To write about fiction, students can use the "Writing the essay" section as a basic guideline. Like a research paper, papers about fiction require students to analyze parts of a text and draw their own conclusions. Sometimes, professors want students to research literary criticism and incorporate their findings into their own work. All of these tasks require quotes, paraphrases, and summaries, which you can learn more about by clicking this link. If the professor does not assign a particular piece of fiction, students should select the works that they find the most interesting to analyze for their research paper. In this manner, students will have many ideas that they can use in their paper.

Follow these other guidelines to write a solid paper about fiction:

1. Avoid plot summaries unless it is absolutely essential to your analysis. An entire paper that contains plot summary suggests to the professor, whether rightly or not, that the student cannot follow directions or use critical thinking skills.

2. Use literary terminology as much as possible. For example, instead of writing that an object "stands for" an idea, use the term "symbolizes." In this manner, students show that they can apply concrete concepts and use them to analyze the more abstract ideas found in fiction.

3. Avoid relying on critics' opinions, unless otherwise stated by your professor. If a student's entire paper consists of opinions other than their own, it shows, like an entire paper of plot summary, an inability to use critical thinking skills.