Top 4 Things You Need to Know About Writing in the Genre of Literature

The author of a literary non-fiction work skillfully blends real-life material with imagination, perception, and commentary. Interwoven within the narrative are sections reflecting the author's thoughtful, insightful observations of events. What makes literary non-fiction fascinating is the unique personal ideas and reflections of the writer, integrated with the depiction of the subject. Therefore, the appeal of this genre lies in the author's vivid recreation of reality. Literary non-fiction accepts little fictionalization and relies heavily on the writer's unexpected, artistic, and imaginative associations when portraying events and life. This is what creates the charm and beauty of a literary non-fiction work.

Key Points to Remember:

• Understanding the subject of the literary non-fiction work: The reality reflected in the work, evaluating the accuracy, timeliness of events, and the information provided.
• Understanding the author's voice: Reality serves as a pretext for the writer to express emotions, thoughts, comments, and philosophies.
• Understanding the art of writing in literary non-fiction: Structure, composition, the ability to make associations and imaginings, building images through rhetorical devices, rhythm, language usage, etc.

Literary non-fiction works are a collective term for a group of genres that blend journalism (editorial, investigative reporting, documentation, event reporting...) with literature, emphasizing the 'fusion of storytelling and research' (M. Gorky) and often possessing social relevance and a sense of current affairs. This genre encompasses various subgenres such as essay writing, memoirs, reportage, documentary fiction, travel writing, autobiographies, diaries, personal reflections, occasional writing, and more. The intersection of these genres becomes even more evident as literary non-fiction is still evolving, with boundaries between short stories and reportage, novels and documentaries sometimes unclear.

According to the compilers of the Literary Terms Dictionary, non-fiction is a literary genre characterized by 'respect for objective truth in life, without fictionalization' and 'the writer of non-fiction always strives to ensure the accuracy of the real-life events reflected in the work.' Meanwhile, the authors of the 'Vietnamese Dictionary' define non-fiction as a 'narrative genre that deals with contemporary events and is loyal to reality to the highest extent.' These are specific and concise definitions of the genre's core characteristics.

Non-fiction is a heterogeneous literary form. It covers a range of genres, primarily prose writing that records, describes, and reflects real-life events and people. This genre has a distinct core feature that stands out. In literary non-fiction, the focus is particularly on historical events, real-life circumstances, and genuine human experiences, while also allowing the writer to express their creativity and social responsibility. 'In literary non-fiction, the writer is driven by the urgency of life to timely publish thoughts, evaluations, and ideas... It clearly captures the essence of an event, a period, a group of people, or a specific region.'

Due to the characteristics mentioned, literary non-fiction has a vast scope for representing life. It can lean toward factual reporting, like in reportage or memoirs, or it can lean toward the expression of emotional and reflective elements, such as in essays or personal writings. Its flexibility, responsiveness, and ability to creatively engage with real-life events and ideas make it a highly diverse genre, with each literary non-fiction work being truly unique.

As the name suggests, the essence of literary non-fiction is to 'record' events, meanings, and emotions. Although the principle of non-fiction is 'accuracy' and the writer is not allowed to fictionalize, writing non-fiction should not be reduced to a mechanical task of simply photographing or recording events. The writer plays an active role in selecting and arranging content.

The scope of information and awareness is diverse, and the genres of essays are equally varied, including many forms and subtypes:

• Chronicles: A type of essay focused on storytelling, often recording events or recounting a story as it happens. Chronicles may have a complete or relatively complete plot, with elements of both lyricism and political discourse. However, the author's inclination is expressed through the circumstances and actions rather than a developed plot. The non-plot elements in such works are minimal. These writings provide a fairly complete record of an event, movement, or period. A chronicle is typically structured like any other work of art: an introduction that sets up the event, a climax or highest tension point, and a conclusion. The chronicle serves as a panoramic picture where events and people interweave, with the characters' faces often remaining unclear.
• Reportage: A prominent form of essay distinguished by its factual accuracy, richness, and immediacy. It not only reports news but also reconstructs the scene for readers to observe and evaluate. This genre leans heavily towards narration, description, and the recreation of facts. Western reporting follows the 5W formula (What: what happened, Where: where it happened, When: when it happened, Who: who was involved, Why: why it happened). However, this formula actually serves as a method for building an argument within a reportage piece. The content of reportage focuses on the issues the writer wishes to propose and resolve. Although based on real events and people, reportage carries a political tone.
• Diary: A deeply personal form of writing, reflecting everyday life. While most literary works are intended to communicate with others, a diary is written for one's own reflection. Diaries document true events as they occur over time and may include lyrical asides and subjective thoughts on those events. A literary-quality diary reveals the soul of the writer, helping readers see significant social issues through the writer's personal experiences. While some diaries, such as travel diaries or professional logs, may lack literary qualities, others may be titled as diaries but are not strictly diaries in content (e.g., Lu Xun's *Diary of a Madman*, or Ho Chi Minh's *Prison Diary*).
• Memoir: Personal reflections on the past, often akin to an autobiography. Memoirs provide insights into past events that the author was previously unable to discuss. Unlike diaries, which record events as they happen, memoirs may involve recollections that are distorted or embellished over time, which the author may not be aware of.
• Sketch: A form of essay lying between chronicles and reflections. Sketches are typically focused on capturing a scene or event that the writer has personally witnessed, often during travel. These essays vividly portray people and events but also directly reflect the writer's thoughts and feelings, often in a lyrical style. They may combine elements of argumentation, narration, and lyricism, resulting in forms like journalistic sketches or personal reflections.
• Reflection: A genre of writing that contrasts with reportage. If reportage centers on events, reflections are more concerned with the writer's personal perspective and feelings. This form allows the writer to freely express thoughts, observations, and evaluations, with concrete events and people serving as mere vehicles for the author's emotional and intellectual expression.
• Travel Writing: An essay form that recounts the writer's experiences exploring new lands and discovering unfamiliar places. Travel writing reflects the writer's sensory impressions and personal reflections on the places they visit, often conveying a sense of discovery and curiosity. These works may include diaries, memoirs, letters, and personal recollections. The author of travel writing often expresses a deep desire to explore and learn about new places.
• Journey Chronicle: A form of travel diary or travel writing prominent in Japanese literature, combining prose with poetry. Famous works in this genre include those by the Japanese poet Matsuo Bashō.
• Biographical Narrative: In contrast to chronicles, biographical narratives focus on telling the story of a specific person, such as a scientist, artist, hero, or political figure.
• Essays: Scholars debate whether essays should be considered a type of chronicle. Some see them as a broader genre encompassing various types of nonfiction writing, while others view chronicles as a more specific category within essays. In the broad sense, essays refer to prose works that are not written in verse. Historically, classical prose works like histories, letters, and memorials were considered essays. In a narrower sense, essays are short, concise prose works that often use a variety of artistic techniques and express the writer's personal view of life.

In addition to the well-known forms of essay writing, there are many other types, and even within these genres, multiple subgenres exist. The boundaries between these genres are not absolute, and overlaps and transformations are common. In *The Reader of Those Days*, Tô Hoài noted: "Previously, literary dictionaries divided genres like reportage as strictly factual reporting, and essays as containing commentary by the writer. Today, a single essay may blend elements of reportage, memoir, and even short fiction. Who dares say that essays today are less effective than in the past?" In literary theory books and textbooks, genre distinctions are made with precision, while in reality, literature often transcends rigid boundaries, especially among gifted authors with a high degree of flexibility in their writing.

• Sign literature is always closely tied to the pressing issues of human life and contemporary social events
  • Sign literature is a literary genre that reflects the spirit of the times, with its writers being at the forefront of literary battles. Therefore, a key characteristic of this dynamic literary genre is its “constant focus on the hot, real-life issues of human existence and current affairs.”
  • Additionally, sign literature imparts knowledge about the cultural heritage of the nation, reflecting its history of struggle. This characteristic reveals that the scope of reality described in sign literature is vast and rich.
  • The objects of recognition and the aesthetic realm in sign literature are incredibly diverse: including human life issues, social and political events, and the vivid beauty of nature. Writing about these human concerns means that sign literature reflects the colorful and varied nature of human life.
  • Sign literature always emphasizes the importance of accuracy in its portrayal and narration.
  • Sign literature is a highly flexible and dynamic genre, capable of reflecting reality in a sharp and timely manner. The truth of the people and events described is guaranteed with the utmost reliability. While many literary genres also deal with truth, in these genres, truth serves as a pretext for the author's ideological expression. However, in sign literature, the declaration of truth becomes a way of life and the most prominent characteristic of the genre. As such, readers encountering any piece of sign literature will find the essence of real people and events authentically portrayed.

• Fiction in Sign Literature
  • The sign writer skillfully combines real-life materials with imagination, perception, and evaluation. Naturally, woven into the narrative are segments that present the author’s insightful and precise reflections on the events. What makes sign literature interesting is the author’s personal thoughts and perspectives, intertwined with the depiction of the subject matter. Thus, the charm of sign literature lies in the author’s ability to vividly recreate reality. Sign literature rarely accepts pure fiction; rather, it relies on the unexpected, imaginative, and artistic connections of the author when depicting reality and life. This interplay of imagination contributes to the beauty of sign literature.
  • One way fiction is employed in sign literature is through the use of the self. By employing the self, the writer transcends the narrow confines of real people and events, expanding the literary space to far-off horizons, through emotions, imagination, connections, and recollections. However, fiction does not distort the truth of the content but rather enhances the social meaning and artistic value of the work.

Thus, sign literature is a genre that blends narrative (recording, describing, depicting phenomena) with poetry (expressing the writer’s lyrical self). Therefore, alongside vividly recreating real-life situations through artistic imagery, the writer’s pen is free to explore, using rich and diverse associations, imagination, and a wide array of rhetorical techniques, while expressing intense emotions and profound knowledge of the world.