If you want to write fiction that draws in your readers and refuses to let them leave, you'll have to practice a few techniques. These techniques are almost exclusively used by fiction writers, though creative non-fiction writers will sometimes employ them as well.
The Devil is in the Details
Okay, that was a little cliche. But it's still true. To write good fiction, you have to really get into the details. Don't tell me "The girl walked down the trail." That's very boring. You've already lost my interest and I've picked up something by Charles Dickens just to relieve my own boredom.
Try something that will actually capture my attention and spark my imagination. Show me what color her hair is. What kind of trail? Is she just walking, or is she wandering, skipping, or whatever? Fill in some of the gaps, engage my senses, and keep me reading.
But beware of cliches. If the girl has blond hair, don't say, "Her hair was like the sun." Everyone says that. Try to get just a little creative. If you really can't come up with anything, try looking through books with blond heroines. Something will be there. Perhaps you could try, "hair as bright as spun topaz," or perhaps, "pale as late summer's wheat." Whatever. Just say something that isn't used a hundred times a day. You're probably not going to find something totally original, but you can at least avoid the sun analogy.
You should also describe scents, sounds, and all those other little things that make up a scene. Don't go on and on for pages, but show me where I am. This will let me engage with your story. I still might not love it, but I'll be intrigued enough to keep reading.
The Value of Writing Prompts in Your Story
Everyone gets stuck. It's the nature of being a writer. Sometimes you'll just run in to that little thing author's call writer's block. Even writers who don't believe in writer's block will sometimes run up against a wall.
If this happens to you, try a technique that will help you get past the block and help your story at the same time. I do this because ... well, quite frankly, I don't have time to do little writing exercises or pursue unrelated writing prompts. I have deadlines, my editor likes to actually do her job, and my publisher likes to release things on time. So I have to get things done.
I use writing prompts that will not only get my brain cells moving again, but that will let me continue with my story. This usually involves jumping to another part of the story and pick out a scene that's already sort of running through my head. Then I'll pick something from that scene to describe thoroughly. Perhaps a person in the scene (such as a new character that's being introduced) or even the setting itself. I engage the five senses and soon find myself reconnecting with my own work. It keeps me moving and keeps me on schedule, much to my editor's relief. Plus, I have written some valuable descriptions. Not all of them make it into finished novels, but I have them for reference.
Use That Figurative Language
Describing things literally is great, but sometimes a little figurative language is just the thing to spice up your writing. Speaking figuratively, at least in fiction writing, is usually used to compare two things that seem dissimilar on the surface but really have much in common. It's a shortcut and a way to get a point across to your audience.
As an example, you might write, "Janice is a bird." But you don't mean that the person named Janice suddenly turned into a bird (unless you're writing high fantasy, in which case Janice may have actually become a bird). What you probably mean is that she behaves like a bird. Most birds move cautiously but gracefully, and most of them fly, so you might be saying that Janice almost floats as she moves but it cautious and aware of her surroundings.
This is a simplistic example, of course, but you get the idea. Figurative language can enhance and improve your writing, but you'll have to practice it. Done wrong, figures of speech can backfire and confuse the reader. So do it with care.
All of these techniques can help to improve your fiction writing. Whether you write poetry, short stories, or are working on your first novel, there is always a ways to enhance your use of the written word.
