1. Introduction
1.1 Talent vs. Learned Skills
1.2 Resources
2. Reading Your Writing
2.1 Seeing What's on the Page
2.2 Reviewing and Reading Aloud
2.3 A Note About Heinlein's Rules of Writing
2.4 Things Can Change
3. Viewpoint
3.1 Choice of Words
3.2 Description
3.3 Impertinent Details
3.4 Naturalism Vs. Alternative Modes
4. Action
4.1 Suspense and Withholding Information
4.2 Maguffins
4.3 Reincorporation
5. Setting
6. Dialogue
6.1 Talking Heads
6.2 Said-bookisms
7. Words
7.1 Verbs
7.2 Adjectives, Adverbs, Etc.
7.3 Repetition vs. Elegant Variation
7.4 Gender-Neutral Language
7.5 Names
7.6 Clichés
7.7 The Risks of Early Metaphor
7.8 Rhythm
8. General Tips
8.1 Acknowledging the Unusual and the Obvious
8.2 Don't Avoid the Future
8.3 Showing Your Work to Others
8.4 Comedy
8.5 Eh vs. Huh
9. Conclusion
10. Exercises
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Copyright © 2001, James Alan Gardner