Is It Non-Fiction?
In order for a book to be considered non-fiction, I think that 99% of what the writer says happened, actually needs to have happened. When readers pick up a book that looks good then notice that the book is also non-fiction, they are probably more likely to read it because it’s neat to think that the events in the story were once reality. I say 99% because it’s probably next to impossible to get every little detail about an event perfectly correct. Half the time, I don’t even remember what I did yesterday. So, I would give a little leeway to writers in that perspective knowing that the facts aren’t going to be 100% accurate. For me, I can apply the non-fiction to fiction aspect to movies that I watch as well. I think non-fiction movies are more interesting and intriguing if I know that the story is real. Also, I think we do need fiction and non-fiction genre labels. Many readers rely on genre labels alone to make their decisions, and if you take them away, those people wouldn’t have the guidance they need when choosing a book. If I were an author, I too would want the distinction of my book between fiction and non-fiction. A novel that is written and labeled as non-fiction comes across as somewhat more sophisticated for some reason. As you read, you take the events more seriously and for me, I can better analyze the book if I can play it out easily in my head, which is usually the case for non-fiction books. Also, most non-fiction books can have a fiction label put on them and no one could tell the difference, because they easily could have been made up. It’s important to distinguish between what’s a true story and what’s not.
I agree with how you said that it's important to distinguish between fiction and non-fiction. A lot of readers are interested in knowing if the book they are reading is true or not true.
ReplyDeleteCould you tell the difference between non-fiction and fiction if a book was labeled fiction but wasn't?
ReplyDeleteI really agree with your last line. There's something to be said about knowing that what you read is true.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that 99% really does need to be true. An author can't remember every single little detail and if they change huge details then that becomes a major problem.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I think the acceptable range should be about 95% to 100% and there's times when the truth needs to be told and there's times when it doesn't.
ReplyDeleteI understand not every little detail or coversation will be accurate, but you cannot chage major events or big ideas. You should be able to remember those.
ReplyDeletei think it should be 100% true
ReplyDeleteI totally agree that we need fiction and nonfiction labels, the world would be crazy without them! And also nonfiction writers shouldn't lie, that takes away from the suspense of the story!
ReplyDeleteGenre labels are important when making a decision about what to read. Without the labels I wouldn't even know where to begin when walking into a book store or the library. The labels are what keep me reading and without them I would probably pick out books that I would never in a million years otherwise read.
ReplyDeleteI agree that we need the genre labels, because how would we know if what we are reading is true?
ReplyDeleteI agree. Labels help me decide what to read.
ReplyDeleteI agree that a nonfiction book needs to be 99 percent true because readers need to know if what they are reading is real or not, but writers cannot recall every event perfectly.
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