You learn a lot in elementary school. A lot more than you think. It turns out that many of the skills you’re taught in English class carry over into the real world. Although it can be challenging to put the lessons you learn in writing class into practice, eventually, everything comes in handy.
How Fiction and Non-Fiction Books Differ
When you’re reading a book, you usually know whether it’s fiction or non-fiction based on the cover. If you see “fiction” or “novel” in big, bold letters, it’s probably a page-turner designed to entertain you. On the other hand, if you see “history” or “biography” in big, bold letters, it’s probably an important biography of a historical figure. Even if you’re not exactly sure what the difference is, you can usually tell which category a book falls into based on the cover.
Fiction is a broad category that includes novels, short stories, plays, and movies. The main difference between fiction and non-fiction is that fiction is based on “real” people, events, and situations. Non-fiction is based on actual events, people, and places, and in most cases, the events and situations are true. The events and people in the book may or may not be true, but the basic situation is authentic.
For example, in a detective novel, the detective is actually solving crimes. In a historical novel, historical figures are actually marching in the historical events that the author is describing. In a biography, the subject of the book is actually alive and breathing.
Why You Should Learn to Write Without Restrictions
The thing about writing is that it’s open-ended. There are no rules, only guidelines. This is why you should learn to write the way you want to write. When you’re writing a novel, you can totally experiment with a narrative style or a format that you’ve never used before. You can play with the word order, use dialogue or keep it as a narrative, and you can write in the first or the third person.
Playing with words is a lot of fun. You can also write in the present tense or the past tense, or combine the two. If you want to write a short story, you can opt for modern or classical storytelling techniques. You can play with the structure and create a linear or non-linear narrative.
Sometimes it’s fun to just let the words flow without worrying about whether or not you’ve followed a certain “formula”. You can use alliteration or play with the sound of words to add emphasis or humor. There’s a lot of freedom when it comes to writing.
How to Use Literature to Improve Your Writing
You don’t always have to just dip into the classics to find a good story to write about. You can use modern literature too. Have you ever seen a movie or read a novel that you really liked, but for the life of you, you can’t remember how the story went? That’s how good literature is; you can always find a way to use it in your writing. The important thing is that you find a way. Sometimes it helps to simply read the book out loud. This forces you to listen more carefully and gives you a chance to spot any inconsistencies in the story. If you still don’t remember how it ends, then you’ve probably learned something new that you can apply to your own life.
The Advantage of a Literary Education
The advantage of a literary education is that you learn how to write a well-crafted story. You learn the rules of good writing and how to break them. You learn the difference between fact and fiction, and you become accustomed to analyzing both. To give you another advantage, your English teachers are probably the best in the country. They will help you find your voice, teach you how to use grammar and analyze prose, and critique your work. They will sharpen your skills and help you become the best writer you can be.
For all these reasons, I believe a literary education is essential. I can’t emphasize enough how much this sort of education will benefit you in your future career as a writer. If you’re serious about wanting to write, then invest in a good English education. It will pay off big time.