Fiction vs realistic

[Super Fantasy]

Do you prefer writing:
Fiction such as fantasy, science fiction and others.
Or "realistic" writing?

 

[Gurkhal]

Do you prefer writing:
Fiction such as fantasy, science fiction and others.
Or "realistic" writing?

I prefer fiction due to the freedom for my imagination and not getting a story shot down because a character had a kind of shoes three years too early from when it was introduced. The last was a hyperbole but it kind of sums up why I don't write historical fiction even if I love to read it.

Also the research. Researching for historical fiction takes lots of time, in my opinion, when my calling is to write and not to research things.

 

[Insolent Lad]

My fantasy is as realistic as I can make it. That way it's more believable. And I do write what is generally considered realism too; really, it's all kind of one.

 

[pmmg]

Real is the default assumption unless something has come along to set something aside. I want the readers to know that things that one might take for granted, such as gravity, and stone being hard, and trees growing tall, are not things they have to bring new definitions too. The stuff that is not real will be pointed out in the context of the narrative, hopefully in a way that does not spoil the illusion, and still makes sense.

 

[Naruzeldamaster]

I prefer fiction due to the freedom for my imagination and not getting a story shot down because a character had a kind of shoes three years too early from when it was introduced. The last was a hyperbole but it kind of sums up why I don't write historical fiction even if I love to read it.

Also the research. Researching for historical fiction takes lots of time, in my opinion, when my calling is to write and not to research things.

I like fantasy fiction too, or realistic worlds 'touched' by fantasy/sci fi.

I'm attempting to craft a parody of 'most' gaming fantasy worlds. It's a fantasy realm 'touched' by technology. But for the most part it's still swords and sorcery.

 

[The Dark One]

As I've said before, I don't write fantasy but I do write historical and speculative fiction. Even one of my crime novels has a decent spec fiction aspect to it (set in 2030).

Historical does take a massive amount of research and no matter how hard you try you won't satisfy everyone. My only historical fiction novel was set between 1060 and 1066 dealing with the events leading up to Hastings. It's my most highly rated book on Goodreads but there was one person who bagged it because the female lead had a whiff of the druid about her. The book specifically referred to her as almost the last of her secret order (and there are still druids in Britain), but that reviewer still bagged the book for having a druid when (according to him) they'd all been destroyed by the Romans.

I hope he at least paid for the book.

 

[The Dark One]

I should add, I never referred to her as a druid (quite deliberately).

He made his own connection.

 

[RoccO]

I like books full of saccharine. The fantasy element could be as thin as that, but there must be fighting in it for me to like it. I suppose you could say the battle element is the more fantasy you have, but the balance of an exceeding approach would have a battle of exceeding proportions.

The types of television shows that are fantasy deal with series, so they often have more to say, or more exuberance. The feeling of an epic or realistic proportion may sometimes dabble around the fantasy realm, or have hopes and aspirations adequate to it.

 

[xena]

I find the freedom and limitlessness of fictional writing to be quite enjoyable. There are no barriers and everything goes. You can start at absoluetly nothing and make something incredible.

 

[Malik]

I write "hard fantasy." I made a career out of writing fantasy that elevates suspension of disbelief into plausible deniability (reviewers' words, not mine). From the phases of the moon to the slivers in the floors, I made sure everything works. I even did all my characters' stunts.

More than that, my books are fantasy technothrillers: the plots hinge on technical details that most authors either either get wrong or skip over altogether. As an example, in my most recent novel, a modern-day Special Ops team explores a fantasy world, only to find that minute differences in atmosphere, gravity, and curvature of the planet--things they don't even feel--make shooting over 200 meters dicey and make their sniper's job damned near impossible.

You don't have to choose fantasy OR realistic fiction. You can certainly do both.

 

[Mad Swede]

I write speculative fiction, and I guess most in the English speaking parts of the world would call it low fantasy. With that written, I try to keep things plausible, so I do a lot of research into things the various characters do. How, for eaxmple, were fishing nets made in medieval times? How far could someone walk in day whilst carrying a pack and a sword? What was medieval sword fighting like, what sorts of techniques did they use? And so on. What I'm trying to do is keep the readers and their belief suspended so that they focus on the characters instead of criticising events and scenes in the stories.