In the last two issues of For Fiction Writers, I mentioned that I have been analyzing one of my favorite novels, Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen. I've expanded my study to include another great young-adult novel, Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card. Both of these highly successful novels have been a joy to reread, and each has offered valuable insight into the craft of novel writing.  

One of the reasons that I write this newsletter is that despite the dozens of books available about the craft of writing fiction, much of that information is incomplete and it's not adequately organized. Even the terminology is inconsistent. Isn't it ironic that we as writers, who so value word choice, haven't agreed upon a common language with which to describe our own craft?

Before I share more of my observations from my analysis of Hatchet and Ender's Game, we need to review the concept of the structural units of fiction writing, the format for constructing fiction from individual words to a complete novel.  

No doubt you are familiar with much of the terminology, from individual words to paragraphs to chapters. But there is quite a bit more. Let me break it down from beginning to end.  

The smallest units of writing are words, phrases, clauses, sentences, and paragraphs. Duh! But what do you call two or more paragraphs with some common purpose? For lack of a better term, we generally refer to such "chunks" of writing as passages or segments of writing.

A chapter is a segment of writing delineated by chapter breaks. We create chapter breaks by inserting a page break at the end of a chapter and by starting the next page with a chapter title partway down the page. Two specialized types of chapters are (1) the prologue and (2) the epilogue.   

A chapter may include one or more sections, passages separated by a section break. In manuscript format, a section break is marked with a blank line. In printed novels a section may be delineated with a blank line, a bar, or some other symbol, such as a squiggly line. Some novels, especially long ones, may be further divided into books or parts, each including two or more chapters.  

Recent issues of For Fiction Writers have addressed scenes and sequels. Where do scenes and sequels fit as structural units of fiction writing? Remember the definitions of scenes and sequels? A scene is a passage of writing in which the character attempts to achieve a goal. A sequel is a passage of writing in which the character reacts reflectively to the previous scene. Scenes and sequels are specialized passages of writing, i.e., scenes and sequels are subsets of the units we call passages of writing.

Each of these units has a role. As writers we need to recognize each, know its purpose, and how to use it to construct our story. A chapter may include one or more scenes and/or one or more sequels. A chapter may also include fragments of scenes and sequels, i.e., incomplete scenes and sequels. Chapters often end at the conclusion of a scene or a sequel, but they don't have to.  

For example, a new scene may begin at the end of a chapter, and then continue in the next chapter--or even later in the book. Consider a chapter in which a hiker stumbles off a trail and finds herself clutching a rocky ledge atop a precipice. Such an event would certainly create a new short-term goal for the character (avoiding a fall), which would mark the beginning of a new scene. When placed at the end of a chapter, such a scene fragment is referred to a cliffhanger. 

If you are looking for a book that provides a great overview of (1) the process of writing fiction, (2) the fundamentals of fiction, and (3) the mechanics of getting published, Writing Fiction for Dummies is a great choice. Randy Ingermanson is known as the "Snowflake Guy" for his innovative approach to constructing a story. Peter Economy is the author or coauthor of more than 50 books, including Writing Children's Books for Dummies. If you are interested in learning more about writing fiction, Writing Fiction for Dummies is a wonderful place to start.