Fiction as Research Practice - Notes

 Leavy, P. (2016) Fiction as research practice: Short stories, novellas, and novels. London: Routledge.

"I took a break from self promotion for some self expression" (p.g7).

Leavy discusses that she used her knowledge in other areas as groundwork for her fiction writing. Can I apply this to my work? Are there areas of my life that are well informed enough to be used as groundwork?

 

"Fiction is the act of inquiry" (p.g 12)

Reflexive writing - look up Elizabeth de Freitas (2007)

Arts based research includes; poetry, music, theatrical scripts, performances, visual art, film, etc. I will be undertaking visual art and fictional writing to explore my creative ideas.

 

"Free from academic jargon and other prohibitive barriers, the arts have the potential to reach a broad range of people and to be emotionally and/or politically evocative for diverse audiences."

- Agreed by Dorinne Kondo and Kirin Narayan, quoted in Behar (1995, 21).

"Ethnographes should not be like these first class lounges behind hidden doors in the airport, which only certain people, having paid their dues, get to walk through."

Both describe how important it is that art and research is made equally accessible to all. It is also important to have a diverse range of voices, cultures etc, in order to be politically evocative. Otherwise, the "academy" would be speaking into an echo chamber.

 "The arts can promote dialogue, cultivate understanding or critical consciousness, problematic dominant ideologies and unsettle stereotypes." (P.g 24).

 "Inherently challenges dualistic thinking" 

Barone and Eisner (2021, 1) posit that there are typically two ways of viewing fiction:

1. ALL representations of facts are fiction because they are created by humans. (suggests that human interpretations are always flawed?)

2. Fiction is radically separate from fact.

Both suggest (Barone and Eisner) that there is a third way to view fiction, and that is dependent on context; how it is "conceptualised", written, presented or read. (Leavy, P. 2016).

I agree that it is not as simple as fact vs fiction; the two being distinctively different mediums. Fiction often needs to include fact in order to be plausible (if that is the intention).

Fact and fiction can be intertwined to relay experiences, retell important stories or change perceptions of existing ones.

It is important to note:

- What does fictional format offer that a non fictional format does not?

- What can the writer tap into or create through the use of fiction? (wonder, escapism, entertainment)

- Is the delivery of the content enhanced by the medium?

"When building descriptions of people, places and activities, it is important to incorporate empirical details that ring true for readers." 

"Writers are present in their fictional rendering"

- It came from their mind, they are crafting their perception of characters or places. If they want the reader to perceive a character as evil, they can use language or actions to make it so. They can alter these perceptions with just a few words. Using personal experiences can make this more believable. 

Style - use of humor, sarcasm, irony, juxtaposition, metaphors or narrative writing, omniscient narrator or interior monologue.