Writers' Tricks of the Trade: Writing scenes that are believable

A few weeks ago I listened to an audio book that made me acutely aware of how important it is to make sure seemingly small details are accurate and believable. The majority of authors try to make sure they’ve written a believable scene, as they should. However, sometimes things sneak by due to the genre, particularly when the story is sci fi, paranormal or fantasy. After all, in those genres it’s a world the writer has created, so they get to make the rules.

Glitches ruin credibility

Stories that take place in the real world, whether in current times or the past, present a whole different situation. An anomaly in a scene or description could cause the reader to do a mental head slap when they realize something is very wrong.

That’s what happened to me when I listened to the audio book I mentioned, and it’s why I decided to make believability today’s topic. There are a ton of things to consider, but if you don’t get details right for an era, a common profession or actions a person can realistically perform, it could come back to bite you. Easily recognizable faux pas reflect upon your credentials or capability to write the story. Once doubt is raised, the reader will either put the book down or continuously search for more errors—even tiny ones that wouldn’t have caught their eye. Think of it as an aha moment that creates a little feeling of superiority. Better yet, picture the I know better than the author does moment. READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE