Writers on Writing: Fiction vs Nonfiction

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Authors Michael Chabon and Zadie Smith weigh in on whether they prefer writing fiction or non-fiction. Chabon explains why he leans toward fiction, while Smith discusses her preference for sticking to the facts.

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Michael Chabon won a Pulitzer Prize for fiction for his novel "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay" and a Hugo Award for his novel "The Yiddish Policemen's Union." His other books include the novel "Wonder Boys," the story collections "A Model World" and "Werewolves in Their Youth," and the essay collection "Manhood for Amateurs." His stories have appeared in The New Yorker since 1987.

Zadie Smith is the author of the novels "White Teeth," which won the 2000 Whitbread First Novel Award; "The Autograph Man," which won the Jewish Quarterly-Wingate Literary Prize; and "On Beauty," which won the 2006 Orange Prize for Fiction. Last year, she published "Changing My Mind: Occasional Essays," parts of which first appeared in The New Yorker. She has been contributing to the magazine since 1999.

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[ZachClooney]

@Secretsareasickness Hmmm. I'm not going to PAY to watch the full version. Flora TV, if you are reading this, you need to know that there are many literature lovers such as myself who simply won't pay to watch something like this.

[benben42]

She looks so bored while he's talking.

[huttcore]

Non-fiction is neither superior or inferior to fiction. Both are written with the hope of revealing a truth, whether it be emotional or intellectual. If mere 'facts' were the highest pursuit of literature then one would admire the phone book as the greatest work of world literature. However, a phone book does not reveal emotional truth. Nor does it engender in the reader great thoughts. Dismissing fiction as superfluous is demonstrative of abject ignorance. Why did our ancestors paint on caves?

[JeffersonDinedAlone]

All fiction is bullshit. Good fiction is fairly entertaining bullshit.

[runepainter]

@taicleis While the majority of fiction is re-hashed stories there are some fantastic stories that speculate on what is to come. Sci-Fi writers have speculated for years on how technology will develop or at the very least how applying technology will change society. The better writers put forth the possibilities that many scientists try to bring to reality. Like a mental blue print. Some scientists became such because of early influences reading science FICTION.

[taicleis]

@ArtemisRampant

I don't think fiction is 'all fluff', but it's never been very revolutionary. Stories can inspire people and communicate ideas, but I've never heard of a storybook communicating ideas that weren't FIRST put forward in a non-fiction context.

The reason I point it out is because there is a prevailing attitude that fiction is where all the creativity is. I highly disagree. The true wonder of books is in ideas - which are not precluded by being factual.

[ArtemisRampant]

@taicleis I have to disagree with you. Fictional writing can absolutely be revolutionary (as can movies and comic books/graphic novels). People respond better to stories than to straight fact - sometimes when you have the freedom to create a story around a fundamental truth, regardless of exact facts, the truth is more easily revealed. Not that a lot of fiction isn't mostly entertainment, but it isn't all just fluff.

[taicleis]

Non-fiction isnt just buography and history - non-fiction is where all the revolutionary ideas are. It's what fiction is based on. Fiction is on the exact same plane as movies and comic books. Entertainment, with maybe some thought-provoking thrown in.

[RobertWriter8]

Good discussion between two writers on their positions on fiction and and non-fiction. Worth the four minutes to watch the video. And somewhat funny about having to tell the truth when writing non-fiction as apposed to making up the facts in a fiction piece. Well done, thanks.

[RobertWriter8]

Good discussion between two writers on their positions on fiction and and non-fiction. Worth the four minutes to watch the video. And somewhat funny about having to tell the truth when writing non-fiction as apposed to making up the fact in a fiction piece. Well done, thanks.

[acr08807]

@ZachClooney You totally misunderstand. I don't care about ForaTV, I was just making fun of some moron who called himself a "literature lover." What a dweeb he must be!

[ZachClooney]

@acr08807 Hey acr08807, or whatever Philistine you are behind that bland username, you ranted: "... there are many literature lovers like me who simply won't pay to read something like that." Well, you just have :) Time is money. And you just paid to read my comment, and then, took the time to type that dumb comment. And you call yourself a "literature lover"? Get a life!