Fantasy is fantasy. It's fiction. It's not meant to be a textbook. I don't believe in letting research overwhelm the fiction. That's a danger of science fiction in particular, as opposed to fantasy. A lot of writers forget that what they're doing is supposed to be art.
Interpretation
This quote emphasizes that fantasy and fiction should prioritize creativity and artistic expression over strict adherence to research and realism.
N. K. Jemisin highlights the distinction between fantasy and other genres, particularly science fiction, by arguing that fiction should remain a form of art rather than a textbook burdened by research. She warns against the tendency for writers to let scientific accuracy eclipse the imaginative and artistic aspects of storytelling, suggesting that the primary goal of fiction should be to evoke creativity and wonder.
In practice
This quote can be shared in a writing workshop to inspire authors to trust their creative instincts.
Magic is the mysteries into which not everyone is so lucky, or unlucky, as to be initiated. It can be affected by belief, the whims of the unseen, harsh language. And it is not. Supposed. To make. Sense. In fact, I think it's coolest when it doesn't.
I don't really understand why so many fantasy writers choose to focus on worlds that just seem strangely denuded. But to them, I guess it doesn't seem strange. And I guess that's their privilege. It isn't mine.
I write what feels real. I write things that are informed both by my own experience and by actual history.
Reactionary movements can't sustain themselves unless they find something new to catch and burn on.
There's a thriving field of self-published stuff in, particularly, black fiction. I don't know that other groups of people of color have that same recourse.
I've always believed that as an artist, as a writer, you need a lot of contact with other people to make your art good.
Poetry is music, and nothing but music. Words with musical emphasis.
A poet can write about a man slaying a dragon, but not about a man pushing a button that releases a bomb.
The task of a writer consists of being able to make something out of an idea.
The artist committing himself to his calling has volunteered for hell, whether he knows it or not. He will be dining for the duration on a diet of isolation, rejection, self-doubt, despair, ridicule, contempt, and humiliation.
A short story must have a single mood and every sentence must build towards it.
You think I'm not a goddess? Try me. This is a torch song. Touch me and you'll burn.
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