A Fiction Guide for Fellows, Writers, and Students

FICTION

Fellowing Fiction

One of the key takeaways from fiction fellowing is how to build out characters – their relationships, their motives, their backstories – and how to build worlds. The process of fellowing a piece of fiction straddles both the author’s intention, and what their story has achieved without the author’s context.

What do you want your characters to feel in this scene?
What do you want your readers to feel in this scene?
What do you want your readers to think of X character?
What do you think of X character?
What part of this piece of most emotional for you to write?
What part was least emotional?
Why does the character feel X in this moment?
Why is this a sad/happy moment?
Where do you think readers will feel the most when reading this piece?
What began this story? Was it an idea? A piece of dialogue you overheard?
What is one fact about your character[s] that didn’t make it into this draft? Why?
What pieces have you read that are doing something similar to your work?
Why do you want to edit this piece?
What do you think is the message of this story/chapter?
Why did you choose this form?
Why does your character do X? Why don’t they do Y?
Why is your story set here?
Why is your story told for X person?
When did you realize that this was a story you wanted to completely flesh out?
Who is your narrator?

Fiction Prompts for Writers

Write a scene about one of your characters that will never make it to the end product. Their first kiss, their favorite childhood memory. Use this as an opportunity to learn more about your character.
Write about someone else experiencing your setting. How is it different from how your characters experience this setting.
Write a letter to your ideal reader. Who are they? What will you say to them? Write a letter to your projected reader next.
Find a motif that is important to your story and free-write about it. Rain, grass, egg yolks, etc.
Change the setting. Write a description of the setting in your story–don’t forget to consider what time of year it is!
Add a scene where “things get weird”
Add a scene where “things get good”
Add a scene where things “things get bad”