A Goodreads user asked Mark Lawrence:

My question is from Lord Byron's quote "Truth is stranger than fiction". Is the truth sometimes stranger than fiction? What You think as writer? Best regards: A. Tomov – junior

Mark Lawrence Truth's foibles, by virtue of being true, carry more weight. Fiction has to generate that weight through the writer's skill.

Moreover, truth never has to worry about readers complaining, "That's not realistic." or "That would never happen." because it patently is and did.

I get people complaining about my 14 year old character's height (6 foot) and cleverness (very) - and yet truth gives us tens of thousands of 6 foot 14 years olds, not to mention at least one 7 foot 14 years old, and very many clever and mature children (my own daughter walked at 6 months and read fluently at 3)

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