As the news article explains, “As she did with her previous novel, People of the Book, Brooks has successfully built a fascinating story around a nugget of history. Many of the characters in this novel are based on actual people, but Bethia is entirely fictional.”
As I studied and learned about writing, I enjoyed finding out about those novels that emphasized the imagination component of fiction. And now, after having made my attempt at 3 books, with my fourth in the works, it seems I’ve developed the curious interest of some in what I write, as well as how I do it.
I will put down the sharp words of the fountain pen for a moment and use the softer, more educationally palatable prose of the ball-point pen, if you will. It’s been my experience that some wallow in misunderstanding when faced with the writing of different authors. And more so, the basic ability to appreciate the writing has been missing. What Geraldine Brooks has done is use imagination in creating a work that offers the experiences of characters who were real people. Be they ideals, experiences, or lessons to be learned that are offered, this approach offers a blend of fact and the imagination component of fiction.
It's inappropriate to critique works similar to this one by comparing their imaginative portion to facts of places, things and people. This misses the point of the book and what it is trying to accomplish. Perhaps a reminder is needed that if a person wants to learn about a particular person, place or thing, they can look to non-fiction. But let us not forget that there is, or should be, a responsibility to be accurate in what is written. If the words written are from imagination, then it is understood that they are not talking about factual items. On the other hand, if something is talked of which is factual, it’s description and the words that talk about it should be accurate to the facts of it.
I’m happy to say that the teaching I had received in writing appreciation has let me understand what an author like Geraldine Brooks is doing with her novel. Perhaps it is helpful to consider the different genres and sub-genres which try to sift through and separate the differences of books. There is fantasy for example, and then there is urban fantasy. There is high fantasy and light fantasy. And to focus on urban fantasy, one sees that while a story is based on descriptions that are not factual, the setting of the story will be in a real place and as such the descriptions of it will be accurate to that place.
The writing of stories is a mix of skills and desires. What an author wants to do and what they can do. Historical fiction offers a story of the past which has been told, leaving the author to work their hand in describing it. General fiction, or the thrillers or mystery novels, offer the chance for imagination in creating a story if not based on a story that is known. It is a mix which is only appreciated when one understands what the book in front of them has been written to accomplish.
Myself, I also have used an approach similar to Geraldine Brook’s in my debut novel and second book. Like the title of the article says, A piece of history gets turned into fiction. In the case of my debut novel; it’s second writing titled The Swindle, the actual events from an earlier period; 1997, are used in a story that was created from my imagination. And, as another author has put it in giving a review of my novel, they called it a fascinating blend of reality and possibility, birthed from the imagination of the author. It was nice to also hear them say I am an author to keep an eye on. A second storyline in my debut novel uses imagination to describe events that were inspired by, not based on, real experiences.
My second novel, although not based on an event from history, uses imagination to portray events through the characters, who in this case are also creatively conjured up.
For those of you with good skills in imagination who are considering writing a novel, this type of book offers the chance to convey ideas about people, life, issues, or whatever you chose, through the creative use of your own ideas. If you don’t see yourself putting your words on paper, but want to appreciate a novel like this, know what it is offering and how it does that.
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