How to Write Political Fiction
Read political fiction., Think about what you want to change or call attention to., Narrow down what you want to attack, like aiming at a target., Choose your approach., Base your story on real circumstances., Write a great work of fiction., Revise...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Read political fiction.
There's no better way than reading quality political fiction to get inspired and learn the tricks of the trade.
Authors such as those listed above are good choices, but there are many, many other worthwhile works.
John Steinbeck, Ayn Rand, Gore Vidal, or George Orwell Tariq Ali Aldous Huxley Max Barry -
Step 2: Think about what you want to change or call attention to.
Chances are you've already got something in mind. , A very broad attack on, say, "the government" is unlikely to create powerful writing, but too narrow an attack, such as on a single person, generally won't serve to bring about meaningful change.
There are many exceptions to these generalizations, though.
Instead, focus the story on a specific practice that raises your ire.
Some authors of political fiction write on war; Ayn Rand took aim at the political distribution of wealth; Richard Edward Connell criticized recreational hunting in his short story The Most Dangerous Game and touched on multiple political and religious themes in the screenplay of the movie Meet John Doe. , The first impulse is usually to attack the subject earnestly and directly.
This can be effective, but many times indirect approaches such as satire and allegory are more powerful.
Satire, in particular, is a fun genre to write and, if written well, to read. , You probably won't use senators' real names, and you may not even use a real country as your setting, but the more connections your story has to real places and real events, the more likely readers are to understand and relate to it. , Ignore for a moment that the urgent message of your book is far more important than the trite diversions on the bestseller list.
Political or socially-conscious work is truly valuable, but that fact doesn't give you license to write a boring or poorly written story.
If you really have something important to say, say it well, and make your book every bit as engaging as popular fiction.
See the related LifeGuide Hubs for tips on how to write fiction. , The creation of a good book typically involves 1 part writing to 3 parts revising and editing.
See related LifeGuide Hubs for help. , It can be hard to find a publisher for controversial political fiction.
The best way to get your story published is to make it an entertaining, high-quality work of fiction.
If you've got that, but you still don't have a publisher, look to smaller presses, or publish the work yourself, either on paper or on the internet. -
Step 3: Narrow down what you want to attack
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Step 4: like aiming at a target.
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Step 5: Choose your approach.
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Step 6: Base your story on real circumstances.
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Step 7: Write a great work of fiction.
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Step 8: Revise and edit your work once you've completed it.
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Step 9: Publish your work.
Detailed Guide
There's no better way than reading quality political fiction to get inspired and learn the tricks of the trade.
Authors such as those listed above are good choices, but there are many, many other worthwhile works.
John Steinbeck, Ayn Rand, Gore Vidal, or George Orwell Tariq Ali Aldous Huxley Max Barry
Chances are you've already got something in mind. , A very broad attack on, say, "the government" is unlikely to create powerful writing, but too narrow an attack, such as on a single person, generally won't serve to bring about meaningful change.
There are many exceptions to these generalizations, though.
Instead, focus the story on a specific practice that raises your ire.
Some authors of political fiction write on war; Ayn Rand took aim at the political distribution of wealth; Richard Edward Connell criticized recreational hunting in his short story The Most Dangerous Game and touched on multiple political and religious themes in the screenplay of the movie Meet John Doe. , The first impulse is usually to attack the subject earnestly and directly.
This can be effective, but many times indirect approaches such as satire and allegory are more powerful.
Satire, in particular, is a fun genre to write and, if written well, to read. , You probably won't use senators' real names, and you may not even use a real country as your setting, but the more connections your story has to real places and real events, the more likely readers are to understand and relate to it. , Ignore for a moment that the urgent message of your book is far more important than the trite diversions on the bestseller list.
Political or socially-conscious work is truly valuable, but that fact doesn't give you license to write a boring or poorly written story.
If you really have something important to say, say it well, and make your book every bit as engaging as popular fiction.
See the related LifeGuide Hubs for tips on how to write fiction. , The creation of a good book typically involves 1 part writing to 3 parts revising and editing.
See related LifeGuide Hubs for help. , It can be hard to find a publisher for controversial political fiction.
The best way to get your story published is to make it an entertaining, high-quality work of fiction.
If you've got that, but you still don't have a publisher, look to smaller presses, or publish the work yourself, either on paper or on the internet.
About the Author
Margaret Kim
Committed to making pet care accessible and understandable for everyone.
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