Fiction is not only a 'nowhen', but also a 'neverwhen'. There can be aspects of realisitically rendered fiction that describes actual places and actual periods of history, but in reality these are also fictional constructions filtered through one person's imagination.
The same is true of fictional characters themselves, even if they are based upon historical figures, they too are merely fictional constructions. Some authors--Paul Auster to name one--even create characters bearing their own name and physical characteristics--and yet these are still (meta) fictional constructions.
What this all points to is why do we persist in all this make believe? What is the instrinsic value and fascination with fictional worlds? What is the ultimate value of literature? What is it about a masterfully written book that can entice us into this parallel world that is evoked merely by some black squibbles on a page?
We are an animal that seems to need stories, just as we need air and nutrients and water. Even in the real world, we construct fictions. Just think about about where you grew up and your memories of it. Another person's rendering of the same town during the same period of time will be different than yours because they see it through their own eyes and filters of experience. In that sense, even the objective, external world is a 'neverwhen' since the perceiver and what is being perceived varies from person to person.
The person you were yesterday is not exactly the same person you are today. Our minds change just as our moods rise and fall. The same event can be perceived in different ways by the same person depending on their state of mind at the time. Perhaps that is the key to understanding the importance of storytelling.
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