{"id":4136,"date":"2013-06-27T17:58:18","date_gmt":"2013-06-27T17:58:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/?page_id=4136"},"modified":"2026-03-25T11:43:12","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T16:43:12","slug":"reading-fiction","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/reading-fiction\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Tips for Effectively Reading Fiction"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\t\t<div id=\"mmDeferVideoEncompass_TyWtSXYBB4A\" style=\"position: relative;\">\n\t\t\t<picture>\n\t\t\t\t<source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/circle-play-duotone.webp\" type=\"image\/webp\">\n\t\t\t\t<source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/circle-play-duotone.png\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> \n\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"eager\" id=\"videoThumbnailImage_TyWtSXYBB4A\" data-source-videoID=\"TyWtSXYBB4A\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/circle-play-duotone.png\" alt=\"Best Tips for Effectively Reading Fiction Video\" height=\"464\" width=\"825\" class=\"size-full\" data-matomo-title = \"Best Tips for Effectively Reading Fiction\">\n\t\t\t<\/picture>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<style>img#videoThumbnailImage_TyWtSXYBB4A:hover {cursor:pointer;} img#videoThumbnailImage_TyWtSXYBB4A {background-size:contain;background-image:url(\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/updated-best-tips-for-effectively-reading-fiction-64c0152372dd8.webp\");}<\/style>\n\t\t\t<script defer>\n\t\t\t  jQuery(\"img#videoThumbnailImage_TyWtSXYBB4A\").click(function() {\n\t\t\t\tlet videoId = jQuery(this).attr(\"data-source-videoID\");\n\t\t\t\tlet helpTag = '<div id=\"mmDeferVideoYTMessage_TyWtSXYBB4A\" style=\"display: none;position: absolute;top: -24px;width: 100%;text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-style: italic;font-size: small;border-top: 1px solid #fc0;\">Having trouble? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v='+videoId+'\" target=\"_blank\">Click here to watch on YouTube.<\/a><\/span><\/div>';\n\t\t\t\tlet tag = document.createElement(\"iframe\");\n\t\t\t\ttag.id = \"yt\" + videoId;\n\t\t\t\ttag.src = \"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/\" + videoId + \"?autoplay=1&controls=1&wmode=opaque&rel=0&egm=0&iv_load_policy=3&hd=0&enablejsapi=1\";\n\t\t\t\ttag.frameborder = 0;\n\t\t\t\ttag.allow = \"autoplay; fullscreen\";\n\t\t\t\ttag.width = this.width;\n\t\t\t\ttag.height = this.height;\n\t\t\t\ttag.setAttribute(\"data-matomo-title\",\"Best Tips for Effectively Reading Fiction\");\n\t\t\t\tjQuery(\"div#mmDeferVideoEncompass_TyWtSXYBB4A\").html(tag);\n\t\t\t\tjQuery(\"div#mmDeferVideoEncompass_TyWtSXYBB4A\").prepend(helpTag);\n\t\t\t\tsetTimeout(function(){jQuery(\"div#mmDeferVideoYTMessage_TyWtSXYBB4A\").css(\"display\", \"block\");}, 2000);\n\t\t\t  });\n\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t<\/script>\n\t\t\n<p><script>\nfunction GbK_Function() {\n  var x = document.getElementById(\"GbK\");\n  if (x.style.display === \"none\") {\n    x.style.display = \"block\";\n  } else {\n    x.style.display = \"none\";\n  }\n}\n<\/script><\/p>\n<div class=\"moc-toc hide-on-desktop hide-on-tablet\">\n<div><button onclick=\"GbK_Function()\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/toc2.svg\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" alt=\"show or hide table of contents\"><\/button><\/p>\n<p>On this page<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<nav id=\"GbK\" style=\"display:none;\">\n<ul>\n<li class=\"toc-h2\"><a href=\"#Fictional_Writing\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">Fictional Writing<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"toc-h2\"><a href=\"#NonFiction\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">Non-Fiction<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"toc-h2\"><a href=\"#Distinguishing_Fiction_and_NonFiction\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">Distinguishing Fiction and Non-Fiction<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/nav>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"accordion\"><input id=\"transcript\" type=\"checkbox\" class=\"spoiler_button\" \/><label for=\"transcript\">Transcript<\/label>\n<div class=\"spoiler\" id=\"transcript-spoiler\">\n<p><em>The Hobbit<\/em>, <em>Pride and Prejudice<\/em>, and <em>To Kill a Mockingbird<\/em>; these are all popular pieces of writing, but what else do they have in common?<\/p>\n<p>These all happen to be works of fiction.<\/p>\n<p>Today, we\u2019ll look at what fiction in writing is, how to identify a piece of fiction, and learn the difference between fiction and non-fiction writing.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s get started!<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Fictional_Writing\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Fictional Writing<\/h2>\n<p>\nFirst thing\u2019s first: What is fictional writing? <strong>Fictional writing<\/strong> is literature that is made from the imagination. Books, comics, plays, and scripts can all be fiction.<\/p>\n<p>For example, the novel <em>Alice in Wonderland<\/em> is a work of fiction. We know this because it is a made-up story and has <a class=\"ylist\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/characters\/\">characters<\/a> and events that are too abnormal to take place in real life: like talking rabbit,s or food that makes you grow into a giant.<\/p>\n<p>Fiction may use elements of fantasy to make a world that is very different from our own, or simply be a story that\u2019s made up yet still resembles our own world.<\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Examples_of_Fiction\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Examples of Fiction<\/h3>\n<p>\nFor example, <em>The Crucible<\/em>, a play by Arthur Miller, is based on a real event from the past, however, the actual details of the story and characters in his play are made up. This is known as <strong>historical fiction<\/strong>. His play focuses on the Salem Witch Trials in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 1690s where young women were put on trial for being accused of witchcraft.<\/p>\n<p>In that sense, there is a lot of talk about magic in the play, but this is far from any Harry Potter book you might have read. Another example of fiction that more closely resembles our time is the book <em>Holes<\/em> by Louis Sachar. The story takes place in a juvenile corrections facility in the middle of a Texas desert where the main character and his friends dig holes all day in the sun as punishment.<\/p>\n<p>The main character finds himself on an adventure that spans generations, dodging poisonous lizards and a family curse along the way. Though you won\u2019t see any talking animals or aliens popping up in this story, the story of this character is made up from the author\u2019s imagination and is, therefore, fiction. <\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"NonFiction\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Non-Fiction<\/h2>\n<p>\nUnlike fiction, non-fiction, as the name suggests, is literature that is based on facts. Biographies, novels, interviews, and plays can all be non-fiction. <em>Baracoon<\/em> by Zora Neal Hurston is a written account of her interviews and time spent with Cudjoe Lewis, the last presumed survivor of the Middle Passage. The book retells Lewis\u2019s experiences from childhood in West Africa through his adulthood in a town near Mobile, Alabama. The story of Cudjoe Lewis is of a real person and his lived experiences and is, therefore, non-fiction. With some pieces of writing, the line between fiction and non-fiction is sometimes blurred. <\/p>\n<p>For example, in the play <em>Julius Caesar<\/em>, his ghost appears before his friend that betrayed him, Brutus, to send a message about his defeat. Obviously, Julius Caesar <em>is<\/em> a real person, but to believe that ghosts appeared in the story of his real-life makes the play about his life a bit less realistic.<\/p>\n<p>The same can be said about the book, <em>The Things They Carried<\/em> by Tim O\u2019Brien. This story is about the life of the author who served in the Vietnam War. What he cleverly reveals midway through the book is that he <em>might<\/em> have fudged a few details about some of his stories to tell a \u201cgood war story\u201d. All these creative embellishments make the reader question what about this story is true or not. Is it fiction or non-fiction?<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Distinguishing_Fiction_and_NonFiction\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Distinguishing Fiction and Non-Fiction<\/h2>\n<p>\nAs you read literature and watch plays or movies, there are many <a class=\"ylist\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/literary-genre\/\">genres<\/a> and sub-genres that can make identifying fiction and non-fiction tricky. When trying to figure out if a piece of writing is fiction or nonfiction ask some of the following questions:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Is this piece about a fantasy or made up world?<\/li>\n<li>If the piece is about a real person or place, are they sharing factual details about them?<\/li>\n<li>Is there evidence to prove that the details about this piece are true?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Doing this can help you make out which is which. If all else fails, it never hurts to further research the subject of the title you\u2019re reading to make sure the details are in fact true.<\/p>\n<p>Thanks for watching, and happy studying!<\/p>\n<ul class=\"citelist\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.grammar.com\/fiction_vs._non_fiction\"target=\"_blank\">\u201cFiction vs. Non Fiction.\u201d n.d.<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hooverlibrary.org\/faq#:~:text=What%20is%20the%20difference%20between%20%22fiction%22%20and%20%22nonfiction%22%3F\"target=\"_blank\">\u201cHoover. 2019. \u201cHoover Public Library &#8211; FAQ.\u201d 2019<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"home-buttons\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/reading-comprehension\/\">Return to Reading Comprehension Videos<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Return to Reading Comprehension Videos<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":186743,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":{"0":"post-4136","1":"page","2":"type-page","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"page_category-reading-comprehension-videos","7":"page_category-video-pages-for-study-course-sidebar-ad","8":"page_type-video","9":"subject_matter-english"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4136","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4136"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4136\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":262027,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4136\/revisions\/262027"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/186743"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4136"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}