--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This is a work of fiction. All the…" description: "\"This is a work of fiction. All the characters in it, human and otherwise, are imaginary, excepting only certain of the fairy folk, whom it might be unw..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36b/neil-gaiman-29_casting_this-is-a-work-of-fiction-all-the-charac_2614491.jpg" --- # This is a work of fiction. All the characters in it, human… ![“This is a work of fiction. All the characters in it, human and otherwise, are imaginary, excepting only certain of the fairy folk, whom it might be unwise to offend by casting doubts on their existence. Or lack thereof.” quote by Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36b/neil-gaiman-29_casting_this-is-a-work-of-fiction-all-the-charac_2614491.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36b/neil-gaiman-29_casting_this-is-a-work-of-fiction-all-the-charac_2614491.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36b/neil-gaiman-29_casting_this-is-a-work-of-fiction-all-the-charac_2614491.jpg) > “This is a work of fiction. All the characters in it, human and otherwise, are imaginary, excepting only certain of the fairy folk, whom it might be unwise to offend by casting doubts on their existence. Or lack thereof.” [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The work is fictional, but some fairy beings may be real, so questioning their existence could be risky. **In simple terms:** Fictional story hints at possibly real fairy folk. Key Takeaway Consider the power of belief in unseen forces. Themes myth fiction belief caution Mood mysterious playful Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - creative writing - roleplaying games - fantasy literature Key Concepts meta-fiction worldbuilding Questions to Reflect On - What does believing in unseen beings do for you? - How do you balance imagination with skepticism? A Different Perspective Belief in the unreal can be dismissed as mere imagination. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Casting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/casting/) [Certain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain/) [Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Fairy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fairy/) [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [Fiction Characters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction-characters-608198/) [Human Imaginary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-imaginary-2055553/) [Imaginary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imaginary/) [Imaginary Excepting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imaginary-excepting-2055554/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Unwise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unwise/) ## Related quotes > [What is the heart? It is not human and it is not imaginary. I call it you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/what-is-the-heart-it-is-not-human-and-it-is-not-imaginary-i-call-it/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [“In fiction, the characters have their own lives. They may start as a gloss on the author’s life, but they move on from there.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-yolen/in-fiction-the-characters-have-their-own-lives-they-may-start-as-a/) [Jane Yolen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-yolen/) > [In hard-core science fiction in which characters are responding to a change in environment, caused by nature or the universe or technology, what readers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gunn/in-hard-core-science-fiction-in-which-characters-are-responding-to-a/) [James Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gunn/) > [Dialogue in fiction is what characters do to one another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-bowen/dialogue-in-fiction-is-what-characters-do-to-one-another/) [Elizabeth Bowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-bowen/) > [Dogwalker is a book of fiction, with characters based on the types of people who truly exist in the world. I've seen them and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-bradford/dogwalker-is-a-book-of-fiction-with-characters-based-on-the-types-of/) [Arthur Bradford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-bradford/) > [“Good writers may “tell” about almost anything in fiction except the characters’ feelings. One may tell the reader that the character went to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gardner/good-writers-may-tell-about-almost-anything-in-fiction-except-the/) [John Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gardner/) > [I do not allow fan-fiction. The characters are copyrighted. It upsets me terribly to even think about fan-fiction with my characters. I advise my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/i-do-not-allow-fan-fiction-the-characters-are-copyrighted-it-upsets/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) > [Gods, religions and national boundaries are absolutely imaginary. They don't tend to exist. As soon as you pull back half a mile and look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/gods-religions-and-national-boundaries-are-absolutely-imaginary-they/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [I'd love to write some porn, but I don't know if I have the right engines. 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They aren't asking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ramadan/51-of-the-french-people-who-are-not-very-religious-were-thinking-that/) [Tariq Ramadan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ramadan/) > [This is servitude, To serve th'unwise, or him who hath rebelled Against his worthier, as thine now serve thee, Thyself not free, but to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/this-is-servitude-to-serve-th-unwise-or-him-who-hath-rebelled-against/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [Mindfulness is being aware of yourself, others, and your surroundings in the moment. When consciously and kindly focusing awareness on life as it unfolds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-thoele/mindfulness-is-being-aware-of-yourself-others-and-your-surroundings/) [Sue Thoele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-thoele/) > [My life shall be free and broad and great, and I will not be the slave to the sense delights which chained my ancient…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-london/my-life-shall-be-free-and-broad-and-great-and-i-will-not-be-the-slave/) [Jack London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-london/) ## More by Neil Gaiman > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Like all sentient beings, Fat Charlie had a weirdness quotient. For some days the needle had been over in the red, occasionally banging jerkily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/like-all-sentient-beings-fat-charlie-had-a-weirdness-quotient-for/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Shadow crawled across the floor to the yellow foam-rubber pad and climbed onto it, pulling the thin blanket over himself, and closed his eyes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/shadow-crawled-across-the-floor-to-the-yellow-foam-rubber-pad-and/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [ “\[T\]hey could not help being amused every time another little human believed itself the center of its world, as each of us does.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/t-hey-could-not-help-being-amused-every-time-another-little-human/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [So many things to see, people to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/so-many-things-to-see-people-to-do/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead.’ – Ben Franklin,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/three-may-keep-a-secret-if-two-of-them-are-dead-ben-franklin/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [You need more than a beginning if you're going to start a book. If all you have is a beginning, then once you've written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-need-more-than-a-beginning-if-you-re-going-to-start-a-book-if-all/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [You can tell the date of an old science fiction novel by every word on the page. Nothing dates harder and faster and more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-can-tell-the-date-of-an-old-science-fiction-novel-by-every-word/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“The quickest way is sometimes the longest.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/the-quickest-way-is-sometimes-the-longest/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“They were spells, spelled with words to make worlds, waiting for me, in the pages of books.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/they-were-spells-spelled-with-words-to-make-worlds-waiting-for-me-in/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [Finish what you're writing. Whatever you have to do to finish it, finish it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/finish-what-you-re-writing-whatever-you-have-to-do-to-finish-it/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [What do stars do? They shine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/what-do-stars-do-they-shine/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“What," asked Mr Croup, "do you want?" "What," asked the Marquis de Carabas, a little more rhetorically, "does anyone want?" "Dead things," suggested Mr…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/what-asked-mr-croup-do-you-want-what-asked-the-marquis-de-carabas-a/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [You get on with your own life. Lettie gave it to you. You just have to grow up and try and be worth it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-get-on-with-your-own-life-lettie-gave-it-to-you-you-just-have-to/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Eyes will not see you. Minds will not hold you. Where you are is nothing and nobody”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/eyes-will-not-see-you-minds-will-not-hold-you-where-you-are-is/) [neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) [Explore all 2,526 Neil Gaiman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) ## More Casting quotes > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [I'm being called in by all the great casting directors. It's no longer based on a headshot. 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It was good casting, I suppose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-west/it-would-have-been-an-interesting-run-if-we-hadn-t-gotten-along-it/) [Dominic West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-west/) > [People are always casting me for what they call my 'authority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-hunt/people-are-always-casting-me-for-what-they-call-my-authority/) [Linda Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-hunt/) > [So here I sit in the early candle-light of old age-I and my book-casting backward glances over out travel'd road.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/so-here-i-sit-in-the-early-candle-light-of-old-age-i-and-my-book/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [I guess my height has hurt me as much as it's helped me. 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You have to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pink/i-have-to-speak-for-myself-as-far-as-videos-go-casting-the-artwork/) [Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pink/) [Browse all 858 Casting quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/casting/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "This is a work of fiction. All the characters in it, human and otherwise, are imaginary, excepting only certain of the fairy folk, whom it might be unwise to offend by casting doubts on their existence. 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