Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Believability & Bending The Law

My sister and I sat in the front row of a packed theater, watching Mission Impossible. During one scene, which involved a speeding train, a narrow tunnel, and Tom Cruise's strong fingers, my sister cried out, "Oh, come on!" She just couldn't help it. The movie had morphed from entertaining to completely unbelievable.

Another example of unbelievable? Los Angeles firefighters on television and in movies who rush into burning buildings without wearing their breathing apparatus. It doesn't happen that way, as my firefighter husband will tell anyone within listening distance.

Believability matters to most people, and I learned a big lesson in this recently. I wrote the first draft of my current wip after doing light research. I reached a point in the story where the plot relied on a certain police procedure with juveniles, but I didn't stop to research it thoroughly.

After the second draft, I knew I needed to confirm this procedure with an expert. I emailed a police officer friend with a list of questions, and promptly learned I had made a big boo boo. The way I wrote a certain plot line could not happen the way it was written.

What's a writer to do? Well, I could have tried to bend the law to fit my story, but why? If I'm striving for believability, I'd lose it for sure. I chose to re-write the last thirty pages of the manuscript.

Here's what I learned from my blunder:

Mistake #1
If a plot point depends on an official procedure, stop and ask an expert before traveling down the wrong road. Had I fired off a quick email to the police officer at this point in the first draft, I would have saved myself a lot of trouble.

The Solution
For several days, I brainstormed alternate plot points. I wrote them down, followed threads to the end, and then chose my favorite. I'm still in the process of re-writing those final pages.

Mistake #2
Rules of law differ between adults and juveniles, and vary depending on jurisdiction. Los Angeles, New York, Chicago. City, county, state. We can't assume the same rules in Los Angeles County apply to Los Angeles City.

The Solution
When reading through the second draft, I created a list of plot points that should be discussed with a police officer. And not just any officer. My story takes place in the city of Los Angeles, so I relied on an LAPD officer.

Mistake #3
Sure, there are certain plot points that could happen, even if it's only on leap year days at the turn of each century. But that doesn't mean it's likely. In my opinion, bending the law to fit my story would chip away at my credibility.

The Solution
Just because a plot line is believable, doesn't mean it has to be predictable. Hopefully my solution surprises the reader, just like it surprised me. And hopefully when others read it, they won't say, "Oh, come on!"

Have you ever followed a plot line, only to realize it couldn't happen the way it was written? How did you solve the problem?

29 comments:

  1. Yes! I rewrote the last big scene in my first book several times, trying to come up with the most believable course of action. I had to get it to a point where readers wouldn't ask "Well, why didn't he just do THIS instead?" It was tough, but I finally closed all the loopholes.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I think you did the right thing, but I think if the book was believable only people with extensive knowledge of the justice system would notice (and maybe not then depending on where your story was set).

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yeah, sometimes I put off research too, falling in love with my too fictional version of things...but like most things I procrastinate on...when I finally do the research usually even more facinating plot possibilities open up...usually;)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I just saw MI and said the same thing! Still, it was a fun flick. (And I don't even like Tom Cruise) I'm not a big fan of research, but I do it because I want believability. When writing contemp, we have to be even more careful. With para and fantasy the lines can blur a little. I don't *think* I've missed anything yet, but if I do, I hope to catch it before it's too late. For the millionth time, THANK YOU, BETAS! I have one in particular who has an eagle eye.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Are you kidding me? I'm the queen of unbelievable but not so much because of the facts or police procedures but b/c I love fantastical stories that walk the line between believable and unbelievable. It's hard to write and I've rewritten and toned down a lot but that's what I love to read and write!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Yes! But then I hear stories on the news leading me to the "sometimes life is stranger than fiction."

    I study history, mainly Civil War, so authenticity and correct facts are important when writing fiction or non fiction on the subject. So many people write without checking the true historical facts, or where someone/or some regiment really was, or could they really do that back then?

    It's so important to research completely, no matter if it's present or past...it must be believable, otherwise it snaps you out of the bubble.

    Excellent post!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Julie, I guess that would be the good thing about writing fantasy--you get to build your own world and make up the rules. Of course, good fantasy also mimicks reality, so I guess believability could still be an issue. :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. YES! So true. I've gone down that road myself on occasion. I like your solutions. Asking an expert is always a good idea at the outset. We always notice that in the movies too, especially when they zoom in on an image and get a crystal clear reading of a license plate or face. That's so unrealistic and it's a common thing on TV now!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh... and how did I solve this? My NTSB investigation was completely not as it would have been in real life. But in real life... would the head of Homeland Security be in bed with the director of the NTSB? Perhaps. We don't know. Therefore, the path I wove worked. But for the flying, crashing, sex, union, overworked, underpaid, stressed pilots... and the question of how far could you push them? Yes.

    During my course with best selling author William Bernhardt, who was (the entire class included) reviewing a forensic psychologists scene in the prison. It was flat. Boring. Nobody wanted to read on. We were all supportive and provided suggestions. And he said, "NO! That would never happen!" He was not going to break the truth no matter how flat.

    Bil made an interesting statement in the "name of fiction" ... "Do you want to be accurate and stop your readers from continuing to read? Or, do you want to take a little creative license and add a little excitement, intrigue and reason to keep reading?"

    That was my lesson on when to, and when not to bend reality.

    CSI, House, and all like shows are so far from reality that people in the business cringe. But for the rest of us, we're entertained. But when aviation movies do things that are so far off... I hate it. So... this leaves a great point... when to, and when not to bend that truth.

    Thanks for an excellent post!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Yes! I had to put off revising a section until I checked proper procedure. Sometimes research can lead in a new direction and open up a new plot line I hadn't considered.

    ReplyDelete
  11. That's why I love fantasy. I can make up anything I want! lol!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Great post! I hate when that "oh come on" moment happens. I found a biggie in a previous ms - and have it now sitting on a shelf. Can't figure out how to fix it ... yet! :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. What? Me do that? Naw, I just stick characters on a space ship to a parallel universe to work it out with an alternate reality. Problem solved.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Great post! It's so easy to bend the rules when you're caught up in a story. Happy Writing!

    ReplyDelete
  15. It's fantastic that an LAPD officer responds to writer's emails. I guess it's in their best interests. Nice one!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Really good post... it's such a fine line when bending rules whether it remains believable or not..

    ReplyDelete
  17. I have definitely been there. I'm constantly asking my friends in different fields if something is plausible, would work, or how things are done. Friends in different lines of work are like gems when it comes to writing outside of my experience.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Action movies have become preposterous. I don't even see them much anymore.

    I've gotten into some thorny spots in manuscripts too. Last year, I interviewed a police officer through a mutual friend. It took him several minutes before he believed I was a fiction writer, and not talking about a real murder!

    ReplyDelete
  19. I'm always so worried about plausibility, so this really hits home for me. Great post Julie!

    ReplyDelete
  20. What a really important point. Okay, I'm off to find sources in France...

    ReplyDelete
  21. Credibility is of the utmost importance. We devalue ourselves as writers if we don't thoroughly research points in our novels that can and probably will be analyzed and picked apart by our audience. I ran across this same problem in the early drafts of my own novel and my CPs caught every instance and called me on them. I learned you can't just write by the seat of your pants without first doing your research. Another great post, Julie!

    ReplyDelete
  22. I do this all the time in my first drafts. I usually write 'find another way to make this happen', then it's on to the research later :-)

    ReplyDelete
  23. Guys, thanks so much for your awesome tips and comments. And it's nice to know I'm not the only one who's committed this blunder :/

    ReplyDelete
  24. Hi Julie, I've tagged you in the Lucky 7 Meme, rules on my blog if you'd like to join in. :0)

    ReplyDelete
  25. I am writing science fiction right now, and I like to have my science right and my fiction part plausible. It's taken a lot of research, but I love research, anyway. Oh the things I've learned! Interviewing experts is one of the best parts, though I always start out nervous. Emailing is a good idea!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Julie, we must be living parallel writing lives. I had the exact same thing happen with my current WiP. So, to answer your question, YES, I've done that. It's just so fun to write that first discovery draft. Sometimes you don't want to slow down to do more than light research. BUT, you're right, it's a lot more work to fix a plot that just doesn't work.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Hi, Julie,

    Good pointers. I've noticed the unbelievability factor is some of my favourite shows, including CSI. Characters will examine bodies - soupy ones too - without protective gear for their faces. And I've noticed other things too.

    Your experience reminds me that it's less painful to research first and write after.

    ReplyDelete