Thread: What defines fiction?

A recent chat with Sam_W had me thinking -- What exactly defines fiction?

I was telling him how I don't read fiction anymore and his response was that I had to read it if I was going to write it. I don't write fiction too (or at least I think I don't). My stories (I've written only 3 or 4 so far) talk about realisation of one's dreams or they're extended metaphors regarding what happens in my life. Basically, all the prose I've written is somehow connected to me. People who've The Warriors or my recent shot at the LM Competitions, The Fall, might understand what I'm talking about.


So back to my question. What differentiates a piece of writing between prose and fiction? And more importantly, do I really have to read the actual fiction -- thrillers, suspense, fantasy or even the classics -- to learn from and to write better? I'm not joking when I say my mind can't digest them anymore, though there had been a time when I used to devour such books. Most of what I read now is non-fiction.



Edit: (I didn't want to bump the thread.) After reading everybody's posts, I realise I really should read more and more fiction to write good fiction. So I'm going to do that. Not thrillers or suspense, but I'll read so I can learn and improve. Thank you for your comments, everyone.

Hi Tinkerbell : )

My definition of fiction has changed over the years, and I'm sure in the years to come it will continue to evolve.

But currently, I view fiction as a tool for an author to create something that moves the reader. Such "movement" within a reader -- you could also call it an emotional and intellectual response -- can range from the simple to the life-changingly profound, and everything in between.

There are fiction Genres (like the ones you mentioned), where the reader expects a certain type of emotional and intellectual satisfaction. Often this falls on a more emotional end, as some readers aren't looking for thought-provoking reading material, they just want to be entertained. They want to be made to feel fear, excitement, passion, awe, etc...

I also see fiction, in the Literary end (as opposed to the Commercial end) as form of self-expression. You can have specific views (about life, about love, about people, about anything, really) and create scenarios in order to express these views, hiding your message subtly beneath the most visible layer in order to give the reader an opportunity, and the satisfaction, to discover and ruminate on the message herself. This is, currently, the type of fiction I'm aiming to write, and my current favorite to read.

Originally Posted by candid petunia

A recent chat with Sam_W had me thinking -- What exactly defines fiction?

I was telling him how I don't read fiction anymore and his response was that I had to read it if I was going to write it. I don't write fiction too (or at least I think I don't). My stories (I've written only 3 or 4 so far) talk about realisation of one's dreams or they're extended metaphors regarding what happens in my life. Basically, all the prose I've written is somehow connected to me. People who've The Warriors or my recent shot at the LM Competitions, The Fall, might understand what I'm talking about.


So back to my question. What differentiates a piece of writing between prose and fiction? And more importantly, do I really have to read the actual fiction -- thrillers, suspense, fantasy or even the classics -- to learn from and to write better? I'm not joking when I say my mind can't digest them anymore, though there had been a time when I used to devour such books. Most of what I read now is non-fiction.

Prose can be either fiction or nonfiction. It's not specific to any one way of writing. Prose simply means either written or spoken language bereft of metrical construct, i.e. poetry.

Do you have to read the genre and type of writing you wish to write in? I strongly believe so. There are techniques exclusive to each format, which you will only discover through constant reading. Reading romance novels might make me a better writer of emotion or love, but it won't prepare me for writing a horror novel. They're two vastly different genres. The difference between fiction- and nonfiction-writing is also vast.

Garza might weigh in here with some thoughts. He has more experience of nonfiction than I will ever have.

Mostly over my life I have preferred reading non fiction to fiction. However, as I want to write fiction I have always read fiction and think its important. I may not feel the buzz of the direct learning associated with non fiction but reading fiction allows my mind to generalise on what makes good fiction and how a story is told effectively and the different ways a story can be told.

So I think you should read fiction if thats what you are trying to write.

Originally Posted by KyleColorado

But currently, I view fiction as a tool for an author to create something that moves the reader. Such "movement" within a reader -- you could also call it an emotional and intellectual response -- can range from the simple to the life-changingly profound, and everything in between.

I also see fiction, in the Literary end (as opposed to the Commercial end) as form of self-expression. You can have specific views (about life, about love, about people, about anything, really) and create scenarios in order to express these views, hiding your message subtly beneath the most visible layer in order to give the reader an opportunity, and the satisfaction, to discover and ruminate on the message herself. This is, currently, the type of fiction I'm aiming to write, and my current favorite to read.

Hi Kyle. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I suppose that's what my writing contains -- a message which I want readers to grasp.

Originally Posted by Sam W

Do you have to read the genre and type of writing you wish to write in? I strongly believe so. There are techniques exclusive to each format, which you will only discover through constant reading. Reading romance novels might make me a better writer of emotion or love, but it won't prepare me for writing a horror novel. They're two vastly different genres. The difference between fiction- and nonfiction-writing is also vast.

Originally Posted by Robdemanc

I may not feel the buzz of the direct learning associated with non fiction but reading fiction allows my mind to generalise on what makes good fiction and how a story is told effectively and the different ways a story can be told.

So I think you should read fiction if thats what you are trying to write.

I've read Paulo Coelho, and more recently, Khalil Gibran, because I feel more connected to them and maybe because they influence me. That is the type of writing I wish to develop, with a dash of my uniqueness too, of course. About reading other fiction, hehe I guess I'm still stuck on the question what makes fiction a piece of fiction?

Fiction is writing, or a verbal statement, that is made up; something that is not true.

What if it's an extended metaphor of what's going on in someone's life with just a little bit of tweaking?

Originally Posted by candid petunia

What if it's an extended metaphor of what's going on in someone's life with just a little bit of tweaking?

Well then its based on a true story. Like a lot of films can be, like "Erin Brokovich" etc

Fiction can and usually is inspired by real events in someone's life. I have written something that is an abstraction of events that have happened to me, or how I percieve events to have affected me.

Originally Posted by candid petunia

What if it's an extended metaphor of what's going on in someone's life with just a little bit of tweaking?

We could probably go on and on debating what's fiction and what's non-fiction. For example, the work of Hunter S. Thompson blends truth with pseudo-truth, then mixes in total fabrication to spice things up. Fiction? Non-fiction? Who can say? Strict non-fiction could be classified as work that has been researched and is designed to be as close to actual events as possible. Those events might be embellished or even exaggerated, but as long as they come as close to what really happened as possible, I'd say the work constitutes non-fiction. If your work is a metaphor of your actual life, I'd call that fiction. I could argue everything I've written is a metaphor of my life in one way or another, just as every character I've created shares a bit of my personality.

As for whether or not you should read fiction, well, you should read a bit of everything really. Every little bit helps. I'm not the biggest fan of poetry if I'm honest, but sometimes I regret not being more knowledgeable of it. I've seen poetry put to brilliant use in some of my favorite novels. In fact, Neal Stephenson's "Cryptonomicon" made me want to learn everything I could about haiku's. The man literally kills off a character in a three-line haiku!

Any speech given by a modern politician...

To me, fiction is made up. It may contain facts, it may contain truth, but if the overall tale is made up, it's fiction. Non-fiction is, well, anything else. I'm not sure I understand you correctly, but it seems you're writing either philosophical 'discussions' or essays, (which would be non-fiction), or metaphorical tales or parables (which would be fiction, and probably literary fiction) based on events in your life .

But yes - if you want to write fiction, you must read fiction. And then read some more. And then read some more.

Originally Posted by candid petunia

What exactly defines fiction?

Anything which is not presented as factual.

Originally Posted by candid petunia

My stories (I've written only 3 or 4 so far) talk about realisation of one's dreams or they're extended metaphors regarding what happens in my life.

Congratulations - you've written fiction.

Originally Posted by candid petunia

And more importantly, do I really have to read the actual fiction -- thrillers, suspense, fantasy or even the classics -- to learn from and to write better?

No, but it helps to read the sort of fiction you want to write if you want your fiction writing to go anywhere near an established and interested publisher.

Originally Posted by candid petunia

I'm not joking when I say my mind can't digest them anymore, though there had been a time when I used to devour such books.

So, you've read fiction. Good. Is that the sort of fiction you want to write; the sort of fiction you can't digest anymore? Why?

Originally Posted by candid petunia

Most of what I read now is non-fiction.

So, you read non-fiction. Good. What makes it non-fiction? What makes it readable? Is it digestible?

Non-fiction is a work that is completely factual, or is an essay using opinions or beliefs based on factual events. Anything else, by default, is fiction.

From your description, it sounds like what you are writing is semi-autobiographical but containing some elements of fiction. Books such as In Cold Blood by Truman Capote and Schindler's Ark by Thomas Keneally are both classed as fiction, because the authors use conjecture to piece together the factual parts of the stories.

As others have said, the scope of fiction is very broad. The books that you are writing are a different genre of fiction than the outright fantasy of J K Rowling or Stephen King, but they are still fiction.