Entry 31: Author’s Background

I think it is more credible when the author has firsthand experience with the topic. If the author has experienced the kind of situation him or herself, he or she can more correctly depict the character's feelings and reactions. If an author decides to make up some story, it depends on the writer's ability to empathize and describe. I believe it is possible for authors to do that. Writers, producers and directors dramatize true stories to make it more entertaining. If a story is told using the most "politically correct" diction, creating only the "true and basic" moods, and following the most straight-forward chronological order, the audience might find it boring and cliche. (or even funny because of the diction) I guess most people would rather get entertained than informed, but it still depends on each individual. Some people might want a balance of the two, getting both entertained and informed. However, I don't believe anyone would want to watch a movie that has absolutely no entertainment element for fun. Yes, if you are watching a documentary or an actual film footage from WW2, then maybe it's purely informative and not entertaining. (but, some people might find it interesting and entertaining, I cannot guarantee that.) For me, I would like to have a little bit of both. If the film is very entertaining but very informatively incorrect, I might enjoy it once and forget about it. Similarly, if the film is very informative but not entertaining I would probably fall asleep.