Fiction is the telling of stories which are not entirely based upon facts. More specifically, fiction is an imaginative
form of narrative, one of the four basic rhetorical
modes. Although the word fiction is derived from the Latin fingere, "to form, create", works of fiction need
not be entirely imaginary and may include real people, places, and events. Fiction may be either written or oral. Although not
all fiction is necessarily artistic, fiction is largely perceived as a form of art and/or
entertainment. The ability to create fiction and other artistic works is considered to be
a fundamental aspect of human culture, one of the defining characteristics of humanity.
Elements of fiction
Even among writing instructors and bestselling authors, there appears to be little consensus regarding the number and
composition of the fundamental elements of fiction. For example:
- "Fiction has three main elements: plotting, character, and place or setting." (Morrell 2006, p. 151)
- "A charged image evokes all the other elements of your story—theme, character, conflict, setting, style, and so on."
(Writer's Digest Handbook of Novel
Writing 1992, p. 160)
- "For writers, the spices you add to make your plot your own include characters, setting, and dialogue." (Bell 2004, p. 16)
- "Contained within the framework of a story are the major story elements: characters, action, and conflict." (Evanovich 2006, p. 83)
- " . . . I think point of view is one of the most fundamental elements of the fiction-writing craft . . ." (Selgin 2007, p. 41)
As stated by Janet Evanovich, "Effective writing requires an understanding of the fundamental elements of storytelling, such
as point of view, dialogue, and setting." (Evanovich 2006, p.
39) The debate continues as to the number and composition of the fundamental elements of fiction. [1]
Character
Characterization is often listed as one of the fundamental elements of fiction. A character is a participant in the story, and is usually a person, but may be any persona,
identity, or entity whose existence originates from a fictional work or performance.
Characters may be of several types:
- Point-of-view character: the character from whom the story is viewed.
- Protagonist: the main character of a story
- Antagonist: the character that stands in opposition to the protagonist
- Supporting character: A character that plays a part in the plot but is not major
- Minor character: a character in a bit/cameo part
Plot
Plot, or storyline, is often listed as one of the fundamental elements of
fiction. It is the rendering and ordering of the events and actions of a story. On a micro level, plot consists of action and
reaction, also referred to as stimulus and response. On a macro level, plot has a beginning, a middle, and an ending. Plot is
often depicted as an arc with a zig-zag line to represent the rise and fall of action. Plot also has a mid-level structure: scene
and sequel. A scene is a unit of drama—where the action occurs. Then, after a transition
of some sort, comes the sequel—an emotional reaction and regrouping, an aftermath. (Bickham 1993, pp. 23-62)
Setting
Setting, the locale and time of a story, is often listed as one of the
fundamental elements of fiction. Sometimes setting is referred to as milieu, to include a context (such as society) beyond
the immediate surroundings of the story. In some cases, setting becomes a character itself and can set the tone of a story.
(Rozelle 2005, p. 2)
Theme
Theme, a conceptual distillation of the story, is often listed as one of
the fundamental elements of fiction. It is the central idea or insight serving as a unifying element, creating cohesion and is an
answer to the question, 'What did you learn from the piece of fiction?' In some cases a story's theme is a prominent element and
somewhat unmistakable. (Morrell 2006, p. 263)
Style
Style is not so much what is written, but how it is written. Style in fiction refers to language
conventions used to construct the story. A fiction writer may manipulate diction, sentence structure, phrasing, dialogue, and
other aspects of language to create style. The communicative effect created by the author's style is sometimes referred to as the
story's voice. Every writer has his or her own unique style, or voice (Provost 1988, p. 8). Style is sometimes listed as one of the fundamental elements of
fiction.
Categories
-
Types of prose fiction:
- Flash fiction: A work of fewer than 2,000 words. (1,000 by some definitions) (around 5
pages)
- Short story: A work of at least 2,000 words but under 7,500 words. (between about 10 and
40 pages)
- Novelette: A work of at least 7,500 words but under 17,500 words. (40-90 pages)
- Novella: A work of at least 17,500 words but under 60,000 words. (90-300 pages)
- Novel: A work of 60,000 words or more. (about 300+ pages)
- Epic: A work of 200,000 words or more. (about 1000+ pages)[citation needed][1][2]
Forms of fiction
Traditionally, fiction includes novels, short stories,
fables, fairy tales, plays, and
poems, but it now also encompasses films,
comic books, and video games.
The Internet has had a major impact on the distribution of fiction, calling into question
the feasibility of copyright as a means to ensure royalties
are paid to copyright holders. Also, digital libraries such as Project Gutenberg make public domain texts more readily
available. The combination of inexpensive home computers, the Internet and the creativity of its users has also led to new forms
of fiction, such as interactive computer games or computer-generated comics.
Countless forums for fan fiction can be found online, where loyal followers of specific
fictional realms create and distribute derivative stories. The Internet is also used
for the development of blog fiction, where a story is delivered through a blog either as flash fiction or serialblog, and collaborative fiction, where a story is written sequentially by different authors, or the entire
text can be revised by anyone using wiki.
Uses of fiction
Although fiction may be viewed as a form of entertainment, it has other uses. Fiction has been used for instructional
purposes, such as fictional examples used in school textbooks. It may be used in propaganda and advertising. It may be perpetuated by parents out of
tradition such as with Santa Claus or to instill beliefs
and values. Although they are not necessarily targeted at children, fables offer an explicit moral
goal.
References
- Bell, James Scott (2004). Write Great Fiction: Plot
and Structure. Cincinnati, OH: Writer's Digest Books, 16. ISBN 158297294X.
- Bickham, Jack M. (1993). Scene &
Structure. Cincinnati, OH: Writer's Digest Books, 23-62. ISBN 0898795516.
- Edgerton, Les (2003). Finding Your Voice: How to
Put Personality in Your Writing. Cincinnati, OH: Writer's Digest Books. ISBN 1582971749.
- Evanovich, Janet (2006). How I Write: Secrets
of a Bestselling Author. New York: St. Martin's Griffin, 39 and 83. ISBN 0312354282.
- Morrell, Jessica Page (2006). Between the Lines:
Master the Subtle Elements of Fiction Writing. Cincinnati, OH: Writer's Digest Books. ISBN 1582973938.
- Provost, Gary (1988). Beyond Style: Mastering the
Finer Points of Writing. Cincinnati, OH: Writer's Digest Books, 8.
- Rozelle, Ron (2005). Write Great Fiction:
Description & Setting. Cincinnati, OH: Writer's Digest Books. ISBN 158297327X.
- Selgin, Peter (2007). By Cunning & Craft:
Sound Advice and Practical Wisdom for Fiction Writers. Cincinnati, OH: Writer's Digest Books, 41. ISBN
1582974918.
- (1992) The Writer's Digest Handbook of Novel Writing. Cincinnati, OH:
Writer's Digest Books, 160. ISBN 0898795079.
Note
- ^ counting a page roughly as 200 words.
- ^ a professional writer usually writes an average of 500-1000 words per day.
Stephen King stated he writes an average of 2000 words per day, every day.
See also
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
