I find it strange that books about real things are defined by books about fake things. What is the reason for this? Also, the term "non-fiction" only really came into use in the 1900s, what were they called before?
I find this nomenclature of ‘Non-Fiction’ disarming as well; I have to stop and think about the meaning real or not real? It just doesn’t flow well. Perhaps, research could be combined with the topic someone else posted regarding defining Creative Non- Fiction; which I understand the meaning however, it adds to the already confusing state of Fiction, Non-Fiction and Creative Non-Fiction. – Venus Echos10 years ago
I'm not sure about the term "nonfiction" and what it was called before the term was invented, but I do know a little something about fiction and the term "novel." I took a class on early British fiction (18th century), and there really was no term for books that deal with non-real things. "Novel" was not a thing. In fact, authors billed their stories as reality. Exampes: "Oroonoko: or, the Royal Slave, a True History" by Aphra Behn; "Robinson Crusoe" by Daniel Defoe; "Pamela: or, Virtue Rewarded" by Samuel Richardson, maaaaybe "Fantomina: or, Love in a Maze" by Eliza Haywood; and "The Vicar of Wakefield: A Tale, Supposed to be written by Himself" by Oliver Goldsmith. The firsthand accounts these novels/novellas gave made readers believe they were truthful. Samuel Richardson especially went to great lengths to make people think Pamela's letters were real. Anywho, this may have something to do with how the terms "fiction," "novel," and "nonfiction" came about. – Erica Beimesche10 years ago
Anyone hoping to nab this one in the bag, if you haven't done so already, check out Reality Hunger by David Shields. Might be of some use. – Luke Stephenson10 years ago
What do you mean by books about "fake things" or "real things"? – T. Palomino2 years ago
There are many software programs out there that help writers hone their craft. An article that lists which software is the best for grammar, editing, story boards, etc. Also include the associated cost of the program and its varying levels such as free to premium packages. Additionally, include free online writing and grammar sites such as Dailygrammar.com and Grammar Girl Podcasts.
There are also a bunch of text editors designed to minimize distractions, many of which are free. It would be interesting to see those covered too. – Harley10 years ago
As a writer who might look into getting a writing software, I would love to see this written (unfortunately, I don't feel like I know enough about the topic to do it myself). – Nicole Williams10 years ago
It might also be interesting to include things that aren't inherently effective, but may help others. To clarify, I use a mechanical keyboard as well as a program that has typewriter noises - it helps me focus - it might be interesting to include a small honorable mentions section at the end about programs where a writer's mileage may vary. – DullahanLi10 years ago
Analyze the ramifications of time travel in the First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North. Consider what the end of the world means for members of the Cronus Club, and what would motivate a person with the ability to relive their lives an infinite number of times. Especially consider characters outside of Harry August's time line. What drives the universe forward within this theory of time? If people and events change only a little from life to life, what is the point of the club?
As we return to classical literature (and other mediums) repeatedly, I believe it will be an interesting study to examine how adaptations change/rediscover/counters/etc the classical narratives
I completely agree, through my undergrad we have been returning to the countless classics. It is interesting to read them now as they often resonate as strongly if not more so now. The fact that interpretations change over time shows us there is no single point of interpreting these great books (or other mediums). What rich , at least to me, is how many other places we can take the text, beyond its desired meaning. – Coltrane9310 years ago
And what is the deal with adding zombies to a classic novel (e.g., Pride and Prejudice and Zombies) and reselling it? #mustbewritten – Jeffrey MacCormack10 years ago
The popular podcast SERIAL by Sarah Koenig made the lives of Baltimore youths fodder for water cooler discussions across the country. What does it mean about us that we obsess over the details while (possibly) forgetting that real lives are affected? Is this a new media? Or is our perverse interest in the agony of others as ancient as society?
The allure is in the tiniest belief that we, as the audience, can be the ones to solve the mystery. By going over the details of a real case, all who listen become detectives themselves. Rather than our perverse interest in the agony of others, perhaps it is the hope of finding innocence in a convicted murderer. Perhaps it is society reaching to find the good in someone, whether or not it exists. On the other hand, it may have only been an excellent and clever play to have society question the results of this trial and therefore, influence doubt. With Adnan Syed presently making new development, I'd say the podcast has already benefited him abundantly, no matter what exactly is said of society and our obsessive interest. With Serial being my first podcast listen, I found it enjoyable and would not be surprised if future podcasts receive relative success as well. – Jenna Mae10 years ago
Hundreds of thousands of books are published every year. How many of them should be?
This is a very good idea for an article! Sometimes when I am passing by some books at book stores I wonder to myself "who would publish this?" so it would be interesting to see what you would have to say about it this topic! Although some books seem a little odd at times, they are all worth a look! – kaitlynnzygmont10 years ago
What might be interesting to include are some statistics on how many book are published in paperback vs ebooks and then the difference between self-published and not. I think there would be a staggering number of books self-published in recent years now that amazon has made it so available, but the real question is what's the popularity between the two? – Slaidey10 years ago
I think this is interesting but rather than being critical about self-indulgence, I think this could explore publishing with a publisher in contrast to self-publishing like the cost of production, distribution and marketing, maybe? – Jill10 years ago
What would anybody try to accomplish with this topic? No examples, no elaboration of a thesis, no sources? – T. Palomino2 years ago
I've always been really conflicted with this idea of "showing" more than "telling" in story writing, and I recall that for my creative writing classes I was often criticized for telling more than I showed in a story. In the end, I would use "show" more often and it stretched my writing and caused me to have a lot of run-on sentences and elaborate details where details were sometimes not required. How would one go about perhaps breaking down where to "show" and where to "tell" so that writing stories seems more balanced and not too "to the point" or even "flowery and over-written"?
When it come to "show don't tell," it's okay to tell if the showing backs up the telling. It goes back to the old adage "actions speak louder than words." For example, if a character is described as haughty, show him talking about himself constantly, having no regard for other people's feelings and boasting about what makes him proud. – SoalaIda10 years ago
I think "show don't tell" truly is the best advice. I prefer to work in scriptwriting genres (stage or screen), and this is one genre where telling becomes painfully obvious and just plain painful. For example, I just watched Disney's Big Hero 6 where the protagonist verbally tells his brother "You know [my parents] died when I was 3!" (or something similar). I cringed at this "megaphoning" effect, but I also acknowledge that the film's target audience is children, who do not always pick up on subtleties. They need this kind of writing. Regardless, having your readers think and work through showing rather than spoon-feeding them by telling gets them more invested in the characters and the story. My writing professors would warn us not to be too vague, though. Leave good hints for your readers-not all of them will think exactly like you; too ambiguous actions/details will get lost in translation. – Nicole10 years ago
I think that showing allows you as a writer, and the readers as well, more freedom. Because you don't really need to write everything down, and explicitly put, in order to express yourself and what you want to say - or the others to understand of your writing. And, as a reader first of all, I enjoy the "unsaid" more than the "told". That said, I think that you should find a balance between the two, otherwise the result will be that of feeling unconfortable with what is your writing style, and this wouldn't be fair either. – suepri10 years ago
I do think that "show don't tell" is valid advice for any writer because it makes sure that you're not being too direct. Being too direct makes sure that not everything is a stream of constant information. It helps build the world around the characters rather than just statically presenting information. You don't need to say that a character is nice, but you can show that through their actions. – ninaricciarelli10 years ago
Some of the best journalistic pieces show instead of tell. – Chelsea Scherer9 years ago
All characters are, of course, representations of their authors in some form. I'm speaking about the borderline Mary-Sue's and Gary-Stu's with the perfect hair and bodies who have virtually no faults (other than, say, running away with a sparkly vampire). The two which come to mind are Clary (Mortal Instruments) and Bella Swan. Funny how most of these characters are in YA fiction. Perhaps explore the use of insertion, and when it goes wrong.
Clary.. :facepalm: good lord I hated CoB. For those who haven't read the book this is my biggest gripe. Girl meets boy. Girl falls for boy. Girl finds out boy is her brother. FOR TWO AND A HALF BOOKS SHE STILL PINES FOR HIM. Rather than taking an interesting route. Like maybe having Clary come to terms, maybe become friends with the boy. Perhaps even become her own person a bit before revealing that he's not really her brother nah. She's just going to shiver with his every touch book after book until she gets her way. Rather than being romantic it felt gross. -- – wolfkin10 years ago
