One difference between fiction and reality is that fiction has to be at least remotely plausible. As

[niyad]

an editor, I would have turned down that ridiculous story. As a writing instructor, I would have told the student it was completely unacceptable, and to write another.

No person with two arcing brain cells should have given it one nanosecond of credence.

[nolabear]

1. Ain't that the truth. I've been teaching a fiction class lately.

We’ve talked about how important creating a coherent narrative is, and not expecting the reader to trust you when you just throw things at the wall.

[niyad]

7. I love mysteries, so that cohesion is absolutely necessary there.

[elleng]

2. ;-(

[mobeau69]

3. The most incredible part is people actually support the guy!

In i

[niyad]

5. My shorthand for decades was, "there's something in the water". Apparently all the drugs are making

some (many) people completely nuts.

[Silent3]

4. Trump himself wouldn't pass the smell test for good writing

He's a totally implausible character, doing ridiculous and ridiculously horrible things, invoking unbelievably supportive reactions from large portions of the public.

Only 4-5 years ago the Trump story would have only been accepted at best as broad satire or slapstick comedy, not as anything meant to be considered remotely true to life.

[niyad]

6. Exactly. And yet, here he is. To our horror and danger.