In the world of prose, writing fiction has its own sets of rules, norms, and worries. In addition to developing plot and characters, a fiction writer must also make decisions about such things as what tense best suits a narrative, how to punctuate and attribute dialogue, and whether to phonetically construct speech dialects. <br><br>Informal and engaging in tone, The Language of Fiction guides professional writers and students alike through the fiction-writing process. While many books that deal with fiction writing explore content-based issues such as characterization, setting, and plot, this unique new stylebook by author and writing instructor Brian Shawver focuses exclusively on language and how it is used in fiction.<br><br>Beginning with stylistic decisions relating to tenses, dialogue, and thought, Shawver moves on to fundamentals of language, such as the proper use of the past-perfect tense and objective and subjective pronouns, questions of proper diction, and modifying participial phrases. He then explores the many nuances of punctuation as used in fiction. He provides a final section on common errors in fiction writing and how to avoid them. The Language of Fiction is a vital addition to every writer's reference bookshelf and an essential tool in any fiction classroom or workshop.