctuation, problematic parts of speech, and cliches. The book includes plenty of examples through which he demonstrates his points, and ends with a helpful glossary and some exercises to practice what you've learned.

I'll be referring to this book when I edit fiction, whether it's my own other that of others. I recommend it without reservation for fiction writers who want to master the nuances of language for storytelling.

[Jay Traub · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is written in an engaging enough manner that it is not boring to read. There are also many useful points. Most of the grammar points are simple and anyone who has taken college level grammar classes is probably familiar with them. I have never taken any writing classes so I don't know how much a person how has taken a lot of writing classes will get from this book. It does make good points about style and conventions in writing.

[Robin Deffendall]

Was expecting a book of rules a la Garner's Modern American Usage. Instead this is a book of essays which will require actually reading. So I will enjoy taking some time with it. Alas if only I had time.

So looking forward to this.