So, You Say It’s Fiction; But, Are All The Facts Straight?

Sure, the word “fiction” comes from roots that mean “to knead, form out of clay” or “invent” but, unless you’re writing fantastic-fiction that happens in an alternate universe, you need to invent based on certain given qualities; and, the clay of truth must be kneaded carefully…

The novel I published last year (free in the left side-bar) is based on over 20 years of searching for Truth.

In order to present that Truth, I had to invent a civilization 12 light-years from earth…

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Fiction reveals truth that reality obscures.”

Mark Twain said, “Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn’t.”

And, to nail down my main point even more firmly, Margaret Frances Culkin Banning, best-selling American author of thirty-six novels and an early advocate of women’s rights said, “Fiction is not a dream. nor is it guesswork. It is imagining based on facts, and the facts must be accurate or the work of imagining will not stand up.”

So, many authors spend huge amounts of time doing research to assure themselves they’re building their fictional castle on solid sands.

But…

What if the people writing the material being researched lied?

What if a writer publishes a story then finds out the “truth” elements came from a work involved in an academic scandal?

I got an email today from a gentleman at OnlineCourses.com that led me to the article The 10 Biggest Research Scandals in Academic History.

Reading it could educate you about the necessity of deeply checking and rechecking your sources…

While I was visiting the site, I also found an article called The 20 Essential LinkedIn Groups for Aspiring Writers.

I wonder if those groups on LinkedIn could help a writer who’s deeply checking and rechecking sources………
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