Fiction Facts & Worksheets

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Fiction is a literary genre where authors create stories with made-up characters and events. It includes many different kinds of stories, like fantasy, science fiction, mystery, romance, and historical fiction. By reading fiction, we can understand and feel what it could be like to be someone else, which makes us more empathetic. This genre helps us explore different human experiences and emotions by telling stories that might not happen in real life but still feel true in some way.

See the fact file below for more information about the genre of Fiction, or you can download our 25-page Fiction worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

DEFINITION

Instead of just showing true events or real people, fiction often presents made-up characters and events.
Because of this, people know that the themes in a story can be interpreted in different ways and might not be tied directly to real-world events.
The word “fiction” comes from the Latin word “fictiō,” which means “the act of making, creating, or shaping.”
The study of what fiction means and how it works is called literary theory, and analyzing specific stories is known as literary criticism.
Sometimes, fiction creates its own universe, separate from our world. This process is called worldbuilding.

HISTORY

In ancient times, fiction was closely linked to history and myth.
Greek poets like Homer, Hesiod, and Aesop created fictional stories that were first shared orally and later written down.
Prose fiction began in Ancient Greece, influenced by storytelling traditions from Asia and Egypt.
Fiction was not seen as separate from mythological stories until the Roman Empire.
Ancient drama and New Comedy introduced stories with entirely invented characters and events.
Early fiction often featured strange and fantastic adventures.
Milesian tales are an early example of fiction from Ancient Greece and Italy.
As fiction evolved in Ancient Greece, writers focused on relatable characters and believable scenarios to connect with their audience by adding elements like romance, piracy, and religious ceremonies.
In medieval Europe, heroic romance combined fantasy elements like supernatural events.
Then came the Renaissance and Enlightenment periods, when stories began to look more like the novels we know today.
The modern novel’s structure was created by Miguel de Cervantes in the early 17th century with Don Quixote.
Novels became a key form of fiction in the 18th and 19th centuries, which often reflected Enlightenment ideas such as empiricism and agnosticism.
Realism also emerged as a literary style during this time.
The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw new mass media forms like popular fiction magazines and early films.
Interactive fiction developed in the late 20th century through video games.

TYPES OF FICTION & EXAMPLES

There are different kinds of fiction stories, which are listed below.
Literary fiction refers to stories that focus on the characters’ deep feelings and thoughts rather than just what happens.
- “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger delves into the search for identity of its teenage protagonist, Holden Caulfield.
- “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee is about a girl named Scout who learns about kindness during a time when people were treated unfairly based on the color of their skin.
- Commercial fiction consists of popular stories, such as mysteries, romances, or fantasies, that are formulaic but have a fun plot.
- “Gone Girl” by Gillian Flynn is a mystery where a woman disappears and her husband becomes a suspect.
Realistic fiction tells stories that could happen in the real world, with real settings and believable events.
- “The Fault in Our Stars” by John Green is about two teenagers falling in love while dealing with cancer.
Young Adult (YA) fiction, which is a type of realistic fiction, is made for teens and talks about things like growing up, finding yourself, and dealing with relationships.
- “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky follows Charlie, a high school freshman, who learns about friendship and healing from past traumas.
Another type of realistic fiction is thriller and suspense, which are exciting stories with lots of twists and turns that keep you guessing what happens next.
- “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” by Stieg Larsson is a thrilling mystery about a journalist and a hacker investigating a disappearance.
Speculative fiction, on the other hand, tells stories that involve imaginary universes or different outcomes of historical events.
- “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood is about a society where women have limited rights.
Speculative fiction includes historical fiction, which tells stories that happened in the past and mixes real history with made-up characters and events so that you can learn about history while enjoying a good story.
- “The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak is set in Nazi Germany, following a girl who steals books during the war.
Science fiction and fantasy, also a part of speculative fiction, are stories where new worlds, futuristic gadgets, or magical places are created, prompting your imagination to run wild.
- “Ender’s Game” by Orson Scott Card is about a kid trained to fight aliens in a big space war to save Earth.
- “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” by J.K. Rowling is about a boy who discovers he’s a wizard and goes to a magical school.

ELEMENTS OF FICTION

In fiction, there are key elements that make stories interesting and meaningful.
Characters are the people or creatures in the story, like the main hero and the bad guy they are up against.
The plot is the series of events that happen, leading to an exciting climax, which is the most intense or pivotal part of the story.
Conflict is when the hero faces challenges, which can be with themselves, other people, society, nature, or even supernatural beings.
Setting is where and when the story happens, like a city in the future or a magical forest.
Point of view is how the story gets told, whether by a character (I, me) or someone outside (he, she).
Theme is the big idea of the story, like friendship or bravery.
Style is how the author writes, with their own words and way of describing things.
Aristotle and Freytag had ideas about how stories should be structured, with a beginning, middle, and end that build up to a big moment.
The conflict in stories can be:
- Person vs. self — dealing with personal struggles
- Person vs. person — fighting someone else
- Person vs. society — challenging rules or traditions
- Person vs. nature — struggling against natural forces
- Person vs. supernatural — battling ghosts or monsters
- Person vs. machine/technology — fighting robots or advanced tech

Fiction Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about the genre of Fiction across 25 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about Fiction. By reading fiction, we can understand and feel what it could be like to be someone else, which makes us more empathetic. This genre helps us explore different human experiences and emotions by telling stories that might not happen in real life but still feel true in some way.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

Fiction Facts
History Headlines
Type Match
Elements Crossword
Genre Detective
Conflict Conundrum
Theme Explorer
Worldbuilding Workshop
Fiction Fact Check
Character vs. Society
Do It For The Plot

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the key elements of fiction?

The key elements of fiction include plot, character, setting, theme, and point of view. The plot is the sequence of events in a story, while characters are the individuals who take part in the action. The setting is the time and place where the story occurs, the theme is the underlying message or central idea, and the point of view is the perspective from which the story is told.

How do authors develop characters in fiction?

Authors develop characters through direct and indirect characterization. Direct characterization involves the author explicitly describing a character’s traits, while indirect characterization reveals traits through a character’s actions, dialogue, thoughts, and interactions with other characters. Authors also use character development to show how characters change and grow throughout the story.

What is the significance of the setting in a fictional story?

The setting is significant because it provides the backdrop against which the story unfolds, influences the plot, and shapes the characters’ behaviors and attitudes. It can also create mood and atmosphere, helping readers immerse themselves in the story. The setting can symbolize larger themes and contribute to the conflict and resolution in the narrative.

How does the theme differ from the plot in fiction?

The theme is the underlying message or main idea that the author wants to convey, often reflecting on universal human experiences and moral lessons. The plot, on the other hand, is the sequence of events and actions that make up the story. While the plot drives the narrative forward, the theme provides deeper meaning and insight into the story’s purpose and the author’s intent.

What are some common narrative techniques used in fiction?

Common narrative techniques in fiction include foreshadowing, flashbacks, and stream of consciousness. Foreshadowing hints at events that will occur later in the story, creating suspense. Flashbacks provide background information by depicting events that happened before the current timeline of the story. Stream of consciousness captures a character’s thoughts and feelings in a continuous flow, giving readers an intimate view of the character’s inner life. Authors also use dialogue, imagery, and symbolism to enhance the narrative and engage readers.

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Fiction Facts & Worksheets