As the author of a book that helps writers get the details about the legal world right, I’m sometimes asked why getting it right matters. “It’s fiction,” writers say. “Why does it matter whether I’ve called the crime first-degree murder instead of deliberate homicide, or put a silencer on a revolver?”
Because as writers, we build our fictional worlds one detail at a time. If we get the details wrong–whether it’s foundation or frosting–our readers’ ability to live in that world for a few hours crumbles.
You know what I’m talking about: On page ten, the protagonist describes a hospital “built of cinder block.” You were born in that hospital, been a patient and a visitor, and you know there’s no visible cinder block. Your forehead wrinkles. When he gets in the car you drive, in a color it didn’t come in, you squint and tilt your head.
The author’s losing you. Your knowledge of the details breaks the fragile hold the writer has on you. “The fictive dream,” in John Gardner’s phrase. You may stick with the book if the characters, premise, and writing satisfy you, but if any of those is problematic, you move on. And a serious error may nag at you long afterwards.
The problem is that while the devil may be in the details, so is the magic. A character comes alive by the details used to portray her actions, thoughts, and feelings. The trick, I think, is plausibility. Make the setting and the character action feel real. Like it could have happened that way. Use enough of the right details accurately that the reader trusts you.
Do different stories require a different level of accuracy? There’s a good argument that the greater the suspension of disbelief required, the less the details matter. If your cozy mystery sleuth is a caterer, your readers may care more that you proofed the recipes than whether you accurately described the fingerprinting process. Unless your trusty–and trusting–reader devours cozies on the bus to and from her job in the crime lab. Then, your mistake may mean she chooses another author for tomorrow’s commute.
But I’m persuaded by the flip side of the argument: the further your story ventures from daily reality, the more the details matter. Consider science fiction and fantasy, where worldly details are essential. If you accurately describe something the reader knows well–say, the effects of gravity–she’s more likely to believe your description of the mental powers one acquires stepping through the auric atmosphere of Genicia, third planet in the solar system Sapphire. When she closes the book, she knows–logically–that Sapphire and Genicia don’t exist. But if they did, this is what they would be like.
And it isn’t only readers who care about the details. Agents and editors often cite errors in facts and inconsistent character behavior high on the list of what makes them stop reading.
Still, you can kill yourself–and your story– trying to get everything right. What should you research and what can you let go?
• Check out facts related to major plot elements. If your villain kills his wife with an overdose of insulin, make sure you know it can be done–and how.
• Focus on the dog, not the fleas. Don’t worry over whether a captain or a lieutenant would take charge of an investigation. But get the basic procedures right.
• Verify widely known facts outside your experience. If you’ve never been on a jury, talk with your neighbor who has. What surprised or bothered her, bored or intrigued her? What were courthouse security measures? Where did she park? Did the bailiff bring donuts?
• Don’t risk a mistake in things easily confirmed. If you’ve never seen a purple Subaru, chances are they weren’t made.
• We often make mistakes in things we think we know. If it matters to the story, check it out–or leave it out.
• Historicals attract readers who love history–and some love telling writers where they goofed. Does that mean you can’t write about 14th century England because you weren’t born until 1970, or that you need an MA in the period? No. You need reliable references and an eye for the details that set the scene and bring characters to life.
Do a “facts” draft: Read your ms. with your reader’s hat on. What might the typical reader question? Ask your critique partners to note anything that creases their brow.
And accept that you’ll make mistakes. Don’t let fear paralyze you.
So, when it comes to facts in fiction, where do you draw the line, as a writer–or as a reader?
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Leslie Budewitz’s first book, Books, Crooks & Counselors: How to Write Accurately About Criminal Law and Courtroom Procedure (Quill Driver Books) won the 2011 Agatha Award for Best Nonfiction. A practicing lawyer, she blogs about ways writers can use the law in their fiction at www.LawandFiction.com .
Leslie’s cozy series, The Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries, set in Jewel Bay, Montana, a small lakeside resort community on the way to Glacier Park that calls itself “a Food Lover’s Village,” will debut from Berkley Prime Crime in 2013. She lives in northwest Montana with her husband, a doctor of natural medicine, and their Burmese cat Ruff, an avid birdwatcher. http://www.lawandfiction.com
I have this book and it’s an invaluable resource. A definite must read for crime fiction writers.
Elizabeth – Thanks for hosting Leslie.
Leslie – You are so right about the need to check certain facts and be accurate. That’s part of what lends an air of authenticity and believability to a novel. And if the author doesn’t “do the homework” it can come off as laziness or at the very least carelessness; neither of those shows a lot of respect for the reader.
Great article, Leslie. I’ve often wondered why it matters that there are facts in the fiction. But it bother’s me too, when books or tv shows have something off.
Funny.
Teresa
Thanks so much for guest blogging today, Leslie! You’ve got some great advice here. I particularly liked the part about “focusing on the dog, not the fleas” when we feel overwhelmed with the amount of research we’re facing. Always good to make sure that the details we *do* include are accurate!
So… I’m writing about what I know- my homebase city- and a certain university where I attended college plays a big role in one of the manuscripts. I’m making references to things that no longer exist and playing with time just a little bit. E.g., a restaurant that used to be in business but closed one or two years before the story takes place. I’m also not using the name of the university and changing some of the names of the landmarks. Finally, I’m playing around A LOT with the history of the university. Is that.. cool? ;-)
Donna and Teresa, many thanks! So glad to know the book is helping other writers.
Elizabeth aka Riley, thanks for hosting me. I’ll credit my watercolor teacher, Karen Leigh, for that line about the fleas! (As I glance up at the portrait I painted of my own dog on my office wall!)
Margot, we tend to focus on the facts we know — those hospital walls, the color of the Subaru — but even if the world we’re reading about is unfamiliar, the choice of details that feel right makes all the difference, don’t you think?
Deb, good question. You’ll get readers who say “well, your story is set in 2012 and that building was torn down in 2007,” and you’ll just smile and say “ah, but you’re thinking this is UM, and it’s really UX!” And some will laugh and go along, and some will think you snorted too much chocolate milk this morning. (I’m dealing with this in my new series as well.)
I’d say don’t change what you don’t have to, but feel free to change what you need to. For my WIP, I hope to include a map of the Village, so local readers aren’t confused trying to place the fictional French restaurant where the real one used to be — cuz I moved it to suit the story better.
And maybe look for both first readers who are familiar with the setting and one or two who aren’t to tell you what works, what feels right, and whether anything confuses them.
First rule of writing: Have fun!
Thank you for this post, Leslie. Nothing pulls me out of a story faster than a factual or procedural error.
If I catch one error that’s not egregious–hey, nobody’s perfect. Two mistakes, and I have to wonder if I’m reading a lazy writer. But I rarely keep reading after two mistakes.
Great advice! I read a lot of genres and when I read fantasy or sci-fi, nothing annoys me more than when the author breaks their own universe’s rules! Gotta be consistent!
Thanks, Ramona! I especially value your POV on this, as you are both writer and editor.
Jemi, yes, yes! If you can’t trust Darkover, what can you trust?!
Elizabeth, I’m so glad you linked to Leslie’s website! Her blog is fantastic, and I’ve bookmarked it.
Leslie, thanks for these amazing tips. I recently made the mistake of writing in a plot point and didn’t interview a police officer about procedure until the 2nd draft. Big mistake. I then had to rewrite the last third of the book because one plot point was not plausible. Lesson learned!
Julie, glad you like my site and blog. And glad you discovered your procedural error when you did, and not after the book hit print! Plus it sounds like you made a good police officer contact for the future!
Hi Elizabeth .. and Leslie – sounds like an excellent resource for American writers .. good to know about ..
I can see Julie agrees with you – and I do hate things when they’re not right ..
Cheers Hilary