Realism or escapism

There has been a thought I have heard passed around these past few years. “The [insert creative product] must be a reflection of current day.”

Like many musings that are put into the aether, seemingly flippantly, I find myself spending way more time on the quote than, I am pretty sure, than the person who the quote is attributed to.

For the above, I find the thought that books, movies, games, etc. must fit the mold of [current day] reductive and restrictive. Modern day, for the most part, sucks right now. Anyone who says otherwise is selling you something. And to reflect that would be to dwell on areas that are seemingly out of your control. Believe you me, it is a maddening affair that would only end one up in a padded room. Can we inflict small change? Sure, and we better. Like the little boy who threw a handful of beached starfish back in the ocean. He can’t save them all, but for the ones he could save, he changed their future.

But, I am getting away from myself. People run to media like books, movies, etc. to escape things. A life, a job, boredom, chaos, whatever. And they choose to run to something that allows a pressure release in their life. A moment where the ills of the world can melt away and they can be in someone else’s life. They can read thrillers, crime dramas, experience exciting heists, a world of crazy trippy creatures, or a plethora of other stories, worlds, or events. And in those stories this world need not be.

Can it be? Absolutely. But it doesn’t need to.

I have read, in part or in whole, books that are not for me. But I have never run up to others, slapped the book out of their hands, yelling that they can’t read those novels because of content that I didn’t like. So when people are out there dictating details of what is necessary in stories I call “bollocks” on that.

Beyond just the escapism angle, there is the whole creative restriction. I remember reading a lot about “writing what you know” as a tip for new writers. After writing a little bit on computer programming and management I thought more and more that it was sucky advice. I wanted to write about adventure, science, and fantasy… areas I had no real world expertise in.

I don’t mean to shatter your image of me… but I am not a wizard, a knight, a marine, or a paladin. I should be out of my element, but I am not. It’s a story. It's a tale to be told. And the restriction of “writing what I know” is very similar to “reflecting the world of today.”

No.

I will not be restricted to who my characters are? What they can be, what their past is, or what their future may be. What they look like, how they act, or what creed they follow. I will write great characters that only reflect what is on the page. That paper, or screen, will show you who they are, and not what they were inspired by.

And you, if you are writing, I implore you to not let anyone tell you what you can and cannot write about. If you write something that has an audience, great! If you write something that only you read - you know what? That is still awesome. You already beat out 99% of potential authors.

Now go create something amazing.