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{{style-guideline|[[WP:WAF]]}}
{{style-guideline|WP:WAF|WP:MOSFICT|sortkey=Fiction}}
{{guideline in a nutshell|Wikipedia articles should describe fiction and fictional elements from the perspective of the real world, not from the perspective of the fiction itself.}}
{{nutshell|Wikipedia articles should describe fiction and fictional elements from the perspective of the real world, not from the perspective of the fiction itself. Jump to [[#Conclusions|conclusions]] for a more detailed summary of this guideline's contents.}}
Wikipedia contains numerous articles on [[fictional universe|fictional worlds]] and elements from them. For articles dealing with fictional subjects, characters, objects, events or locations, significance outside the narrative itself should be established and discussed, together with its process of authorship. Once a topic's [[Wikipedia:Notability (fiction)|notability]] has been established, the ''approach'' to writing about these subjects is the most important consideration to make. This essay describes some guidelines towards writing a proper article on fiction.

{{Style}}
{{Style}}
Wikipedia contains numerous articles on fiction-related subjects, [[fictional universe|fictional worlds]], and elements from them.

When an article is created, the subject's real-world notability should be established according to the [[WP:N|general notability guideline]] by including [[Wikipedia:Independent sources|independent]] [[WP:RS|reliable]] [[Wikipedia:No original research#Primary, secondary, and tertiary sources|secondary sources]]—this will also ensure that there is enough source material for the article to be [[WP:FA?|comprehensive and factually accurate]].

Next, if the subject warrants inclusion in Wikipedia, editors should consider ''what'' to write about a subject, and ''how'' to best present that information. Because these questions are complementary, they should not be interpreted in isolation from one another, and editors should address both these questions simultaneously in order to create a well-written article.

This page is a guideline, not policy, and it should be approached with common sense and the occasional exception. However, following the basic notions laid out in this guideline is generally a good way to [[WP:BETTER|improve articles]] on fictional topics.

== Real-world perspective ==
{{shortcut|WP:Real world}}
Articles about fiction, like all Wikipedia articles, should adhere to the [[Real life (reality)|real world]] as their primary [[frame of reference]]. The approach is to describe the subject matter from the ''perspective of the real world'', in which the work of fiction and its publication are embedded. It necessitates the use of both [[#Primary information|primary]] '''and''' [[#Secondary information|secondary information]].

Exemplary aspects of real-world perspective include:

* Careful differentiation between the work of fiction itself and aspects of its ''[[Product/process distinction|production process]]'' and ''[[publication]]'', such as the ''impact'' a work of fiction has had in the real world (see also [[#Contextual presentation|below]])
* Careful differentiation between ''narrated'' time and fictional chronology on the one hand, and ''narrative'' time and actual chronology of real-world events on the other (of particular relevance to all film and TV-related topics)
* The ''presentation'' of fictional material
** particularly for film and TV-related topics, this may include ''[[cinematography|cinematographical]]'' aspects
** for literature, this may include ''[[writing style]]'' and ''[[literary technique]]''
* Description of fictional characters, places and devices as ''objects of the [[narrative]]''
* Making (referenced!) mention of the author's ''intention''

See below for a list of [[#List of exemplary articles|exemplary articles]] which employ a consistent real-world perspective. However, consider that real-world perspective is not an "optional" quality criterion but a general, basic requirement for all articles.

=== The problem with in-universe perspective ===
{{shortcut|WP:INUNIVERSE|WP:IN-U}}
An in-universe perspective describes the narrative from the perspective of characters within the [[fictional universe]], treating it as if it were real and ignoring [[WP:PLOT|real-world context and sourced analysis]]. The threshold of what constitutes in-universe writing is making ''any'' effort to re-create or uphold the illusion of the original fiction by omitting real-world info.

Many fan wikis and fan websites (see [[#Alternative outlets for fictional universe articles|below]]) take this approach, but it should not be used for Wikipedia articles. An in-universe perspective is inaccurate and misleading, inviting [[Wikipedia:Verifiability|unverifiable]] [[Wikipedia:No original research|original research]]. Most importantly, in-universe perspective defies community consensus as to [[What Wikipedia is not#Wikipedia is not an indiscriminate collection of information|what we do not want Wikipedia to be or become]].

See also the sections on [[#Fair_use|fair use]], [[#Accuracy and appropriate weight|accuracy and appropriate weight]], and [[#Templates|templates]].

Problems associated with an in-universe perspective include:

* Disregarding all or most aspects of a work of fiction as a creative endeavour
* A plot synopsis written like a historical account
* [[wiktionary:fictography|Fictography]] – a fictional character article or section written as if it were a biography
* Description of fictional places written like a geographical account
* [[WP:TENSE|Using past tense when discussing the plot or any of its elements]]
* Trying to reconcile contradictions or fill gaps in a fictional continuity, rather than reporting them as such
* Discussing a fictional topic's appearances in major works and obscure [[spin-off]] material in equal detail
* Placing [[spiritual successor]]s in the same continuity as the works that inspired them
* Using throwaway comments or jokes as a source of information
* Using [[#Infoboxes and succession boxes|infoboxes]] intended for real world topics
* Using image captions for film stills and screenshots asserting that what is depicted is the character, rather than a film scene ''depicting'' the character
* Referring to the fictional events or dates which occur in the story, rather than the fictional works themselves
* Ordering works by their fictional chronology, rather than the actual order they were published


These restrictions should and do hold for serious [[satire]] such as [[Gulliver's Travels]] or [[Candide]] (and many works for the stage) where the fictional elements are designed to camouflage the serious political or social criticism within the work. In such cases, it is legitimate to freely examine the fictional elements and the design of the storyline in order to attempt to decipher the author's original intent. The same exemptions might apply to other special forms of literature where the fiction/non-fiction categorization is disputed, such as the possibly historical elements of religious scripture.
==Out-of-universe perspective==
Articles on fiction can approach their subject from two angles. In one method, articles can describe the subject matter from the perspective of the real world. This may include:


== Primary and secondary information ==
* the author or creator;
{{shortcut|WP:PASI}}
* the design;
Where the [[#Real-world perspective|above section]] discusses the principal ''perspective'' from which an article is written and makes the distinction between ''real-world perspective'' versus ''"in-universe" perspective'', this section discusses the ''incorporation of information''. Please see also the related [[WP:PSTS|policy on the use of primary, secondary, and tertiary sources]].
* the development, both before its first appearance and over the course of the narrative;
* real-world factors that have influenced the work;
* for fictional characters in dramatic productions, the actor who portrayed the role and his or her approach to playing that character;
* its popularity among the general public;
* its sales figures (for commercial offerings);
* its reception by critics;
* a critical analysis of the subject; and
* the influence of the work on later creators and their projects;
* a summary of the plot or elements of character and exposition, treated briefly, and clearly defined as fictional.


=== Primary information ===
This is often called an ''out-of-universe perspective''.
The term ''primary information'' describes information that originates from [[primary source]]s about the fictional universe, ''i.e.'', the original work of fiction or an affiliated work of fiction (e.g., another episode of the same series). Even with strict adherence to the real-world perspective, writing about fiction always includes using the original fiction itself as a source. See also the sections on [[#Fair_use|fair use]] and [[#Templates|templates]].


Examples of information available in primary sources include:
The second approach treats the fiction as if it were real, and describes it from the perspective of the people and characters of the [[fictional universe]]. Topics covered may include:


* the birth and death dates of fictional characters;
* the birth and death dates of fictional characters;
* a plot synopsis framed as biography;
* performance statistics or characteristics for fictional vehicles or devices;
* performance statistics or characteristics for fictional vehicles or devices;
* an exposition framed as the history of fictional locations or organizations; and
* history of fictional locations or organizations;
* fictional background information on alien creatures presented as real-world science or anthropology.
* background information on fictional creatures; and,
* the plot itself


=== Secondary information ===
This is often referred to as an ''in-universe perspective''. Many non-Wikimedia wikis and independent fan-maintained websites take this approach, but it is not considered encyclopedic.
The term ''secondary information'' describes information external to the fictional universe, and is usually taken from [[secondary source]]s about the [[work of art]] or the [[Plot (narrative)|fictional world contained therein]], or from primary and secondary sources about the author and the circumstances of creation. Publications affiliated with a particular work of fiction (''e.g.'' fan magazines), are mostly ''not'' considered suitable secondary sources about the primary works. However, such publications may be suitable primary or secondary sources in an article about the fan publication itself or other related topics.


The [[rule of thumb]] is to use ''as much secondary information as [[#The_problem_with_in-universe_perspective|necessary]] and [[#Real-world_perspective|useful]]'' to give the article a real-world perspective, '''[[WP:TRIVIA|not more]]''' and '''[[#The_problem_with_in-universe_perspective|not less]]'''. Another rule of thumb is that if the topic is [[Wikipedia:Notability|notable]], secondary information should be available and possibly already in the article.
'''''Wikipedia is an out-of-universe source, and all articles about fiction and elements of fiction should take an out-of-universe perspective.'''''


Examples of [[#Real-world_perspective|useful]] information typically provided by secondary sources about the original work, or primary and secondary sources about information external to the work:
==Prose examples==
The following contrived plot description does not discuss the real-world universe ''at all'', even tangentially, and is an example of the type of writing that should thus be avoided on Wikipedia:


* the author or creator
:In Star Year 8891 the Slibvorks of Blastio were infected with the Kroxyldyph virus by a bio-warfare special operations unit on a clandestine mission. The unit, acting under the leadership of Commander Sam Kinkaid and without the approval of Star Command, rewrote the Slibvorks' DNA and caused their skin to turn blue.
* other key figures of the creation process, e.g., the cinematographer for films or notable translators for novels
* the film or software company or publishing house
* the design
* the development, both before its first appearance and over the course of the narrative
* real-world factors that have influenced the work or fictional element
* for a fictional character in a dramatic production, the actor who portrayed the role and their approach to playing that character
* foreign translations
* its popularity among the public
* its sales figures (for commercial offerings)
* its reception by critics
* a critical analysis of the subject
* the influence of the work on later creators and their projects


== Contextual presentation ==
In contrast, the passage below treats the same subject in a way that ''is'' suitable for Wikipedia, because it discusses the fictional universe with respect to events, people, and things in ''this'' universe. Notice how this perspective allows the inclusion of much information that an in-universe perspective would not:
There are generally two possible issues to be considered: The ''context of the production'' and the ''context of the original fiction''. Whenever the original fiction itself is the subject of the article, all out-of-universe information needs to be set in the context of that original fiction (e.g., by including a plot summary). When the article concerns, e.g., a documentary about that original fiction, then it would not necessarily be important to discuss the content of the original source material.


Details of creation, development, etc. relating to a particular fictional element are more helpful if the reader understands the role of that element in the story. This often involves providing plot summaries, character descriptions or biographies, or direct quotations. By convention, these synopses should be written in the present tense, as this is the way that the story is experienced as it is read or viewed (see also [[WP:TENSE]]). At any particular point in the story there is a 'past' and a 'future', but whether something is 'past' or 'future' changes as the story progresses. It is simplest and conventional to recount the entire description as continuous 'present'.
:In the later series, a larger budget allowed for more extensive special effects makeup. The Slibvorks were now depicted as having blue skin, a stark contrast with their appearance in the earlier series. The writers explained this by adding a genetic misfortune into the backstory of the Slibvorks. According to the current series bible, this occurred in Star Year 8891, between episodes 5.14 and 6.0. This was later expanded into the novel ''The Trouble with Kroxyldyph'' by Honda MacHinery. The novel follows the adventures of a bio-warfare special operations unit on a clandestine mission to infect the Slibvorks with the Kroxyldyph virus. The unit, acting under Commander Sam Kinkaid's leadership and without the approval of Star Command, rewrites the Slibvorks' DNA. The change in skin color is one of many unintended side-effects.


Presenting fictional material from the original work is fine, provided passages are short, are given the proper context, and do not constitute the main portion of the article. If such passages stray into the realm of interpretation, secondary sources must be provided to avoid [[Wikipedia:No original research|original research]].
Likewise, the lead section of an article written from an in-universe perspective about a fictional character might read something like this:


=== Plot summaries ===
:'''His Royal Highness King Ludgar Wolventongue of Tympania''' (820 Age of the Mystic River–872 Age of the Mystic River) is a fictional character in the universe of RPG Co.'s ''Lands of Lustre'' series. Wolventongue was born into a powerful Tympanian family, the son of King Rodgast Horseheel and Queen Gebellynde of Hyrax. He ascended to the throne in 838 Age of the Mystic River and ruled as a caring and magnanimous king, although not without an occasional bout of moodiness. Wolventongue died in battle with Grufius the Gargler in the Battle of Ganzon Gulch.
:''Main articles: [[Wikipedia:Plot summaries]] and [[Wikipedia:How to write a plot summary]].''


Plot summaries can be written from the real-world perspective by referring to specific works or parts of works ("In the first book", "In Act II") or describing things from the author or creator's perspective ("The author introduces", "The story describes"). This gives the summary a more grounded tone and makes it more accessible to those unfamiliar with the source material. This style of writing should be preferred for plot summaries that encompass multiple works, such as a series of novels. Such conventions are not as important for plot summaries of single works, such as novels that are not part of a series; nevertheless, some real-world language at the beginning of such summaries is often good style. The length of a plot summary should be carefully balanced with the length of the other sections. Strictly avoid creating [[WP:PLOT|pages consisting only of a plot summary]].
Notice how the prose is careful to label the subject as fictional, only to proceed to describe the character as if he were real for the remainder of the paragraph. Instead, the lead section and the whole article should persist with its out-of-universe view of the character:


===Summary style approach===
:'''Ludgar Wolventongue''' is a fictional character in the universe of RPG Co.'s ''Lands of Lustre'' series. Introduced in the ''Mysteries of Tympania'' trilogy by Amanda Karbowski, the character plays an important role in many ''Lands of Lustre'' novels. Karbowski's trilogy describes Wolventongue's birth into a powerful Tympanian family as the son of King Rodgast Horseheel and Queen Gebellynde of Hyrax; he ascends to the throne in 838 Age of the Mystic River, as described in the second book. Various characters describe Wolventongue as "caring and magnanimous", and Karbowski offers numerous examples of these traits. However, the king shows a temper from time to time, as when he berates a young Sir Gyroban after the Battle of Rynsoth. In the later stand-alone novel ''Death in Tympania'' (1995), Wolventongue dies in 872 Age of the Mystic River during the Battle of Ganzon Gulch, a victim of Grufius the Gargler. The fact that Karbowski killed off the popular character shocked fans and prompted many negative reviews in science fiction magazines.
{{main|Wikipedia:Summary style}}


Sometimes, when an article gets long (see [[Wikipedia:Article size]]), a section of the article is made into its own article, and the handling of the subject in the main article is condensed to a brief summary. This is completely normal Wikipedia procedure; see for example [[Wikipedia:Summary style]], which explains the technique. The new article is sometimes called a "spinout" or "spinoff" of the main article. For fictional works, these spinout articles are typically lists of characters or other elements that usually rely on the coverage of the parent topic, and may lack demonstration of real-world coverage through sources dedicated specifically to those elements (see [[Wikipedia:Lists]]). ''Very rarely should such spinout articles be about a singular topic (e.g., character, plot item); either that topic has demonstrated its own notability, or should be merged into the main article or existing spinout articles.''
==What's wrong with an in-universe perspective?==
Wikipedia [[Wikipedia:Verifiability|policy on verifiability]] requires that articles "rely on credible, third-party sources with a reputation for fact-checking and accuracy." However, articles written from an in-universe perspective are overly reliant on the fiction itself as a [[primary source]]. Lacking as they are in any [[Literary criticism|critical analysis]] of the subject, these articles may invite [[Wikipedia:No original research|original research]]. In other words, lacking critical analysis from [[secondary source]]s, Wikipedia editors and fans of the subject often feel compelled to provide such analysis themselves. Consider this analogy: Would it be acceptable to write an article on [[flight]] based solely on watching birds flying? Furthermore, much of this analysis might seem on the surface to be quite sound. For example, assume that an editor creates an article on a starship recently introduced on a science fiction TV show. Using the episodes as reference, he or she writes, "''Finn''-class starfighters have purple shielding and can fly faster than Mach 3." But how do we really ''know'' that ''all'' ''Finn''-class starships have purple shielding? What if there are green ones that just have not been introduced yet? And what if later episodes show that ''Finn''-class starships come in slower or faster varieties, too? The editor has made an inference, based on limited fictional information. Framing things from the perspective of our own universe eliminates the problem altogether: "In Episode 37, Commander Kinkaid obtains a ''Finn''-class starfighter with purple shielding. Vice Admiral Hancock calls the ship 'a real space ripper' and says that she can 'make it past Mach 3'."


The spinout article should [[WP:PLOT|concisely provide details]] of the topic or topics covered in the work – just because the spinout article is given more space to grow does not mean that [[WP:PLOT|excessive plot summaries or fictional character biographies]] are appropriate. As with other fictional works, the spinout article should be written in an "out-of-universe" style. As with all other Wikipedia articles, the spinout article needs to be [[WP:V|verifiable]], must possess [[WP:NOR|no original research]], and must reflect a [[WP:NPOV|neutral point of view]].
In-universe writing can lead to skewed emphasis. For example, an article about a character from a particular film might begin with details of the character's early life, information that might only be found in an obscure novel. With such an approach, only later can the article describe the character's actual contribution to the famous film for which he or she is known. In other words, possibly irrelevant information is being given equal weight to more notable material. Likewise, the usefulness of in-universe writing is questionable. Interested individuals can, after all, find the fictional universe's account of events by the simple expedient of reading the books, playing the games, or watching the films and television programs. On the other hand, articles written from an out-of-universe perspective, with their inclusion of details of creation, development, critical reaction, etc., serve our readers better.


== Notability ==
Many resources might not seem to be primary source material themselves, but in reality are. For example, many science fiction franchises publish detailed guidebooks about the aliens, spacecraft, and weapons depicted in the series. However, these works generally do little more than reframe the source material in a pseudo-encyclopedic manner; many of these works even add ''new'' information and extrapolations of things only hinted at in the series itself. A good rule of thumb is that if a potential source treats a fictional subject from a mostly in-universe perspective, it is primary source material itself.
{{main|Wikipedia:Notability|WP:NPOV#Undue weight}}


There are [[Wikipedia:Notability|notability]] prerequisites to be met by all subjects to warrant articles specifically about them. As mentioned [[#Secondary information|earlier]], the rule of thumb is that if the topic is sufficiently notable, [[WP:PSTS|secondary sources]] should be available and should ideally be included on article creation.
==Exceptions==
Of course, out-of-universe information needs context; details of creation, development, etc. are more helpful if the reader understands a fictional element's role in its own milieu. This often involves using the fiction to give plot summaries, character descriptions or biographies, or direct quotations. This is not inherently bad, provided that the fictional passages are short, are given the proper context, and do not constitute the main portion of the article. If such passages stray into the realm of interpretation, secondary sources must be provided to avoid [[Wikipedia:Original research|original research]]. Note that when using the fictional work itself to write these descriptions ''the work of fiction must be [[WP:CITE|cited]] as a source.'' For instance, a video game article should cite the game text, but it should also cite a reliable secondary source when necessary.


== Accuracy and appropriate weight==
Even these short summaries can often be written from an out-of-universe perspective, and when this is possible, this approach should be preferred. For example, the following made-up paragraph is a largely in-universe plot synopsis that might draw from several different episodes of a television show or several different video games in a series:
It is not only important that articles be written from a neutral point of view and that they give due weight to all aspects of the subject but also that appropriate weight be given to all elements of the article page, including, e.g., [[#Infoboxes and succession boxes|infoboxes and succession boxes]] as well as images and the text. The goal is to attain the greatest possible degree of accuracy in covering the topic at hand, which is also the basic rationale behind discouraging, e.g., [[WP:PLOT|disproportionately long plot summaries]] and in-universe writing.


== Fair use ==
:Hirokazu Exocool catches Gogosaurus outside Cephalopod City. He brings it to his master, YuYu Yamauchi, who transforms it into a much more fearsome Synthosaurus Rex. The creature then escapes YuYu's hideout and terrorizes Cephalopod City. Exocool is forced to sacrifice a Level 3 Waste Card to prevent the beast from destroying the castle of Princess Apricot.


As the Wikipedia servers are located in the U.S. state of Florida, Wikipedia articles must conform to U.S. copyright laws. It has been held in a number of court cases that any work which re-tells original ideas from a fictional source, in sufficient quantity without adding information about that work, or in some way analysing and explaining it, may be construed as a [[derivative work]] or a copyright violation. This may apply irrespective of the way information is presented, in or out of the respective fictional universe, or in some entirely different form such as a quizbook or "encyclopedia galactica".
This is generally fine, provided that some sort of indication is given as to where these various pieces of information come from ([http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cite/Cite.php cite.php], for example). Another option is to add these notations to the prose itself. This may give the paragraph a more grounded tone and make it more accessible to those unfamiliar with the series:


Information about copyrighted fictional worlds and plots of works of fiction can be provided only under a claim of [[fair use]], and [[Wikipedia:Fair use criteria|Wikipedia's fair-use policy]] holds that "the amount of copyrighted work used should be as little as possible". Many works of fiction covered by Wikipedia are protected by copyright. Some works are sufficiently old that their copyright has expired, or the rights may have been released in some way, ''such as'' under the [[GFDL]], or into the [[public domain]].
:Gogosaurus's first appearance is in ''Monstrous Minions'', released in 2003. The plot involves Hirokazu Exocool's efforts to capture the beast outside Cephalopod City. ''Monstrous Minions 2: Minions Morph!'' (2004) involves Exocool's quest to return to his master, YuYu Yamauchi. Once the two have been reunited, YuYu transforms the Gogosaurus into a much more fearsome Synthosaurus Rex. ''Monstrous Minions 3: More than Mighty Minions'' (2005) completes Gogosaurus's backstory. This time, the creature escapes YuYu's hideout and terrorizes Cephalopod City. Exocool must sacrifice a Level 3 Waste Card to prevent the beast from destroying the castle of Princess Apricot.


== Conclusions ==
==Infoboxes and succession boxes==
When writing about fiction, keep the following in mind:
[[Wikipedia:List of infoboxes|Infoboxes]], usually placed in the upper-right portion of an article, give key data about the article's subject in tabular format. For entities within fiction, useful infobox data would include the creators or actors, first appearance, an image, and in-universe information ''essential'' to understanding the entity's context in the overall fiction. What qualifies as essential varies based on the nature of the work. With loose [[continuity (fiction)|continuity]], there may be no appropriate in-universe information at all to add. By contrast, a character in a [[fantasy]] work with multiple warring factions may warrant data such as allegiance.
* The principal frame of reference is always the real world, in which both the work of fiction and its publication are embedded: '''write from a real-world perspective''';
* Both primary and secondary information is necessary for a real-world perspective: '''maintain a balanced use of both primary and secondary sources''';
* Unpublished personal observation and interpretation of the article's subject and primary sources are [[WP:NOR|not acceptable]] on Wikipedia: '''avoid original research''';
* All included information needs to be [[WP:V|verifiable]] and derive from and be supported by [[WP:RS|reliable sources]], and all sources (including the primary sources) need to be appropriately [[Wikipedia:Citing sources|cited]] in the article: '''reference all information and cite your sources''';
* All relevant aspects must be given [[WP:UNDUE|due weight]] in all elements of the article page, including text, images, elements of layout and even the article title: '''give weight where weight is due''';
* Readability and comprehensibility: '''put all information into context with the original fiction''';
* Check with [[Wikipedia:Image use policy|the image use policy]] before adding images to any article;
* Avoid creating lists of [[WP:TRIVIA|trivia]]; instead, incorporate relevant information into the body of the article;
* [[Wikipedia:Fair use criteria|Wikipedia's fair-use policy]]: '''the amount of copyrighted work used should be as little as possible'''.


== List of exemplary articles ==
As with all infoboxes, trivial details should be avoided. An infobox for a real-life actor would not contain items such as ''favorite food'', ''eye color'', and ''hobbies''; these details do not aid the reader in understanding the ''important'' characteristics of the subject. In the same way, infoboxes about fictional entities should avoid delving into minutiae, such as information only mentioned in supplementary backstory. For this reason, infoboxes meant for real-world entities should not be applied to their fictional counterparts, since, for example, information important to a description of a real-world company may be tangential to a fictional one. It is important to identify the revenue of [[Microsoft]], whereas the fact that fictional MegaAcmeCorp makes 300 billion GalactiBucks in the year 2463 is probably unimportant.
{{also|Category:FA-Class novel articles|Category:FA-Class Fantasy fiction articles|Category:FA-Class Comics articles|Category:FA-Class science fiction articles|Category:FA-Class video game articles}}
The following is a partial list of articles about fiction or elements from fiction that follow the [[#Real-world perspective|real-world perspective]]. These are good examples to follow for editors seeking to cover fictional subjects on Wikipedia. For other good examples, see the lists of articles that have been rated at [[WP:GA|Good]] and [[WP:FA|Featured]] status.


: ''Note: Keep in mind that the content in these articles may have changed since the time of their original listing here.''
Another common type of template, [[Template:succession|succession boxes]], should not be used to describe in-universe relationships in articles about fictional entities. Succession boxes assume continuity, which may not exist. Even if it does exist, the fiction's creators may choose to [[retcon|rewrite]] it later, invalidating any previous [[canon (fiction)|canon]]. In-universe succession boxes cannot adapt to these situations. Furthermore, the story that each work of fiction depicts does not change despite the continuation of stories across serial works or sequels, such that the events within one work of fiction are always in the present whenever it is read, watched, or listened to. In-universe temporal designations such as ''current'' or ''previous'' are therefore inappropriate.


<!-- change these wikilinks to link to specific revisions instead -->
==Sources for articles on fiction==
{{col-begin}}
In addition to the source material, there are many sources of in-depth information for writers of article on fictional subjects (although some are more [[Wikipedia:Reliable sources|reliable]] than others). Examples include the following:
{{col-6}}
;Complete works


:'''Novels'''
*Annotated books or screenplays;
* ''[[The Country Wife]]'' {{Classicon|FA}}
*Behind-the-scenes documentaries;
* ''[[The General in His Labyrinth]]'' {{Classicon|FA}}
*Critical reviews;
* ''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]'' {{Classicon|FA}}
*Distribution materials;
* ''[[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]'' {{Classicon|FA}}
*DVD [[Audio commentary (DVD)|commentary track]]s;
* ''[[The Illuminatus! Trilogy]]'' {{Classicon|FA}}
*Interviews with creators, actors, etc.;
* ''[[Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell]]'' {{Classicon|FA}}
*Press coverage;
* ''[[Mary: A Fiction]]'' {{Classicon|FA}}
*Production diaries;
* [[Pattern Recognition (novel)|''Pattern Recognition'' (novel)]] {{Classicon|FA}}
*Sales figures;
* ''[[Starship Troopers]]'' {{Classicon|FA}}
*Scholarly introductions to editions of the work;
* ''[[To Kill a Mockingbird]]'' {{Classicon|FA}}
*Texts from fields like [[cultural studies]], [[film studies]], etc.;
*Third-party analyses; and
*Websites or [[blog]]s run by the creators.


:'''Films'''
Remember to [[Wikipedia:Citing sources|cite]] your sources.
* [[300 (film)|''300'' (film)]] {{Classicon|FA}}
* [[Alien vs. Predator (film)|''Alien vs. Predator'' (film)]] {{Classicon|FA}}
* [[Battlefield Earth (film)|''Battlefield Earth'' (film)]] {{Classicon|FA}}
* ''[[Bride of Frankenstein]]'' {{Classicon|FA}}
* ''[[E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial]]'' {{Classicon|FA}}
* [[Fritz the Cat (film)|''Fritz the Cat'' (film)]] {{Classicon|FA}}
* ''[[Gremlins]]'' {{Classicon|FA}}
* [[Jaws (film)|''Jaws'' (film)]] {{Classicon|FA}}
* [[Jurassic Park (film)|''Jurassic Park'' (film)]] {{Classicon|FA}}
* [[Tenebrae (film)|''Tenebrae'' (film)]] {{Classicon|FA}}


:'''Television series'''
==In-universe template==
* ''[[Animaniacs]]'' {{Classicon|FA}}
* [[Arrested Development (TV series)|''Arrested Development'' (TV series)]] {{Classicon|FA}}
* [[Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV series)|''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' (TV series)]] {{Classicon|FA}}
* ''[[Carnivàle]]'' {{Classicon|FA}}
* ''[[Cold Feet]]'' {{Classicon|FA}}
* ''[[Degrassi: The Next Generation]]'' {{Classicon|FA}}
* ''[[Doctor Who]]'' {{Classicon|FA}}
* [[Firefly (TV series)|''Firefly'' (TV series)]] {{Classicon|FA}}
* ''[[Joking Apart]]'' {{Classicon|FA}}


:'''Television episodes'''
If you notice an article that predominantly describes a fictional topic from an in-universe perspective, or even provides no indication that a fictional subject is fictional, either improve it yourself or add the {{tl|In-universe}} template to bring the issue to the attention of others. This template looks like this:
* [[200 (Stargate SG-1)|"200" (''Stargate SG-1'')]] {{Classicon|FA}}
* [[Abyssinia, Henry|"Abyssinia, Henry"]] {{Classicon|FA}}
* [[Cape Feare|"Cape Feare"]] {{Classicon|FA}}
* [[Damien (South Park)|"Damien" (''South Park'')]] {{Classicon|FA}}
* [[Doomsday (Doctor Who)|"Doomsday" (''Doctor Who'')]] {{Classicon|FA}}
* [[The Other Woman|"The Other Woman"]] {{Classicon|FA}}
* [[Hell Is Other Robots|"Hell Is Other Robots"]] {{Classicon|FA}}
* [[Homer's Enemy|"Homer's Enemy"]] {{Classicon|FA}}
* [[Meet Kevin Johnson|"Meet Kevin Johnson"]] {{Classicon|FA}}
* [[The Last Temptation of Krust|"The Last Temptation of Krust"]] {{Classicon|FA}}


:'''Comics'''
{{In-universe}}
* ''[[The Adventures of Tintin]]'' {{Classicon|FA}}
* ''[[Bone Sharps, Cowboys, and Thunder Lizards]]'' {{Classicon|FA}}
* ''[[Halo Graphic Novel]]'' {{Classicon|FA}}
* ''[[Krazy Kat]]'' {{Classicon|FA}}
* ''[[Roy of the Rovers]]'' {{Classicon|FA}}
* [[Sinestro Corps War|"Sinestro Corps War"]] {{Classicon|FA}}
* ''[[Tokyo Mew Mew]]'' {{Classicon|FA}}
* ''[[Watchmen]]'' {{Classicon|FA}}


:'''Video games'''
==Example articles==
* ''[[Agatha Christie: And Then There Were None]]'' {{Classicon|FA}}
The following is a partial list of articles about fiction or elements from fiction that follow an out-of-universe perspective. These are good examples to follow for editors seeking to cover fictional subjects on Wikipedia. Keep in mind that the content in these articles may have changed since the time of their original listing here.
* ''[[Age of Empires]]'' {{Classicon|FA}}
* ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'' {{Classicon|FA}}
* ''[[Kingdom Hearts]]'' {{Classicon|FA}}
* ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time]]'' {{Classicon|FA}}


:'''Other'''
<!-- change these wikilinks to link to specific revisions instead -->
* [[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (radio series)|''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' (radio series)]] {{Classicon|FA}}
===Characters===
* ''[[Red vs. Blue]]'' {{Classicon|FA}}
*[[Captain Marvel (DC Comics)]] (comic book character)
*[[Felix the Cat]] (classic cartoon character)
*[[Palpatine]], [[Padmé Amidala]], and [[Jabba the Hutt]] (''[[Star Wars]]'' characters)
*[[Link (The Legend of Zelda series)|Link (''The Legend of Zelda'' series)]] (video game character)


{{col-6}}
===Complete works (films, television series, video games, etc.)===
;Characters or character lists
*''[[Doctor Who]]'' (television series)
*[[Donkey Kong (video game)|''Donkey Kong'' (video game)]]
*''[[Krazy Kat]]'' (comic strip)
*''[[The Illuminatus! Trilogy]]'' (science fiction novels)
*''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' (fantasy novel)
*''[[Red vs. Blue]]'' ([[machinima]] science fiction parody [[serial]])
*[[Tenebrae (film)|''Tenebrae'' (film)]] (horror film)


:'''Novel characters'''
===Miscellaneous===
* [[The Hardy Boys]] (''The Hardy Boys'') {{Classicon|FA}}
*[[Spoo]] (fictional food)
* [[Nancy Drew]] (''Nancy Drew'') {{Classicon|FA}}
*[[Three Laws of Robotics]] (fictional ethics)

:'''Film characters'''
* [[Jabba the Hutt]] (''Star Wars'') {{Classicon|FA}}
* [[Jack Sparrow]] (''Pirates of the Caribbean'') {{Classicon|FA}}
* [[Jason Voorhees]] (''Friday the 13th'') {{Classicon|FA}}
* [[Khan Noonien Singh]] (''Star Trek'') {{Classicon|FA}}
* [[Palpatine]] (''Star Wars'') {{Classicon|FA}}

:'''TV characters'''
* [[Bernard Quatermass]] (''Quatermass'') {{Classicon|FA}}
* [[Characters of Carnivàle|Characters of ''Carnivàle'']] {{Classicon|FA}}
* [[Martin Keamy]] (''Lost'') {{Classicon|FA}}
* [[Michael Tritter]] (''House, M.D.'') {{Classicon|FA}}
* [[Pauline Fowler]] (''EastEnders'') {{Classicon|FA}}

:'''Comic book characters'''
* [[Anarky]] (DC Comics) {{Classicon|FA}}
* [[Batman]] (DC Comics) {{Classicon|FA}}
* [[Captain Marvel (DC Comics)]] {{Classicon|FA}}
* [[Superman]] (DC Comics) {{Classicon|FA}}

:'''Cartoon characters'''
* [[Bart Simpson]] (''The Simpsons'') {{Classicon|FA}}
* [[Homer Simpson]] (''The Simpsons'') {{Classicon|FA}}
* [[List of Naruto characters|List of ''Naruto'' characters]] {{Classicon|FA}}
* [[Sideshow Bob]] (''The Simpsons'') {{Classicon|FA}}
* [[Troy McClure]] (''The Simpsons'') {{Classicon|FA}}
* [[List of Tokyo Mew Mew characters|List of ''Tokyo Mew Mew'' characters]] {{Classicon|FA}}

:'''Video game characters'''
* [[Characters of Final Fantasy VIII|Characters of ''Final Fantasy VIII'']] {{Classicon|FA}}
* [[Cortana]] (''Halo'') {{Classicon|FA}}
* [[List of characters in Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow and Dawn of Sorrow|List of characters in ''Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow'' and ''Dawn of Sorrow'']] {{Classicon|FA}}
* [[Master Chief (Halo)|Master Chief (''Halo'')]] {{Classicon|FA}}

{{col-6}}
;Elements of fictional works

* [[Dalek]] (''Doctor Who'' species) {{Classicon|FA}}
* [[Dunder Mifflin]] (''The Office'' company) {{Classicon|GA}}
* [[Flood (Halo)|Flood (''Halo'')]] (''Halo'' species) {{Classicon|FA}}
* [[TARDIS]] (''Doctor Who'' time machine) {{Classicon|FA}}
* [[Three Laws of Robotics]] (fictional ethics) {{Classicon|FA}}


{{col-end}}

== Templates ==
;{{tlx|In-universe}}
If you notice an article that predominantly describes a fictional topic from an in-universe perspective, or even provides no indication that a fictional subject is fictional, preferably rewrite the article or section yourself, or use the {{tlf|In-universe}} template to bring the issue to the attention of others. Be sure to leave a note on the article's talk page explaining your objections. The template looks like this:

{{In-universe}}<br>
;{{tlx|Cleanup-tense}}
One of the most frequently occurring errors associated with an in-universe style of writing is incorrect use of past tense when discussing elements of the plot. [[WP:TENSE|Works of fiction are generally considered to "come alive" when read]]. As with all other article issues, preferably fix it yourself, or alternatively you may use the template to supplement and specify the {{tlf|In-universe}} template's call for a consistent real-world perspective.

{{Cleanup-tense}}<br>
;{{tlx|Primarysources}}
If you notice an article featuring only primary sources and sources affiliated with the subject, preferably find and add suitable sources yourself, or use the {{tlf|Primarysources}} template to bring the issue to the attention of others.

{{Primary sources}}<br>
;{{tlx|Plot}}
A plot summary should be succinct and focused on the main plot. [[Wikipedia:How to write a plot summary#What to cut|What to cut]] can sometimes be a difficult decision. If you have the time and energy, please consider tightening overly long and overly detailed plot summaries yourself. Alternatively, use the template:

{{Plot}}<br>
;{{tlx|All plot}}
If you come across an article which consists entirely or almost entirely of a plot summary, you may use the {{tlf|All plot}} template to raise the issue. Since this is a crucial article issue which may eventually lead to the article being nominated for deletion, consider improving the article yourself.

{{All plot}}<br>
;{{tlx|No plot}}
Conversely, the {{tlf|No plot}} template can be used in the rather atypical case that a plot summary is missing from an article. If you feel qualified to write a basic plot summary, consider giving it a shot. [[Wikipedia:How to write a plot summary|Succinctly summarizing a plot]] and deciding which elements to mention and how to describe and weight them can be a challenge, but it's also a rewarding experience; plot summaries can be entirely based on primary sources and in many cases no complicated cross-reading between various sources is required.

{{No plot}}


== Alternative outlets for fictional universe articles ==
== Alternative outlets for fictional universe articles ==

Some other Wikipedia-like projects prefer in-universe perspective. These are a good alternative for editors interested in such topics. The following is a partial list:
Some other Wikipedia-like projects prefer the in-universe perspective. These provide a good alternative for editors interested in writing as fans, for fans. The following is a partial list:
<!-- please use EXTERNAL LINKS ONLY in this list please -->
<!-- please use EXTERNAL LINKS ONLY in this list please -->
*[http://24.wikia.com 24 Wikia] — Describes the universe of the ''24'' television show.
* [http://24.wikia.com 24 Wikia]—Describes the universe of the ''[[24 (TV series)|24]]'' television show.
* [http://alphanex.alphaflight.net/index.php/Main_Page Alphanex]—A wiki concerning the Marvel Comics team Alpha Flight
*[http://en.battlestarwiki.org/wiki/Main_Page Battlestar Wiki] — A ''Battlestar Galactica''-related encylopedia.
*[http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Main_Page Bulbapedia] — Describes the ''Pokémon'' universe.
* [http://james-camerons-avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Avatar_Wiki James Cameron's ''Avatar'']—at [[Wikia]]
*[http://www.comixpedia.org/index.php/Main_Page Comixpedia's Webcomic Encyclopedia] - A wiki about webcomics.
* [http://en.battlestarwiki.org/wiki/Main_Page Battlestar Wiki]—A ''Battlestar Galactica''-related encyclopedia.
* [http://buffy.wikia.com/wiki/Buffyverse_Wiki Buffyverse Wiki]—A wiki dedicated to the [[Buffyverse|fictional universe]] of ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' and its spin-offs.
*[http://www.dcdatabaseproject.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page DC Database] — An unofficial DC Comics wiki.
* [http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Main_Page Bulbapedia]—Describes the ''Pokémon'' universe.
*[http://egamia.com/wiki/Main_Page Encyclopedia Gamia] — A wiki about computer and video games, board, card and pen and paper games.
* [http://www.comixpedia.org/index.php/Main_Page Comixpedia's Webcomic Encyclopedia]—A wiki about webcomics.
*[http://www.gamewikis.org/ GameWikis] — Community fansite/wiki for two computer games: ''Guild Wars'' and ''The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion''.
*[http://www.lostpedia.com/wiki/Main_Page Lostpedia] — A wiki dedicated to the ''Lost'' universe.
* [http://www.dcdatabaseproject.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page DC Database]—An unofficial DC Comics wiki.
*[http://www.dcdatabaseproject.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page Marvel Database] — An unofficial Marvel Comics wiki.
* [http://dcanimated.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page DC Animated Universe Wiki]—An unofficial [[DC animated universe]] wiki.
* [http://www.dragonballencyclopedia.com/wiki/Dragon_Ball_Encyclopedia Dragon Ball Encyclopedia]—A wiki about the ''Dragon Ball'' multiverse.
*[http://www.marvel.com/universe/Main_Page Marvel Universe] — The official Marvel Comics wiki.
*[http://www.memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Main_Page Memory Alpha] — Describes the ''Star Trek'' universe.
* [http://www.wikia.com/wiki/Dungeons_%26_Dragons Dungeons & Dragons] and [http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Main_Page Dungeons & Dragons]—wikis devoted to the [[Dungeons & Dragons]] game.
* [http://egamia.com/wiki/Main_Page Encyclopedia Gamia]—A wiki about computer and video games, board, card and pen and paper games.
*[http://www.simpsonswiki.com/index.php/Main_Page SimpsonsWiki] — A ''Simpsons''-related wiki.
* [http://inheritance.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page Eragon]—Eragon
*[http://www.tenchiintokyo.org/ Tenchi in Tokyo] — A wiki dedicated to the ''Tenchi'' anime series.
* [[wikiasite:familyguy|Family Guy wiki]]—''Family Guy''
*[http://tviv.org/ The TV IV] — A user-edited compedium of television knowledge.
*[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page Wookieepedia] — Describes the ''Star Wars'' universe.
* [http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page Final Fantasy]—A wiki dedicated to the ''Final Fantasy'' franchise.
* [http://www.gamewikis.org/ GameWikis]—Community fansite/wiki for several computer games such as: ''Guild Wars'' and ''The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion'' and ''Warhammer Online''.
*[http://www.wowwiki.com/Main_Page WoWWiki] — A wiki for the ''World of Warcraft'' videogame.
* [http://www.canonfire.com/wiki/ Greyhawk wiki]—a wiki devoted to the world of [[Greyhawk]].
* [http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page Harry Potter wiki]—a wiki devoted to the ''[[Harry Potter]]'' universe
* [http://heroeswiki.com/Main_Page Heroes Wiki]—a wiki devoted to ''[[Heroes (TV series)|Heroes]]'' universe
* [http://theinfosphere.org/Main_Page The Infosphere]—A ''[[Futurama]]'' wiki.
* [http://www.lostpedia.com/wiki/Main_Page Lostpedia]—A wiki dedicated to the ''[[Lost (TV series)|Lost]]'' universe.
* [http://www.marveldatabase.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page Marvel Database]—An unofficial Marvel Comics wiki.
* [http://www.marvel.com/universe/Main_Page Marvel Universe]—The official Marvel Comics wiki.
* [http://www.memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Main_Page Memory Alpha]—Describes the ''Star Trek'' universe.
* [http://prowrestling.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page Pro Wrestling Wikia]—[[Professional wrestling]] wiki
* [http://runescape.wikia.com RuneScape Wiki]—A wiki devoted to the MMORPG RuneScape.
* [http://www.simpsonswiki.com/index.php/Main_Page SimpsonsWiki]—A ''Simpsons''-related wiki.
* [http://www.ssbwiki.com/ SmashWiki]—A [[Super Smash Bros.]] wiki
* [http://www.tfwiki.net/ Transformers Wiki]—A wiki dedicated to the ''Transformers'' toylines, cartoon series, comics and movies.
* [http://www.tenchiintokyo.org/ Tenchi in Tokyo]—A wiki dedicated to the ''Tenchi'' anime series.
* [http://tolkiengateway.net Tolkien Gateway]—A wiki dedicated to J.R.R. Tolkien and his works.
* [http://tviv.org/ The TV IV]—A user-edited compedium of television knowledge.
* [http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Main_Page The Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages]—A wiki dedicated to ''The Elder Scrolls'' series.
* [http://info.sonicretro.org/ Sonic Retro]—A wiki dedicated to the ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (series)|Sonic the Hedgehog]] '' franchise.
* [http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page Wookieepedia]—Describes the ''Star Wars'' universe.
* [http://www.wowpedia.org/Portal:Main Wowpedia]—A wiki for the ''World of Warcraft'' videogame.


{{seealso|List of wikis}}
{{see also|List of wikis}}


== Infoboxes and succession boxes ==
==See also==
{{shortcut|WP:WAF-INFO}}{{anchor|Infoboxes}}
[[Wikipedia:List of infoboxes|Infoboxes]], usually placed in the upper-right portion of an article, give key data about the article's subject in tabular format. For entities within fiction, useful infobox data might include the creators or actors, first appearance, an image, and in-universe information ''essential'' to understanding the entity's context in the overall fiction. What qualifies as essential varies based on the nature of the work. Where facts change at different points in a story or series, there may be no appropriate in-universe information at all to add. By contrast, an infobox on a character in a [[fantasy]] work with multiple warring factions may warrant data such as allegiance.


As with all infoboxes, trivial details should be avoided. An infobox for a real-life actor would not contain items such as ''favorite food'' and ''hobbies''; these details do not aid the reader in understanding the ''important'' characteristics of the subject. In the same way, infoboxes about fictional entities should avoid delving into minutiae, such as information only mentioned in supplementary backstory. For this reason, infoboxes meant for real-world entities should not be applied to their fictional counterparts, since, for example, information important to a description of a real-world company may be tangential to a fictional one. It is important to identify the revenue of [[Microsoft]], whereas the fact that fictional MegaAcmeCorp makes {{Nowrap|300 billion}} GalactiBucks in 2463 is probably unimportant.
*[[Wikipedia:Notability (fiction)]]

*[[Wikipedia:Fancruft]]
Another common type of template, [[Template:S-start|succession boxes]], should not be used to describe in-universe relationships in articles about fictional entities. Succession boxes assume continuity, which may not exist. Furthermore, they may invite the creation of non notable articles that fall under the fictional succession. For articles about works of fiction themselves, the story that each work of fiction depicts does not change despite the continuation of stories across serial works or sequels, and as a consequence, the events within one work of fiction are always in the present whenever it is read, watched, or listened to. In-universe temporal designations such as "current" or "previous" are therefore inappropriate. For character articles (which cannot be bound temporally), it may be acceptable to use customized templates to summarize information from the perspective of the real world, such as connections between articles describing the same fictional world. Such templates should not invite the creation of articles about non-notable subjects.
*[[Wikipedia:Guide to writing better articles#Check your fiction]]

* [[Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not#Wikipedia is not an indiscriminate collection of information|Wikipedia is not an indiscriminate collection of information (#7, Plot summaries)]]
== See also ==
*[[User:Uncle G/Describe this universe]]

* [[Wikipedia:Naming conventions]]: [[Wikipedia:Naming conventions (television)|TV]] | [[Wikipedia:Naming conventions (books)|Books]] | [[Wikipedia:Naming conventions (films)|Films]]
* [[Wikipedia:Fancruft]]
* [[Wikipedia:Guide to writing better articles#Check your fiction]]
* [[Wikipedia:Naming conventions]]:
**[[Wikipedia:Naming conventions (books)|Books]]
**[[Wikipedia:Naming conventions (films)|Films]]
**[[Wikipedia:Naming conventions (television)|TV]]
**[[Wikipedia:Naming conventions (video games)|Video games]]
* [[Wikipedia:Notability (fiction)]]
* [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Novels/Style guidelines]]
* [[Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not#PLOT|Wikipedia is not an indiscriminate collection of information (No. 2, Plot summaries)]]

=== Related WikiProjects ===


===Related WikiProjects===
These are some of the more important [[Wikipedia:WikiProject|WikiProject]]s that deal with [[fiction]] material. They may have additional suggestions, article templates and styles that you might wish to make yourself familiar with.
These are some of the more important [[Wikipedia:WikiProject|WikiProject]]s that deal with [[fiction]] material. They may have additional suggestions, article templates and styles that you might wish to make yourself familiar with.

* [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Anime and manga|WikiProject Anime and manga]]
* [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Anime and manga|WikiProject Anime and manga]]
* [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Books|WikiProject Books]]
* [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Books|WikiProject Books]]
* [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Children's literature|WikiProject Children's literature]]
* [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Comics|WikiProject Comics]]
* [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Comics|WikiProject Comics]]
* [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Computer and video games|WikiProject Computer and video games]]
* [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Films|WikiProject Films]]
* [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Films|WikiProject Films]]
* [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Computer and video games|WikiProject Computer and video games]]
* [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Novels|WikiProject Novels]]
* [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Novels|WikiProject Novels]]
* [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Soap Operas|WikiProject Soap Operas]]
* [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Television|WikiProject Television]]
* [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Television|WikiProject Television]]


[[Category:Wikipedia how-to]]
[[Category:Wikipedia how-to|Manual of Style (writing about fiction)]]
[[Category:General style guidelines]]

<!-- [[Category:Wikipedia policy thinktank|Describe this universe]]-->

[[Category:Wikipedia Manual of Style (arts)]]


[[de:Wikipedia:Richtlinien Fiktives]]
<!-- [[Category:Wikipedia policy thinktank|Describe this universe]] -->
[[es:Wikipedia:Ficción]]
[[fr:Wikipédia:Écrire sur une œuvre de fiction (conventions de style)]]
[[id:Wikipedia:Panduan menulis tentang fiksi]]
[[it:Aiuto:Manuale di stile/Mondi immaginari]]
[[ja:Wikipedia:スタイルマニュアル (フィクションの記述)]]
[[ru:Википедия:Статьи о художественных произведениях и вымышленных мирах]]
[[sv:Wikipedia:Att skriva om fiktion]]

Revision as of 17:43, 13 June 2011

Manual of Style (MoS)
Content
Formatting
Images
Layout
Lists
By topic area
Legal
Arts
Music
History
Regional
Religion
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Related guidelines

Wikipedia contains numerous articles on fiction-related subjects, fictional worlds, and elements from them.

When an article is created, the subject's real-world notability should be established according to the general notability guideline by including independent reliable secondary sources—this will also ensure that there is enough source material for the article to be comprehensive and factually accurate.

Next, if the subject warrants inclusion in Wikipedia, editors should consider what to write about a subject, and how to best present that information. Because these questions are complementary, they should not be interpreted in isolation from one another, and editors should address both these questions simultaneously in order to create a well-written article.

This page is a guideline, not policy, and it should be approached with common sense and the occasional exception. However, following the basic notions laid out in this guideline is generally a good way to improve articles on fictional topics.

Real-world perspective

Shortcut

Articles about fiction, like all Wikipedia articles, should adhere to the real world as their primary frame of reference. The approach is to describe the subject matter from the perspective of the real world, in which the work of fiction and its publication are embedded. It necessitates the use of both primary and secondary information.

Exemplary aspects of real-world perspective include:

  • Careful differentiation between the work of fiction itself and aspects of its production process and publication, such as the impact a work of fiction has had in the real world (see also below)
  • Careful differentiation between narrated time and fictional chronology on the one hand, and narrative time and actual chronology of real-world events on the other (of particular relevance to all film and TV-related topics)
  • The presentation of fictional material
  • Description of fictional characters, places and devices as objects of the narrative
  • Making (referenced!) mention of the author's intention

See below for a list of exemplary articles which employ a consistent real-world perspective. However, consider that real-world perspective is not an "optional" quality criterion but a general, basic requirement for all articles.

The problem with in-universe perspective

Shortcuts

An in-universe perspective describes the narrative from the perspective of characters within the fictional universe, treating it as if it were real and ignoring real-world context and sourced analysis. The threshold of what constitutes in-universe writing is making any effort to re-create or uphold the illusion of the original fiction by omitting real-world info.

Many fan wikis and fan websites (see below) take this approach, but it should not be used for Wikipedia articles. An in-universe perspective is inaccurate and misleading, inviting unverifiable original research. Most importantly, in-universe perspective defies community consensus as to what we do not want Wikipedia to be or become.

See also the sections on fair use, accuracy and appropriate weight, and templates.

Problems associated with an in-universe perspective include:

  • Disregarding all or most aspects of a work of fiction as a creative endeavour
  • A plot synopsis written like a historical account
  • Fictography – a fictional character article or section written as if it were a biography
  • Description of fictional places written like a geographical account
  • Using past tense when discussing the plot or any of its elements
  • Trying to reconcile contradictions or fill gaps in a fictional continuity, rather than reporting them as such
  • Discussing a fictional topic's appearances in major works and obscure spin-off material in equal detail
  • Placing spiritual successors in the same continuity as the works that inspired them
  • Using throwaway comments or jokes as a source of information
  • Using infoboxes intended for real world topics
  • Using image captions for film stills and screenshots asserting that what is depicted is the character, rather than a film scene depicting the character
  • Referring to the fictional events or dates which occur in the story, rather than the fictional works themselves
  • Ordering works by their fictional chronology, rather than the actual order they were published

These restrictions should and do hold for serious satire such as Gulliver's Travels or Candide (and many works for the stage) where the fictional elements are designed to camouflage the serious political or social criticism within the work. In such cases, it is legitimate to freely examine the fictional elements and the design of the storyline in order to attempt to decipher the author's original intent. The same exemptions might apply to other special forms of literature where the fiction/non-fiction categorization is disputed, such as the possibly historical elements of religious scripture.

Primary and secondary information

Shortcut

Where the above section discusses the principal perspective from which an article is written and makes the distinction between real-world perspective versus "in-universe" perspective, this section discusses the incorporation of information. Please see also the related policy on the use of primary, secondary, and tertiary sources.

Primary information

The term primary information describes information that originates from primary sources about the fictional universe, i.e., the original work of fiction or an affiliated work of fiction (e.g., another episode of the same series). Even with strict adherence to the real-world perspective, writing about fiction always includes using the original fiction itself as a source. See also the sections on fair use and templates.

Examples of information available in primary sources include:

  • the birth and death dates of fictional characters;
  • performance statistics or characteristics for fictional vehicles or devices;
  • history of fictional locations or organizations;
  • background information on fictional creatures; and,
  • the plot itself

Secondary information

The term secondary information describes information external to the fictional universe, and is usually taken from secondary sources about the work of art or the fictional world contained therein, or from primary and secondary sources about the author and the circumstances of creation. Publications affiliated with a particular work of fiction (e.g. fan magazines), are mostly not considered suitable secondary sources about the primary works. However, such publications may be suitable primary or secondary sources in an article about the fan publication itself or other related topics.

The rule of thumb is to use as much secondary information as necessary and useful to give the article a real-world perspective, not more and not less. Another rule of thumb is that if the topic is notable, secondary information should be available and possibly already in the article.

Examples of useful information typically provided by secondary sources about the original work, or primary and secondary sources about information external to the work:

  • the author or creator
  • other key figures of the creation process, e.g., the cinematographer for films or notable translators for novels
  • the film or software company or publishing house
  • the design
  • the development, both before its first appearance and over the course of the narrative
  • real-world factors that have influenced the work or fictional element
  • for a fictional character in a dramatic production, the actor who portrayed the role and their approach to playing that character
  • foreign translations
  • its popularity among the public
  • its sales figures (for commercial offerings)
  • its reception by critics
  • a critical analysis of the subject
  • the influence of the work on later creators and their projects

Contextual presentation

There are generally two possible issues to be considered: The context of the production and the context of the original fiction. Whenever the original fiction itself is the subject of the article, all out-of-universe information needs to be set in the context of that original fiction (e.g., by including a plot summary). When the article concerns, e.g., a documentary about that original fiction, then it would not necessarily be important to discuss the content of the original source material.

Details of creation, development, etc. relating to a particular fictional element are more helpful if the reader understands the role of that element in the story. This often involves providing plot summaries, character descriptions or biographies, or direct quotations. By convention, these synopses should be written in the present tense, as this is the way that the story is experienced as it is read or viewed (see also WP:TENSE). At any particular point in the story there is a 'past' and a 'future', but whether something is 'past' or 'future' changes as the story progresses. It is simplest and conventional to recount the entire description as continuous 'present'.

Presenting fictional material from the original work is fine, provided passages are short, are given the proper context, and do not constitute the main portion of the article. If such passages stray into the realm of interpretation, secondary sources must be provided to avoid original research.

Plot summaries

Main articles: Wikipedia:Plot summaries and Wikipedia:How to write a plot summary.

Plot summaries can be written from the real-world perspective by referring to specific works or parts of works ("In the first book", "In Act II") or describing things from the author or creator's perspective ("The author introduces", "The story describes"). This gives the summary a more grounded tone and makes it more accessible to those unfamiliar with the source material. This style of writing should be preferred for plot summaries that encompass multiple works, such as a series of novels. Such conventions are not as important for plot summaries of single works, such as novels that are not part of a series; nevertheless, some real-world language at the beginning of such summaries is often good style. The length of a plot summary should be carefully balanced with the length of the other sections. Strictly avoid creating pages consisting only of a plot summary.

Summary style approach

Main page: Wikipedia:Summary style

Sometimes, when an article gets long (see Wikipedia:Article size), a section of the article is made into its own article, and the handling of the subject in the main article is condensed to a brief summary. This is completely normal Wikipedia procedure; see for example Wikipedia:Summary style, which explains the technique. The new article is sometimes called a "spinout" or "spinoff" of the main article. For fictional works, these spinout articles are typically lists of characters or other elements that usually rely on the coverage of the parent topic, and may lack demonstration of real-world coverage through sources dedicated specifically to those elements (see Wikipedia:Lists). Very rarely should such spinout articles be about a singular topic (e.g., character, plot item); either that topic has demonstrated its own notability, or should be merged into the main article or existing spinout articles.

The spinout article should concisely provide details of the topic or topics covered in the work – just because the spinout article is given more space to grow does not mean that excessive plot summaries or fictional character biographies are appropriate. As with other fictional works, the spinout article should be written in an "out-of-universe" style. As with all other Wikipedia articles, the spinout article needs to be verifiable, must possess no original research, and must reflect a neutral point of view.

Notability

Main pages: Wikipedia:Notability and WP:NPOV § Undue weight

There are notability prerequisites to be met by all subjects to warrant articles specifically about them. As mentioned earlier, the rule of thumb is that if the topic is sufficiently notable, secondary sources should be available and should ideally be included on article creation.

Accuracy and appropriate weight

It is not only important that articles be written from a neutral point of view and that they give due weight to all aspects of the subject but also that appropriate weight be given to all elements of the article page, including, e.g., infoboxes and succession boxes as well as images and the text. The goal is to attain the greatest possible degree of accuracy in covering the topic at hand, which is also the basic rationale behind discouraging, e.g., disproportionately long plot summaries and in-universe writing.

Fair use

As the Wikipedia servers are located in the U.S. state of Florida, Wikipedia articles must conform to U.S. copyright laws. It has been held in a number of court cases that any work which re-tells original ideas from a fictional source, in sufficient quantity without adding information about that work, or in some way analysing and explaining it, may be construed as a derivative work or a copyright violation. This may apply irrespective of the way information is presented, in or out of the respective fictional universe, or in some entirely different form such as a quizbook or "encyclopedia galactica".

Information about copyrighted fictional worlds and plots of works of fiction can be provided only under a claim of fair use, and Wikipedia's fair-use policy holds that "the amount of copyrighted work used should be as little as possible". Many works of fiction covered by Wikipedia are protected by copyright. Some works are sufficiently old that their copyright has expired, or the rights may have been released in some way, such as under the GFDL, or into the public domain.

Conclusions

When writing about fiction, keep the following in mind:

  • The principal frame of reference is always the real world, in which both the work of fiction and its publication are embedded: write from a real-world perspective;
  • Both primary and secondary information is necessary for a real-world perspective: maintain a balanced use of both primary and secondary sources;
  • Unpublished personal observation and interpretation of the article's subject and primary sources are not acceptable on Wikipedia: avoid original research;
  • All included information needs to be verifiable and derive from and be supported by reliable sources, and all sources (including the primary sources) need to be appropriately cited in the article: reference all information and cite your sources;
  • All relevant aspects must be given due weight in all elements of the article page, including text, images, elements of layout and even the article title: give weight where weight is due;
  • Readability and comprehensibility: put all information into context with the original fiction;
  • Check with the image use policy before adding images to any article;
  • Avoid creating lists of trivia; instead, incorporate relevant information into the body of the article;
  • Wikipedia's fair-use policy: the amount of copyrighted work used should be as little as possible.

List of exemplary articles

See also: Category:FA-Class novel articles, Category:FA-Class Fantasy fiction articles, Category:FA-Class Comics articles, Category:FA-Class science fiction articles, and Category:FA-Class video game articles

The following is a partial list of articles about fiction or elements from fiction that follow the real-world perspective. These are good examples to follow for editors seeking to cover fictional subjects on Wikipedia. For other good examples, see the lists of articles that have been rated at Good and Featured status.

Note: Keep in mind that the content in these articles may have changed since the time of their original listing here.
Template:Col-6
Complete works
Novels
Films
Television series
Television episodes
Comics
Video games
Other
Template:Col-6
Characters or character lists
Novel characters
Film characters
TV characters
Comic book characters
Cartoon characters
Video game characters
Template:Col-6
Elements of fictional works

Templates

{{In-universe}}

If you notice an article that predominantly describes a fictional topic from an in-universe perspective, or even provides no indication that a fictional subject is fictional, preferably rewrite the article or section yourself, or use the {{In-universe}} template to bring the issue to the attention of others. Be sure to leave a note on the article's talk page explaining your objections. The template looks like this:


{{Cleanup-tense}}

One of the most frequently occurring errors associated with an in-universe style of writing is incorrect use of past tense when discussing elements of the plot. Works of fiction are generally considered to "come alive" when read. As with all other article issues, preferably fix it yourself, or alternatively you may use the template to supplement and specify the {{In-universe}} template's call for a consistent real-world perspective.


{{Primarysources}}

If you notice an article featuring only primary sources and sources affiliated with the subject, preferably find and add suitable sources yourself, or use the {{Primarysources}} template to bring the issue to the attention of others.


{{Plot}}

A plot summary should be succinct and focused on the main plot. What to cut can sometimes be a difficult decision. If you have the time and energy, please consider tightening overly long and overly detailed plot summaries yourself. Alternatively, use the template:


{{All plot}}

If you come across an article which consists entirely or almost entirely of a plot summary, you may use the {{All plot}} template to raise the issue. Since this is a crucial article issue which may eventually lead to the article being nominated for deletion, consider improving the article yourself.


{{No plot}}

Conversely, the {{No plot}} template can be used in the rather atypical case that a plot summary is missing from an article. If you feel qualified to write a basic plot summary, consider giving it a shot. Succinctly summarizing a plot and deciding which elements to mention and how to describe and weight them can be a challenge, but it's also a rewarding experience; plot summaries can be entirely based on primary sources and in many cases no complicated cross-reading between various sources is required.

Alternative outlets for fictional universe articles

Some other Wikipedia-like projects prefer the in-universe perspective. These provide a good alternative for editors interested in writing as fans, for fans. The following is a partial list:

See also: List of wikis

Infoboxes and succession boxes

Shortcut

Infoboxes, usually placed in the upper-right portion of an article, give key data about the article's subject in tabular format. For entities within fiction, useful infobox data might include the creators or actors, first appearance, an image, and in-universe information essential to understanding the entity's context in the overall fiction. What qualifies as essential varies based on the nature of the work. Where facts change at different points in a story or series, there may be no appropriate in-universe information at all to add. By contrast, an infobox on a character in a fantasy work with multiple warring factions may warrant data such as allegiance.

As with all infoboxes, trivial details should be avoided. An infobox for a real-life actor would not contain items such as favorite food and hobbies; these details do not aid the reader in understanding the important characteristics of the subject. In the same way, infoboxes about fictional entities should avoid delving into minutiae, such as information only mentioned in supplementary backstory. For this reason, infoboxes meant for real-world entities should not be applied to their fictional counterparts, since, for example, information important to a description of a real-world company may be tangential to a fictional one. It is important to identify the revenue of Microsoft, whereas the fact that fictional MegaAcmeCorp makes 300 billion GalactiBucks in 2463 is probably unimportant.

Another common type of template, succession boxes, should not be used to describe in-universe relationships in articles about fictional entities. Succession boxes assume continuity, which may not exist. Furthermore, they may invite the creation of non notable articles that fall under the fictional succession. For articles about works of fiction themselves, the story that each work of fiction depicts does not change despite the continuation of stories across serial works or sequels, and as a consequence, the events within one work of fiction are always in the present whenever it is read, watched, or listened to. In-universe temporal designations such as "current" or "previous" are therefore inappropriate. For character articles (which cannot be bound temporally), it may be acceptable to use customized templates to summarize information from the perspective of the real world, such as connections between articles describing the same fictional world. Such templates should not invite the creation of articles about non-notable subjects.

See also

Related WikiProjects

These are some of the more important WikiProjects that deal with fiction material. They may have additional suggestions, article templates and styles that you might wish to make yourself familiar with.

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