Final answer:
The article suggests that writers often base their stories on real events, merging historical authenticity with fictional narratives to create compelling stories, as seen in works like Bram Stoker's 'Dracula' and Victor Hugo's 'Les Miserables.'
Step-by-step explanation:
The main idea of the article appears to revolve around how authors of fiction draw from historical events or figures to create their narratives. There's a focus on historical authenticity and fidelity to the facts when they are directly referenced in fiction. However, there is also a place for fictional embellishment where writers create a story around what might have happened, with either fully fictional characters or factual ones depicted in plausible yet invented scenarios. Works like Bram Stoker's Dracula, based on Eastern European folklore, and Victor Hugo's Les Miserables, set during the French Revolution, showcase how writers blend real history with imagination to craft engaging stories that may enhance or diverge from the historical record for narrative effect.
Regarding the options provided in the student's question, option B: 'Writers often base their stories on true events' seems to be the closest to the main idea of the articles. Fictional characters like Stoker's Dracula draw from historical and cultural myths, while writers like Hugo use historical settings to nest their fictional narratives. Thus, the articles underscore the complex relationship between history and storytelling, showing respect for historical facts while also appreciating the creative freedoms of fiction.