Prose fiction is an imaginative story written in natural language, allowing exploration of characters and events limited only by the writer’s imagination. It uses various techniques and has a wide range of lengths. Universal themes trigger emotional responses from readers, but “good” and “bad” are subjective. Prose non-fiction is based on fact, while poetry relies on rhyme and meter. Writers use different techniques, such as dialogue and viewpoints, and works can be of any length. Different forms and subgroups exist, with universal themes making characters and events seem realistic. “Good” and “bad” are subjective and change over time.
Prose fiction is an imaginary story, usually written, that someone tells in natural, everyday language. The opposite of non-fiction and poetry, it allows people to leave reality, exploring characters and events that are typically limited only by the reach of the writer’s imagination. It generally uses a variety of techniques such as narrative and has a wide range in terms of length. While individuals label these stories by form and genre, one common thread is the use of universal themes that trigger emotional responses from readers. The definition of “good” and “bad” for these works is quite subjective, because they are based on the way people speak and behave in regular conversations and situations, which change over time.
differentiations
The polar opposite of prose fiction is prose non-fiction, which is based solely on fact. Examples in this category include history textbooks and autobiographies. Some people also see poetry as a contrast, because it relies on rhyme, meter, and other techniques, such as metaphor, rather than using more conversational language.
The benefit of the imagination
While a writer may freely base his characters and events on real facts or people, in general, most of what goes into a work of prose is fictional. As a result, the author has tremendous flexibility, as he can design his plot and characters based on his own imagination rather than what he knows from reality. In fact, people often use this style of writing specifically to have fun with the unknown, like exploring the future. Many people read these works as a way to temporarily escape normal life.
techniques
Writers can use different techniques in this type of literature, such as metaphor, exposition and narrative. One of the most popular ways to develop characters and move a story forward is through dialogue, which is a conversation between at least two characters. Authors can also use a variety of viewpoints, such as first, second, and third person.
Length
A work of prose can be of any length, but editors and publishers typically use word counts to determine which category fits best. The shortest group, flash fiction, is only 1,000 words or less. Short stories have up to 7,000, while a novella ranges between 10,000 and 60,000 words. Anything between 60,000 and 200,000 is usually a novel.
The characteristics of each category may be similar, but each length has its own set of challenges. With flash fiction or a short story, for example, it can be difficult to develop the plot or characters enough. With a novel, on the other hand, it’s often difficult to keep track of complex plot points and characters.
Forms and subgroups
Looking at form or style is another way to classify prose. These include historical, picaresque, epistolary, Bildungsroman, social, scientific and romance fiction, as well as metafiction. Within these groups are sub-categories such as thriller, fantasy, mystery, drama, chick and comedy. While a written work may fall into more than one form or subcategory, in general, publishers usually like a single classification, because it typically helps in assigning contributions to specific, specialized publishers.
Universal themes
One of the things that usually makes prose work is that no matter how wacky or silly a plot might be, and no matter what the length or classification, writers tend to put universal themes into their stories. These are concepts that most people understand, like the need for friends or the fact that people can learn from their mistakes. By including these ideas, authors are often able to make characters and events seem realistic and believable, striking an emotional chord with the reader. When that happens, assuming the work is marketed well and is also readily available, it has the potential to become very popular and well known, because many people might relate to it.
“Good and bad”
By definition, this type of writing is based on how people speak in normal conversation. Speech changes over time, however, with people altering the words they use and even the way they construct sentences. Prose fiction that individuals think is good in one time period or culture, therefore, may be labeled bad in another.
For example, both Charles Dickens and Victor Hugo use long, drawn out sentences in their work. Some sentences even make up entire paragraphs, and the plot movement is quite slow. Many contemporary readers, generally accustomed to shorter, more direct writing, find these writers’ stories difficult to understand or are bored by the exhausting style. Some publishers have even admitted that these classics may be rejected by contemporary publishers.
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