CCBC-Net Archives
RE: Muslims and Muslim Cultures-accuracy - Charles' comments
- Contemporary messages sorted: [ by date ] [ by subject ] [ by author ]
From: Barbara Binns <bab9660_at_yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2014 09:57:55 -0700
>>>Clearly, it is oxymoronic on the face of it to fact-check fiction.
I have to totally disagree with this one. Art is considered "the lie that tells the truth a reason, and fiction is an art form. Most readers expect some fact-checking even in their fiction. In adult circles authors historical authors have commented on being reamed for making a factual mistake, something as simple as a wrong date draws out readers' wrath. Even science fiction and fantasy authors try to stick as much to the way the real world works as possible, reducing the number of leaps of faith a reader's mind has to take to accept their worlds. In "realistic" fiction people want the fact to be real and will adversely remember authors who give them something else. Many authors mitigate the issue by noting in a forward that they have played fast and loose with some issues for arts sake. And I admit I give them a pass when they do that.
The problem is younger readers don't have the background to know when they are being misled or fed a caricature or false image. To me as a writer that means I have to check my facts twice as hard, because some young reader will absorb my information and their brains may accept it as fact if not gospel. I'm teaching a group of writers right now and telling them they don't get a pass because of the word Fiction. Readers critique their fiction books on the facts as well as how they are presented on the page.
B A Binns - 2010 National Readers Choice Award Winner Minority of One from AllTheColorsOfLove press 2012 YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers 2012-13 Eliot Rosewater Indiana High School Book Award Nominee Stories of Real Boys Growing Into Real Menwebsite - http://www.babinns.com
==== CCBC-Net Use ==== You are currently subscribed to ccbc-net as: ccbc-archive_at_post.education.wisc.edu.
To post to the list, send message to...
ccbc-net_at_lists.wisc.edu
To receive messages in digest format, send a blank message to...
digest-ccbc-net_at_lists.wisc.edu
To unsubscribe, send a blank message to...
leave-ccbc-net_at_lists.wisc.edu
==== CCBC-Net Archives ==== The CCBC-Net archives are available to all CCBC-Net listserv members. The archives are organized by month and year. A list of discussion topics (including month/year) is available at...
http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/ccbcnet/archives.asp
To access the archives, go to...
http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/ccbc-net
...and enter the following when prompted...
username: ccbc-net
password: Look4Posts
Received on Thu 21 Aug 2014 12:02:02 PM CDT
Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2014 09:57:55 -0700
>>>Clearly, it is oxymoronic on the face of it to fact-check fiction.
I have to totally disagree with this one. Art is considered "the lie that tells the truth a reason, and fiction is an art form. Most readers expect some fact-checking even in their fiction. In adult circles authors historical authors have commented on being reamed for making a factual mistake, something as simple as a wrong date draws out readers' wrath. Even science fiction and fantasy authors try to stick as much to the way the real world works as possible, reducing the number of leaps of faith a reader's mind has to take to accept their worlds. In "realistic" fiction people want the fact to be real and will adversely remember authors who give them something else. Many authors mitigate the issue by noting in a forward that they have played fast and loose with some issues for arts sake. And I admit I give them a pass when they do that.
The problem is younger readers don't have the background to know when they are being misled or fed a caricature or false image. To me as a writer that means I have to check my facts twice as hard, because some young reader will absorb my information and their brains may accept it as fact if not gospel. I'm teaching a group of writers right now and telling them they don't get a pass because of the word Fiction. Readers critique their fiction books on the facts as well as how they are presented on the page.
B A Binns - 2010 National Readers Choice Award Winner Minority of One from AllTheColorsOfLove press 2012 YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers 2012-13 Eliot Rosewater Indiana High School Book Award Nominee Stories of Real Boys Growing Into Real Menwebsite - http://www.babinns.com
==== CCBC-Net Use ==== You are currently subscribed to ccbc-net as: ccbc-archive_at_post.education.wisc.edu.
To post to the list, send message to...
ccbc-net_at_lists.wisc.edu
To receive messages in digest format, send a blank message to...
digest-ccbc-net_at_lists.wisc.edu
To unsubscribe, send a blank message to...
leave-ccbc-net_at_lists.wisc.edu
==== CCBC-Net Archives ==== The CCBC-Net archives are available to all CCBC-Net listserv members. The archives are organized by month and year. A list of discussion topics (including month/year) is available at...
http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/ccbcnet/archives.asp
To access the archives, go to...
http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/ccbc-net
...and enter the following when prompted...
username: ccbc-net
password: Look4Posts
Received on Thu 21 Aug 2014 12:02:02 PM CDT
