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GLOSSARY OF FICTION WRITING TERMS
By Donald Sullivan
This is far from a complete glossary of fiction writing terms, but contains only those terms which many writers--even professionals--have trouble understanding. Chances are that you will find at least a couple of terms here that you have come across but did not understand.
Avant-garde=Writing that contains innovation in form or technique.
Cozy detective=A mystery where there is little or no violence; the emphasis is on solving the crime. The protagonist is often an amateur detective.
Experimental fiction=Experiments with the conventions under which fiction operates. The style of fiction may be slightly or radically different from any previous style, involving anything from the punctuation to the plot.
Fantasy=A tale where the storyline entails a radical departure from reality.
Flash fiction=Fiction held to less than 500 words.
Flashback=Taking the reader back to an earlier event in the story that has not yet been mentioned. (When Jane entered the room, John�s thoughts went back to the first time he saw her...)
Foreshadow=A hint of events that will follow later in the story (the poker lying by the fireplace in the first paragraph will turn out to be the murder weapon later in the story).
Foreshadowing is often used to create suspense.
Genre=A literary type or class of fiction(e.g., romance, western, fantasy, science fiction, and horror).
Hard boiled detective=A mystery containing at least some violence and tough private eyes (or cops).
Hard science fiction=Tales that give detailed descriptions and explanations of scientific phenomena mentioned in the story. (In soft SF, the protag goes back in time in a time machine; in hard SF the workings of the time machine are described in detail).
High fantasy=Tales of wizards, unicorns, dragon, and the like.
Historical fiction=Any fiction set in the past. Usually romance, but any genre may be historical.
Literary fiction=Fiction that is devoted to the literary aspects of writing, with the emphasis being on the style of writing rather than on the art of storytelling.
Magic Realism=a mixture of fantasy and reality, where the fantastic is accepted as the norm.
Mainstream fiction=Realistic stories of people, the tragedies and joys they may experience, and the decisions and choices they may face throughout life
Mystery=A suspenseful tale where the protagonist attempts to solve a crime, usually murder.
Novel=Usually a book of 60,000 or more words.
Novella=There is no set length for a novella, but it is generally considered to be longer than a novelette but shorter than a novel.
Note: Some consider any work of fiction that falls between a short story and a novel to be a novella.
Novelette=A story between 7500 and 17,500 words.
Note: Some consider the novelette to be an outdated term.
On spec=Where an editor accepts a manuscript for consideration only, and is not obligated to publish the story.
Pasteboard character=a bland character; one without personality--good or bad. (Also called flat characters).
Plot=The scheme, or pattern of events in a story..
POV=Point of view. First person POV: The story as told by one of the characters in the story (I jumped as the snake crossed my path). Third person POV: As seen through the eyes of one of the characters in the story (she jumped as the snake crossed her path). Second person POV (rarely used)is as seen through the eyes of the reader: You jump as the snake crosses your path.
Protag=Short for protagonist.
Protagonist=The main character in the story.
Psionic=Refers to things of a psychic or paranormal nature, usually dealing with such as Aerokinesis, Clairvoyance, Cryokinesis, ESP, Pyrokinesis, Psychokinesis, Telepathy, and Teleportation. It is considered to be a sub genre of science fiction.
Romance=Stories of love and romance. May include elements of action, adventure, and suspense.
Science fiction=Tales speculating on what the future holds, but may also speculate on past or present events, such as Jurassic Park. May include elements of action, adventure and suspense.
Short short=Usually a story between 500 and 1000 words.
Short story=Usually a story of less than 7,500 words.
Show and tell=Show describes what characters experience through their five senses. Tell is the author�s narration.
Slipstream fiction=Mainstream fiction infused with fantastic and/or surreal elements. (More fantastic than mainstream fiction; less so than speculative fiction).
Soft science fiction=Tales where there are little or no explanations of scientific phenomena mentioned in the story.
Space opera=Tales of adventure in outer space.
Speculative fiction (SF)=A term that includes science fiction, fantasy, horror, or any combination thereof.
Stream of Consciousness=The fragmented and unrelated thoughts, emotions, images, and memories flowing through a character�s mind, intended to reveal the inner life of that character.
Surreal fiction=Bizarre, grotesque tales, free of logic and rationality. More fanciful than conventional fantasy or horror.
Sword & sorcery=Fantasy tales that revolve around swordplay and sorcery, usually in medieval settings.
Urban fantasy=Fantasy in a modern setting. (Also called modern fantasy).
Note: If you know of a term that has you stumped, contact me through e-mail or the all-topic message board, and I'll try to research it out and include it here.
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