Fiction

In "Writing Fiction", I really liked that Burroway described writing fiction as an art to "quell boredom". I found this statement to be rather true especially when she later states, "Much of the pleasure of reading comes from the egotistical sense that we are clever enough to understand." Part of the reason that fiction essays are so interesting and intriguing is that the reader has to figure out for themselves what is going on in the story.

But to make a story intriguing, there must be detail. Burroway explains that details can not just be given, but must be felt through the five senses. By giving concrete detail, a story is not told- but experienced which is, "where the vitality of understanding lies." It is important to give detail to paint a picture not only for our primate brain which makes connections, but also for our mammalian brain which creates a bodily response to what we feel through our senses.