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| ]'s '']'', depicting the fictional ], ], playing a ] game of croquet.]] | |||
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| '''Fiction''' is the ] for any creative ]—almost always a ]—whose creator does not claim responsibility for the work's faithfulness to reality;<ref name ="litfiction">{{cite book|last=Farner|first=Geir|year=2014|title=Literary Fiction: The Ways We Read Narrative Literature|chapter=Chapter 2: What is Literary Fiction?|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qXXHAgAAQBAJ&pg|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing USA}}</ref> in other words, any informative account not guaranteed to present only actual people, factual descriptions, or historically accurate events. Conversely, if the creator accepts responsibility for the truthfulness of a work, it is labelled ] if his/her intention is honest and ] if dishonest.<ref name ="litfiction"/> Although the term fiction has traditionally referred to works of ] in particular, such as ]s and ], it may also refer to works of ] (including opera and ballet), ], ], ], ], and ]. In broader, everyday usage, fiction refers to any appearance, impression, or understanding that is imaginary or otherwise not strictly true. | |||
| == Features == | |||
| === Realistic fiction === | |||
| Realistic fiction, although untrue, could actually happen. Some events, people, and places may even be real. It may be possible that, in the future, imagined events could physically happen. For example, ]'s novel '']'' was proven possible in 1969, when ] landed on the Moon. ] often predicts technologies that later become a reality. | |||
| Another subgenre of realistic fiction is ] like ] by ], ] by ], ] by ], and so on. All these works depict a fictional but plausible story. | |||
| ] is also a subgenre that takes fictional characters and puts them into real world events. For example, in the early historical novel '']'', ]'s fictional character Edward Waverley meets ] and takes part in the ]. | |||
| === Non-realistic fiction=== | |||
| Non-realistic fiction is that in which the story's events could not happen in real life, which involve an alternate form of history of mankind other than that recorded, or need ]. A good deal of fiction books are like this, including works by ] ('']''), ] ('']''), and ] ('']''). | |||
| However, even ] literature is bidimensional: it is situated between the poles of ] and the marvelous or ]. Geographical details, character descriptions etc. create a rhetoric of realism, which "invites the reader to ignore the text's artifice, to suspend one's disbelief, exercise poetic faith and thereby indulge in the narrative's imaginative world". The bidimensionality appears within the story as astonishment or frightening. According to G. W. Young and G. Wolfe, fictional realities outside the text are evoked, and the reader's previous conceptions of reality are exposed as incomplete. Hence, "by fiction is one able to gain even fuller constructs of what constitutes reality". On the other hand, the infinite fictional possibilities signal the impossibility of fully knowing reality. There is no criterion to measure constructs of reality – in the last resort they are '''"entirely fictional".<ref name="subversive"/> | |||
| === Semi-fiction=== | |||
| Semi-fiction is fiction implementing a great deal of non-fiction,<ref name="The Role of Narrative Fiction and Semi-Fiction in Organizational Studies"/> for example: a fictional depiction "based on a true story", or a fictionalized account, or a reconstructed biography. | |||
| Often, even when the author claims the story is true, there may be significant additions and subtractions from the true story to make it more suitable for storytelling. | |||
| One such example would be Tim O'Brien's '']''. | |||
| ==Quotes== | |||
| Even among writing instructors and bestselling authors, there is 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." {{Harvard citation | Morrell | 2006 | p = 151}} | |||
| * "A charged image evokes all the other elements of your story—theme, character, conflict, setting, style, and so on." {{Harvard citation | 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." {{Harvard citation | Bell | 2004 |p = 16}} | |||
| * "Contained within the framework of a story are the major story elements: characters, action, and conflict." {{Harvard citation | Evanovich | 2006 | p = 83}} | |||
| * ". . . I think point of view is one of the most fundamental elements of the fiction-writing craft . . . ." {{Harvard citation | Selgin | 2007 | p = 41}} | |||
| As stated by ], "Effective writing requires an understanding of the fundamental elements of storytelling, such as point of view, dialogue, and setting. " {{Harvard citation | Evanovich | 2006 | p = 39}} The debate continues as to the number and composition of the fundamental elements of fiction. {{Citation needed|date=February 2011}} | |||
| ==Elements== | |||
| === Plot === | |||
| ] is what the character(s) did, said, and thought. It is the Action Proper given unity by the Enveloping Action, the Universal Action, the Archetypal Action. As Aristotle said, What gives a story unity is not as the masses believe that it is about one person but that it is about one action. 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 summary. | |||
| A ] is a unit of drama – where the action occurs. Then, after a transition of some sort, comes the summary – an emotional reaction and regrouping, an aftermath. For a delightful tongue-in-cheek comment on plot, see ]'s "No Plot, My Dear, No Story" in ''The Occasional Writings and Collected Essays of Katherine Anne Porter'', Seymour Lawrence, 1970. | |||
| ==== Exposition ==== | |||
| ] is the portion of a narrative that introduces important background information to the reader (like events occurring before the main plot or a character's ]) but is not part of the plot's action itself.<ref>{{cite book | year = 2009 | title = Kaplan SAT Subject Test: Literature 2009-2010 Edition | publisher = Kaplan Publishing | page = 60 | isbn= 1419552619}}</ref> If the exposition is too ], it can kill the plot's momentum. Therefore a number of literary techniques are used to hide from, or otherwise misdirect, the reader's attention. These techniques include: ], incidental dialog (having a character refer to his sister as "Sis"), ] thoughts of the past ("Years ago, when I was serving in Africa...") or projections into the future ("It was not until years later when I learned that...") and ], all-seeing narrative but split up into small pieces spread throughout the story. | |||
| ==== Foreshadowing ==== | |||
| ] is a ] used by authors to provide clues so the reader can predict what might occur ''later'' in the story. An ] drops subtle hints about ] developments to come later in the ]. It prepares the reader for later action and subsequent images so that the reader or spectator is not jarred and verisimilitude is maintained even in science fiction, fantasy, magical realism, and other genres that might otherwise test credulity. If such preparation is recognized as such by the reader or spectator, it may be ineffective and artificial. | |||
| ==== Rising action ==== | |||
| The ], in the ] of a work of fiction, follows the ] and leads up to the ]. The rising action's purpose is usually to build suspense all the way up the climactic finish. The rising action should not be confused with the middle of the story, but is the action right before the climax. The material beyond the climax is known as the ]. | |||
| ==== Climax ==== | |||
| In a work of fiction, the ] often resembles that of the classical comedy, occurring near the end of the text or performance, after the ] and before the ]. It is the moment of greatest danger for the ](s) and usually consists of a seemingly inevitable prospect of failure – it surprises you to the point that gets you excited to see what is to come in the end. | |||
| A climax often includes three elements. The most important element is that the protagonist experiences a change. The main character discovers something about himself or herself, and another unknown character. The last element is revealing the theme itself. | |||
| ==== Falling action ==== | |||
| The ] is the part of a story, usually found in ] and ], following the ] and showing the effects of the climax. It leads up to the ] (or ]).<ref name="fall1"/> Where the story is settling down and you start to get the climax and where it might be resolved. | |||
| ==== Resolution ==== | |||
| ] occurs after the climax, where the conflict is resolved. It may contain a moment of final suspense, during which the final outcome of the conflict is in doubt. | |||
| === Conflict === | |||
| ] is generally speaking a necessary element of fictional ]. As Brooks and Warren said in ''Understanding Fiction'' and as many others have noted, no conflict, no story. Often it is difficult for readers to discern conflict in sophisticated fiction but its locus is always focused on the protagonist. In order for the story to engage the reader or spectator, the conflict can usually be discerned as immediate, urgent, and insoluble. Furthermore, the conflict that is one between good and evil depends upon whether the reader or spectator prefers good or evil and is thus a slight story at best. It is defined as the problem in any piece of ] and is often classified according to the nature of the ] or ], as follows: | |||
| ==== Types of conflict ==== | |||
| '''Person vs. Self''' is the ] in ] that places a ] against their own ], ], or ]s. Person vs. Self can also be where a character tries to find out who they are or comes to a realization or a change in character. Although the struggle is internal, the character can be influenced by external forces. The struggle of the ] to come to a decision is the basis of Person vs. Self. Examples include the titular character of '']''. More recently, the ] winning movie '']'' has been posited as an application of Person vs. Self. Faulkner in his Nobel Prize acceptance speech noted that the great stories are those of the human heart in conflict with itself. With that in mind the other conflicts enumerated here can fade into the background as part of the setting rather than the conflict-in-itself of any given story. A simple, ready example may be ]'s "]" wherein we can see that the conflict is not Man vs. Nature but Man vs. His Own Nature. | |||
| '''Person vs. Person''' is a ] in ] in which the main character's ] with another person is the focus of the story. An example is the hero's conflicts with the central villain of a work, which may play a large role in the plot and contribute to the development of both characters. There are usually several confrontations before the climax is reached. The conflict is external. An example is the conflict between Judah and Messala in '']'', as would be the conflict between a bully and his victim. | |||
| '''Person vs. Society''' is a ] in fiction in which a main character's, or group of main characters', main source of conflict is ]s or concepts. In this sense, the two parties are: a) the protagonist(s); b) the society of which the protagonist(s) are included. Society itself is often looked at as a single character, just as an opposing party would be looked at in a ''Person vs. Person'' conflict. This can also be one protagonist against a group or society of antagonists or society led by some antagonistic force. Examples in literature would include the short story "The Ones that Walk away from Omelas" by ] or the novel '']'' by ]. | |||
| '''Person vs. Nature''' is the ] in ] that places a ] against forces of nature. Many ]s focus on this theme, which is predominant within many survival stories. It is also strong in stories about struggling for survival in remote locales, such as ]'s '']'' or ]'s short story "]". | |||
| '''Person vs. Supernatural''' is a ] in ] that places a ] against ] forces. When an entity is in conflict with him-, her-, or itself, the conflict is categorized as '''internal''', otherwise, it is '''external'''. Such stories are often seen in ] as representations of ]. ]'s '']'' is a good example of this, as well as '']'' by ] and '']'' by ]. It is also very common in ]s. | |||
| === Character === | |||
| {{main|Character (arts)}} | |||
| ] 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 personal identity, or entity whose existence originates from a fictional work or performance. | |||
| Characters may be of several types: | |||
| * ] character: The character from whose perspective (theme) the audience experiences the story. This is the character that represents the point of view the audience empathizes, or at the very least, sympathizes with. This is the "Main" Character in most cases, but not necessarily. | |||
| * ]: The driver of the action of the story and therefore responsible for achieving the story's Objective Story Goal (the surface journey). In western storytelling tradition the Protagonist is usually the main character. | |||
| * ]: A person, or a group of people (antagonists) who oppose the main character, or main characters. The Antagonist rarely succeeds the end of the book/series. | |||
| * ]: A character who does not significantly change during the course of a story. | |||
| * ]: A character who undergoes ] during the course of a story. | |||
| * ]: The character that contrasts to the protagonist in a way that illuminates their personality or characteristic. | |||
| * ]: A character that plays a part in the plot, but is not major | |||
| * ]: A character in a bit/] part. | |||
| === Methods of developing characters === | |||
| * ] explains or describes the character's outward appearance so the readers can picture them, and identify them relative to other characters. | |||
| * ] is what characters say and how they say it. | |||
| * ] is what characters do and how they do it. | |||
| * Reaction of others is how other characters see and treat a main character. | |||
| === Symbolism === | |||
| ] is the applied use of ]s: iconic representations that carry particular conventional meanings. | |||
| The term "symbolism" is limited to use in contrast to "]"; defining the general directions of a linear ] – where in all symbolic concepts can be viewed in relation, and where changes in context may imply systemic changes to individual and collective definitions of symbols. "Symbolism" may refer to a way of choosing representative symbols in line with abstract rather than literal ], allowing for the broader interpretation of a carried ] than more literal concept-representations allow. A ] can be described as a language of concepts related to human ]. Symbolism hence is an important aspect of most ]. | |||
| The interpretation of abstract symbols has had an important role in ] and ]. As envisioned by ] and ], symbols are not the creations of mind, but rather are distinct capacities within the mind to hold a distinct piece of information. In the mind, the symbol can find free association with any number of other symbols, can be organized in any number of ways, and can hold the connected meanings between symbols as symbols in themselves. Jung and Freud diverged on the issue of common cognitive symbol systems and whether they could exist only within the individual mind or among other minds; whether any cognitive symbolism was defined by innate symbolism or by the influence of the environment around them. | |||
| === Metaphor === | |||
| ] (from the ]: Meaning "apply", literally "carry across") is language that directly compares seemingly unrelated subjects. It is a figure of speech that compares two or more things not using like or as. In the simplest case, this takes the form: "The '''' is a ''''." More generally, a metaphor is a ]al ] that describes a first subject as ''being'' or ''equal to'' a second object in some way. Thus, the first subject can be economically described because implicit and explicit attributes from the second subject are used to enhance the description of the first. This is known for usage in ], especially in ], where with few words, emotions and associations from one context are associated with objects and entities in a different context. A simpler definition is the comparison of two unrelated things without using the words "like" or "as". | |||
| The term derives from ] ''μεταφορά'' (''metaphora''), or "transference",<ref name="tufts"/> from ''μεταφέρω'' (''metaphero'') "to carry over, to transfer"<ref name="tufts1"/> and that from ''μετά'' (''meta''), "between"<ref name="tufts2"/> + ''φέρω'' (''phero''), "to bear, to carry".<ref name="tufts3"/> | |||
| == Types of plots == | |||
| === Chronological order === | |||
| With ], all of the events occur in the text in the order they happen. There may be references to events from the past or future, however the events are written in time order. There are no flashbacks or flash-forwards. | |||
| === Flashback === | |||
| In history, film, television and other media, a ] (also called analepsis) is an interjected ] that takes the narrative back in time from the current point the ] has reached. Flashbacks are often used to recount events that happened prior to the story's primary sequence of events or to fill in crucial ]. '''Character origin flashbacks''' specifically refers to flashbacks dealing with key events early in a character's development (] discovering he could fly, for example, or ] attempt to bring back their mother). The television show ] is particularly well known for extensive use of flashbacks in almost every episode. The technique is used to create suspense in a story, or develop a character. In literature, '''internal analepsis''' is a flashback to an earlier point in the narrative; '''external analepsis''' is a flashback to before the narrative started. | |||
| ===Flashforward=== | |||
| In the opposite direction, a ] (or prolepsis) reveals events that occur in the future. This technique is good if you need to tell where the story is going or might be heading too. | |||
| === Setting === | |||
| ], the location 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 {{Harvard citation|Rozelle|2005|p=2}}. | |||
| === 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 {{Harvard citation|Morrell|2006|p=263}}. | |||
| === Style === | |||
| ] is not so much ''what'' is written, but ''how'' it is written and interpreted. ] in fiction refers to language conventions used to construct the story or article. A fiction writer may manipulate diction, sentence structure, phrasing, dialogue, and other aspects of language to create style or mood. 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 {{Harvard citation|Provost|1988|p=8}}. Style is sometimes listed as one of the fundamental elements of fiction. | |||
| Writer ] defined the "''sensuous'' aspects of fiction" as "tone, mood, voice, and, among other things, the juxtaposition of the narrative events themselves".<ref name="Reading"/> | |||
| <!--This paragraph seems to be copied from an uncited source - copyright infringement? | |||
| Furthermore, the information gain is poor! | |||
| == Types of mythic fantasy == | |||
| Genre Fantasy, based on the use of mythologies of the peoples of the world . On the basis of mythological distinction: Fantasy on the western mythology , a fantasy on the German-Scandinavian mythology (Elizabeth Dvoretskaya ship in the fjord), Fantasy on Celtic mythology (the works about the Holy Grail), a fantasy on Slavic mythology Fantasy on Russian mythology , a fantasy on the eastern mythology Fantasy on Japanese mythology , in African mythology fantasy ("In the thinking kingdoms" Alan Foster "]" by Tim Powers, "Children of Anansi", Neil Gaiman), fantasy in Indian mythology (Andre Norton), a fantasy on the mythology of Australian aborigines (Patricia Wrightson) , a fantasy on the mythology of Oceania (Michael Scott Rohan), Fantasy on Eskimo mythology (by Larry Niven, Steven Barnes Barsoom Project), a fantasy for a few mythologies (American Gods Neil Gaiman), fantasy author on mythology (a series of Middle Earth J. R. R. Tolkien, John, Katherine Kurtz Chronicles Derin, Ursula Le Guin Earthsea, Dune, Frank Herbert), a fantasy on the technological mythology ("We live here", "Cycle of the Abyss hungry Eye", "Henry Lion Oldie") and other.--> | |||
| == Categories == | |||
| {{main|Literary genre}} | |||
| Types of prose fiction: | |||
| * ]: A work of fewer than 2,000 words. (1,000 by some definitions) (around 5 pages) | |||
| * ]: A work of at least 2,000 words but under 7,500 words. (5–25 pages) | |||
| * ]: A work of at least 7,500 words but under 17,500 words. (25–60 pages) | |||
| * ]: A work of at least 17,500 words but under 50,000 words. (60–170 pages) | |||
| * ]: A work of 50,000 words or more. (about 170+ pages) | |||
| * ]: A work of 200,000 words or more. (about 680+ pages)<ref group=n>counting a page roughly as 300 words.</ref><ref group=n>a professional writer usually writes an average of 500–1000 words per day. ] stated he writes an average of 2000 words per day, every day. {{citation needed|date=October 2011}} | |||
| <!--Given a citation, this Note should be a Reference: delete "group=n" | |||
| --> | |||
| </ref> | |||
| == Forms== | |||
| Traditionally, fiction includes ]s, ], ], ], ], ], but it now also encompasses ], ]s, and ]. ] is a scripted show that mimics fighting competitions. | |||
| The ] has had a major impact on the distribution of fiction, calling into question the feasibility of ] as a means to ensure ] are paid to copyright holders. Also, ] such as ] make ] 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 ]s or computer-generated comics. Countless forums for ] can be found online, where loyal followers of specific ]s create and distribute derivative stories. The Internet is also used for the development of ], where a story is delivered through a ] either as flash fiction or ], and ], where a story is written sequentially by different authors, or the entire text can be revised by anyone using a ]. | |||
| == Uses== | |||
| 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 ] textbooks. It may be used in ] and ]. Although they are not necessarily targeted at children, ]s offer an explicit moral goal. | |||
| It may be used for educational and learning purposes in corporate training programs for delivering valuable management and behavioral lessons. | |||
| A whole branch of literature crossing entertainment and science speculation is ]. A less common similar cross is the ] hybridizing fiction and philosophy, thereby often crossing the border towards propaganda fiction. These kinds of fictions constitute thought experiments exploring consequences of certain technologies or philosophies. | |||
| == See also == | |||
| {{Hatnote|Main list: ]}} | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| ** ] | |||
| ** ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| == Notes == | |||
| === Footnotes === | |||
| {{reflist|group=n}} | |||
| === Citations === | |||
| {{reflist|refs= | |||
| <ref name="fall1">Greenville College (2006). </ref> | |||
| <ref name="Reading">] letter to critic ], dated July 27, 1969. It was first published in {{cite book |title=Reading Myself and Others |first=Philip |last=Roth |year=1975 |publisher=Farrar, Straus and Giroux |location=New York |isbn=0-374-24753-6}}. The letter was later republished in literary magazine '']'', in '''', as ''An Interruption: Writer vs Critic #4'', pp.34–6</ref> | |||
| <ref name="subversive">George W. Young: ''Subversive Symmetry. Exploring the Fantastic in Mark 6:45-56''. Brill, Leiden 1999, p. 98, 106-109. ISBN 90-04-11428-9</ref> | |||
| <ref name="The Role of Narrative Fiction and Semi-Fiction in Organizational Studies">{{Cite journal | url = http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=981296 | title = The Role of Narrative Fiction and Semi-Fiction in Organizational Studies | first1 = G. | last1 = Whiteman | first2 = N. | last2 = Phillips | journal = ERIM Report Series Research in Management | date = 13 December 2006 | issn = 1566-5283 | accessdate = 23 October 2009}}</ref> | |||
| <ref name="tufts">, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, ''A Greek-English Lexicon'', at Perseus</ref> | |||
| <ref name="tufts1">, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, ''A Greek-English Lexicon'', at Perseus</ref> | |||
| <ref name="tufts2">, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, ''A Greek-English Lexicon'', at Perseus</ref> | |||
| <ref name="tufts3">, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, ''A Greek-English Lexicon'', at Perseus</ref> | |||
| }} | |||
| == Bibliography == | |||
| * ] 2009. On the ontology of fictional characters: A semiotic approach. '']'' 37(1/2): 82–98. | |||
| == External links == | |||
| {{Library resources box | |||
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| {{Sister project links|wikt=fiction|commons=Category: Fiction|v=Collaborative play writing|n=no|s=no|b=no}} | |||
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