Genre fiction[edit]

A genre is the subject matter or category that writers use. For instance, science
fiction, fantasy and mystery fiction are genres. Genre fiction also known as popular fiction, is plot-
driven fictional works written with the intent of fitting into a specific literary genre, in order to appeal
to readers and fans already familiar with that genre.[1]
Genre fiction is storytelling driven by plot, as opposed to literary fiction, which focuses more on
theme and character. Genre fiction, or popular fiction, is written to appeal to a large audience and it
sells more primarily because it is more commercialised. An example is the Twilight series which may
sell more than Herman Melville's Moby Dick, because the "Twilight" novels deal with elements of pop
culture – romance and vampires.

Literary fiction[edit]
Literary fiction is fictional works that hold literary merit, that is to say, they are works that offer social
commentary, or political criticism, or focus on aspect of the human condition.
Literary fiction is usually contrasted with, popular, commercial, or genre fiction. Some have
described the difference between them in terms of analysing reality (literary) rather than escaping
reality (popular). The contrast between these two categories of fiction is controversial among some
critics and scholars.

Elements of fiction
Characterization is one of the five elements of fiction, along with plot, setting, theme, and writing
style. 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 by whom the story is viewed. The point-of-view
character may or may not also be the main character in the story.
 Protagonist: the main character of a story
 Antagonist: the character who stands in opposition to the protagonist
 Minor character: a character that interacts with the protagonist. They help the story move
along.
 Foil character: a (usually minor) character who has traits opposed to those of the main
character
Plot[edit]
The plot, or storyline, is the rendering and ordering of the events and actions of a story. Starting with
the initiating event, then the rising action, conflict, climax, falling action, and ending possibly with a
resolution.
Plot consists of action and reaction, also referred to as stimulus and response and has a beginning,
a middle, and an ending.
The climax of the novel consists of a single action-packed sentence in which the conflict (problem) of
the novel is resolved. This sentence comes towards the end of the novel. The main part of the action
should come before the climax.
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.
Setting[edit]
Setting is the locale and time of a story. The setting is often a real place, but may be a fictitious city
or country within our own world; a different planet; or an alternate universe, which may or may not
have similarities with our own universe. Sometimes setting is referred to as milieu, to include a
context (such as society) beyond the immediate surroundings of the story. It is basically where and
when the story takes place.

Theme[edit]
Theme is what the author is trying to tell the reader. For example, the belief in the ultimate good in
people, or that things are not always what they seem. This is often referred to as the "moral of the
story." Some fiction contains advanced themes like morality, or the value of life, whereas other
stories have no theme, or a very shallow one.

Style[edit]
Style includes the multitude of choices fiction writers make, consciously or not, in the process of
writing a story. It encompasses not only the big-picture, strategic choices such as point of view and
choice of narrator, but also tactical choices of grammar, punctuation, word usage, sentence and
paragraph length and structure, tone, the use of imagery, chapter selection, titles, etc. In the process
of creating a story, these choices meld to become the writer's voice, his or her own unique style.
For each piece of fiction, the author makes many choices, consciously or subconsciously, which
combine to form the writer's unique style. The components of style are numerous, but include point
of view, choice of narrator, fiction-writing mode, person and tense, grammar, punctuation, word
usage, sentence length and structure, paragraph length and structure, tone, imagery, chapter usage,
and title selection.
Narrator[edit]
The narrator is the story teller. The main character in the book can also be the narrator.
Point of view[edit]
Point of view is the perspective (or type of personal or non-personal "lens") through which a story is
communicated. Narrative point of view or narrative perspective describes the position of the narrator,
that is, the character of the storyteller, in relation to the story being told.[3]
Tone[edit]
The tone of a literary work expresses the writer's attitude toward or feelings about the subject matter
and audience.[4][5]
Suspension of disbelief[edit]
Suspension of disbelief is the reader's temporary acceptance of story elements as believable,
regardless of how implausible they may seem in real life.

Authors' views on writing[edit]

Ernest Hemingway wrote "Prose is architecture, not interior decoration."[6][page needed]
Stephen King, in his non-fiction, part autobiographical, part self-help writing memoir, On Writing: A
Memoir of the Craft, he gives readers helpful advice on honing their craft: "Description begins in the
writer's imagination, but should finish in the reader's."[page needed]