BellaOnline Forums Career Fiction Writing What does fiction mean to you?

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.

Do you write to escape, or do you write to change the world? Or something in between?

Actually, I think I write to live vicariously through the main characters.

One novel I am working on is about a pastor who builds rescue missions all over the globe to help people and try to bring them to the Lord. In this book I am writing it is mainly focusing on one mission which is in a troubled city that is run by a drug dealer, basically and he is the leader of a powerful gang and the pastor runs into trouble while trying to build the mission and the twist is, that when he was a kid, he lived in this city and was a part of the gang with the same leader still running it and he doesn't know who the pastor is, but will find out.

It is my dream to do the same thing. Maybe not all around the world but in the city where I live. To build a rescue mission to help people who are homeless, jobless, or just plain lost.

Another novel in the works is about professional wrestling and focuses on one wrestler who is new to the organization and takes it by storm. That was another dream of mine. To be a professional wrestler.

So as I said, I believe I write these books to live out my dreams of sorts

An escape from real life.

I write stories and parables for children and adults to teach meditation and virtues.

Fiction is defined as something that is not true. An example of fiction is a book that is not based on a true story. An example of fiction is a lie that you were told. An example of fiction is a false belief

LOL, lots of fiction out there. I don't read much fiction anymore but sure did grow up on it with mysteries such as Nancy Drew, Cherry Ames, and many other fiction books.

Thanks for reopening this conversation about fiction. Fictional means not true, and a fictional story is created from the imagination of the writer. The word fiction is a very big word that encompasses a large territory and has more than one answer. As a fiction writer, I have to say fiction is not exactly based on falsehoods. It is make-believe, but any fiction writer will tell you that elements of truth have to exist in fiction to make it enjoyable for the reader. Even fantasy writers who create new worlds have to adhere to guiding principles. While fiction is not represented as facts, it can be based on a true story. For the record, in fiction, if you get your facts wrong, readers will let you know. Fiction writers also have to do a tremendous amount of research on their topics and inform themselves to deliver the best possible story to their readers. I know I had to with my novel, The Lucky Man-An Act of Malice.

So true; writers have always been told to write what they know - In order to make a story believable it needs to strike a "true" chord with a person. Too outlandish and the story won't fly.

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