Scanning the New York Times bestseller list, you’ll see a multitude of realistic fiction books. Otherwise known as “contemporary fiction,” realistic fiction deals with life as it is now. It’s real life, set in this world—books that confront the modern problems that its protagonists may face. Traditionally, realistic fiction books might be family stories that discuss the intricacies and complications of those relationships.

Realistic fiction books can delve into the nature of friendship, too—of the friend rivalries that pop up because of a mutual crush or of teenagers growing apart and middle schoolers competing against each other to make an athletic team. Realistic fiction books can be issue books, too, in their exploration of characters dealing with mental health issues, addiction, racism and more.

But what happens when reality, the very thing that gives realistic fiction its name, has inevitably changed as the world changes and the marketplace matures?

As we all know, the last few years have been tumultuous. In a very short amount of time, society has changed—both in how we view our lives and how we, as people,  interact with each other.

Since characters are people, too, it’s natural to ask about how to—and whether to—apply these changes to the worlds of our characters. In a world where social distancing has become the norm, and there may be psychological ramifications for adhering to these guidelines, there are many considerations to think about if we want to incorporate this new, shifted world into our fiction.

today’s REALISTIC FICTION: What might we consider?

For example, should our characters hug anymore? Would they give action like this a second thought, even once the pandemic is over? What about social gatherings or concerts? If our novel is supposed to be ‘realistic,’ would our characters still go to events like big parties or athletic events? Would they mention things that happened during the COVID crisis, for example, or are you writing in a time setting before or long after the pandemic? Does it or did it affect them at all?

Considering that most books take upwards of two years to go from book deal to publication, it’s natural to think that realistic fiction in the future will mean something very different from the realistic fiction of a year (or even two months) ago.

Is it necessary to reflect reality in realistic fiction?

But do we need to address these changes? Is it okay to pretend that the world is still what it was? Does that make our work historical fiction—or even a lie?

To me, the answer is absolutely no, especially since the events of this crisis are still unfolding around us. Right now, we don’t know how things will end. Our world may not go back to “normal” and there may be dramatic shifts around the way our society is structured, but it’s still okay to write as if things are the “same.” Every child has been affected by current events like war and climate change and viral pandemics, but these world events are not going to affect everyone in the same way.

You also want to consider that after living through this situation, it is very likely that your reader will be using fiction as escapism. They may not want to read about a world dealing with our modern problems.

It is ultimately your choice as to whether or not you want your world and your novel to involve our current reality. As long as you create a solid world for your characters to live in, both can still be considered realistic fiction.

We love teaching writing here at Good Story Company, but general articles only go so far. If you like my approach to story, come work with me as your book editor at Good Story Editing. We can dive into your project—from concept to execution to submission strategy—together!