I’m supposed to be thinking about where I might fit on the spectrum between romanticism and realism as a fiction writer.

Romanticists tend toward: “rendering reality poetically, intertwining character and plot so that plot reveals character, characters are simple and driven by one desire, settings express mood and inner nature of characters, events can be dramatic and implausible, tone is usually serious, and presentation is subjective in first or close third person point of view.”

Realists tend toward: “rendering reality closely and in detail no matter the plot, character is more important and involves complex ethical choices, characters appear in real complexity and who they are and where they come from matters, class is important, settings are local and specific, events are plausible, tone can be matter-of-fact, and

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objectivity in presentation is important so heads toward an omniscient or distant third point of view”(Hutchison, J.)

As with so many things, I see myself in both, but I think I bend more to the romanticist side of literature. If you’ve read my work, leave a comment and let me know what you think. If you haven’t read my work, tell me where you’d rather live in your fiction reading.

Examples of each include:

Romanticism: Poe, Hawthorn, Shelley, Blake, Austen, Carroll, LeGuin and Gaiman

Realists: Twain, Harding Davis, James, Joyce, and Chekov