But the example of Homer, Shakespeare, and others does suggest that aesthetic laws can sometimes be suspended. Suspending recognizable aesthetic laws of course means taking risks, and the teacher who wishes to play it safe may say to his students, “That’s all right for Shakespeare, but not for a beginner.” The trouble with this solution is that it tries to teach the art of fiction by shrinking the art, making it something more manageable but no longer art.

–John Gardner, The Art of Fiction