Materials and Methods of Fiction / With an Introduction by Brander Matthews

A practical handbook surveys principles and techniques of prose fiction, contrasting realism and romance while tracing the novelist's purpose. It analyzes narrative fundamentals—plot, character, setting, point of view, and emphasis—distinguishes major forms (epic, drama, novel) and short forms (novelette, short story), and outlines the structure of the short story. The book also treats style as a determining factor, combines historical perspective with critical examples, and offers constructive guidance for writers and critics on achieving veracity, unity, pacing, and expressive voice, suggesting methods for shaping material and for developing the moral or thematic focus of fictional work.