Lesson 4: Fiction Writing

Lesson 4

FICTION WRITING

• narrative writing that involves elements of plot and character created entirely by the author

• opposed to non-fiction, which is based on real-world events and real people

MAJOR TYPES OF FICTION WRITING

1.Historical Fiction - has characters based on real people and often bases its plots on real-life event 

• many elements of plot or dialogue are fabricated by the author, although it is up to the writer how much to invent

2. Science Fiction - one of the most creative genres in literature

• sci-fi novels take readers on adventures from faraway galaxies to underwater worlds and everywhere in between, introducing them to otherworldly characters and technologies along the way

3. Mystery Fiction - genre of literature whose stories focus on puzzling crime, situation, or circumstance that needs to be solved 

• term comes from the Latin mysterium, meaning "a secret thing,”

• stories can be either fictional or non-fictional, and can focus on both supernatural and non-supernatural topic

• many mystery stories involve what is called a

• "whodunit" scenario, meaning the mystery revolves around uncovering a culprit or criminal

4. Fantasy - story that is imaginative but could never really happen 

• the setting may be of another world 

• characters might be magical like talking animals, sorceries, witches, and wizardry

5. Realistic Fiction - story that seems real or could happen in real life

• set in the present-day or includes modern-day problems and events

• events portrayed in realistic fiction conjure questions that a reader could face in everyday life

COMMON ELEMENTS AND TECHNIQUES 

Character - is a person, animal, being, creature, or thing in a story

• writers use characters to perform the actions and speak dialogue, moving the story along a plot line

TYPE OF CHARACTERS 

1. ACCORDING TO ROLE

1. Protagonist - the leading character or one of the major characters in a drama, movie, novel, or other fictional text

2. Antagonist - a person who is opposed to or competes with another, opponent (not all times antagonist is a person)

3. Deuteragonist - generally a person (or persons) with very close ties to the protagonist - a partner, a mentor, a spouse or significant other

4. Tertiary Characters - sometimes referred to as the third most important character in a story

5. Love Interest - has in intimate relationship with your main character 

6. Confidant - type of secondary character in the story, often a friend or authority figure, whose role is to listen to the protagonist's secrets, examine their character, and advise them on their actions 

7. Foil - are characters with contrasting personalities 

b. ACCORDING TO QUALITY

1. Static - a literary or dramatic character who undergoes little or no inner change

• a character who does not grow or develop

2. Dynamic - literary or dramatic character who undergoes an important inner change, as a change in personality or attitude 

3. Round - lifelike figures with complex, multifaceted personalities 

• they possess depth and dimension, and often undergo personal development over the course of a story

4. Stock - is a type of character in a narrative (e.g. a novel, play, television show, or film) whom audiences recognize across many narratives or as part of a storytelling tradition or convention 

5. Symbolic - any character of the story used to reveal its profound theme 

Plot - is the order in which things move and happen in a story

•  many fictional plots turn on a conflict, or struggle between opposing forces, that is usually resolved by the end of the a story 

Conflict - the clash of opposing forces with a character's own pursuit of a goal

• characters must act to confront those forces and there is where conflict is born

• conflict in a story creates and drives the plit forward

TYPES OF CONFLICT

1. Character vs. Self

2. Character vs. Character

3. Character vs. Nature

4. Character vs. Supernatural

5. Character vs. Technology

6. Character vs. Society

Theme - theme in fiction is rarely presented at all, it is abstracted from the details of the character and action that compose the story

Setting - is the physical and social context in which the action of a story occurs

Atmosphere - is the feeling or sense evoked by an environment or setting

Tone - refers to the author's attitude toward a certain topic

Mood - is all about you, the reader