But then the course of events takes no account of…
““But then the course of events takes no account of verisimilitude. Fiction has to be probable; fact does not.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Fiction must feel believable, while facts need not conform to narrative expectations.
In simple terms: Stories need plausibility; facts can be odd.
Value narrative coherence over factual strictness.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- creative writing
- journalism
- science communication
- education
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- When does fact become too strange for a story?
- How do we judge plausibility?
Real-world events can be stranger than fiction, challenging this view.