From
the editor
What does fiction mean to you? Is it
meant to be entertainment, or should it be used as a vehicle
for waking people up, conveying horrific information that many
would not normally choose to know about? Sometimes one,
sometimes the other? Or something in between?
I've been thinking about these
questions lately. I have seen Schindler's List and American
History X three times each and been deeply moved by both
movies, and yet I walked out of Syriana a third of the
way through, unable to watch any more. I know that one of the
aforementioned movies is not fiction, and another is inspired
by a memoir, but lately I've been left with a feeling that my
fiction sensibility has been abused, with too many people
trying to tell me stories that are really news casts on how
awful the world has become. I'm wary of films that are
nominated for Oscars now, because so often this seems to be a
criteria for the award. We're overdosing on reality nowadays,
and I worry that fiction will be the casualty.
Alerting the world to injustice and
other serious problems is admirable. But one of the tenets of
fiction is escapism and entertainment. A story can also make a
difference to a reader simply by passing on messages of hope,
and viewpoints that are positive and uplifting.
If it's well written, too, it has the
right to be a memorable book.
Elle
9/3/07
Writing
a Book That Makes a Difference - Review
Many authors have an idea for an important book that they feel can't be written until they have more experience in writing, more world knowledge, and more research.
Writing a Book That Makes a Difference is all about getting that idea out of your head and onto the page.
Read
this article
Related
links
The Plot Thickens by Noah Lukeman
Previous
articles on the Fiction Writing site
Setting
goals for your writing career
Creating
an author website
Avoiding
exposition pitfalls
On
the Fiction Writing forum
What does fiction
mean to you? Do you write to escape, or write to change the
world? Or a little of both?
Tell
us on the forum!
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