tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post4568077335999271559..comments2024-03-17T06:03:00.362-04:00Comments on Fiction University: Do We Expect Too Much Realism in Our Stories? Janice Hardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-27541997315160466962016-01-26T07:40:35.237-05:002016-01-26T07:40:35.237-05:00I didn't read all the comments, but I complete...I didn't read all the comments, but I completely agree. I love unrealistic realism that is plausible and fits with the story. That's why I read. Laura Paulinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06503090226508079501noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-21907227176775362014-01-20T09:39:32.496-05:002014-01-20T09:39:32.496-05:00This is true. It is good to consider the source in...This is true. It is good to consider the source in these things, though I did hear this particular comment from multiple sources. I think that's why it really stood out to me. But yes, if someone doesn't like a particular genre or trope, even the best book in that genre will fall flat for them. Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-79323452306672007712014-01-19T07:16:15.460-05:002014-01-19T07:16:15.460-05:00It might also be that the critic wasn't a fant...It might also be that the critic wasn't a fantasy reader, and the other readers mentioned above drawn to fantasy because it was a best seller -- but not the normal readers. Years ago, I ran into a writer who found thrillers absolutely unbelievable because the Library of Alexandria was destroyed; the Elixir of Life doesn't exist; and so forth. Which was also why he wasn't a regular reader of thrillers and I was.Linda Maye Adamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07203020058437093901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-66823354378033998512014-01-19T02:52:28.695-05:002014-01-19T02:52:28.695-05:00Now that I've cooled out from initially replyi...Now that I've cooled out from initially replying, I just wanted to again say I'm sorry for blowing my top, Janice. <br /><br />I certainly wasn't mad at you, I just have a habit of getting too hot and bothered about things . I still stand by what I said, just didn't mean to sound rude about it (LOL!)<br /><br />But I did want to make one last point. One of the things I'm going to blog about this year is the varying degrees of naturalism in nonhuman characters. I think that would be helpful for other writers of animal fantasy, and I think those varying degrees as especially important for writers to keep in mind if your animal story goes against the typical stories about pets or clan-based warfare, because that's what many people think the genre's limited to, but you can have so much more diversity in this genre BEYOND "Tom and Jerry" style antics or creature versus creature warfare, just like NOT all vampire stories are in the vein of (Old School) Dracula or Twilight, and that's all I meant to express overall in regard to this topic.<br /><br />Many stories choose the less naturalist route and that's fine.<br /><br />I try to use as much of their naturalistic traits that I can and that varies from story to story. When it's animal-only world (Like Redwall for instance) I take many liberties, but I ALWAYS keeps as much of their natural traits that I can (What they eat, aggression, preferred climates, etc), but when humans are part of the world, it gets tricky, but it CAN be done.<br /><br />I get sensitive about this because I feel so torn sometimes between whether this is a credible issue or just preference disguised as a credibility issue.<br /><br />If nothing else I just want my style of storytelling to be respected in general.<br /><br />Just because I'm not into erotica doesn't mean I belittle those who read and write it. I just want the same respect for what I do even if it's not your thing. <br /><br />Just because I'm not 100% naturalistic with my animals doesn't mean I did ZERO research on them, but just like any historical novelist has to pick and choose what historical details are most relevant to the story they're telling, I have to weigh pros and cons of the research I do on what works for the story or that specific character or not.<br /><br />Anyway, this was a great post and I'm glad you reminded me of it via your Twitter feed since it reminded me I need to write about the varying degrees and approaches to animal fantasy because it's so important, not just for me personally, but other writers who are facing similar issues if their critique group doesn't "Get it."<br /><br />Sometimes the more tight your niche, the harder it is to find like-minded readers who get when something's a stylistic choice rather than an "ignorant inaccuracy" as that can look the case to out of genre readers, or readers who want a more grounded view of you nontraditional characters, whatever the genre. IMHO.Taurean Watkinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16604609379930060667noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-10423617241788775062013-04-30T08:46:34.200-04:002013-04-30T08:46:34.200-04:00Stephanie, most welcome!
Suzanne, totally, I see...Stephanie, most welcome! <br /><br />Suzanne, totally, I see that all the time. This aren't always supposed to be real. Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-44008555887124185842013-04-29T11:46:31.477-04:002013-04-29T11:46:31.477-04:00Yes, yes, and yes. The worst reviews on my YA book...Yes, yes, and yes. The worst reviews on my YA books are from adults (not teens) who think the book isn't realistic. "A popular boy can't possibly fall in love with a girl he hasn't spoken to in a week's time," is one of the biggest. Another involved teens getting married at age 18. I'm sorry, but I was married at 19. Part of fiction is the "fantasy" of it. Thanks so much for this post.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01899031495802835361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-77749586345800892632013-04-29T10:53:49.510-04:002013-04-29T10:53:49.510-04:00This is the issue I face all the time with my coll...This is the issue I face all the time with my collaborator who is also my husband. The story is ancient mythology, he's ok with half horse half man but not ok with it having the ability to shapeshift. I like this post as it reminds me that even though my husband is a big help to certain points of the story, I should still keep asking questions that fit within the "fantasy" realm of "what if?" Thank youStephaniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06046423592819903046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-9342765508343239182013-04-15T07:07:34.341-04:002013-04-15T07:07:34.341-04:00Marti, I have two crit pals who write myths, and t...Marti, I have two crit pals who write myths, and they have a tough time with that as well. They totally get each others' work, but the rest of us in the group are sometimes lost. I think it depends on how much are you relying on the reader to know to get what's going on. <br /><br />Cold As Heaven, which is funny considering how outlandish and unrealistic Hitchhiker's Guide is. But I agree that taste plays a big role as well. If a reader prefers realism, the more a story veers off from that the less they're likely to enjoy it.<br /><br />Danielle, it all comes down to the plausibility factor. Make it feel real and readers will go with you (most of them)<br /><br />JD Paradise, I love it. I think you're right about this. We ARE pushing reality so it makes sense that readers expect more realism even in our fantasy. You see the same things with CGI in movies. Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-616221381882731412013-04-15T07:07:31.520-04:002013-04-15T07:07:31.520-04:00Marti, I have two crit pals who write myths, and t...Marti, I have two crit pals who write myths, and they have a tough time with that as well. They totally get each others' work, but the rest of us in the group are sometimes lost. I think it depends on how much are you relying on the reader to know to get what's going on. <br /><br />Cold As Heaven, which is funny considering how outlandish and unrealistic Hitchhiker's Guide is. But I agree that taste plays a big role as well. If a reader prefers realism, the more a story veers off from that the less they're likely to enjoy it.<br /><br />Danielle, it all comes down to the plausibility factor. Make it feel real and readers will go with you (most of them)<br /><br />JD Paradise, I love it. I think you're right about this. We ARE pushing reality so it makes sense that readers expect more realism even in our fantasy. You see the same things with CGI in movies. Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-70292270204501120122013-04-15T00:15:07.640-04:002013-04-15T00:15:07.640-04:00If the work doesn't make the pretense of "...If the work doesn't make the pretense of "reality" then I don't judge it against reality.<br /><br />But the problem is that people have gotten away from metaphor (at least in what I'm reading) - no one's writing Animal Farm anymore that I'm finding. If you're trying to make things gritty and real, then things that don't feel "real' will jar, it can't be helped.<br /><br />It feels like kind of a sliding scale - the more reality that people put into things such as character psychology and the logic of magic systems, the more stringent the criteria for suspension of disbelief. <br />JD Paradisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07945134213244873038noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-43336703594467481812013-04-13T19:30:15.868-04:002013-04-13T19:30:15.868-04:00I'm a strong advocate for the infinite of imag...I'm a strong advocate for the infinite of imagination. I hate when readers (and writers) put limitations on stories and style that have nothing to do with suspension of disbelief or industry standards like the Chicago Manual of Style (is that what it's called?).<br /><br />I write paranormal, scifi, and fantasy so I'm always pushing the limits. If we forced all writers to be "realistic", we'd run out of ideas in no time.<br /><br />So long as the reader can immerse himself in the world and connect with the characters, the sky's the limit as far as I'm concerned.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06335174308646893781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-79315553293986709672013-04-13T14:11:25.871-04:002013-04-13T14:11:25.871-04:00Books can be realistic in different ways; realisti...Books can be realistic in different ways; realistic stories, realistic characters, realistic psychological mechanisms. Personally, I prefer a realistic setting and plot. I never read sci-fi and adventure and stuff like that. I thrashed Lord of the Rings after 50 pages, and Harry Potter is the most boring I've ever read (read parts of the 1st book with the kids). But I really enjoyed The Hitchhiker's guide books by Douglas Adams >:)<br /><br /><a href="http://cold-as-heaven.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Cold As Heaven</a><br />CA Heavenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07558100567878233142noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-78958531039329520102013-04-13T10:03:11.160-04:002013-04-13T10:03:11.160-04:00Wow Janice! You really got some passionate views o...Wow Janice! You really got some passionate views on this post. This is a great debate. How much mythological fact to add to my fantasy WIP is something I have been struggling with. The fear that knowledgeable people who are more familiar with the myths that I'm using will complain about my story has been stifling. I've come to the conclusion that fantasy is supposed to be made up and that's just something the reader needs to accept from the author, period. marti parhamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16619874032864736750noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-62111401926090885722013-04-13T07:29:11.239-04:002013-04-13T07:29:11.239-04:00Leanna, that's how I feel, though I do expect ...Leanna, that's how I feel, though I do expect authors to give me at least a base level explanation. I've also found that what the "hard to believe" element is matters. If it's a great idea, plausible or not, I'll more likely buy it. <br /><br />Jami, oo rough place to be in with your story. That's probably made even harder by the popularity of dystopian fiction. Things that aren't necessarily dystopian are being labeled as such to cash in on the trend. (My UK publisher has Shifter as dystopian, and I don't thin it is at all except by the most general definition of broken society) I think a true dystopian novel has to have those sociological elements and arguments. It's more than just setting. The broken society needs to be making some kind of a point about the real world. <br /><br />Angela, I think that plays a big role. I know I'll buy things from fantasy that I wouldn't from contemporary. The more real a story is trying to be, the more realism I expect. <br /><br />Laura, I think you've hit on another big element--writer skill. It only takes a few subtle words to make something believable, but if those words are missing it can really yank a reader out of that world. <br /><br />Minuteman, I just said to Jami above something similar. Dystopians need that caution to be real dystopians. Which might actually be why some of the things that bother some people about them don't bother me. I see them as fantasy or sci fi first, dystopian second. I don't mind what Captain Mal does as long and I can come along ;)<br /><br />Kirsten, lol. I do that too. Isn't it crazy to accept so much, then one weird thing happens and you can't accept it. My husband will do that, and then I'll turn to him and say "you bought the dead guy coming back to life, but this you have a problem with?"<br /><br />Jami, good point re allegory. I guess dystopia is more fantasy/light sci fi based right now because of the flood, but there are examples of it in all kinds of genres. One book that pops to mind is The Last Town on Earth. Historical, literary, based on a true story, but it has a lot of dystopian elements to it (cautionary tale, broken society, a society created as a utopia fell) that it does quality. <br /><br />It has been interesting! Glad I finally got this post done. It's been half written for months :)<br /><br />Rachel, that's what really makes me nuts. Someone will buy it in TV but not a book. Although to be honest, I'm kinda like that. I do expect more from a book than TV, but I also understand the limits of TV. But I'm far more likely to yell at the TV for it (yeah, I do that) than be bothered by it in a book. Kind of a strange thing now that I write it down. <br /><br />Taurean, no worries, I just saw that you took a hard turn there and wanted to bring you back :) <br /><br />Eisen, it's not realistic, but it's a strong metaphor for class separations and a drastic level or partisan politics. And it was explained in the beginning with enough of a "okay, this is why" that I accepted the premise. I guess I never expected it to be real, just pose an interesting question.<br /><br />Though I'd actually love to see a book where everyone is happy all the time and what happens. That's a great what if premise. <br /><br />A lot of it has to do with taste as well. I don't need a lot to get me to buy into a premise. Show me you thought about it and explain it up front and I'll usually go with you if I like the idea. But if you don't explain it and have it hanging there for half the book, I'll have issues. (I ran into this with Shiver actually. If cold made them turn into wolves, why not just move to Florida? She explains it, but not until the second half of the novel) Folks who want a more solid foundation will need more to buy into a premise. <br /><br />Chihuahua Zero, it has! It's been fun and interesting. That's cool about TV Tropes. I bet that's a good one, too.<br /> Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-90090284220854964912013-04-12T20:40:40.705-04:002013-04-12T20:40:40.705-04:00This comment thread definitely is forming into qui...This comment thread definitely is forming into quite the discussion. <br /><br />For example, I'm having my own talk with a few other writers about <i> Delirium</i> over at the TV Tropes forums.<br /><br />Really, suspension of disbelief is quite the subject, because it's <i>so</i> subjective!chihuahuazerohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15677672177353350936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-38642785189963334822013-04-12T20:34:17.943-04:002013-04-12T20:34:17.943-04:00Janice, I honestly had the same issue about the se...Janice, I honestly had the same issue about the setup of class factions in Divergent. Actually to be honest, while reading Divergent, I remember thinking that human beings, with so many types of personalities, characters, strengths/gifts, tendencies (sometimes we're brave, other days, not so much), instabilities and such (and we can change over time) cannot be readily classified into 5 virtues. That aspect of the novel interrupted my reading, I have to admit. It sort of made me go, "huh?" Does that mean an author can write a book about a world or society in which human beings were happy all the time? (Maybe this is a bad example.) What if…the world was filled with happy people, just always happy; no depression, no anger; no moodiness. And all the tests on the humans in the world, revealed that they were all really happy.Then the author sets up a story in this setting/world of happy people. The reader might think: that's impossible because it's not human nature, that's not real. Or the reader might just accept it as it is, after all, this is a fictional world. I think I would accept the fiction world of happy people better (i.e. my reading wouldn't be interrupted) if the story revealed the reason, like the happy parts of people's brains were amplified some way or the human genome got altered and mainly selected for happy genes. I want there to be a 'realistic reason' in the story, even if the 'realistic reason', isn't even possible or real in our real life world. (The reasons don't need to be infodump or a dissertation-level explanation.) It's just that, even in the imaginary fiction world, my brain needs to make sense of it, like how magic has to make sense (or follow the rules) in the fiction world. I think that's part of world-building. I think I'm probably babbling now - probably stating the obvious! That's my 2 cents. In the end, I enjoyed reading Divergent anyway, once I got over the "huh?" part. Great post, Janice! Eisenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05218083093137505788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-57488738161173191582013-04-12T18:13:46.838-04:002013-04-12T18:13:46.838-04:00Oh, and Kristen, if I could draw and had millions ...Oh, and Kristen, if I could draw and had millions of dollars to spend for my own animation team, I'd probably enjoy doing animation for the simple fact I don't have to defend my stories the way you often do when you're limited to words alone.<br /><br />Since I have neither, I struggle to fight through the discouraging comments and ignorant remarks.Taurean Watkinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16604609379930060667noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-285784747491917122013-04-12T18:07:14.708-04:002013-04-12T18:07:14.708-04:00I know I blew my top, Janice, I just get sensitive...I know I blew my top, Janice, I just get sensitive about this stuff. <br /><br />Sorry I was out of step with what you meant.<br /><br />I agree with you about what you were saying in your blog post, though, I just got too enraged to express that better and less angsty.<br /><br />Jami, you said much of what I meant to say in my comments here, but my tangent didn't serve that purpose.<br /><br />Kristen, of course this isn't limited to books, movies and television are like that, too.<br /><br />But as Janice has said here on her blog some time ago, books are just held to a higher standard in terms of what's enough.<br /><br />You also shouldn't underestimate readers in general. More are open to genres outside their usual fare than you think, I can't back that up with graphs and databases, but I know that's true for lay readers I knew and certainly for me.<br /><br />Visual mediums at least have the advantage of seeing the story play out, and from more than one perspective, something that's not always possible in novels.<br /><br />That said, I don't you can make a blanket statement about realism vs. non-realism.<br /><br />Some of my best feedback came from people who don't get the particulars of my genre, yet they still gave me advice that helped, but I'd rather have beta-readers who get my genre to avoid a lot of the frustrating comments, but sometimes you have to take who you can get, the more tight you're niche.<br /><br />Even under the umbrella of Fantasy, there's lots of variants. <br /><br />While my fiction is in the same broad genre as HP or LOTR, the approach far different, and that can also cause confusion among writers we try to beta-read for and from.Taurean Watkinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16604609379930060667noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-8969254473150990962013-04-12T17:44:49.509-04:002013-04-12T17:44:49.509-04:00This is one of my biggest pet peeves when reading ...This is one of my biggest pet peeves when reading book reviews. If I am reading a work of fiction, I don't expect it to be completely and totally realistic, and I honestly don't want my story bogged down with explanations of how the world came to be how it is in the story. Fiction is all about creativity and if you limit authors to only writing about realistic scenarios, that greatly limits creativity.<br /><br />It seems as though people have developed extremely high expectations when it comes to realism in works of fiction. They want the story to not only be somewhat plausible, but entirely possible and even likely to happen. These standards vary greatly from tv and movies. I have noticed lately how movies and tv shows can come up with any number of crazy, impossible scenarios and the audience rarely questions it. I think we need to relax a little and see these books for what they are: fiction. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14849186903948260385noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-55006167731541079532013-04-12T17:32:36.475-04:002013-04-12T17:32:36.475-04:00I don't disagree with Minuteman's statemen...I don't disagree with Minuteman's statement: "Dystopia is a genre, a cautionary fable about what could happen in our society if we don't stop being stupid, or ignorant, or sports fans. Whatever."<br /><br />However, I think cautionary tales can come from allegories or from hard science fiction. Allegories might be less based in realism, but they still accomplish the goal of imparting a cautionary message beyond what fantasy in general often attempts to do.<br /><br />That lack of realism doesn't make allegories any less of a good story (or message) than those that utilize hard scifi. I'd hate to see a push for hard scifi elements erase that path for dystopians (or other related genres).<br /><br />And that brings us back to the point of the original post. Not every story has to be realistic to grab our attention and say something meaningful. Plausible enough to not kick us out of the "suspension of disbelief" state as we're reading? Yes. But realistic? No.<br /><br />Interesting conversation! :) Thanks, Janice!Jami Goldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00957122956518765455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-30857149765833091072013-04-12T16:05:38.721-04:002013-04-12T16:05:38.721-04:00I don't think this is anything new, or limited...I don't think this is anything new, or limited to literature. I can't count the number of times I've watched a movie or something on TV, and a friend or acquaintance has said, "that's not real - the character couldn't do that" and the character is a ghost or superhero or even better, a cartoon. Kirsten Weisshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14008079948584255062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-31408883046824399172013-04-12T15:56:36.384-04:002013-04-12T15:56:36.384-04:00I'm with Erica Martin here. Dystopia is a genr...I'm with Erica Martin here. Dystopia is a genre, a cautionary fable about what could happen in our society if we don't stop being stupid, or ignorant, or sports fans. Whatever. If you want to write dystopia, you have to do a modicum of sociological research to be able to construct a realistic forecast of a possible future. Otherwise, you're writing fantasy. There is nothing whatsoever wrong with that, but you have to know which it is.<br /><br />Most dystopian novels aren't dystopian at all. They're fantasy, set in Denver. You can make this work, but you have to be very careful about how you do it.<br /><br />Well, actually, you really DON'T. You can construct a completely ridiculous society with zero economic sense, fill it with allegedly military fascists that know not one blessed thing about military strategy, and if you have a really cool main character that we care about, you, too, can sell a million copies and have blockbuster movies made from it. <br /><br />So I guess satisfying reality wonks like me actually doesn't make a lot of sense, since there's a steeply-diminishing return on the work necessary to create plausible dystopian futures. Who really cares about what money is, and why we have it? Just put your society underground after a nuclear disaster and have your plucky protagonists figure out clues to how to escape when the power starts to fail. Presto. You can even get Bill Murray to spruce up the movie, if you ask nicely.<br /><br />Rethinking it, I'd advise dystopian writers to do whatever they like, as long as we like the story. And ignore people like me, who carp about your financial systems but don't care that Captain Mal doesn't have to float around Serenity whenever he goes into the black.Cj Lehihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13909008908811360077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-13925986041662656042013-04-12T15:53:29.457-04:002013-04-12T15:53:29.457-04:00I love a good unrealistic story - even in contempo...I love a good unrealistic story - even in contemporary fiction. Without crazy, unbelievable events happening so close together to the same character - the book would most likely be boring. :) <br /><br />Of course, as long as the whole book is the same way and doesn't jump from completely realistic to over the top. :) I suspend my disbelieve pretty easily. <br /><br />When I don't, it's more about the actual skill of the writer than it is about the premise.Laura Paulinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06503090226508079501noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-63143092387469005392013-04-12T15:52:20.525-04:002013-04-12T15:52:20.525-04:00My attraction to reading fantasy, in particular, w...My attraction to reading fantasy, in particular, was the escape from so much reality. I dealt with THAT crap on a daily basis. So it was nice to step away on a cloud of suspended disbelief and enjoy talking animals, fantastic magic so much that wasn't and didn't have to be real.<br /><br />Perhaps there's an expectations issue from those not as familiar with genre fiction. There are just some things I don't expect from contemporary and and keep a wide open imagination for sci-fi and fantasy.Angela Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03324366495151363782noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-90158276465453255262013-04-12T15:20:53.045-04:002013-04-12T15:20:53.045-04:00Great post, Janice! You said, "I have non-fan...Great post, Janice! You said, "I have non-fantasy friends who had trouble with common elements f the genre when they started beta reading my stuff. They'd want explanations on things you'd never explain."<br /><br />Yes! I've run into this with my genre too. I want to do enough to make my stories accessible to the non-genre readers (as they might come to like that genre), but I don't want to be so pedantic with explanations as to bore the genre readers.<br /><br />I also agree with you that dystopian is all about the brokenness, not necessarily about how the society became broken. I've struggled with the label for my novella because some aspects of the society are dystopian (i.e., very broken), but some aspects of the society aren't--and they're more about the post-apocalyptic struggle to move forward. That line has made it hard to know how much and what type of background information to include in the story because of the different expectations of realism. The story itself has more of a romance/fairytale feel, so I've leaned toward less realism, but... *shrug* :)Jami Goldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00957122956518765455noreply@blogger.com