Currently viewing the tag: "Fictional"
Question: Is feminist “fictional” literature harmless?
Earlier, I quoted Marilyn French from her book “The Woman’s Room” & someone chimed in that the book was “fiction.”
In an interview about the book, Marilyn said:
“”God, how they attacked me in some quarters, And why? Because I told the truth. They said I was a man hater, and I never defended myself against that, because I do believe that men are to blame for the condition of women.”
http://books.guardian.co.uk/departments/generalfiction/story/0,,1799025,00.html
This book is promoted in Women’s Studies programs all over the country. It is a popular piece of feminist literature.
Read the reviews here:
http://www.amazon.com/Womens-Room-Marilyn-French/dp/0345353617
Here’s a quote from one:
“Simply, this book changed my life completely… …I have been unable to look at men, women, and relationships the same since.”
I won’t let Marilyn’s sexism be explained away as if it’s “fiction.”
EDIT:
Context is key.
When universities use books like this in their curriculums & when you see how women are impacted by this particular book, you can’t help wonder if a sexist & anti-male author should be given a soap box in academia.
It’s bad enough, that women read books like this on their own accord… but when they are assigned reading at a university, there is an automatic credibility associated with that connection.
(vintner)
That makes no sense.
EDIT:
(lyanthya)
I don’t care if you think your words do not carry implications, but let me assure you, they do. You were bothered by the fact people keep quoting the “all men are rapists” line. You mentioned how one of her characters uttered those words.
Let me show you again how she herself describes that book:
“”God, how they attacked me in some quarters, And why? Because I told the truth. They said I was a man hater, and I never defended myself against that, because I do believe that men are to blame for the condition of women.”
Let’s just say her “characters” reflect her own opinions with regard to that book as she herself admits.
I’ll go with what Marilyn French herself says over what you say to try & defend her.
EDIT:
(Tracey)
Overreactions are fun, aren’t they. I advocate the removal of that book from universities (some of them state funded) that promote sexist literature from sexist authors. (Go ahead & deny that she was sexist. I have a nice quote ready for you.) Misandrists will always read things that make them feel better about themselves by tearing men down. “Burning” that book as you suggest would do exactly nothing. There’d be another one along from another sexist author the next day.
(Rio)
Read some of the reviews from the link I provided. …Then do a Google search for both the author’s name & the book title. You will see that nearly every time the book is mentioned the words “inspirational” & “life changing” are used.
EDIT:
(lyanthya)
I’ve read more than one excerpt from the book that have all been sexist. I wouldn’t waste my time reading the whole thing.
What does the phrase “telling the truth” mean to you?
She defends her book & the “man-hating” therein & goes on to conclude that “men are to blame for the condition of women.”
I’m sure in feminist fantasyland, a person like this can write a sexist book, make sexist comments to defend the book, but be allowed to step away from all of it with 0.0% accountability.
Feminists are funny like that.
Again… I’m going to go with Marilyn French’s own words & not your desperate hopes that she was not a sexist & didn’t believe that which she wrote even though she admitted to it in plain english.
EDIT:
If Michael Crichton wrote a book that was racist in tone with anti-black views & contained the phrase “all black people are criminals & that’s all that they are” …& later told the media that he was “telling the truth” in this book, what do you think people would and should think about that?
Would it be safe to assume he might believe a remark like that was true given the fact that he was clearly a racist & thought he was being “truthful.”
What would society think about him?
Would they have his books assigned at our universities?
You go ahead & think about that.
Answer:
Answer by roman_hex
I dunno, I would say it’s harmful if the idea of the book is the kind that says “All men are sexist pigs who don’t respect women”. In that case definately.
But if it’s that kind of feminism that promotes female power rather than denouncing male power, then what could be wrong with it? I hate those books where every man is described and portrayed as an evil man with an evil penis that enjoys exploiting women, but I love the kind of books that tell about a changed life because a woman realized her own inner beauty or something.
Question: Are works of fiction, “just fiction” as some say, or are there always real ideas behind fictional stories?
I totally agree and feel the people who say this kind of thing don’t really understand literature.
Answer:
Answer by Persiphone_Hellecat
An author always has a meaning or a reason for writing a novel or any work of fiction – and there are always the author’s ideas behind the work. That is like asking if a magician really does magic or is it just illusion.
—-
They’re, Their, There – Three Different Words.
Careful or you may wind up in my next novel.
Pax – C
Anyone have any good ideas for a story they want written? Let it out. I have to write a story about 6 – 10 pages long, and I’m flat dead on ideas. I wasn’t cut out for fiction, as I like to work with research and journalism. I am a freelance writer, so I don’t focus on this a whole lot.
Thanks and let me know what ideas you got.
The other day I was reading about fictional stories and novels and how to write them. Imagine, people have written books on how to write a book! There are such a huge number of tips and methods being distributed online and otherwise that it could fill an entire ocean (if somebody dumped those tips in it! But, why would anybody?). Ok, the thing is that whether these tips and methods really work. Do they truly make writers? I mean, if a person does not have a flair for writing, can he or she deliver a gripping fictional story? Hmmm…
Writers are born, not made. Yep, they can be polished though. But, this”polishing”or”refining”of the writing skills can be done only on born-writers, mind you. Say, somebody has a technical mind, who loves to dismantle machines and even communicate with them. Such a mind would not be interested in exploring the world of words. What if this person reads books on how to write fictional stories? Do you think he or she would be able to produce an original and amazing novel? Well, I am not gonna answer this. It’s for you to ponder.
What actually is needed for writing fictional stories? Creativity, of course! But, this is not enough. Every human species on this earth is creative. But, not all can create a masterpiece on paper. Besides being creative, you need to be sensitive. You need to feel from your heart, feel everything that’s happening around you. Next is another c-word: crazy. Yes, guys, creativity makes you nuts! And we’re not talking about those lunatics in asylums. We’re talking about people who have the guts to do bizarre things. They are not bound with petty things, most common being,”what will people say?”
They act from their heart. Of course, you need a mind to write fictional stories, an intelligent mind that is. But, your heart should direct it. The characters that you create, the dialogues that you deliver, and the scenes that you enact on paper are the result of a free and frivolous imagination. You need to have an unlimited imagination to create stories that grip your readers till the last word. If you can do this, you need no book that guides you to write stories. Ah yes, you can seek advice from experts and writers of bestsellers for publishing and marketing your fictional story.
But, when it comes to writing fictional stories, trust your heart and unleash your imagination. Your mind will start working towards it naturally. Whether you want to write about your own life or something else, you must keep churning those ideas. And if you face the writers’ block (which happens with writers and is normal), you must find a way to combat it. The best way to do this is to brainstorm. Just start scribbling anything that comes to your mind. It can be irrelevant stuff too. Sooner or later, your mind will pop open and a flood of ideas will fill you.
So, are you still looking for books for guidance? Just read my blabber twice and thrice and you’ll find yourself writing already.
Want to write Fictional Stories, then be creative and feel from your heart what’s happening around you.
Fictional histories are products of the imagination yet still based on real past events. The most famous are Dan Brown’s the Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons.
Fictional history is a section of a novel based on real facts but the storyline being an imagination of the author only. It confuses some readers but it is a good strategy to incite interest and gain a following.
It may be based on real past events yet the story itself was revised such that it is still classified as fictional. Fictional history has been made timeless and endearing to all the people. It greatly influences the beliefs formed in the minds of the readers or viewers.
It can be squeezed into a novel or any short story as a way also to inform readers of what happened before. They may be reading something fictional, yet factual at the same time. Some might not be fond of history when reading it straight from an academic book, but will enjoy it more if these facts are inserted in his favorite book.
Fictional history recounts the real events that happened in history while changing some settings or deviating from the real phenomenon to suit his writing. These stories are real but the characters of the said stories are all fictional.
One famous example is that of William Tell, a Swiss patriot. William Tell is a fictional character but his story is based on real life. There is one man who really existed at one point in time who did the things that were recounted in the tale. The author was probably inspired by William Tell that he based his story writing on the Swiss patriot.
Some of these books are turned into movies. The most popular are The Lord of the Rings and The Harry Potter Chronicles. These books are in series of stories and are bestseller books worldwide. Many people have read them and have enjoyed watching the movie versions also.
The Lord of the Rings is one long fictional history whose story has been imbibed in almost everyone’s mind. The Harry Potter may be fictional but it tries to impart real life values that children and adults like will learn from. This book simply is showing that kids can do a lot of things with their mind and power if only they use both in a wiser way.
Merlin is another fictional history which is about famous magicians. Another bestseller book that was subjected to debates is The Da Vinci Code. It was then followed by another best seller book entitled The Angels and Demons. The author Dan Brown tried to weave his own story while inciting passages from the bible. A lot of readers were confused if he was telling a factual or fictional story that he received the ire of the Catholic Church.
As stated earlier, there are many other fictional history books available in the market these days. There are actually millions of them. They have been a part of out lives for many years now. It gives reading a new flavor, and we learn more about the world around us.
Just like the two controversial books of Dan Brown, the controversy somehow did something positive if only because it stirred the people’s curiosity and made them research on their own what is true and what is not.
There are other famous fictional history authors that are famous in the world today. Some of these are Christopher Hart, Conn Iggulden and Bernard Cornwell. Christopher Hart used the pseudonym William Napier and he was famous of his story entitled The Scourge of God aka Attila. Conn Iggulden was known for his emperor series while Bernard Cornwell was famous of the 12 books of European Campaigns of Sharpe.
For more information on Fictional History and Fictional History Online.Please visit our website.
The Regency debutante comes in very handy for authors like me, even though she is as individual as the writers who create her. She can appear in just about all shapes and sizes–within a framework of having the ability to attract “Mr. Right,” of course. (In other words, she can be anything as long as it’s attractive enough for the purposes of a romance.)
Half the fun of a Regency (or any romance) is being able to understand and relate to the heroine; therefore, she must be wonderful in some ways and definitely lacking in others; she must be attractive but not so perfect that you can’t believe in her; she must strike a chord in every female reader who picks up your book, and any writer can create such a character simply by making her human. That is the one thing we ALL have in common, our humanity, with all its foibles and faults.
But what is a Regency debutante? How is she different from other fictional heroines?
A dictionary will tell you that a debutante is “a young woman making a formal debut into society.” In our case, it is Regency society, which is the other half of the fun of a Regency novel. No other time period was quite like the Regency; Jane Austen taught us how to poke gentle fun at it while also caring about those who were part of it; and Georgette Heyer showed us ways to really turn up the volume (of fun), concocting plots full of characters plucked from many layers of that society.
The interesting thing about the debutante of the Regency, is that she could be most anyone, from anywhere. Families came from abroad for the ‘season’ to debut their favored young ladies among the English rich. Most of the time, they, too, had money and therefore were supremely ‘qualified’ to join the “marriage mart.” But they might also be hiding a bankruptcy—it wasn’t always easy to discover the truth in those days of slow travel and communication (by today’s standards).
Likewise, any country miss and her mama might aspire to a London “season” and there was always the chance of making an astounding success. (You see how it easily makes for the stuff of romance novels?)
So the Regency Debutante was any young lady of gentle birth making her “come out” into the wider society of adults of her community; If she were wealthy or could gather enough financial backing, (or had good connections) she could make that debut into London or Bath society, circles where the possibility of making a good match (marriage) were greater.
Not all Regency novels use debutantes as their heroines, but to understand what “the season” was about, one must recognize this formal female creature! She often was not in for fun and games, despite the whirl of social entertainments on her schedule, but if she happened to be pretty, and even more important, wealthy, then upper class society was sure to welcome her in.
Another aspect that makes Regencies so enjoyable is the clothing needed for the debutante’s season. The quantity AND the quality–it all counted, and it all makes for fun reading. That, along with descriptions of social customs and manners, makes delving into the era an experience you will likely want to do again and again.
The Regency? You’ve got to love it!
Linore Rose Burkard writes Inspirational Romance with a special interest in the Regency. She also writes articles on Regency Life, Parenting, and Self-Improvement. Get her FREE monthly eZine “Upon My Word!” which includes a monthly fre.e download at HERE
If your readers don’t care about your characters, you’re sunk. Readers don’t necessarily have to like all of your characters, but they have to care about what happens to your main character, or there’s no reason for them to keep reading.
Which means you have to care about your characters, and you have to know them, maybe even better than you know yourself. To create characters that live and breathe on the page, you must first create characters that live in breathe in your psyche. This is why you need to know much more about them than you’ll ever have to include in your completed story.
One way to achieve this authentic character history is to put your main character(s) in as many real-life situations as possible. And because thinking is only the first stage and can only get you so far, write these situations out, considering all sorts of details.
When you can imagine your character in different places and with different people, beyond people and places your story requires, you make your fictional people exponentially more realistic within the confines of your own story.
Start by deciding on the basics: your main character’s date of birth and favorite things (such as food, color, activity, place, song, movie, book, friend, family member, possession, game, animal/pet, amusement park ride, season). Remember: these are details you’ll want to work out, even though they may never need to be discussed in your story.
The basics is great place to start, but to create the most vivid, memorable characters, you’ll need to stretch your imagination and go beyond the basics.
The following exercises will get you started in developing rich, believable, interesting characters. Choose the exercises you’re most drawn to, and really let yourself go—don’t worry about polished sentences or grammar or mechanics. (You can’t plumb the depths of your imagination when you’re worried about comma placement.)
STRENGTHS/WEAKNESSES: List emotional, intellectual, and physical strengths and weaknesses for your character. Include any special talents or aptitudes. Get your hands on an IQ test and take it from your character’s perspective, not yours. (Tricky, but fun and worthwhile.)
DINNER AT OUR HOUSE: Imagine a family meal at your main character’s dinner table. Write a short descriptive scene revealing the average evening meal at your main character’s house.
Now revisit that meal scene and add tension. (After all, tension makes fiction go ’round.) Perhaps the school principal called Mom that afternoon and therefore Mom has some serious lecturing to do (or some serious disappointment to relate). Or maybe Dad lost his job that day and — over meatloaf and green beans — tells the family that they’ll have to be uprooted (again). Perhaps the teen daughter brings home a dinner date who only Mom (an undercover detective) recognizes as a convicted felon.
The point is: think of an emotionally-charged piece of information that will make this meal very different from the one above. Write this scene, paying attention to specifics.
WHAT WOULD S/HE DO? Imagine an ethical dilemma that your character finds himself/herself in. Maybe your character was offered a job promotion or a large bonus based on a task s/he didn’t carry out alone. Does s/he tell the truth and share the credit with the colleague or keep quiet about it and bask in the glory solo? Choose a moral quandary, plunk your character it in, and write a short, thorough, descriptive scene. Be sure to tap into your character’s thoughts, fears, conflicts, and ultimately how s/he arrived at the final decision.
DEAR DIARY: Write three diary/journal entries from your main character’s point of view, fully in his/her voice and in his/her head. Make the entries occur on different days and have them deal with different events and emotions. Try to include a whole range of feelings — joy, sorrow, rage, uncertainty, anxiety, to name a few.
DOCTOR, DOCTOR: Write up your character’s last physical exam report, as it would be written by the family physician. Include all relevant details, along with any physical complaints the character might mention.
Then write up some clinical notes from a psychologist who has been seeing your character in therapy. Perhaps your character has discussed his/her worst fear with the doctor. Reveal as much background to that fear as you can: when and why it began, how it’s manifested, how your character struggles to cope with it.
DEAR AUTHOR: Your character writes you (the author) a letter, instructing you quite specifically in how s/he wants to be portrayed in the book. Make your character’s personality come through loud and clear in this letter. Try to set yourself aside as you write it.
JOB APPLICATION: Get your hands on a job application (or create one of your own), and fill it out from your character’s point of view. Include work history, schooling, references, as well as the character’s statement explaining why s/he would be perfect for the job.
Always remember to have fun with these. The minute you’re not having fun, stop. The looser and more relaxed you are when you try these exercises, the more you’ll get from them. You’ll discover things about your character you never thought you knew, which translates to a more fully realized, believable person alive in your story.
To discover additional ways to make your writing habit more enjoyable, satisfying and productive, visit http://ManuscriptRx.com and sign up for “Write Through It,” the FREE monthly e-newsletter that offers practical writing advice and anecdotal wisdom.
Lucia Zimmitti, a writing coach and independent editor, is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and the Editorial Freelancers Association. Her fiction and poetry have been published in various national literary journals, and she has taught writing at the high school and college levels.
As the latest James Bond movie is soon to hit our screens, with probably a cool Aston Martin DBS at his beck and call, we look back at the greatest ever fictional cars that have hit our screens and give a brief description of them.
Bat Mobile
This has to be one of the greatest fictional motors; it is a trademark of batman and provides great protection for Bruce Wayne’s alter ego. This car is usually equipped with armour and high performance engines as well as being an anti gravity vehicle and implemented rocket boosters.
Grease the Movie
If you have not seen grease then you must be on another planet, the love film of Danny and Sandy A.K.A. John Travolta and Olivia Newton John. If you are familiar with the song “Go Grease Lighting”, you will remember the gorgeous red car that was created out of the imagination of the cast. This car was a babe magnet and had the cleanest engine I have ever had the chance to see, not to mention that it could fly!
Back to the Future
One of the greatest science fiction films of all time and probably one of the top fictional motors, Michael J Fox who starred as teenager Marty McFly and Christopher Lloyd as crazy scientist Dr. Emmett Brown. This car had the ability to time travel, even watching it back now I still would love to see this vehicle. I have to say though that the second film was probably the best, as the car also ran on rubbish. If only we could use a car like that now.
Knight Rider
David Hasselhoff staring as the Knight Rider, this vehicle was a sentient talking car with artificial intelligence. I have to say that I think the KITT was the star of this movie, as people just used to tune in to see what the car would do or say next. Magnificent stunts and deserves to be up here with the rest, a true classic.
Transformers
Well these are amazing to say the least, these cars had a mind of there own and could transform into powerful destructive machines. The recent movie has propelled these cars to a top spot position.
There are plenty more fictional cars that just could not be mentioned such as the James Bond, Spy Who Loved Me, Dukes of Hazard, Men in Black and who could forget Chitty Chitty Bang Bang! See if you can think of any more.
Great Car Leasing Deals
Fictional History
In our lives, at times we come across stories that are being told so reverently that we almost take it for real. Such stories can be a part of the book that has become so popular, engaging and ageless that people always remember it that it has seem to become real. When such thing happens, it is known as fictional history. And as the term suggests, it has more fictional than reality or facts. However, we find that such historical stories are a part of our social lives and many of them have been the most inspirational stories that help us to stand difficult times. One of the most common and legendary example of fictional history would be of Swiss patriot William Tell. The story states that he lived in the 14th century and he repudiated to a autocratic Austrian governor and for the fury of the governor Tell was ordered to shoot an apple placed on his son’s head. This has become a tale passed down on generation that you can find many modern plays and operas based on the life of William Tell.
While you look at fictional history closely, you can find that it also may include real history with fictional characters. Another effective example of fictional history would be The Lord of the Rings which is a very popular story that has long fictional history. Even though the fictional history in The Lord of the Rings do not resemble with real history as in William Tell, this book has become widely read and the movie watched by millions of people that the fictional history of the story is in many people’s minds.
Another stupendous example in continuation would be of the Harry Potter chronicles the life of a great wizard boy in his seven years at a wizard school. In this fascinating book authored by J K Rownlings, each book has made the previous one a history. It has also been recreated as a box office rocking movie which has created waves around the world. The fictional history involves the history of four wizards whose names were taken into the four houses of Hogwarts the wizarding school. It also has fictional history of the evil Lord Voldemort.
Fictional history can be considered as sub-genre of fiction wherein the fictional characters try to capture the real time, feel and spirit of a given non-fictional history. Many books focusing on fictional history have been written. Also, there are plenty of television shows, movie shows and theater that feature fictional history. Authors of these stories have become famous due to the fact that many fictional history have become very famous that people sometimes confuse them with real history. English novelit Christopher Hart is a fictional history author who wrote about Rome and Atilla in their final days. Another fictional history author is British author Conn Iggulden. His main genre in writing is really on historical fiction.
Looking for more information on Fictional History check out www.FICTIONAL-HISTORY.COM your guide to Fictional History.
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