Readers place their trust in writers. They trust a writer to
be authentic and real, even when it’s a fiction writer.
While fiction shouldn’t be expected to replace factual
reference books, the reader should be able to feel a connection. If a character
manages something that is glaringly not plausible; for example a regular
teen-age boy will not have the ability to fly — under his own power — over rooftops
to visit his girlfriend. If the fiction writer wants her character to possess
this trait, she needs to offer a believable explanation, perhaps a witch’s
spell or a radioactive spill would enable this skill.
The fiction story does not have to be reality, but it does
have to be real. If you create a scene that is too far-fetched for your readers
to accept, they will distance themselves from the story and they will lose
interest in your work. If you refer to any actual historical events or real
places do research and be sure of your facts. If you are including real people
in your work, be careful as well as factual – for instance if your character
has an illicit affair with a real politician, you could very well be sued for libel
(libel is written defamation of character). However it would be permissible for
your character to witness or discuss a factual event such as Sirhan Sirhan’s assassination
of Robert F. Kennedy.
When you are choosing a location for your story you can
utilize an actual scene which requires total accuracy, a mix of real and made-up
which may lend enough authenticity without limiting your imagination, or a
completely fictional place. In fantasy and science fiction you can do your own
world-building where you, as the author, create the reality. You can also
create an entirely fictional place and borrow regional specifics to make it
seem more real; including climate and topographical characteristics, local
language and cuisine will help place the location for your readers without
offending potential critics who look for errors in your descriptions.
Whatever location description you choose to use, be sure to
remain consistent. Having your character take an elevator five flights to his
top floor apartment and then having a later mention of the building being
shorter than the four-story building next door will send your readers’
imagination away from the story. Make sure to stay constant about character
descriptions as well as in hair color, length, height, weight, etc.
When creating fictional settings keep your description of the
visual scene to the necessary minimum — aside from boring your readers with a
lot of unnecessary words, leaving a little bit to your readers’ imagination will
make them feel more invested in the story as they visualize it in their minds.
A good rule of thumb is to describe objects or settings that have relevance to
the story and leave the rest vague; bite marks on pencils on the desk may be
pertinent when describing the feverish work habits of a frustrated writer, but
the color of the carpet may not be relevant unless you’re talking about blood
stains or such.
Writing Exercise: In no more than three paragraphs, but at least
seven sentences, describe the room you are in so that a reader will be able to
feel like he is actually in the room with you. Include as many characteristics as
possible to actually help a reader know WHERE this place is located (ie:
temperature, sounds, window light, etc.)
Writing Prompt: Think of a significant event that happened in
your past, it can be anything good or bad, and write a description SOLELY FROM
YOUR MEMORY of the setting where this event took place.
Challenge Assignment: Research a place that you have never visited;
you can use virtual guides, encyclopedias, travel guides, online or off to
learn as much about the place including local characteristics of the people who
reside there. Taking the same significant event from your past that you used
for the prompt, rewrite the event so it is indigenous to the “new” place.
