Dream Discussions

Fiction Vs Reality, & Creative Liberties We Can Take

A new month, a new discussion question! This month, we are here with a general writing topic we believe everyone can debate on. Let's hear from some of our members!

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Question posted on Mar 11, 2023:

The line between fiction and reality can be quite thin. How important is it to be as accurate as possible in portraying and representing issues and communities in a test? How far can you take creative liberty in portraying real people, events, or experiences in a fictionalized world?

*note, all answers are slightly modified for grammar and structure*

Winning answer (tied) by WrenMorgan:

It's a good question. I think it comes down to three things: 1) distance, 2) sensitivity, and 3) what is public information. If you portray a real person who is still alive or who has living relatives, you're a lot more likely to cause offence with an inaccurate or insensitive portrayal compared to a story about a long-dead historical figure. And if you portray a real community, again there's more of a responsibility to get that right because getting it wrong could impact real people. 

Similarly, issues that impact on current political discourse are more likely to be sensitive and require more care to depict. On the other hand, not all texts are intended to be a nuanced depiction of reality. I didn't watch "You" Season 4 expecting a sensitive depiction of a serial killer, I expected exactly what I got, which was entertaining black comedy. But if you're trying to write something serious, then I'd think you'd want to be accurate. 

Finally, there's also the matter of whether what you're writing about is considered to be in the public realm or not. "The Crown" is a really interesting example because it has caused more controversy as we get into later seasons—and therefore closer to current events—and whether it wants to or not, it does influence the debate around the role of the monarchy in the UK. There's always been the argument that the royal family and celebrities in general are public figures and therefore fair game. It's public information, so it's material that can be used for fiction.

Winning answer (tied) by MusicalKehleigh:

I think it depends on an author's purpose and intent for the story they are writing. If an author's objective is to bring awareness to an issue or to portray a character's experience, then it needs to reflect the real world in a way that promotes that theme. The author can take some creativity liberties, but not so many that their theme is unrecognizable. If they take so many liberties that readers miss the author's message, then it defeats the point of writing the story in the first place. The events, background story, or characters need to be true enough to real life that the author can communicate their message. 

An example that comes to mind is Legendborn. While it is a fantasy novel with plenty of creative liberties and places that stretch the imagination regarding world building and conflict, Bree's experience with racism is rooted in the real world. The author had to do more research and stay truer to real life in order to get her point across. Too many creative liberties would overshadow Bree's experiences so that the reader does not see the impact that racism had on her life. Additionally, if Bree's experiences were under or over exaggerated, it would lose its impact. The author is trying to give a window into an experience, so she has to make it more realistic.

In extreme contrast, stories that are absurdist can really run with the idea that life is stranger than fiction. For example, in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, events happen that would never happen in real life, like flipping a coin 92 times and getting heads. The whole point is not to be realistic, but to offer philosophical commentary. Authors should still be sensitive to timing and current events when writing about marginalized communities or hot-button topics. They should consider their motivations to ensure that their writing is a positive contribution, rather than negatively impact readers. But still, an author's purpose is key for establishing a line between fiction and reality. Some types of books need to be more realistic than others, while some, a reader may even expect their belief to be stretched.

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And that's all! Thank you to everyone who participated in this round's discussion questions, and congratulations to the winners! Feel free to leave any additional thoughts in the comments.

See you next round, debaters!