I’m honestly getting an increasingly lowering tolerance for the words ‘in real life’, ‘realistic’ and ‘relatable’ in regards to fiction.
Like, the character can jump a hundred metres into the air and slice through buildings. He has ancient alien cells in him giving him a psychosis. Why is it so difficult to imagine he might be single-mindedly in love with the girl he’s been in love with since pre-teens?
Realistic? Hardly. Does it matter? No, if it’s well-written.
“In real life–“
Shut up. What does the actual text say?
Never mind that ironically the only realistic part of that paragraph was the love.
Likewise, it’s certainly realistic for people to take one step forward and two steps backward and absolutely never learn from their mistakes, but as a story it’s so excruciating to read about. It’s like, you go through that in the first book and five books later the character is still in the exact same spot. And at that point it’s about time to give up.
Moreover, in real life it’s realistic for everyone to be jerks to a greater or lesser degree but in fiction you expect better from characters who are supposed to be so ~full of love~. Instead, the author says that and then shows you the exact opposite because either stories are only as intelligent as their authors or that’s how much they think of you.
You know, I honestly think this exact mindset is the reason why there’s been a definite decline in the quality of fiction.
I mean, if all you want from fiction is realism or relatability then you might as well just go live that real life?
Which is not to say that fiction can’t or shouldn’t be realistic. But what it needs to be is grounded. Not a hundred per cent like real life but grounded.
Hiraeth 