--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Good fiction is not defined by the…" description: "\"“Good fiction is not defined by the masses, but by the tentative ear.”\" — James D. Maxon" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d94/james-d-maxon-46980_fiction_good-fiction-is-not-defined-by-the-masse_204742.jpg" --- # Good fiction is not defined by the masses, but by the… ![“Good fiction is not defined by the masses, but by the tentative ear.” quote by James D. Maxon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d94/james-d-maxon-46980_fiction_good-fiction-is-not-defined-by-the-masse_204742.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d94/james-d-maxon-46980_fiction_good-fiction-is-not-defined-by-the-masse_204742.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d94/james-d-maxon-46980_fiction_good-fiction-is-not-defined-by-the-masse_204742.jpg) > ““Good fiction is not defined by the masses, but by the tentative ear.”” [James D. Maxon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-maxon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True quality in fiction is judged by discerning listeners, not by popular opinion. **In simple terms:** Good fiction appeals to the thoughtful ear. Key Takeaway Seek depth over popularity. Themes literature criticism artistic standards Mood contemplative analytical Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - book clubs - writing workshops - editorial reviews - personal reading choices Key Concepts aesthetic judgment subjectivity cultural taste Questions to Reflect On - What makes a story resonate with you? - Do you trust critics or your own taste? A Different Perspective Popular appeal can overlook merit. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [Science-fiction ... can be defined as: Imaginative extrapolation of true natural phenomena, existing now, or likely to exist in the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugo-gernsback/science-fiction-can-be-defined-as-imaginative-extrapolation-of-true/) [Hugo Gernsback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugo-gernsback/) > [“Good fiction makes the truth believable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tarrant-smith/good-fiction-makes-the-truth-believable/) Tarrant Smith > [Once you finish a book, it doesn't belong to you anymore. You're giving it to other people. If something in what a writer writes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/once-you-finish-a-book-it-doesn-t-belong-to-you-anymore-you-re-giving/) [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) > [“Good fiction writers have an instinctive understanding of human nature. That's what makes stories and characters captivating. Good spiritual writers share what they sincerely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-goddard/good-fiction-writers-have-an-instinctive-understanding-of-human/) [Donna Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-goddard/) > [Good fiction reveals feeling, refines events, locates importance and, though its methods are as mysterious as they are varied, intensifies the experience of living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-canby/good-fiction-reveals-feeling-refines-events-locates-importance-and/) [Vincent Canby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-canby/) > [I think that, for physicians who want to become writers, they have the material, the smarts, they have the logic, they know the stories;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tess-gerritsen/i-think-that-for-physicians-who-want-to-become-writers-they-have-the/) [Tess Gerritsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tess-gerritsen/) > [“Fiction---good fiction, anyway---is dream made flesh, given purpose and drive, and set on a quest to show us the best in us and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-lisle/fiction-good-fiction-anyway-is-dream-made-flesh-given-purpose-and/) [Holly Lisle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-lisle/) > [For feel-good fiction to work, there has to be an element of darkness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-keyes/for-feel-good-fiction-to-work-there-has-to-be-an-element-of-darkness/) [Marian Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-keyes/) > [“Fiction writing is art. It therefore, has few mathematical or scientific limits to its evolution. The writer must always push forward, experiment, and strive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-gavalik/fiction-writing-is-art-it-therefore-has-few-mathematical-or/) Ron Gavalik > [Good fiction must be entertaining- but what makes fiction special- and True- is that the realness of a novel allows it to carry a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-b-jenkins/good-fiction-must-be-entertaining-but-what-makes-fiction-special-and/) [Jerry B. 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Priestley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-b-priestley/) > [The nature of good fiction is that it dwells in ambiguity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-l-doctorow/the-nature-of-good-fiction-is-that-it-dwells-in-ambiguity/) [E. L. Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-l-doctorow/) > [I just don't think I'm very good at fiction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-ronson/i-just-don-t-think-i-m-very-good-at-fiction/) [Jon Ronson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-ronson/) ## More by James D. Maxon > [“In the story of life, the prologue and epilogue are written by God. Yet the plot has been given to us; therefore we should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-maxon/in-the-story-of-life-the-prologue-and-epilogue-are-written-by-god-yet/) [James D. Maxon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-maxon/) > [“Fantasy is an excellent platform to shine new lights on old truths.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-maxon/fantasy-is-an-excellent-platform-to-shine-new-lights-on-old-truths/) [James D. Maxon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-maxon/) > [“If you measure your life by what you own, the cavern of your heart will never be filled.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-maxon/if-you-measure-your-life-by-what-you-own-the-cavern-of-your-heart/) [James D. Maxon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-maxon/) > [“Fiction gives us a reach into the lives of individuals that would otherwise be but a closed door. If we are gifted with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-maxon/fiction-gives-us-a-reach-into-the-lives-of-individuals-that-would/) [James D. Maxon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-maxon/) > [“Who should we be trying to make the most proud? Our family? Our friends? Our teachers or bosses? What about the one who molded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-maxon/who-should-we-be-trying-to-make-the-most-proud-our-family-our-friends/) [James D. Maxon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-maxon/) > [“Heart isn’t something you find in soap operas and Harlequin novels. It’s that pure essence–sheltered deep inside–that occasionally makes its way to the surface.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-maxon/heart-isn-t-something-you-find-in-soap-operas-and-harlequin-novels-it/) [James D. Maxon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-maxon/) > [“A great writer weaves words like a painter mixes colors.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-maxon/a-great-writer-weaves-words-like-a-painter-mixes-colors/) [James D. Maxon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-maxon/) [Explore all 8 James D. Maxon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-maxon/) ## More Fiction quotes > [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/) Phil Hogan > [The thing about science fiction is that it's totally wide open. But it's wide open in a conditional way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-butler/the-thing-about-science-fiction-is-that-it-s-totally-wide-open-but-it/) [Octavia Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-butler/) > [I do think that theater is a great venue for science fiction, and not just adaptations but also original work. I also think some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-einhorn/i-do-think-that-theater-is-a-great-venue-for-science-fiction-and-not/) Edward Einhorn > [Fiction is a way of exploring possibilities present but undreamt of in the living of a single life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadine-gordimer/fiction-is-a-way-of-exploring-possibilities-present-but-undreamt-of/) [Nadine Gordimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadine-gordimer/) > [I love writing fiction and can do it anywhere - I once even missed a flight because I was so engrossed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prue-leith/i-love-writing-fiction-and-can-do-it-anywhere-i-once-even-missed-a/) [Prue Leith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prue-leith/) > [“The fiction will seek the real.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coheed-and-cambria/the-fiction-will-seek-the-real/) Coheed and Cambria > [I think that most of us, anyway, read these stories that we know are not "true" because we're hungry for another kind of truth:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/i-think-that-most-of-us-anyway-read-these-stories-that-we-know-are/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [The danger that may really threaten (crime fiction) is that soon there will be more writers than readers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-barzun/the-danger-that-may-really-threaten-crime-fiction-is-that-soon-there/) [Jacques Barzun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-barzun/) > [There's always that discussion about fiction about how do you market it - these are books for boys, these are books for girls, these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-a-weatherly/there-s-always-that-discussion-about-fiction-about-how-do-you-market/) [L.A. Weatherly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-a-weatherly/) > [Inspiration comes from so many sources. Music, other fiction, the non-fiction I read, TV shows, films, news reports, people I know, stories I hear,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trudi-canavan/inspiration-comes-from-so-many-sources-music-other-fiction-the-non/) [Trudi Canavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trudi-canavan/) > [I'm not interested in making a diagnostic novel or a concern. I'm 100 percent committed in fiction to the pleasure principle - that's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/i-m-not-interested-in-making-a-diagnostic-novel-or-a-concern-i-m-100/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [“His hands on my waist he gently pulled me n embrace. I could feel his breath on my face our lips were about to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-eglinger/his-hands-on-my-waist-he-gently-pulled-me-n-embrace-i-could-feel-his/) [Nicole Eglinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-eglinger/) > [In early drafts, one of the trickiest things for me to do was to realize that the techniques and devices that make readable and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-rooney/in-early-drafts-one-of-the-trickiest-things-for-me-to-do-was-to/) [Kathleen Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-rooney/) > [I don't think it's always a sign of respect for persons (inside or outside of fiction) to pretend to be able to represent, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-lerner/i-don-t-think-it-s-always-a-sign-of-respect-for-persons-inside-or/) [Ben Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-lerner/) > [Metafiction says something. It has to do with taking a large fiction itself and writing within it; that kind of self-reflecting writing that emerges…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-coover/metafiction-says-something-it-has-to-do-with-taking-a-large-fiction/) [Robert Coover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-coover/) [Browse all 7,410 Fiction quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Good fiction is not defined by the masses, but by the tentative ear.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James D. 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