A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction written in prose. It is typically published in a book. There are many different kinds of novels, from young adult to historical fiction. In addition to its length, a novel also has themes and is often considered a work of art.
Narrative prose
In fiction, narrative prose takes place in moments of action and tells a story through a series of events. It’s rare to see a novel with a character sitting in a room thinking about past events. Instead, major events would occur that move the story forward and reveal important character information.
Depending on the genre, narrative prose can take on different forms. The picaresque novel, for example, is a form of early fiction in which a light-hearted rogue makes his way through a series of adventures. It is episodic in structure, and typically involves a protagonist who is escaping from tyrannical masters or escaping an unlucky fate. The picaresque novel emerged in sixteenth-century Spain, and early writers such as Thomas Nash, Mark Twain, and Moll Flanders used it to tell their stories.
The novel as a genre tends to focus on individual growth, crises of identity, and relationships, primarily at the level of the individual. It tends to reinforce the privilege of the immediate human scale, and to avoid direct economic and ideological issues. It also tends to avoid demands for collective action.
A novel’s tone and style can be set by the narrator. The narrator, for example, might compare the sun to a drop of liquid, or describe the sun as a dark and mysterious creature. Such details help the reader to trust the narrator’s voice and feel reassured in the narrator’s portrayal of the plot.
Storytelling
The act of telling a story involves the transference of experience, and can be therapeutic or educational. It can also make an audience look at a situation in a different light. According to folklore scholar Elaine Lawless, storytelling provides new avenues for understanding. It can also unite a group and empower the narrator. The art of storytelling draws upon many elements, including plot, characters, and narrative point of view.
A theme is a set of actions in the story that organizes the plot. A theme can be as simple as a set sequence of actions or as complex as a large plot element. Some stories use a single theme throughout, while others use multiple themes. Themes help writers create compelling narratives.
Storytelling in a novel also involves the use of mythology and culture. Some authors rely heavily on folklore and mythology to provide a cultural context. Haruki Murakami, for example, uses Japanese folklore in his works. Other writers, such as Eka Kurniawan, draw heavily on Indonesian mythology to create a worldview.
Another technique for bringing the reader into a world is to use wordplay. Using wordplay to keep the reader interested in the story is one way to make it more believable and compelling.
Plot
The plot of a novel is the overall structure of a novel. A plot contains nodes, which represent the different aspects of the novel’s story. Each plot node has a unique name, type, and position within the plot tree. The nodes also have attributes and values, which describe the elements that make up the node. For example, an action node might contain information about the time or place of an action, the name of the character, and weight.
Plots can be divided into four major parts. The first one, called the climax, is a story whose main character experiences a major change in his or her status. The second part, called the reversal, is the moment where the protagonist is able to reverse their fortune. This moment is usually the turning point in a story, and is often the deciding factor in whether a novel ends in a comedy or tragedy.
When writing a novel, it is important to understand that a plot is a synthesis of the various elements of a story. While the plot is not the same as the story, it is essential to the plot. It is the framework that supports a story and relates the sequence of events.
The plot of a novel is a series of complication and resolutions. The author’s choice of how to structure this complication and resolution is essential. A story with a simple plot is boring.
Literary themes
Themes are central ideas that drive a literary work, and they can be explored through characters, setting, dialogue, and plot. These elements all contribute to the theme, which can be as simple as the moral message of a story or as complex as exploring a fundamental aspect of society. All literary works have some sort of central idea.
One of the most common themes in literature is love. Many novels feature characters who are unrequited. Examples of books with this theme include Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare’s Macbeth, and Haruki Murakami’s Kafka on the Shore. In young adult literature, friendship is also a prominent theme.
Another common theme is good versus evil. A novel with this theme often has a protagonist who must overcome an evil character. In some cases, the conflict between good and evil is a literal one, while in others it is abstract. Either way, this theme is universal and has many different applications.
Another popular theme is death. Many novels deal with death. R. J. Palacio’s Wonder is full of death-related themes. Readers may also find a theme involving love. The theme of death is also popular across genres.
Genres
There are many different genres of novels, each with its own distinct qualities. Some stories are purely historical, such as the Bildungsroman, while others are speculative. Both types of novels use the same basic structure, but they are differentiated by their setting and subject matter. A Bildungsroman is a story in which the protagonist is a young child, whose upbringing is affected by loss and conflict. Other types of novels, such as science fiction, are fiction that uses the scientific method to describe the future.
Speculative fiction is a broad genre that includes several subgenres. This genre is usually set in a world that is completely different from our own. The main point of speculative fiction is to create suspense and invoke fear in the reader. Science fiction works this way because it is influenced by both “hard” and “soft” sciences. Common elements in sci-fi novels include time travel, space exploration, and futuristic societies.
Novels that span genres are called genre-benders. They are mixtures of genres, and have a plot that combines action with character. A literary fiction protagonist experiences both an external and an internal journey, and must deliver a well-written novel that satisfies the reader.
The length of a novel is also dependent on the genre. In literary fiction, a novel must be at least 100 pages or 50,000 words. It should take a reader several days to read. A short story, on the other hand, should be between 30 minutes and three hours.
Characters
The idea of character in fiction is not new. The structure of language creates the fictional persona and sets up the imagined world. The fictional persona can be all-inclusive, as in Tolstoy’s novels, or small and quirky, like those in Jane Austen’s books. It can also be bizarre and surreal, like those in Kafka’s novels. According to R. S. Crane, a literary critic, a fictional character is a concrete semblance of a real person who does not come directly to the reader.
Themes in novels vary, but most are centered on a central character. In most novels, the protagonist is a dynamic, round character who tells the story in the first person. The protagonist’s actions and interactions illuminate the theme of the story and the conflicts it depicts. In some novels, a major theme is the character’s journey into self-awareness and responsibility.
Characters in novels may be based on real people, such as a father or mother figure, or a hero. Some writers also use Carl Jung’s archetypes as character traits. Each archetype has certain expectations and characteristics about a character’s behavior. These characteristics serve as guidelines for writing the story.
Another important factor when creating characters in novels is to ensure that they are balanced. An overly powerful character can sabotage the plot. In order to create a balanced story, the protagonist must have some weaknesses and a weak point.
