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Fiction is an imaginative form of narrative
Narrative

A narrative or story that is created in a constructive format that describes a sequence of fictional or Non-fiction events. It derives from the Latin language verb narrare, which means "to recount" and is related to the adjective gnarus, meaning "knowing" or "skilled"....
, one of the four basic rhetorical modes
Rhetorical modes

Rhetorical modes describe the variety, conventions, and purposes of the major kinds of writing. Four of the most common rhetorical modes and their purpose are Expository writing, argumentation, description, and narrative....
. Although the word fiction is derived from the Latin fingo, fingere, finxi, fictum, "to form, create", works of fiction need not be entirely imaginary and may include real people, places, and events.






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Alice Par John Tenniel 30
Fiction is an imaginative form of narrative
Narrative

A narrative or story that is created in a constructive format that describes a sequence of fictional or Non-fiction events. It derives from the Latin language verb narrare, which means "to recount" and is related to the adjective gnarus, meaning "knowing" or "skilled"....
, one of the four basic rhetorical modes
Rhetorical modes

Rhetorical modes describe the variety, conventions, and purposes of the major kinds of writing. Four of the most common rhetorical modes and their purpose are Expository writing, argumentation, description, and narrative....
. Although the word fiction is derived from the Latin fingo, fingere, finxi, fictum, "to form, create", works of fiction need not be entirely imaginary and may include real people, places, and events. Fiction may be written or oral or may be presented as a film
Film

Film encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the film industry. Films are produced by recording images from the world with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or special effects....
 or in theater or on radio or television. Although not all fiction is necessarily artistic, fiction is largely perceived as a form of art
Art

Art is the process or product of deliberately arranging elements in a way that appeals to the senses or emotions. It encompasses a diverse range of human activities, creations, and modes of expression, including music and literature....
 or entertainment
Entertainment

Entertainment is an activity designed to give people pleasure or relaxation. An audience may participate in the entertainment passively as in watching opera or a movie, or actively as in games....
. The ability to create fiction and other artistic works is considered to be a fundamental aspect of human culture
Culture

Culture is difficult to define. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions....
, one of the defining characteristics of humanity
Human nature

Human nature is the concept that there are a set of characteristics, including ways of thinking, feeling and acting, that all 'normal' human beings have in common....
.

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." "For writers, the spices you add to make your plot your own include characters, setting, and dialogue."
  • "Contained within the framework of a story are the major story elements: characters, action, and conflict."
  • " . . . I think point of view is one of the most fundamental elements of the fiction-writing craft . . ."


As stated by Janet Evanovich, "Effective writing requires an understanding of the fundamental elements of storytelling, such as point of view, dialogue, and setting." The debate continues as to the number and composition of the fundamental elements of fiction.

Fiction
Fiction

Fiction is an imaginative form of narrative, one of the four basic rhetorical modes. Although the word fiction is derived from the Latin fingo, fingere, finxi, fictum, "to form, create", works of fiction need not be entirely imaginary and may include real people, places, and events....


Fiction is an imaginative form of narrative
Narrative

A narrative or story that is created in a constructive format that describes a sequence of fictional or Non-fiction events. It derives from the Latin language verb narrare, which means "to recount" and is related to the adjective gnarus, meaning "knowing" or "skilled"....
; one of the four basic rhetorical modes
Rhetorical modes

Rhetorical modes describe the variety, conventions, and purposes of the major kinds of writing. Four of the most common rhetorical modes and their purpose are Expository writing, argumentation, description, and narrative....
. Although the word fiction is derived from the Latin fingo, fingere, finxi, fictum, "to form, create", works of fiction need not be entirely imaginary and may include real people, places, and events. Fiction may be written or oral or may be presented as a film or in theater or on radio or television. Although not all fiction is necessarily artistic, fiction is largely perceived as a form of art
Art

Art is the process or product of deliberately arranging elements in a way that appeals to the senses or emotions. It encompasses a diverse range of human activities, creations, and modes of expression, including music and literature....
 or entertainment
Entertainment

Entertainment is an activity designed to give people pleasure or relaxation. An audience may participate in the entertainment passively as in watching opera or a movie, or actively as in games....
. The ability to create fiction and other artistic works is considered to be a fundamental aspect of human culture
Culture

Culture is difficult to define. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions....
, one of the defining characteristics of humanity
Human nature

Human nature is the concept that there are a set of characteristics, including ways of thinking, feeling and acting, that all 'normal' human beings have in common....
.

Non-fiction
Non-fiction

Non-fiction is an document or representation of a subject which is presented as fact. This presentation may be accurate or not; that is, it can give either a true or a false account of the subject in question....


Non-fiction is an account
Document

A document is a bounded physical representation of body of information designed with the capacity to communication. A document may manifest symbolic, diagrammatic or sensory-representational information....
 or representation of a subject which is presented as fact
Fact

A fact is something said to be true or supposed to have happened, example: Kiira is mean, FACT. An idea becomes a fact after competent people have tested a hypothesis through the scientific method....
. This presentation may be accurate or not; that is, it can give either a true or a false account of the subject in question. However, it is generally assumed that the authors of such accounts believe them to be truthful at the time of their composition. Note that reporting the beliefs of others in a nonfiction format is not necessarily an endorsement of the ultimate veracity of those beliefs, it is simply saying that it is true that people believe that (for such topics as mythology
Mythology

The word mythology refers to a body of folklore/myths/legends that a particular culture believes to be true and that often use the supernatural to interpret natural events and to explain the nature of the universe and humanity....
, religion
Religion

A religion is an organized approach to human spirituality which usually encompasses a set of myth, symbols, beliefs and practices, often with a supernatural or transcendence quality, that give meaning to the practitioner's experiences of life through reference to a higher power or truth....
). Nonfiction can also be written about fiction
Fiction

Fiction is an imaginative form of narrative, one of the four basic rhetorical modes. Although the word fiction is derived from the Latin fingo, fingere, finxi, fictum, "to form, create", works of fiction need not be entirely imaginary and may include real people, places, and events....
, giving information about these other works.

Plot
Plot

In literary and dramatic works, the plot is the primary sequence of events experienced by the protagonist. Aristotle wrote in Poetics that Mythos is the most important element of storytelling....


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
Scene (fiction)

In fiction, a scene is a unit of drama. A sequel is what follows, an aftermath. Together, scene and sequel provide the building blocks of plot for short story, novels, and other forms of fiction....
 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.

Exposition
Exposition

Exposition may refer to*Exposition , a different type of Dramatic structure#Exposition in which undepicted plots elements are conveyed in dialogue, description, flashback or narrative...


Expository writing is a type of writing
Writing

Writing is the representation of language in a textual Media through the use of a set of signs or symbols . It is distinguished from illustration, such as cave drawing and painting, and the recording of language via a non-textual medium such as Magnetic tape sound recording....
 in which the purpose of is to inform, explain, describe, or define his or her subject to the reader. Expository text is meant to 'posit' information and is the most frequently used type of writing by students in colleges and universities. A well-written exposition remains focused on its topic and listing events in chronological order. Examples of this type of writing are cooking instructions, driving directions and instructions on performing a task. Key words such as first, after, next, then and last usually signal sequential writing. Personal pronouns may be used in such writing, if needed.

Foreshadow
Foreshadow

This article is about the Polish record label "Foreshadow". For the literary device, see foreshadowing. For the fictional starship on the sci-fi television show LEXX, see Foreshadow ....


Foreshadowing is a technique
Technique

A technique is a procedure used to accomplish a specific activity or task:* Technology, the study of or a collection of techniques*Skill, the ability to perform a task...
 used by authors to provide clues for the reader to be able to predict what might occur later in the story. In other words, it is a literary device
Literary technique

A literary technique or literary device is an identifiable rule of thumb, convention or structure that is employed in literature and storytelling....
 in which an author
Author

An author is defined both as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created....
 drops subtle hints about plot developments to come later in the story
Narrative

A narrative or story that is created in a constructive format that describes a sequence of fictional or Non-fiction events. It derives from the Latin language verb narrare, which means "to recount" and is related to the adjective gnarus, meaning "knowing" or "skilled"....
.

Rising action
Rising action

The Rising action, in the narratology of a work of fiction, follows the exposition and leads up to the Climax . The rising action's purpose is usually to build suspense all the way up the climactic finish....


The Rising action, in the narrative
Narratology

Narratology is the theory and study of narrative and narrative structure and the ways they affect our perception. In principle, the word can refer to any systematic study of narrative, though in practice the use of the term is rather more restricted ....
 of a work of fiction, follows the exposition
Exposition

Exposition may refer to*Exposition , a different type of Dramatic structure#Exposition in which undepicted plots elements are conveyed in dialogue, description, flashback or narrative...
 and leads up to the climax
Climax (narrative)

The climax or turning point of a narrative work is its point of highest tension or drama in which the solution is given....
. 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 falling action
Falling action

The Falling action is the part of a story, usually found in tragedy and short story, following the Climax and showing the effects of the climax....
.

Climax
Climax

In general, a climax is a point of greatest intensity or force in an ascending series; i.e., a culmination. The term "climax" has many specific connotations and uses in English:...


In a prose work of fiction, the climax often resembles that of the classical comedy, occurring near the end of the text or performance, after the rising action
Rising action

The Rising action, in the narratology of a work of fiction, follows the exposition and leads up to the Climax . The rising action's purpose is usually to build suspense all the way up the climactic finish....
 and before the falling action
Falling action

The Falling action is the part of a story, usually found in tragedy and short story, following the Climax and showing the effects of the climax....
. It is the moment of greatest danger for the protagonist
Protagonist

A protagonist is the main Character of a drama or Narrative. The word "protagonist" derives from the Greek language p??ta????st?? , "one who plays the first part, chief actor." In the theatre of Ancient Greece, three actors played all of the main dramatic roles in a tragedy; the leading role was played by the protagonist, while the othe...
(s)(good people of the story) and usually consists of a seemingly inevitable prospect of failure, followed by a hard-to-anticipate recovery. For example, if you were on a roller coaster
Roller coaster

For Rollercoaster, the wooden rollercoaster at Pleasure Beach Blackpool, see Rollercoaster The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks....
, the highest part of it would be the climax.

A climax 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
Falling action

The Falling action is the part of a story, usually found in tragedy and short story, following the Climax and showing the effects of the climax....


The Falling action is the part of a story, usually found in tragedies
Tragedy

Tragedy is a form of The arts based on human suffering that offers its audience pleasure. While most cultures have developed forms that provoke this paradoxical response, tragedy refers to a specific Poetic tradition of drama that has played a unique and important role historically in the self-definition of Western culture....
 and short stories
Short story

The short story refers to a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, usually in narrative format. This format or medium tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels or books....
, following the climax
Climax (narrative)

The climax or turning point of a narrative work is its point of highest tension or drama in which the solution is given....
 and showing the effects of the climax. It leads up to the denouement
Denouement

In literature, a d?nouement consists of a series of events that follow the climax of a drama or narrative, and thus serves as the conclusion of the story....
 (or catastrophe
Catastrophe (drama)

In drama, particularly the tragedies of classical antiquity, the catastrophe is the final resolution in a poem or narrative plot, which unravels the intrigue and brings the piece to a close....
).

Resolution
Resolution

The term Resolution may refer to:* Resolution ,* Resolution , Formal statement of opinion or policy.* Resolution , the subsiding or termination of an abnormal condition...


Conflicts


Conflict is a necessary element of fiction
Fiction

Fiction is an imaginative form of narrative, one of the four basic rhetorical modes. Although the word fiction is derived from the Latin fingo, fingere, finxi, fictum, "to form, create", works of fiction need not be entirely imaginary and may include real people, places, and events....
al literature
Literature

Literature is the art of written works. Literally translated, the word means "acquaintance with letters" . In Western culture the most basic written literary types include fiction and non-fiction....
. It is defined as the problem in any piece of literature
Literature

Literature is the art of written works. Literally translated, the word means "acquaintance with letters" . In Western culture the most basic written literary types include fiction and non-fiction....
 and is often classified according to the nature of the protagonist
Protagonist

A protagonist is the main Character of a drama or Narrative. The word "protagonist" derives from the Greek language p??ta????st?? , "one who plays the first part, chief actor." In the theatre of Ancient Greece, three actors played all of the main dramatic roles in a tragedy; the leading role was played by the protagonist, while the othe...
 or antagonist
Antagonist

An antagonist is a character or group of characters, or, always an institution of a happening who represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend....
. Common examples of conflict are:

Character vs. self

Character vs. Self is the theme
Theme (literature)

A theme is a simile used to relate to idioms and or literary work a message or lesson conveyed by a written text. This message is usually about life, society or human nature....
 in literature
Literature

Literature is the art of written works. Literally translated, the word means "acquaintance with letters" . In Western culture the most basic written literary types include fiction and non-fiction....
 that places a character
Fictional character

A character is any person, persona, identity, or entity that exists in a The arts. The process of conveying information about characters in fiction is called characterisation....
 against his or her own will
Will (philosophy)

Will, or willpower, is a philosophy concept that is defined in several different ways....
, confusion
ConFusion

ConFusion is an annual science fiction convention organized by the Stilyagi Air Corps and its parent organization, the Ann Arbor Science Fiction Association....
, or fear
Fear

Fear is an emotional response to threats and danger. It is a basic survival mechanism occurring in response to a specific stimulus, such as pain or the threat of pain....
s. Man vs. Self can also be where a character tries to find out who he or she is 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 human being to come to a decision is the basis of Character vs. Self. Examples include the novel called Grendel
Grendel (novel)

Grendel is a 1971 in literature parallel novel by United States author John Gardner . It is a retelling of the Old English language epic poem Beowulf from the perspective of the antagonist, Grendel....
 on the character taken from the epic Beowulf
Beowulf

Beowulf is an Old English language heroic Epic poetry of unknown authorship, dating as recorded in the Nowell Codex manuscript from between the 8th to the early 11th century, and relates events described as having occurred in what is now Denmark and Sweden....
. More recently, there have been movies about Character vs. Self such as Fight Club
Fight Club

Fight Club is a 1996 in literature novel by Chuck Palahniuk. The book follows the experiences of an anonymous protagonist struggling with his way of life and changes in American pop culture masculinity....
 and the Academy Award
Academy Awards

The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers....
 winning movie, A Beautiful Mind
A Beautiful Mind (film)

A Beautiful Mind is a 2001 in film United States film based on the life of John Forbes Nash, a Bank of Sweden Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel....
. When a person struggles with his or her inner self by deciding what's right or wrong.

Person vs. person

Person vs. Person is when, in a novel, there is a conflict of two forms of like beings. 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. Person vs. Person can usually be expressed by when a child is being ridiculed by a bully. An example is the conflict between Judah and Messala in Ben-Hur.

Person vs. Society

Person vs. Society is a theme
Theme (literature)

A theme is a simile used to relate to idioms and or literary work a message or lesson conveyed by a written text. This message is usually about life, society or human nature....
  in fiction in which a main character's, or group of main characters', main source of conflict is social tradition
Social conditioning

Social conditioning refers to the sociological phenomenological process of inheriting tradition and gradual cultural transmutation passed down through previous generations....
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. An example in literature would be Wuthering Heights
Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights is Emily Bront?'s only novel. It was first published in 1847 under the pseudonym Ellis Bell, and a posthumous second edition was edited by her sister Charlotte Bront?....
 by Emily Brontė
Emily Brontė

Emily Jane Bront? ; was a United Kingdom novelist and poet, now best remembered for her only novel Wuthering Heights, a classic of English literature....
.right.

Person vs. Nature

Person vs. Nature is the theme
Theme (literature)

A theme is a simile used to relate to idioms and or literary work a message or lesson conveyed by a written text. This message is usually about life, society or human nature....
 in literature
Literature

Literature is the art of written works. Literally translated, the word means "acquaintance with letters" . In Western culture the most basic written literary types include fiction and non-fiction....
 that places a character
Fictional character

A character is any person, persona, identity, or entity that exists in a The arts. The process of conveying information about characters in fiction is called characterisation....
 against forces of nature. Many disaster film
Disaster film

A disaster film is a movie genre that has an impending or ongoing disaster as its subject. These films typically feature large casts of well-known actors and multiple plotlines, focusing on the characters' attempts to avert, escape or cope with the disaster and its aftermath....
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 the novel Hatchet or Jack London
Jack London

Jack London was an American author who wrote The Call of the Wild, White Fang, and The Sea Wolf along with many other popular books....
's short story "To Build a Fire
To Build a Fire

"To Build a Fire" is a short story by United States author Jack London. The famous version of this story was published in 1908. Jack London published an earlier and radically different version in 1902 in which the protaganist survives his ordeal, and a comparison of the two provides a dramatic illustration of the growth of his literary abilit...
". Also A separate peace
A Separate Peace

A Separate Peace is John Knowles' first published novel, released in 1959. The coming-of-age novel is Knowles' most widely-known work....
  is a good example with Leper not wanting to jump out of the tree. Some are not so remote such as Banner in the Sky.

Person vs. Supernatural

Person vs. Supernatural is a theme
Theme (literature)

A theme is a simile used to relate to idioms and or literary work a message or lesson conveyed by a written text. This message is usually about life, society or human nature....
 in literature
Literature

Literature is the art of written works. Literally translated, the word means "acquaintance with letters" . In Western culture the most basic written literary types include fiction and non-fiction....
 that places a character
Fictional character

A character is any person, persona, identity, or entity that exists in a The arts. The process of conveying information about characters in fiction is called characterisation....
 against supernatural
Supernatural

The term supernatural or supranatural pertains to an order of existence beyond the scientifically visible universe. Religious miracles are typically supernatural claims, as are Spell and curses, divination, the belief that there is an afterlife for the dead, and innumerable others....
 forces. When an entity is in conflict with his, her, or itself, the conflict is categorized as internal, otherwise, it is external. Such stories are often seen in Freudian Criticism
Psychoanalytic literary criticism

Psychoanalytic literary criticism refers to literary criticism which, in method, concept, literary theory, or form, is influenced by the tradition of psychoanalysis begun by Sigmund Freud....
 as representations of id vs. superego
Id, ego, and super-ego

Id, ego, and super-ego are the three parts of the "psychic apparatus" defined in Sigmund Freud's Ego psychology of the psyche; they are the three theoretical constructs in terms of whose activity and interaction mental life is described....
. Bram Stoker
Bram Stoker

Abraham "Bram" Stoker was an Ireland novelist and short story writer, best known today for his 1897 Horror fiction novel Dracula. During his lifetime, he was better known as the personal assistant of actor Henry Irving and business manager of the Lyceum Theatre, London in London, which Irving owned....
's Dracula
Dracula

Dracula is an 1897 in literature novel by Irish people author Bram Stoker, featuring as its primary antagonist the vampire Count Dracula.Dracula has been attributed to many literary genres including vampire literature, horror fiction, the gothic novel and invasion literature....
 is a good example of this, as well as Frankenstein
Frankenstein

Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, generally known as Frankenstein, is a novel written by the British author Mary Shelley. Shelley started writing Frankenstein when she was 18 and finished when she was 19....
 by Mary Shelley
Mary Shelley

Mary Shelley was a British novelist, short story writer, dramatist, essayist, biographer, and travel literature, best known for her Gothic fiction Frankenstein ....
 and "Christabel" by Samuel Coleridge. It is also very common in comic book
Comic book

A comic book is a magazine or book of narrative artwork and dialog and descriptive prose. The style was introduced in 1934. Despite the term, comic books do not necessarily feature humorous subject-matter; in fact, it is often serious and action-oriented....
s

Person vs. Machine/Technology

Person vs. Machine/Technology places a character against robot forces with "artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science which aims to create it. Major AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents,"...
". I, Robot
I, Robot (film)

I, Robot is a science fiction film set in a world where humans and humanoid robots interact . It was directed by Alex Proyas, written by Jeff Vintar, and starred Will Smith....
 and the Terminator series are good examples of this conflict.

Character
Character

Character may refer to:*Character , an agent in a work of literature, drama, opera or other works of fiction*Character , the abstraction of an observable physical or biochemical trait of an organism...

Characterization is often listed as one of the fundamental elements of fiction. A character
Fictional character

A character is any person, persona, identity, or entity that exists in a The arts. The process of conveying information about characters in fiction is called characterisation....
 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:
  • Point-of-view
    Point of view (literature)

    The narrative mode is the attribute of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical piece which describes the method used by the author to convey their story to the audience....
     character    : The character from whose perspective (theme) the audience experiences the story. This is the character that represents the point of view the audience will empathise, or at the very least, sympathise with. Therefore this is the "Main" Character.
  • Protagonist
    Protagonist

    A protagonist is the main Character of a drama or Narrative. The word "protagonist" derives from the Greek language p??ta????st?? , "one who plays the first part, chief actor." In the theatre of Ancient Greece, three actors played all of the main dramatic roles in a tragedy; the leading role was played by the protagonist, while the othe...
    : 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.
  • Antagonist
    Antagonist

    An antagonist is a character or group of characters, or, always an institution of a happening who represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend....
    : The character that stands in opposition to the protagonist.
  • Static
    Static

    Static has several meanings:* Static electricity, a net charge of an object** The triboelectric effect, e.g. from shoes rubbing carpet* White noise, a random signal with a flat power spectral density...
    : A character who does not undergo significant change during the course of a story.
  • Foil
    Foil

    Foil may refer to:Materials:* Foil , a thin sheet of metal* Metal leaf, a very thin sheet of decorative metal* Aluminium foil, a type of wrapping for food...
    : The character that contrasts to the protagonist in a way that illuminates their personality or characteristic.
  • Supporting character
    Supporting character

    A supporting character is a fictional character of a book, Play , video game, Film, Television program or radio show other form of storytelling usually used to give added dimension to a main character, by adding a relationship with this character....
    : A character that plays a part in the plot, but is not major
  • Minor character: A character in a small or bit part; also see cameo appearance
    Cameo appearance

    A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television....
    .


Methods of developing characters


  • Appearance
    Appearance

    Appearance may refer to:* Visual appearance, the way in which objects reflect and transmit light.* Human physical appearance* Phenomena, in philosophy...
    :
  • Words:
  • Feelings
    Feelings

    Feelings is an album by David Byrne, released on June 17, 1997.Cover art by Stefan Sagmeister....
    :
  • Reaction of others:


Symbolism
Symbolism

Symbolism is the applied use of symbols: iconic representations that carry particular meanings.The term "symbolism" is limited to use in contrast to "representationalism"; defining the general directions of a linear spectrum - where in all symbolic concepts can be viewed in relation, and where changes in context may imply systemic changes...


Symbolism is the applied use of symbol
Symbol

A symbol is something such as an entity, picture, written word, sound, or particular mark that represents something else by association, resemblance, or convention....
s: iconic representations that carry particular conventional meanings.

The term "symbolism" is limited to use in contrast to "representationalism"; defining the general directions of a linear spectrum
Spectrum (disambiguation)

A spectrum is a condition or value that is not limited to a specific set of values but can vary infinitely within a continuum.Spectrum may also refer to:...
 - where in all symbolic concepts can be viewed in relation, and where changes in context may imply systemic
Systemic

Systemic may refer to:*Any body system in general, usually the nervous system.*An insecticide or fungicide whose mode of action is via uptake into a plant, entering the pest when the plant is consumed....
 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 properties
Property

Property is any physical or virtual entity that is ownership by an individual or jointly by a group of individuals. An owner of property has the right to consumption, sell, Renting, mortgage, transfer and exchange his or her property....
, allowing for the broader interpretation of a carried meaning
Meaning (semiotics)

In semiotics, the meaning of a sign is its place in a sign relation, in other words, the set of roles that it occupies within a given sign relation....
 than more literal concept-representations allow. A religion
Religion

A religion is an organized approach to human spirituality which usually encompasses a set of myth, symbols, beliefs and practices, often with a supernatural or transcendence quality, that give meaning to the practitioner's experiences of life through reference to a higher power or truth....
 can be described as a language of concepts related to human spirituality
Spirituality

Spirituality, in a narrow sense, concerns itself with matters of the spirit, a concept closely tied to religion and faith, transcendence , or one or more Deity....
. Symbolism hence is an important aspect of most religions
Religious symbolism

Religious symbolism is the use of symbols, including archetypes, acts, artwork, events, or natural phenomena, by a religion. Religions view religious texts, rituals, and works of art as symbols of compelling ideas or ideals....
.

The interpretation of abstract symbols has had an important role in religion
Religion

A religion is an organized approach to human spirituality which usually encompasses a set of myth, symbols, beliefs and practices, often with a supernatural or transcendence quality, that give meaning to the practitioner's experiences of life through reference to a higher power or truth....
 and psychoanalysis
Psychoanalysis

Psychoanalysis is a body of ideas developed by Austrian physician Sigmund Freud and his followers, which is devoted to the study of human psychological functioning and behaviour....
. As envisioned by Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud

Sigmund Freud , born Sigismund Schlomo Freud , was an Austrian psychiatrist who founded the psychoanalysis of psychology. Freud is best known for his theories of the unconscious mind and the defense mechanism of Psychological repression and for creating the clinical practice of psychoanalysis for curing psychopathology through dialogue...
 and Carl Jung
Carl Jung

Carl Gustav Jung was a Swiss psychiatrist, an influential thinker and the founder of Analytical psychology. Jung's approach to psychology has been influential in the field of depth psychology and in counterculture movements across the globe....
, 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
Metaphor

Metaphor is language that directly compares seemingly unrelated subjects. It is a figure of speech that compares two or more things without using the words "like" or "as." More generally, a metaphor describes a first subject as being or equal to a second object in some way....


Metaphor (from the Greek language
Greek language

Greek is an Indo-European languages native to the southern Balkan peninsula, the language of the Greek people. It forms an independent branch within Indo-European....
: Meaning "transfer") 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 [first subject] is a [second subject]." More generally, a metaphor is a rhetoric
Rhetoric

Rhetoric is the art of using language as a means to persuade. Along with logic and dialectic, rhetoric is one of the three ancient arts of discourse....
al trope
Trope (linguistics)

In linguistics, trope is a rhetoric figure of speech that consists of a play on words, i.e., using a word in a way other than what is considered its literal or normal form....
 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 device is known for usage in literature
Literature

Literature is the art of written works. Literally translated, the word means "acquaintance with letters" . In Western culture the most basic written literary types include fiction and non-fiction....
, especially in poetry
Poetry

Poetry is a form of literature art in which language is used for its aesthetics and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning ....
, 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 Greek
Greek language

Greek is an Indo-European languages native to the southern Balkan peninsula, the language of the Greek people. It forms an independent branch within Indo-European....
 µetaf??? (metaphora), or "transference", from µetaf??? (metaphero) "to carry over, to transfer" and that from µet? (meta), "between" + f??? (phero), "to bear, to carry".

Personification
Personification

File:Wien Hofburg Constantia et Fortitudine.jpgPersonification is an ontological metaphor in which a thing or abstraction is represented as a person....


Personification is an ontological metaphor in which a thing or abstraction is represented as a person.

Types of plots


Chronological order


Flashback
Flashback

In history, film, television and other media, a flashback is an interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time from the current point the Plot has reached....


In history, film, television and other media, a flashback (also called analepsis) is an interjected scene
Scene (fiction)

In fiction, a scene is a unit of drama. A sequel is what follows, an aftermath. Together, scene and sequel provide the building blocks of plot for short story, novels, and other forms of fiction....
 that takes the narrative back in time from the current point the story 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 backstory. Character origin flashbacks specifically refers to flashbacks dealing with key events early in a character's development (Clark Kent
Superman

Superman is a Character , a comic book superhero widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, Ohio, and sold to DC Comics in 1938, the character first appeared in Action Comics Action Comics 1 and subseque...
 discovering he could fly, for example, or the Elric brothers'
Fullmetal Alchemist

Fullmetal Alchemist, known in Japan as , is an ongoing Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hiromu Arakawa. The world of Fullmetal Alchemist is styled after European Industrial Revolution....
 attempt to bring back their mother). The television show Lost
Lost (TV series)

Lost is an American Serial television program. It follows the lives of plane crash survivors on a mysterious tropical island, after a commercial Oceanic Flight 815 flying between Sydney, Australia and Los Angeles, United States crashes somewhere in the Oceania....
 is particularly well known for extensive use of flashbacks in almost every episode. In the opposite direction, a flashforward
Flashforward

In literature, film, television and other media, a flashforward or flash-forward is an interjected scene that takes the narrative forward in time from the current point of the story....
 (or prolepsis) reveals events that will occur in the future. 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.

Setting
Setting

Setting may refer to:* A location where something is set* Set construction in theatrical scenery* Setting in literature* Stonesetting, in jewelry, when a diamond or gem is set into a frame or bed...


Setting
Setting (fiction)

In fiction, the setting of a story includes the time, location and circumstances in which it takes place. Broadly speaking, the setting provides the main backdrop for the story....
, 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.

Theme
Theme

Theme may refer to:...


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.

Style
Style

selfref|For the Wikipedia style guide, see...


Style is not so much what is written, but how it is written and interpreted. Style
Style (fiction)

In fiction, style is the manner in which the author tells the story....
 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 . Style is sometimes listed as one of the fundamental elements of fiction.

Categories


Types of prose fiction:

  • Flash fiction
    Flash fiction

    Flash fiction is fiction of extreme brevity. The standard, generally-accepted length of a flash fiction piece is 1000 words or less. By contrast, a short-short measures 1001 words to 2500 words, and a traditional short story measures 2501 to 7500 words....
    : A work of fewer than 2,000 words. (1,000 by some definitions) (around 5 pages)
  • Short story
    Short story

    The short story refers to a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, usually in narrative format. This format or medium tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels or books....
    : A work of at least 2,000 words but under 7,500 words. (5-25 pages)
  • Novelette
    Novelette

    A novelette is a piece of short prose fiction. The distinction between a novelette and other literary forms, like a novella, is usually based upon word count....
    : A work of at least 7,500 words but under 17,500 words. (25-60 pages)
  • Novella
    Novella

    A novella is a writing, fictional, prose narrative longer than a novelette but shorter than a novel. While there is disagreement as to what length defines a novella, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Nebula Awards for science fiction define the novella as having a word count between 17,500 and 40,000....
    : A work of at least 17,500 words but under 50,000 words. (60-170 pages)
  • Novel
    Novel

    File:2009 stapelweise Neuerscheinungen im Buchladen.JPGA novel is today a long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern Romance and in the tradition of the novella....
    : A work of 50,000 words or more. (about 170+ pages)


Forms of fiction

Traditionally, fiction includes novel
Novel

File:2009 stapelweise Neuerscheinungen im Buchladen.JPGA novel is today a long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern Romance and in the tradition of the novella....
s, short stories
Short story

The short story refers to a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, usually in narrative format. This format or medium tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels or books....
, fables, fairy tales, plays, poetry
Poetry

Poetry is a form of literature art in which language is used for its aesthetics and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning ....
, but it now also encompasses films
Fictional film

Fictional film or narrative film is film that tells a fictional story or narrative. Narrative cinema is usually contrasted to films that present information, such as a nature Documentary film, as well as to some experimental films ....
, comic book
Comic book

A comic book is a magazine or book of narrative artwork and dialog and descriptive prose. The style was introduced in 1934. Despite the term, comic books do not necessarily feature humorous subject-matter; in fact, it is often serious and action-oriented....
s, and video games.

The Internet
Internet

The Internet is a global network of interconnected computers, enabling users to share information along multiple channels. Typically, a computer that connects to the Internet can access information from a vast array of available server and other computers by moving information from them to the computer's local memory....
 has had a major impact on the distribution of fiction, calling into question the feasibility of copyright
Copyright

Copyright is a form of intellectual property which gives the creator of an original work exclusive rights for a certain time period in relation to that work, including its publication, distribution and adaptation; after which time the work is said to enter the public domain....
 as a means to ensure royalties
Royalties

Royalties are usage-based payments made by one party to another for ongoing use of an asset, sometimes an intellectual property right.Royalties can be determined as a percentage of gross or net sales derived from use of the asset or a fixed price per unit sold....
 are paid to copyright holders. Also, digital libraries such as Project Gutenberg
Project Gutenberg

Project Gutenberg, abbreviated as PG, is a volunteer effort to digitize, archive and distribute cultural works, as founder Michael Hart said "To encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks."....
 make public domain
Public domain

File:PD-icon.svgThe public domain is a range of abstract materials?commonly referred to as intellectual property?which are not owned or controlled by anyone....
 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
Fan fiction

Fan fiction is a broadly-defined term for stories about characters or settings written by fans of the original work, rather than by the original creator....
 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
Blog fiction

Blog fiction is a form of fiction writing that uses weblogs to reach its readership. It is a small-scale fringe activity in the world of blogging, and although it has generated some literary critical interest, it remains isolated....
, where a story is delivered through a blog
Blog

A blog is a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video....
 either as flash fiction or serialblog, and collaborative fiction
Collaborative fiction

Collaborative fiction is a form of Collaborative writing by two or more authors who take it in turns to write a portion of the Storytelling. A Collaboration author may focus around a specific protagonist or character 'owned' by an author in a narrative thread, and then passes the story on to the next writer for further additions or perhaps a...
, where a story is written sequentially by different authors, or the entire text can be revised by anyone using a wiki
Wiki

A wiki is a page or collection of Web pages designed to enable anyone who accesses it to contribute or modify content , using a simplified markup language....
.

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
School

File:Primary Student of Pakistan.JPGA school , is an institution designed to allow and encourage students to education, under the supervision of teachers....
 textbooks. It may be used in propaganda
Propaganda

Propaganda is the dissemination of information aimed at influencing the opinions or behaviors of large numbers of people. As opposed to Objectivity providing information, propaganda in its most basic sense presents information in order to influence its audience....
 and advertising
Advertising

Advertising is a form of communication that typically attempts to persuade potential customers to Purchasing or to consume more of a particular brand of Product or Service ....
. Although they are not necessarily targeted at children, fable
Fable

A fable is a succinct story, in prose or verse, that features animals, plants, inanimate, or nature which are anthropomorphized , and that illustrates a moral lesson , which may at the end be expressed explicitly in a pithy maxim ....
s offer an explicit moral goal.

A branch of literature crossing entertainment and science speculation is Science fiction
Science fiction

Science fiction is a broad genre of fiction that often involves speculations based on current or future science or technology. Science fiction is found in books, art, television, films, games, theatre, and other media....
. A less common similar cross is the philosophical fiction
Philosophical novel

Philosophical novels are works of fiction in which a significant proportion of the novel is devoted to a discussion of the sort of questions normally addressed in discursive philosophy....
 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.

Semi-fiction

Semi-fiction spans stories that include a substantial amount of non-fiction. It may be the retelling of a true story with only the names changed. Often, however, even when the story is claimed to be true, there may be significant additions and subtractions from the true story in order to make it more suitable for storytelling.

The other way around, semi-fiction may also involve fictional events with a semi-fictional character, such as Jerry Seinfeld
Jerry Seinfeld (character)

Jerome "Jerry" Seinfeld is the main protagonist on the United States television program situation comedy Seinfeld . The straight man of the group, this semi-character version of comedian Jerry Seinfeld was named after, co-created by, based on, and played by Seinfeld himself....
.

See also


Main list: List of basic fiction topics
List of basic fiction topics

Fiction, a form of entertainment, is the art of story telling, 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....


  • Fictional character
    Fictional character

    A character is any person, persona, identity, or entity that exists in a The arts. The process of conveying information about characters in fiction is called characterisation....
  • Fiction writing
    Fiction writing

    Fiction writing any kind of writing that is not factual. Fictional writing most often takes the form of a story meant to convey an author's point of view or simply to entertain....
  • Fan fiction
    Fan fiction

    Fan fiction is a broadly-defined term for stories about characters or settings written by fans of the original work, rather than by the original creator....
  • Plot (narrative)
  • Pseudohistory
    Pseudohistory

    Pseudohistory is a pejorative term applied to texts which purport to be history in nature but which depart from standard Historical method in a way which undermines their conclusions....
  • Setting (literature)
  • Style (fiction)
    Style (fiction)

    In fiction, style is the manner in which the author tells the story....
  • Theme (literature)
    Theme (literature)

    A theme is a simile used to relate to idioms and or literary work a message or lesson conveyed by a written text. This message is usually about life, society or human nature....
  • Writing style
    Writing style

    Writing style is the manner in which a writer ax a matter in prose, a manner which reveals the writer's personality, or 'voice.' It is particularly evident in the choices the writer makes in syntactical structures, diction, and figures of thought....
  • Non-fiction
    Non-fiction

    Non-fiction is an document or representation of a subject which is presented as fact. This presentation may be accurate or not; that is, it can give either a true or a false account of the subject in question....
  • Paranoid fiction
    Paranoid fiction

    Paranoid fiction is a term sometimes used to describe works of literature that explores the subjective nature of reality and how it can be manipulated by forces in power....


External links