Fiction is the telling of stories which are not real. More specifically, fiction is an imaginative form of narrative, one of the four basic rhetorical modes. Although the word fiction is derived from the Latin fingo, fingere, finxi, fictum, "to form, create", works of fiction need not be entirely imaginary and may include real people, places, and events. Fiction may be written or oral. Although not all fiction is necessarily artistic, fiction is largely perceived as a form of art or entertainment. The ability to create fiction and other artistic works is considered to be a fundamental aspect of human culture, one of the defining characteristics of humanity.

Elements of fiction

Even among writing instructors and bestselling authors, there appears to be little consensus regarding the number and composition of the fundamental elements of fiction. For example:

• "Fiction has three main elements: plotting, character, and place or setting."
• "A charged image evokes all the other elements of your story—theme, character, conflict, setting, style, and so on."
• "For writers, the spices you add to make your plot your own include characters, setting, and dialogue."
• "Contained within the framework of a story are the major story elements: characters, action, and conflict."
• " . . . I think point of view is one of the most fundamental elements of the fiction-writing craft . . ."

As stated by Janet Evanovich, "Effective writing requires an understanding of the fundamental elements of storytelling, such as point of view, dialogue, and setting." The debate continues as to the number and composition of the fundamental elements of fiction. 1

Character

Characterization is often listed as one of the fundamental elements of fiction. A character is a participant in the story, and is usually a person, but may be any personal identity, or entity whose existence originates from a fictional work or performance.

Characters may be of several types:

• Point-of-view character: the character from whose perspective (theme) the audience experiences the story. This is the character that represents the point of view the audience will empathise, or at the very least, sympathise with. Therefore this is the "Main" Character.
• Protagonist: the driver of the action of the story and therefore responsible for achieving the stories Objective Story Goal (the surface journey). In western storytelling tradition the Protagonist is usually the Main Character.
• Antagonist: the character that stands in opposition to the protagonist
• Supporting character: A character that plays a part in the plot but is not major
• Minor character: a character in a bit/cameo part.