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Using Real World Headlines In Fiction
The best advice (ever) on involving "the media" in your fictional story is in the screenwriting series, SAVE THE CAT! and consists basically of the warning DON'T INVOLVE THE MEDIA.
This is also true of using media headlines as a springboard into a story, and quoting them historically in a story set decades ago.
On the third hand, captivating an audience that lives in contemporary reality with a story set elsewhere/elsewhen (as in Science Fiction or Paranormal Romance) requires a broad awareness of what's going on in the world, and what is of primary concern to your readers.
Mostly, readers come to Romance to "get away from" the harsh edges of Reality, but if you deliver a point of view or reframing of reality that helps the reader return to reality with new strength, you will get word of mouth advertising.
We have discussed the use (and abuse) of headlines and media-narrative in many posts, mostly involving theme. Many of these posts on the Media Headlines are embedded in series of posts about integrating various writing techniques into a seamless whole (so readers can't tell you are using a "technique" at all. Craftsmanship should never be apparent, or it is very bad craftsmanship.
So here are posts scattered among various series of craftsmanship posts, that discuss what you can do with current media headlines, how to rip a story out of the headline to captivate a specific readership.
Theme Worldbuilding Integration Part 6 - Use of Media Headlines
https://aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com/2013/02/theme-worldbuilding-integration-part-6.html
Marketing Fiction In A Changing World Part 4 - Understanding the Headlines You Use For Springboards
https://aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com/2014/02/marketing-fiction-in-changing-world_18.html
Marketing Fiction In A Changing World Part 8 -- Guest Post by Flying Pen Press on Headlines and Titles
https://aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com/2014/03/marketing-fiction-in-changing-world_18.html
Reviews 9: Sex, Politics and Heroism
https://aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com/2014/08/reviews-9-sex-politics-and-heroism.html
Depiction Part 1 - Depicting Power In Relationships
https://aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com/2014/09/depiction-part-1-depicting-power-in.html
Depiction Part 2: Conflict And Resolution
https://aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com/2014/09/depiction-part-2-conflict-and-resolution.html
Reviews 10: Shadow Banking in Fantasy And Reality by Jacqueline Lichtenberg
https://aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com/2014/09/reviews-10-shadow-banking-in-fantasy.html
Marketing Fiction In A Changing World Part 23 - Mastering The Narrative Line
https://aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com/2016/10/marketing-fiction-in-changing-world_86.html
Depiction Part 19 - Depicting The Married Hunk With Children
https://aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com/2016/11/depiction-part-19-depicting-married.html
Worldbuilding For Science Fiction Romance Part 2 - Imagine An Impossible World
https://aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com/2018/10/worldbuilding-for-science-fiction.html
Jacqueline Lichtenberg
http://jacquelinelichtenberg.com
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