Making A Story Believable

Okay, so you have an idea for a story, even a McGuffin. Your premise may not be so outrageous as mine in “The Deal,” but you still have to make it believable to your reader. One way to do that is to mix facts into your fantasy. I did that by setting my story in New York City and citing some of its many familiar landmarks. For example:

From the Langone parking garage, Ruth’s husband muddled his way around snaking lines of traffic, past lurching buses, and through hives of startled pedestrians oblivious to the middle fingers, shaking fists, and high-pitched obscenities hurled at him. Yet somehow, despite the nose of his car drifting from lane to lane, he managed to find First Avenue and blunder his way uptown. Only when he’d passed the entrance to the Queensboro Bridge did he remember where he was and how to find his building’s parking garage. All he really wanted was to smash his head against the steering wheel to stop the black rage mushrooming inside his skull.

Now never let the truth get into the way of your story; the story must come first. But whenever you can, use the truth to support your story. After all, your reader wants a good story, and your only obligation is to fulfill that desire. To learn more about “The Deal” and the fall issue of The Dark Sire, click here.