How Fiction Works: The Last Word on Writing Fiction, from Basics to the Fine Points [Hardcover]

Oakley Hall (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 5, 2001

In How Fiction Works, Oakley Hall expands upon and broadens the instruction that made The Art and Craft of Novel Writing so successful. This new book covers all forms and lengths of fiction, probes deeper into every topic, offers new examples and includes exercises and the end of every chapter. He explains the basic and finer points of the fiction-writing process from word choice and imagery to authority and viewpoint. The book is divided into three sections, beginning with "The Basics." In this section, Hall explores the micro elements of storytelling, such as details, word choice, images, symbol and metaphor. He then moves on! to "The Elements," which covers the primary elements of fiction: point of view, characterization and plot. Citing numerous examples from classic and contemporary work, he shows readers how these elements function separately and in concert. Finally, the focus shifts to the specific types of fiction - short shorts, short stories, novellas, and novels - also known as "The Forms." Each form presents a unique challenge to the writer, and Hall explains how to meet those challenges. Beginning, as well as more advanced writers, will find much to like about this book.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Oakley Hall is the author of fourteen mainstream novels and five mysteries. He was the director of the writing program at the University of California for more than twenty years, and is presently director of the Squaw Valley Community of Writers.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Story Press (January 5, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1884910491
• ISBN-13: 978-1884910494
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,667,659 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Instruction on Writing: 4- Stars, November 12, 2005

By 

Debbie Lee Wesselmann (the Lehigh Valley, PA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How Fiction Works: The Last Word on Writing Fiction, from Basics to the Fine Points (Hardcover)

In his instructional book on writing fiction, Oakley Hall combines good, solid advice with self-congratulatory passages about his own writing. The book is divided into two major parts: "The Dramatic Method" and "Forms of Fiction", the last of which discusses the short story and the novel. Most beginning writers will find the first part--and the bulk of the book--much more helpful than the last, although Hall's discussion of forms is worth reading for the distinctions it makes.

Within the first part, Hall breaks down his "secrets" into eight chapters: Specification; The Senses; Words; Symbol and Indirection; Dialogue; Authority/Point of View; Characterization; Plot. For every topic and sub-topic, he offers concrete, reliable advice followed by examples that illustrate his point. His list of abstract sentences and their transformation to active, concrete ones is helpful in teaching the beginner the difference between bland sentences and the much more vivid demands of good fiction. To his enormous credit, Hall includes nineteen pages on words and word choice, the foundation of writing but a topic often overlooked by amateurs. His chapter on characterization is also strong. Unfortunately, Hall bogs down at the end of chapters when he gives examples; too often, he includes his own writing and, even when he doesn't, he supplies little analysis to aid the reader in understanding the techniques. The strength of this book lies in Hall's knowledge of his topics. He provides small doses of real insight that his readers will be able to apply to their own writing.

As a professor of writing, I have been looking for years for a good fiction textbook that is more affordable than Burroway's On Writing Fiction, and have yet to find one. Hall's work, like many others, falls short. Still, it offers some good lessons that aspiring fiction writers should read, even if the rest of the text is weak.

36 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars I hated, hated, hated this book, June 17, 2001

By A Customer

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This review is from: How Fiction Works: The Last Word on Writing Fiction, from Basics to the Fine Points (Hardcover)

It starts out being a not a bad reference and some of the examples are adequate, if not particularly insightful, or dealt with in any great depth. The author belongs to the colorful detail school of fiction writing -- he tells you every chance he gets. Fine. But by the final third of the book, the author is into total self promotion, and it gets on ones nerves. Instead of "How Fiction Works" being the title, perhaps it should have been "How Fiction has Worked Very, Very Well for Me." The book appears to have been dashed out to meet a contract committment without any serious thought put into it. Mr. Hall may well be the marvelous writer he claims to be, but as an editor he should aspire to improvement. I bought this book on the basis of an Amazon programmed recommendation and the reviewer comments. Sad to say, the rule about letting the buyer beware still applies.

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Primer For Writing, April 19, 2001

By 

P. J. Sears (Three Rivers, Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How Fiction Works: The Last Word on Writing Fiction, from Basics to the Fine Points (Hardcover)

How Fiction Works is a fantastic book for both the beginning and the experienced writer. Oakley Hall makes no assumptions, and goes into quick and rapid explanations, but thorough, on so many aspects of writing that cause problems. He pays particular attention to the problems in writing, and how to solve them, for example: Specification, concrete vs. abstract, how to utilize all the senses in your writing, words (adverbs, verbs, etc), use of dialogue, symbols, attention to point of view, and characterization (indepth). At the end of the book he pays devotes sections for the short story and novel writing. If you ever had a question, it would be answered in here. It is a quick book to read, and has many of the characteristics of a dictionary, providing quick answers but thorough. So in effect, it becomes a primer that you want on your writing shelf, no matter what type of writing you actually do.