How real should horror be in a work of fiction? A question
"Notepad Pencils" by Jess Watters is marked with CC0 1.0. To view the terms, visit https://creativecommons.org/publicdomaing/zero/1.0/?ref=openverse. Here I am, mumbling to myself as I craft my book. Suddenly, a question arises: while my tale is treated as ‘real’ within its universe, it isn’t. How dark should its elements be? Although the story isn’t reality but a product of my imagination, I aim to lend it depth and authenticity. This story contains dark themes. While in the midst of crafting it, I ponder: just how intense should these horrors be? My book is meant to be impactful, and I want readers to be engrossed. The dark elements not only build the world and atmosphere but also significantly enhance the narrative. However, I don’t want it to come off as distasteful or excessively grim. Throughout my life, I’ve witnessed genuine horrors, we all do in the end. From the moment I began writing, whether with a pen and paper or on my old computer, I vowed never to trivialize h...