Most people have probably heard the dictum: Write what you know. The acclaimed writer Flannery O’Connor had a slightly different approach: Start with anything you can make real.

Many people who take up the craft and hobby of writing turn to fiction. Fiction is the big daddy of the creative writing world. Perhaps writers gravitate to fiction because everybody has a story to tell. You can create fiction from life. You can create fiction from the rusty innards of your imagination. You can create fiction that tells a 500-page story, or fiction that tells its story in just a few short pages.

Unlike other genres that fall within the non-fiction world (such as memoirs), writing fiction throws open the gates to the allowable imaginings of almost anything.

It’s vital to have a concept or idea in mind first. Once you have this, it’s a good idea to plot your story. Remember to have a hook; a basic structure of a beginning, middle, and end; and a thorough knowledge of your characters. Fiction takes dedication, be prepared to spend a great deal of time on it. Once you have finished and its ready for the publisher, your focus turns to a synopsis; this gives a perspective publisher a clear understanding of what your story is about in clear concise paragraphs. Don’t be afraid to reveal the entire plotline to your publisher, they need to know your book is worth their effort and the money it takes to produce, market, and ultimately sell it. If they don’t think it will sell then they won’t waste their time.

When writing fiction, don’t make readers arrive after the fact, have them on the edge of their seats waiting for that big bang.

I watched Jessica disappear under the car.

Could become:

Jessica stepped back onto the road to take in the whole sunset over the mountains. A loose rock stole her footing just as a car hurtled down the gravel shoulder and headed straight for her. I leapt toward her, willing my legs to move faster. But the distance had crept between us. I shouted. But it was too late. Jessica’s wide eyes caught mine as her body disappeared under the moving vehicle. Her fading screams echoed through the deafening screech of brakes and the sickening thud of flesh mingling with metal; burnt rubber filled the air.

Now we can see it, now we there for the action.

Read your work out loud. This will help to expose many grammar errors that can slip in or phrases that don't make sense or sound the best. It allows you to get a better feel of how your manuscript is flowing.

As writers, we learn how to describe a scene, but are you describing it efficiently?

The sun shone on the golden sea oats as taupe foam pulled away from the receding waves that struggled in the sand.

This certainly paints a picture, but is it doing enough? If we add the other four senses then it may become something like this:

A salted sea breeze crept towards the shore and mingled with the day’s humidity. The sun shifted it even grin and threw down unforgiving ray of fire that scorched the sandy beach. Rolling green waves crash upon the thirsty sand while hopeful seagulls cried out beneath the clear blue sky in search of food.

Not every setting will have something for each sense, but stop to notice the sounds, tastes, smells and tactile elements. Remember that these sort of descriptive passages have their place. They tend to slow the pace so you would a full on descriptive passage in the middle of a scene where you want to create excitement or urgency.

Most novels and short stories are about a person or group of people with a goal. In many cases the events of the story dictate that goal. This can be as simple as a teenager deciding to take a job at the local surf shop because of a crush on a girl who works there. Everyone he meets and everything that happens in this village can be linked to the romance.

Develop your characters. Decide on the traits your characters will posses and devise experiences to reveal them. If someone’s a gentle and kind person then you may have that person help someone find a lost pup. A mean spirited person might stomp on a child’s favourite toy. Sticking a short tempered person, who is running late for an important meeting, in a traffic jam on a hot day where the temperature gauge on the car is nearing the red could prove as an opportunity for the writer. This way the character could rant and rave, even kick the car once it does boil over; it shows the character’s demeanour and keeps the storyline interesting. Use situations that stimulate emotion and create a fuller storyline. Emotions also help readers relate to your characters.

Make the characters believable. A small and local farm equipment supplier is not the kind of personality who’d say something like this:

I apologise for the delay with the arrival of your orders. Our courier experienced a shipping displacement that should be resolved in twenty-four hours.

It would be more likely for this character using terminology that would suit the clientele. Perhaps something like this:

Sorry mate, about your hay order. Somebody put it on the wrong truck heading the opposite direction, but it’ll be here tomorrow, mate, you can count on it.

A person who had little education would speak differently to someone who was a scholar. A business person would talk differently to a rock musician. Think about who your characters are.

Add a twist. Referring back to our story about the teenager who sought work at the surf shop for the love of a girl could end with a happy ending, but what else could happen? Think about the possibilities. After several dates, the surfer realizes this girl isn’t for him, but in his attempts to win her over he has become a skilled surfer. His dazzling smile is slashed across magazines as he goes up against the best in a competition and wins. He gains popularity, and a sponsor … and meets his sponsor’s daughter who is a stunner. If you wanted to be creative, you could even throw in another twist and have the readers reeling in their seats wondering what else was going to happen.

Revise, rewrite and edit. It’s more than just taking your manuscript from the seeds of imagination to having it actually written, it still has to be presented to the appropriate publisher. Your story needs to be sellable. Never forget that while your dream to be a professional writer with countless books on the shelf in bookstores all over the country, publishers don’t care who the author is just as long as the product they have invested in will sell. That’s why it’s up to you to present the best copy to a publisher.