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MIT Lecture Note 13

This document discusses balancing reality and fiction in short stories. It states that fictional or unfamiliar settings require more physical details to build their reality for the reader. The author must also establish the logical rules of any unfamiliar world described. If too many of the reader's expectations about how the world works are changed, it can confuse or anger them. Examples from the works of Porter, Marquez, and LeGuin are provided to illustrate fictionalizing aspects of reality or making ideas real through storytelling.

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43 views1 page

MIT Lecture Note 13

This document discusses balancing reality and fiction in short stories. It states that fictional or unfamiliar settings require more physical details to build their reality for the reader. The author must also establish the logical rules of any unfamiliar world described. If too many of the reader's expectations about how the world works are changed, it can confuse or anger them. Examples from the works of Porter, Marquez, and LeGuin are provided to illustrate fictionalizing aspects of reality or making ideas real through storytelling.

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deep_red_rosie
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21W.

755, Writing and Reading Short Stories (Fall 2006) Shariann Lewitt Session 10: Reality

To create fiction (and alternate reality) real = unreal They must balance. The more removed, the more tactile. The more alien the setting/situation/characters, the more solid physical detail is needed to build that reality. In work that does not reflect immediate assumption of reality, you need to teach the reader the rules of the other world. This applies to any situation that the reader may find unfamiliar, not only magical realism or speculative fiction. If you are writing about any situation/world/environment where you cannot be certain that the reader is familiar, you must introduce and create the rules. Aristophanes change ONLY one thing and the rest must follow logically (Mrquez) If you change too many rules, the reader becomes confused or angry. You must build on the readers understanding of how the universe works. Discuss: Porter, Mrquez, LeGuin Porter - outline of story - What did she fictionalize? - How did the writing surprise her? Mrquez Aristophanes, 1 change rooted in reality - idea an angel - but trace it down - what other ideas (reality)? - Pelayo and Elisenda LeGuin - the story as idea - why write this as a story? (power of crafting the reality of the conundrum) - to make the idea real, to give it flesh to bring it home on the physical/emotional level, not just the intellectual

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