Nicole+Gololobov+RP+Post+2

Source 1:

1. Should art strive for realism?

2. "Do We Expect Too Much Realism in Our Stories?"

3. Janice Hardy

4. []

5. Found on May 24, 2014 by use of the internet, on Fiction University.

6. Subject: Literature, fiction, fantasy, dystopia, premises, realism, writing, human nature. Occasion: A book was criticized for being unrealistic. In general, fantastical premises are disliked due to them being unable to happen in real life. Audience: Writers, readers, consumers of entertainment. Purpose: To defend speculative fiction. Speaker: Janice Hardy, fantasy writers everywhere. Tone: Contemplative, questioning

7. Hardy describes how people often don't like stories that are unrealistic. She defends the stories by asking whether one should always expect realism in fiction, especially if the plot centers around a "what if" idea. According to her, if a book can't have implausible premises, it limits stories and writers.

8. Fiction doesn't have to be realistic, rather, it should defy the limits of the real world in order to explore human nature.

9. I agree that a story doesn't have to be about something that could happen in real life. Sometimes, that's the point of fiction. However, if the characters within the story consistently act in ways that wouldn't make sense, that can be annoying.

10. "I've been noticing an interesting reaction to stories lately. The expectation to be realistic, even when the books are clearly not real. People complaining about something not being able to happen in real life in stories that in no way are trying to be real life."

"I'm not talking about the basic plausibility every story needs, but a desire for realism that makes it difficult to suspend disbelief, and thus hurts the enjoyment of the story overall."

"Part of the enjoyment of a book is explore human nature within the confines of a premise. It's like an experiment--pose that what if scenario and then test it."

"Is the pressure to be real holding us back from exploring ideas just because 'it would never happen that way?'"