Is it permissible to read and write fictional stories and novels?

Reading fictional stories is a waste of time, for which a person will be questioned on the Day of Judgment, as stated in the Hadith: "Two blessings in which many people are deceived are health and free time." As for writing them, there are two caveats: wasting time and lying by fabricating unrealistic scenarios. The alternative is to write about real events, or stories from the Quran and Sunnah, or the biographies of prophets and righteous people, in an engaging and accessible style for children, focusing on ethics and virtue.