Honesty, Writing, and the Fantastic
Reflections — 21/01/21
Honesty simpliciter tends to be thought of as telling the truth. I believe there’s a part of that that follows when thinking about honesty in writing, but I think it encompasses a little more. Honesty in writing means being honest with respect to your vision. This is part of what makes you write in the first place, but I think, to avoid writing “fluff” or trite Hallmark card-type stuff, this includes delivering your reader something that respects them.
If honesty is an important (read: critical) aspect of writing (and I mean the part that includes telling the truth), whether discipline or art, how is it possible to write honestly about things you’ve never experienced or are physically impossible (magic, massive space stations galaxies away, etc.)?
As an avid reader of fantasy novels, even trying to write some, this question has occurred to me frequently. How can I/fantasy writers bend the structure of reality and be honest about it? It would be absurd to say that it’s immaterial and fantasy writers are just hacks making a buck off credulity. No. That’s not what I’m getting at. Does anyone question the integrity of Tolkien, Jordan, Kay, or Martin?
I don’t, and not simply because history, actual human history is a major influence for all of these writers. I mean, could…
