Style/Technique
From Ginny Wiehardt, former About.com Guide
Elements of Fiction
Even experienced writers benefit from a review of the basic building blocks of fiction. Though the concepts may be old hat, no one manages all of them successfully from the very beginning. These articles provide a basic understanding of what makes up a short story so that you can discern and improve on your weaknesses.
Novel Writing
Writing a novel may be the most challenging thing you do in your writing career. Few other activities in our multi-tasked lives force us to stick with one project for so long. So how do you get from bright idea to reading tour? The articles below will help.
Style
To a large degree, writing style evolves naturally over time, a combination of personality, reading choices, and any number of small encounters and events. But there are style-related aspects of writing that you can consciously work on and consider -- and these things will make you a good writer whether you're writing a cover letter or a magnum opus.
Figurative Language
Used well, figurative language enhances your fiction and can be an economical way of getting an image or a point across. However, used incorrectly, figurative language can be confusing or downright silly. Learn more about figurative language and how to use it effectively.
Dialogue
The skill of writing true-to-life dialogue does not come naturally to everyone. Using these articles, learn to write dialogue that advances the story and fleshes out the characters while providing a break from straight exposition.
Further Advice and Instruction
Whatever your weak point or problem, there's a wide range of resources to help you improve your writing, from books and the Internet to classes and MFA programs.