One of the things I strive for is realism. I need to be as real as possible in the dilemmas my characters face.
Tamora PierceBriar: "So I guess I was the last to know." Rosethorn: "Of course you are. You're a man, aren't you?
Tamora PierceYou have an audience that is fairly well grounded in the real world. You serve them and yourself best by making everything as real as possible.
Tamora PierceYou know something? There are sandstorms that strip man and horse and bury them — I've seen them. I saw bones piled higher than my head for the folly of a bad king and those who wanted his throne. I lived through a blizzard that froze every other living creature solid. Against those things, you're only a man. I can deal with you.
Tamora Pierce