Literature, as an expression of written art, takes many forms and structures depending on the writer’s creative perspective. This essay compares fictional and non-fictional stories, evaluating their differences in structure and similarities based on various factors. By doing so, we can develop a greater appreciation for these stories. My hypothesis is based on reading materials characterized as fictional and non-fictional stories. The conceptual framework for this essay will define the two variables of fictional and non-fictional stories from a literary perspective.
Fictional stories involve the creative imagination of the writer. The structure of a story is familiar to us in the form of short stories. Fiction, created in our imagination, is a free expression of our thoughts and ideas conveyed in literary form. The challenge in this type of narrative writing is for the writer to generate ideas completely from scratch, relying on their imagination to create an organized and understandable story. In fictional narration, creating characters, building plots, conflicts and resolutions involves a writer’s ability to persuade readers with their writing abilities. Fictional stories have purposes; they can tell a story, entertain or teach a lesson.
Literary writers share several commonalities when it comes to fictional stories; even Shakespeare’s narrations follow these general characteristics: characters have problems or goals; they are at odds with nature or other characters; there may be love angles; something lost may be found and mysteries solved. Some people assume that plot drives fictional stories entirely but as literary writers explain it – plot is driven by created characters who we follow through their conflicts and drama.
These events matter because we become invested in them (Rog 2004).
Non-fiction stories are written as an account of a subject treated as fact by the writer. The story may be presented accurately by the writer, or they can give either a true or false account of the subject they are writing about. This idea depends on the writer’s perspective.
Non-fictional narrative writing discards creative and literary elements that fictional narrative writing includes in the story. The importance in non-fictional writing is presenting facts and information within the writer’s perspective. The objective in non-fictional narrative writing is to convey the story with simplicity, clarity, and directness that will benefit the audience.
Non-fictional narration gives apt importance to how readers will react and interpret information presented to them in the story. The efficacy in non-fictional narration is understanding that readers have potential to learn more about a subject presented to them and incorporate knowledge they have during analysis of a non-fiction story.
In terms of audience comprehensibility regarding non-fictional narration, writers for this genre will not be challenged as much compared to fictional writers. As defined, non-fictional narration presents facts; it is harder for fictional writers to convince their readers of their stories because audiences realize how fictional stories are composed of characters and a storyline all derived from imagination (nonfiction,” 2006).
The conceptual framework presented in this essay will provide a general understanding of the differences between fictional and non-fictional narration. This understanding will assist us in evaluating the reading materials used to compare and contrast fictional stories with non-fictional ones. The characteristics unique to each genre will serve as the foundation for developing our critical assessment of literary writing within these two genres.
To strengthen our evaluation of the differences between fictional and non-fictional narration, we will use several reading materials as a basis for our conclusions. Fiction stories are created with more literary expression, freedom, and creativity. This gives writers an advantage to rely on their imaginations to create convincing stories. Wade Newman is a modern poet writer who uses subjects like the workplace or certain professions to write his literary pieces. In his poem Business and Poetry,” he tells the story of the poem through his own observations and experiences.
The writer sets the theme in the opening lines of the poem by mentioning two distinct roles: business and poet writer. This creates an idea for readers that the poem will discuss how different or similar these two worlds can be. He details in the poem his challenges as both a poet and a businessman, incorporating elements from both worlds into poetic lyrics that differentiate between literature and business.
Gavin Ewart also created a similar poem using Newman’s mannerism of putting workplace situations into poetic writing. His poem “The Caged Copywriter” describes his experience as a copywriter with its theme evident at its beginning lines but present throughout its storyline.
Both poems establish strong similarities between them by presenting relative far-off subjects -the workplace- translated into creative literary pieces in their poems; they perform objectives of fictional stories such as entertaining, telling lessons or stories while creating great plots with characters that capture audience interest.
The wit and creative presentation of work environments greatly contribute to my interest in these poems; it makes me feel related to them because I begin imagining what working feels like within those contexts.
It is likely that comedy is used in these poems to capture audiences’ attention since business and poetry are two very different subjects together. Fictional narration allows writers to interpret workplace behavior, ethics, situations differently while using humor, drama or other emotions involved attract readers and make them relate to the writer.
As explained earlier in the essay, both fictional and non-fictional writers must establish their credibility to create a good story or literary piece. Fictional writers achieve this by creating a coherent train of thought throughout the story. In particular, the selected poems had similar themes centered around the workplace. Both writers conveyed their purpose through a well-thought-out interpretation of the workplace. Readers can relate to the emotions and situations presented because they are relatable to them.
In non-fictional writing, credibility is established through reliable facts and information. As mentioned before, non-fictional narration places great importance on facts and information, challenging writers with how credible their sources are. It is then up to readers to decide whether or not they believe that the writer has presented accurate facts or if they have noticed discrepancies that challenge what has been written.
All the Young Fausts by Mark Hall is a great example of non-fictional literature. It humorously recounts the author’s experience at a Halloween party where he dressed up as Mephistopheles but was mistaken for Dracula or Wolfman. Mephistopheles is a fictional character created by literary writers, and the author observes how artistic knowledge has taken a back seat to technological advancements. He also relates how Mephistopheles’ character can be attributed to several key concepts that modern professionals should follow, such as good vs. evil and ethical vs. unethical behavior.I find this literary piece interesting because it combines comedy with serious elements while using facts and information about arts and technology to create a well-written story.Another non-fictional narrative is Pablo Picasso: Living In His Own Shadow” by Ellen Goodman, which incorporates facts and analysis about Picasso’s works of art. Goodman describes how his art has depreciated in value over time but remains recognized for its creativity due to Picasso’s interest in creating unique pieces.Both stories present their main ideas realistically, making them effective examples of non-fictional narration.
Non-fiction (2006) is a genre of literature that deals with factual information and real events. It provides readers with knowledge and understanding of the world around them. This information was retrieved on October 24, 2006, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-fiction.
Rog, L. J. and K. P. (2004). Our Plot Thickens: The Fictional Narrative.” Retrieved October 24, 2006, from http://www.stenhouse.com/pdfs/8172ch05.pdf#search=’%27fictional%20stories%20narrative%20use’.
