The Art of Fiction

When I was only 13, I have read my first short story, Nongthonbam Kunjamohon’s “Hilsha amagi maho” in Manipuri. I was very amazed that such a beautiful life can portrait in a very short and little space. From that moment I like to become a writer. But, my confusion is not disappearing that time. I did not know how to write a short story. I even don’t know what is the different between a long story and a short story. As my age progress I have encounter different long stories in Manipuri. I began to read classical novel of Manipuri such as Dr. Kamal’s “Madhabi”, Anganghal’s “Jahera” etc. It was my fortunate available to read Bangali novels in Manipuri. My sincere thanks go to renowned translator Late L. Raghumani, who translated most of the Saratchandra’s novel into Manipuri. I began to read “Devdas”, “Bipradas”, “Bardidi”, “Pathare Dabi” etc. Still I wonder what is the different between these two major brands of fiction writing i.e. Short story and Novel.

The Art of Fiction

Let me talk about the art of fiction. It should be a story, story about something, mostly the story of human. Merely a story can’t be a good fiction. There is something which can make a tale into a good fiction. There are different opinions about the components of a good fiction. But from the perspectives of my experience as a story writer, I would like to talk about three main point of a good fiction.

Theme

It is the most important component of a good fiction. Each and every piece of fiction has a theme. One may select any theme from different perspectives. It may be as simple as those of Saki’s “Dusk” or as complex as those of the great Russian Novelist Leo Tolstoy’s “War and Peace.”

Character

It is main concern about your piece of fiction. The character should be relevant to your theme. Generally for a short fiction, minimum as two or three main character, contrary to its counterpart long fiction. For a long fiction, numerous characters can be added, but it should relate to the main theme of your story.

Technique

And here taste your artistic skill of writing fiction. It is nothing, but deals with how to present your story to the reader. There are different techniques to tell a story. Classical technique of writing fiction is well made format. In a well-made format, there is the beginning of the story, climax of the story and the end of the story. But different writers introduce different technique, such as fantasy, stream of consciousness, dream sequence and many more. One can use different technique in a single piece, but in a reasonable manner. Otherwise it can’t be a good fiction at all. Or you can introduce a new technique which is suited for your story.

So, write your story and teach yourself to write a fiction. There is no hard and fast rule to write a fiction.

Wish you all the best. I am looking forward your story.