Rising Above

We live in a dishonest age, and all the lying is giving fiction a bad name. Fiction is widely regarded as a synonym for false. Fact or fiction, that’s the way we put it. But here’s the thing. Facts can be spliced together in ways that deceive. Highlight certain facts, downplay or omit others, create a false impression.

Thanks to the widespread assumption that nonfiction is fact and fiction is fantasy, few give much thought to how fictional stories are based on real-life occurrences. Based on fact, that is. In works of fiction, facts can be blended and formed into composite characters, places and events, seasoned with a dash of imagination, providing a fuller representation of reality, revealing deeper truths.

Just as the line between nonfiction and fiction is blurrier than we care to admit, fiction’s reputation as unrealistic or even flatly untrue is a bigger problem than we might imagine. Imagination is one thing, perhaps the only thing, clearly separating fictional storytelling from n…