Works Literature, what is it? Well, the glossary of our handy fifth edition ofIntro to Reading and Writing states that it is a written or oral compositionthat tells stories, dramatize situations, express emotion and analyzes andadvocates ideas. How does the author accomplish all this? By using tools likeplot, setting, characters, and their very own tone and style.
Some authors writeand base their works on passed events that at one time or another happened tothem. Others though have to use their imagination and that makes things morecomplicated, because he or she has to come up with the characters and thesetting. In other words everything necessary for a story. In the other hand theauthors that witness an event would probably use the names of the actual peopleand the setting where the event took place. Now even though everyone hasdifferent ways of coming up with the material for a story they all use the sametools.
However, the different ways and styles are what make all the differencebetween the best sellers and just another good story. Some authors get theirideas from just regular every day life, while others go out and make thingshappen. They go out seeking material involving people or better I should sayentities, like a force of nature maybe, these entities conflict with each otherthus causing dramatic situations of some sort. The writer takes all the conflictand action occurring and makes some kind of sequence. It is required in order toform a pattern or a storyline; this is called the skeleton or structure of thestory.
Many authors use what is called a formal structure, which includes theexposition, necessary information to better understand the story and alsodetails about the characters. Following the exposition is the complication, amajor conflict where the author has the characters try to resolve a crises orsituation. When the crisis reaches a turning point it is called the climax ofthe story. Shortly after the climax the crises is resolved and the story comesto an end.
To express emotion the author has to use yet another tool known asthe setting. This helps the reader visualize a picture in his or her mind of howand when the story is taking place. The setting is usually stated on theexposition section of the formal structure type plot. Now if every author wouldput the setting in the same spot or use the same structure, well reading wouldquickly become very boring.
So authors, sometimes without even knowing develop acertain style of writing. They make changes in the plot using flashbacks on thecharacters and alterations in the settings making every story different formeach other. These styles of writing are developed in what is called the authorsrealm. It comprises of a number of things like where the author lives. Also whathis or her social standing in society is and even the author’s gender affectsthe realm.
Whichever way the material for a story is acquired and developed isup to the authors, it is up to us the reader to enjoy them over and over or juststore them. These were only a few examples of how literature comes about andwhat it is, but the possibilities are endless.
