Something I've Been Thinking About...

[SJR90]

Relatable characters and a captivating plot are what make writing enjoyable to me and keeps me enthralled. Personally, I would rather read a book that is written decently (but maybe not the best) and entertaining, than one that is written exceptionally well, but lacks action, twists, and turns.

What do you guys think? Would you rather read a Shakespearean-type novel with a deep meaning and theme, or one that is entertaining?

[chiefpapers]

At the end of your quotation, you include only the Act, scene and line. You will include the rest of the information, such as the title of the play and that it was written by Shakespeare in your works cited. If you are only writing about one play, for example Othello, and you are quoting Othello, your in text citation would look like this:

The spirit-stirring drum, the' ear-piercing fife,
The royal banner and all quality,
Pride, pomp and circumstance of glorious war! (3.3.349-355)

If the quote is more than three lines long in the actual play, then it must be set off as a block quote. If you are only quoting one line or a few words, then you can include it in your sentence as normal, but the citation remains the same.
example: After demanding proof from Iago, Othello begins to think about the situation at hand. He tells Iago, "I think my wife be honest, and think she is not; I think that thou art just, and think thou art not" (3.3.385-386).

[108 fountains]

That's an interesting question. The other day I looked up a definition for "genre fiction." Wikipedia said that it is fiction that emphasizes plot over the portrayal of characters in a story, whereas literary fiction focuses on the subjects of the narrative to create introspective, in-depth character studies. If that definition is true, then your question boils down to whether readers prefer genre to literary fiction.

In my personal reading, I like both and think that really good fiction generally has both interesting charcters and entertaining storylines. Right now, I am reading a detective novel - The Middle Temple Murder by J.S. Fletcher. The emphasis is definitely on the plot, but I am enjoying just as much the personalities of the various characters as they relate to each other.

But when I look at the short stories I have written myself, I would say that I rarely come up with a good plot. Even when I do write a story with "action, twists and turns," the plot is pretty much just a vehicle for presenting the main character or characters, how they deal with situations, other people, and themselves. So I guess I would have to say that in my writing, I write mostly literary fiction. I'd never really thought of it that way before. Thanks for bringing up the subject.

[chiefpapers]

I've read a lot of Shakespeare, but I can't think what this one might be. Do you know the play? That might help.