I’ve
read plenty of books I’ve found unrealistic. Sure, they’re novels and therefore
not reality, but there are just certain plot points I roll my eyes at and go, “Yeah,
that would never happen.”
Like,
I don’t know… say… everything about Fifty
Shades of Grey.
Contrived
setting, dialogue, plots and characters are something to be avoided at almost
all cost. I say almost, because sometimes life itself gets unbelievable,
prompting writers to go, “That did not just happen!” and then, “I wonder if
that could fit into one of my books?”
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikyvII4cc5igcN4ZZ_v7stchaBjIrpK4ddfyXT27TIfG4pCB9QsrYkNuKL9QvkDqU_Mds2kM9zntX_Uk1a5pM6QuucYG0x6i3kiV6ToG4Or-ogLxCxFoixWxa47f6urD3z_tZPpihsk7g/s1600/reality+check.jpg)
Awkward!
Or
there’s the time I was the only one in my four-apartment building for a month
until the night someone moved in above me. I met his brother that evening, and then
I met my new neighbor Josh the next day, upon which point he asked me out. Yet
when I went to knock on his door at the agreed upon date and time (which was
fine by me), he wasn’t there, leaving me to tape a note for him. Two hours
later, I found a response on my own door saying what a nice idea the date
sounded and how he’d love to meet me.
Confused?
I certainly was… until I figured out I had two neighbors move in the same day.
Oops!
Completely
ridiculous, right? If I read that in a book, I would probably roll my eyes.
And
speaking of unbelievable, I know some of my friends have thought I was taking
creative license with stories about my workplace, where sexual harassment is
overlooked, lying to customers is encouraged and raises/bonuses are withheld
without any reason given even when the company had a banner year. Worse yet, I
can’t even completely blame them for their skepticism when, the stories I tell
really are so unprofessional as to be a bad joke.
Yet
they’re still 100% true.
So
what happens when you want to borrow from your stranger-than-fiction real life
for your novels? It’s actually quite doable.
Have
your characters admit how unrealistic their situation is. Make them wonder how
they fell down such a rabbit hole, or let them joke about where they went wrong
to be in such a mess.
Wait, seriously, you went to the wrong door for a date????? I want more info on that!! :D
ReplyDeletelol. Oh, it happened. Craziest set of circumstances ever!
ReplyDelete