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