Accurate Quote by Margaret Culkin Banning
“Fiction is not a dream. Nor is it guesswork. It is imagining based on facts, and the facts must be accurate or the work of imagining will not stand up.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Literary Magazine, Margaret Culkin Banning, 1965
Fiction must be grounded in factual accuracy; otherwise imaginative work collapses.
In simple terms: Fiction needs accurate facts to hold up.
Key Takeaway
Base stories on truth.
Themes
creativity
truth
literature
Mood
thoughtful
analytical
Type
literary
educational
When to use this quote
- novel writing
- screenplay development
- historical fiction
- journalism
Key Concepts
fiction writing
research
narrative integrity
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you balance fact and imagination?
- When is factual liberty acceptable?
A Different Perspective
Fact-checking can limit creative freedom.
![“He [Groucho's father] had absolutely no training, and if you had ever seen one of his suits, you'd realize what an accurate statement that is. You see, Pop never used a tape measure. He didn't believe in it. He said he could just look at a man and tell hi.” quote by Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/02f/groucho-marx-788_accurate_he-groucho-s-father-had-absolutely-no-tr_22161.jpg)
