Facts in Fiction

Grounding fiction with pertinent facts makes the story more beievable. To that end a writer needs to select facts that feel like they belong in the story. There must be a reason for their inclusion, a purpose that moves the story along.

Examples:

In the ballet trilogy (84 Ribbons, When the Music Stops: Dance On, and Letters to Follow: A Dancer’s Adventure) I used facts: real streets in real towns, real layouts of homes, real ballet music, and real scenery you’d see if you visited the places I had Marta and Lynne visited. I especially enjoyed my visits to The Rims in Billings so I used that location as a prized thinking spot. In book three. I used  towns and villages buildings and venues I visited to ground the story in realism, but I also included a few imagined places and real places which I’ve never visited; I hope you were not able to tell the differences!

In Tasman: An Innocent Convict’s Struggle for Freedom I began with places I visited, added details of the era and sent you on a trip to explore a variety of locations and characters. Once again I hope the facts will enhance the fiction.

If you have questions about what is fact and where the fcition begins in my books, let me know. I’ll share one or two tidbits that won’t disrupt your imagination or your reading of the novels.