# On the art of writing fiction Author: Norris, W. E. (William Edward), 1847-1925 [Contributor]; Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine), 1834-1924 [Contributor]; Church, Alfred John, 1829-1912 [Contributor]; Douglas, Robert K. (Robert Kennaway), Sir, 1838-1913 [Contributor]; Falconer, Lanoe, 1848-1908 [Contributor]; Gray, Maxwell, 1846-1923 [Contributor]; Macquoid, Katharine S. (Katharine Sarah), 1824-1917 [Contributor]; Meade, L. T., 1854-1914 [Contributor]; Molesworth, Mrs., 1839-1921 [Contributor]; Parr, Louisa, 1848?-1903 [Contributor]; Walford, Lucy Bethia, 1845-1915 [Contributor] Genre: Category: Essays, Letters & Speeches Language: English License: Public domain Source: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/72910 Amazon editions: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=On+the+art+of+writing+fiction+Norris&tag=cyberlibrar00-20 ## Summary The art of writing fiction has of late years been made the subject of innumerable articles by persons most, if not quite all, of whom are doubtless competent and well-informed; and it seems to be pretty generally agreed upon between them, as a nice, definite sort of dogma to start with, that “the main thing is to have a story to tell.” Possibly that may be the main thing: possibly also the main thing—if, indeed, there be one where several things are indispensable—may be, not that the writer should have a story to tell, but that he should be able to tell it. To tell it, that is, after a fashion which shall move, interest or amuse the great novel-reading public, which, patient and tolerant... ## Chapters - [Part 3](https://www.cyberlibrary.org/en/books/on-the-art-of-writing-fiction-72910/chapters/3/index.md) - [Part 7](https://www.cyberlibrary.org/en/books/on-the-art-of-writing-fiction-72910/chapters/7/index.md) - [Part 5](https://www.cyberlibrary.org/en/books/on-the-art-of-writing-fiction-72910/chapters/5/index.md) - [Part 4](https://www.cyberlibrary.org/en/books/on-the-art-of-writing-fiction-72910/chapters/4/index.md) - [Part 1](https://www.cyberlibrary.org/en/books/on-the-art-of-writing-fiction-72910/chapters/1/index.md) - [Part 2](https://www.cyberlibrary.org/en/books/on-the-art-of-writing-fiction-72910/chapters/2/index.md) - [Part 6](https://www.cyberlibrary.org/en/books/on-the-art-of-writing-fiction-72910/chapters/6/index.md)