When fiction should NOT seem real…

[Note from Steve: The reader may consider this post a sequel to a previous one, “Real Events in Fiction.”]

In your area the percentage might be different, but in news about my tristate area (NJ, NY, Conn), the media generally focuses on the negative and ignores the positive—maybe 90% of the news stories are negative, especially those involving the Big Apple. That gives me lots of ideas for mysteries and thrillers, but it’s an unwarranted bias created by the media. Since 9/11, NYC has been one...