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September 18, 2016 By penny Leave a Comment

Writing Fiction: 3 Tips To Make It Believable

Writing Fiction: 3 Tips To Make It Believable

You’re writing fiction. You want to make it believable, so that readers are completely engrossed in your story. How do you do that? It’s a challenge, and it can be a dangerous one. Fictional reality, and “real” reality are different.

A few weeks ago, one of my writer friends complained to me about feedback from her editor. “My editor said that the story is unbelievable. That’s ridiculous. It’s real, it happened to me — not that I’m telling her that.”

I had to laugh, because she sounded so outraged. It took a while for her to see the funny side, however.

How to make a story believable when you’re writing fiction

[clickToTweet tweet=”In fiction, what makes a story unbelievable?” quote=”In fiction, what makes a story unbelievable?” theme=”style1″]

All fiction is completely made up, so “unbelievability” is a given — our stories are complete lies. But what makes a story unbelievable? It’s often hard to pin down, and it’s always a matter of perception. One reader may scoff at a story which another reader adores.

However, there are three things which will help to make your stories seem real: the motivations of your characters; the emotional throughline of your story; and simplicity.

Let’s look at these elements.

1. Motivation: give your characters reasons for acting the way they do

If you read reviews on Amazon, you’ll often find readers complaining about characters’ motivations. “Then suddenly, for no reason…” “Just because it had to happen for the story…” etc.

In real life, people do weird things. Your story people can do weird things too, but you (and readers) must be clear on why your characters do what they do. This means that if you know that something is going to happen at the mid-point, you need to plant the seeds of that earlier.

You won’t always be able to do this in your first draft of course. However, it must be done. Every character needs clear motivation for acting the way he does.

2. Track your characters’ emotions: be clear on when and why they change

Fast emotional shifts are another thing about which reviewers complain. Readers complain about “insta love” in romances, for example.

Emotions are tied to motivation, and events. In revision, keep an eye on your scenes’ sequels. Do your characters’ emotions make sense? Ask your beta readers to let you know when they don’t understand what a character is feeling, and why.

3. Keep it simple: prune your plot so that your readers understand what’s happening, and why

Generally speaking, the more convoluted your plot, the less believable it is. Your plot starts with your story question, which is tied to your genre. In a romance, the story question is simple — will boy get girl? Similarly, in a mystery: will the private detective track down the killer?

Write your story question on a sticky note, and keep it in mind in every scene. If a scene doesn’t relate directly to your story question, it’s probably not needed.

When my friend cleared the undergrowth of her plot, and made the story simpler, it also become more believable. She’s had several conversations with her editor, and her novel is back on track.

Make your fiction believable

The Eardleys Of Gostwicke Hall
The Lady And The Rake: A Scandalous Arrangement

The Lady And The Rake: A Scandalous Arrangement

eBook: $4.99
Author: Penelope Redmont
Series: The Eardleys Of Gostwicke Hall, Book 1
Genre: Regency Romance
Tag: regency

Melisande Eardley has a temper, and that temper gets the better of her.

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The Lady And The Duke: A Dangerous Season

The Lady And The Duke: A Dangerous Season

eBook: $4.99
Author: Penelope Redmont
Series: The Eardleys Of Gostwicke Hall, Book 2
Genre: Regency Romance
Tags: Recommended Books, regency

Her sister Catherine believes that Elaine's hair tells you everything that you need to know about her. It's flame-red. When Sir Oliver Destry trifles with Elaine, she decides on revenge. Elaine soon discovers the truth of the old saying that if you want to make the gods laugh, just tell them your plans.

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The Lady And The Man Of Fortune: A Wicked Secret

The Lady And The Man Of Fortune: A Wicked Secret

eBook: $4.99
Author: Penelope Redmont
Series: The Eardleys Of Gostwicke Hall, Book 3
Genre: Regency Romance
Tag: romance

Although he's a prize on the Marriage Mart, wealthy and twice-widowed Lord Delmere thinks that nothing could ever tempt him to marry again. Until he meets the lovely Lady Kingston.

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The Lady And The Military Man: Conquer My Heart

The Lady And The Military Man: Conquer My Heart

eBook: $4.99
Author: Penelope Redmont
Series: The Eardleys Of Gostwicke Hall, Book 4
Genre: Regency Romance
Tags: regency, romance

What happens when two people who won't consider marriage can't live without each other?

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The Lady And The Adventurer: Win My Heart

The Lady And The Adventurer: Win My Heart

eBook: $4.99
Author: Penelope Redmont
Series: The Eardleys Of Gostwicke Hall, Book 5
Genre: Regency Romance
Tag: regency

Henry (Henrietta) Eardley makes a huge mistake. Then she makes it worse. She's never known a man like Lord Devernwood, and he's never met a woman like her.

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The Lady And The Devil: If You Knew Me

The Lady And The Devil: If You Knew Me

eBook: $4.99
Author: Penelope Redmont
Series: The Eardleys Of Gostwicke Hall, Book 6
Genre: Regency Romance
Tag: regency romance

When Cerise and her sister are in danger, she relies on herself. There's no one else. Then she meets Lord Grayhurst.

 

 

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Lady Julia’s Destiny: A Love To Treasure

Lady Julia’s Destiny: A Love To Treasure

eBook: $4.99
Author: Penelope Redmont
Series: The Eardleys Of Gostwicke Hall, Book 7
Genre: Regency Romance
Tag: regency romance

Julia doesn't know whether to be amused or angry when Lord Lyneham decides to find her a husband. He and Julia's cousin take charge of Julia's fortunes. Suddenly, Julia's an heiress and her life changes.

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