Only idiots would do that. The deception is a deception, and that is something about which I warned Ryan, albeit too delicately in retrospect. For that, I won't argue anyone who has a beef with him on that regard. He lied, and you're right. And yet factual truth is not and should not be the cornerstone of great writing nor great storytelling.
Truth lies in as much in experience as in fact.
Ophelia did not exist, this a true thing. But her experiences did. The same thing goes for Heather Yi . I was literally the last person to know that Heather didn't exist, and yes, for a brief moment I felt like a fool for not clueing in. But when I re-read .gina , I'm struck by the humanity of the tale.