How to Become a Fiction Writer? 7 Steps to start your journey
Introduction
Fiction and fantasy are interrelated.
You are a beginner or amateur. Are you still finding the right process to become a fiction writer? Do you got stuck with many ideas at once? Do you agree with me?
If yes, then you as a fiction writer need guidance to choose the right path and get rid of writers’ block.
Most of your doubts will be dissolved by reading this article. This article will provide you a step-by-step process to start your writers’ journey.
I started writing fiction from the 11th standard. I was an on and off person until I got assured that I was born to become a writer.
It took me two years to find out this process. I started working on this and getting good results. So I decided why not share this with the other writers and let you know that you aren’t alone.
What is Fiction writing?
Fiction writing is a narration of the writer’s point of view based on real-life events. By reading the story of a writer, a reader can tap into the imaginary world. The world is different from the real one and rejected by your logical right brain.
In other words, it is a fabrication of non-factual prose text. The purpose of fiction writing is to entertain the readers or to convey the writer’s perspective toward life.
It can be a short story, novella, fables, vignette, screenplay, etc.
Six elements of fiction writing
1.Characters:- The story revolves around the fictional characters who need to have them cause they create the situations or chain reactions.
2. Plot:- Series of events to fabricate the narrative of the story.
3. Setting:- It dictates the venues and the time frame of the story.
4. Point of view:- The perspective to write the story. There are three possible points of view. The first and the third-person point of view are the popular ones.
- First-person:- The one who has gone through those events and the main characters of the story.
- Second-person:- This point of view addresses the audience.
- Third-person:- The one who narrates the story of what he saw and experiences.
5. Theme:- The story has to convey some ideas and belief systems to the audience.
6. Style:- This element consists of the writer’s way of using words, the figure of speech, language of writing, etc.
Types of Fiction
- Science Fiction
2.Historical fiction
3.Mystery Fiction
4.Fan-Fiction
5.Childen’s fairy tales or Bedtime Stories.
Scope for fiction writers
1. Playwright and Screenwriter:- Writing is the starting point for everything. If you have seen the movie, how does it get into a blockbuster? A giant scriptwriter team working behind the scenes to develop the best dialogues and plots to work. The theatre artists need a script to act.
2. Lyricists:- Those songs have meaningful lyrics developed by soulful writers.
3. Copywriters:- The Good writer can be hired in a firm for creative writing, copywriting. Who can create or fantasize about the ideas to convey the aim of a firm and its product? The high to low standard brands spent their large amount of money on advertisement companies, who hire these writers.
4. Coach or Instructor:- A good writer collects their creative ideas, memories and converts them into a fiction world. You can guide people on what you have learned in your writing career. You can become a coach and help as many aspiring writers as you can.
5. Journalists and Critiques:- Fiction writers can also switch to non-fiction writing career options like constructive critiques and journalism of other writer’s work.
These days the worldwide universities are providing creative writing courses because of their high demand. You can become a book reviewer. You can also write for a magazine.
A writer can apply in publication houses, newsrooms, etc.
6. Storyteller:- You can choose to become a writer for kids, the storytelling for moral values, good habits, character-building of a next-generation child. You can write bedtime stories for kiddies. The fairytale consists of bravery, honesty, hope, dreams, belief, passion, commitment, and life possibilities.
Benefits
Let’s discuss what fiction can do to readers
1.Tool for active learning:- For better life experiences, fiction can teach your kid good behavior, moral values, and life lessons. You know what reading or listening has the potential that your child can understand complex terms efficiently and can process, memorize heavy information. The concepts that are unable to grasp by students will be easily by reading those stories.
The mind builds interest to read or listen to those stories
also, our brain is good at making stories.
If you lock your child inside the room, he will cry for some time. A few drops of tears will fall on the floor. You will catch him talking to the toy, creating a character, delivering a dialogue. So stories are relatable for the human mind to store information.
2. It improves creativity and imagination:- The on-demand skill is fair for your brain to develop the best ideas to work. It will be going to improve, where do you belong at this moment? What passion do you have to pursue in the future?
3. Presenting and Storytelling skills:- Storytelling is a popular skill in the modern era where everyone is searching for new ways to get better at communication skills. By storytelling, you can win many hearts in the presentations, meetings, conferences, interviews, etc. You can make as many friends as you want because this will add more charm to your personality so as your work.
4. Empathy and Character building:- It develops a better understanding with the people around, you can learn to relate with the people who were suffering from pain, diseased, bullied, harassment, their feelings when that imaginary character went through mental traumas, divorce, breakups, tragedies, etc. Our mind learns to see the unknown aspect of life but can experience it by someone we should know.
5. Escape from reality:- Fiction writing or fantasy writing is the escape from reality to live a thousand lives.
The readers can live and experience new life by reading fiction.
The writer who has created the world has always had control over it. The idea is so fascinating that You have already experienced the world of your imagination. All the possibilities of your dreams are not possible in real life.
6. Works as Therapy:- Your mind is a combination of a complex network made out of axons and neurons. It needs to relax and recharge every day. Bedtime stories are the best way to get calmed. The one who reads the fiction is most relaxed at night and sleeps without much pressure on mind about the future.
7 Steps to start your Journey
I saw many writers in front of my eyes had grown so fast with this system. Today we are going to focus on seven passive steps to help ourselves improve as a fiction writer:
1. Finding Creative Ideas
To speed up your brainstorming, you have only 24-hours, so you need to replace reading useless social media forwards and give more time to reading comics novels, fiction stories, fanfictions, and others.
There are various free as well as paid resources available online, such as
- Wattpad
- Amazon Kindle
- Storytel
- Critters
- Scriggler
- Elfwood
You may find graphic novels, short stories, and creative pieces to read and learn.
For a variety of content, do watch fiction movies and web series on OTT Platforms.
- Netflix
- Amazon Prime Video
- HBO
- Disney Plus
Few Drops From the Oceans
Comics and Graphic novels
- The Umbrella academy
- The Locke and keys
- Daytrippers
- Astro City
Web series
- The Umbrella Academy
- The Locke and keys
- Stranger Things
- Dark and many more
( Note:- These are my recommendation only if you are 18+ then you should watch these series.)
Movies
- Sci-fiction
- Inception
- Maritan
- Interstellar
- Avengers
Love and Romance
- After Series ( Fanfiction)
Note:- I know the list is endless. Don’t worry next article will be suggesting much more. I believe that there should be no language and cultural boundaries. After all, we have to explore as many fiction worlds as possible before making our own.
Start your journey as the explorer as you are a hero of your life story. To find yourself, you need to find your inspirations. Inspiration can be people, places, and experiences. Make it more interesting.
Give your mind a chance to release dopamine and appetite to your mind with perfect plans.
2. Maintain Your Journals or Notes Daily
At Least from today till the 90th day of this year, start your writing journey begin with anything you want, one-liner, poems, short stories, your day-to-day activities. You can also use your smartphone inbuilt note app to write down your raw thoughts.
Here it is:-
For Note Taking
- Evernote: Free and paid for Special features ( Google Play Store Rating 4.1)
- Google docs: Free ( Google Play Store Rating 4.3)
- Google keep: Free ( Google Play Store Rating 4.4)
- Journey: Diary, Journal ( Google Play Store Rating 4.5)
- Pure Writer: Excellent experience ( Google Play Store Rating 4.6)
3. Join the Various Writers Communities and Forums
To become more committed, as we all know, everyone is active somewhere on the other social media like WhatsApp, Facebook, Telegram, Linkedin, etc.
Find the free and paid communities and groups where you will get engaged with other writers. You guys can review each other’s works And will get more ideas to write on.
On Facebook
- Fiction Writers Global
- Writers Unite!
On Telegram
- Formal writing
- Writers Help Writers Community!
- Writers Club!
- Writers Directory
On Linkedin
- Fiction writers group
- Fiction Writer Guild
- Iconoclast Writer’s Group
- Global Writer’s Network
On Quora: Spaces
- To Create Fictional Worlds (q/worldbuilding)
- For Aspiring Writers (q/aspiringwriters)
- Fondness For Fiction (q/fondness-for-fiction)
- Science Fiction and Fantasy (q/sciencefictionfantasy)
On Reddit: subreddits
- r/fantasywriters
- r/worldbuilding
- r/characterforge
- r/writerchat
Several best communities and forums are existing online. You will find them in just one click.
Forums are online discussion sites where groups or individuals can hold conversational threads.
4. Collaboration Over the Competition
“When you started building a strong relationship with fellow writers and the people around you. You will see the magic.”
Find the trusted writers on social media like Instagram, Facebook, and ask them for collaboration. Additionally, you can give them a favor by promoting their work on your social media accounts and follow each other on social media platforms.
5. Sign Up for the Writing Applications and Websites
There are various sites and apps where you will get daily tasks.
Features
- Prompts or wallpaper is provide to you on specific topics.
- They provide sentence starters.
- Tips and tricks to write better.
- It also includes suggestions and a time limit to submit your write-up.
- Open mics and feature programs.
Benefits
- These platforms will also give you credit for your work.
- You can become famous on these platforms by performing well in regular contests.
- The winners always get featured on their social media handles.
- Anybody can take part in their open mics held every year in different localities.
6. Write Guest or Blog Posts
Consider this time as your training period. When you will do the five-steps with dedication, you will find people whom you can trust.
They must have websites or blogs, ask them to write guest posts, mention your online portfolio links. It will create backlinks for you.
7. Take Part in Competitions or Anthologies
Take part in writing competitions or anthologies organized by authorized websites, book publications houses, magazines, schools, and other organizations, etc.
- Inkitt
- booknet.
- Write India
- Story mirror
When you follow the six-steps mentioned here, you will find your faultlines and as well your niche.
Bonus value 1: Join courses free or paid
Enroll in the course of fantasy writing, creative writing, or novel writing from popular websites like Udemy, Teachable, Skillshare, and others.
You will learn how to create fantasy worlds by yourself.
Bonus value 2: Find your Inspiration
Why hustle alone in this world when you have options like youtube, podcasts? Remember one thing keep identify your favorites until you get one.
Whatever your genre of writing, you will discover famous people who have published their work. Find them and observe their work.
My Recommendations to you
1. Jk Rowling
2. Stephen king
3. Paulo Coelho
4.James Patterson
5. Lewis Carroll
Conclusion
Start from today itself. Build your habits to write, read, speak, and listen. These activities have hidden benefits. It will always give you enough confidence so that you can make your base strong. You routinely do every day. You are here to replace the old habits to adopt the new ones. Drop some comments the doubts regarding fiction writing. We will be going deep down to find solutions for you.
