Facts Can Make or Break You
Exactly like the title says: Facts can make or break you. My focus on writing the past couple nights has been to confirm that biologically, what I am saying is consistent and grounded in facts.
Now, I am not saying that everything we write in the sci-fi or fantasy genre is always going to have a factual basis, but it does tend to make a story stronger. A reader doesn't like the answer "because I said so" when questioning how one man could populate an entire coven without their knowledge and no inbreeding occurring.
This has occurred in my current story, and I am basing it on facts (facts in the human world that can be manipulated by the supernatural). I believe this makes the story more interesting and takes the reader on a real journey to where they can actually visualize it and understand how it can happen.
Now, I am not saying we can't leave questions for our readers. I am all for those twists and what-ifs (hell, I've even killed off a first-person present-tense narrator before--come at me, bro!). When it comes to the risks, we can definitely make it work without owing anyone an explanation. However, when we use research and history to back up a story set in the human world, it can make more sense to our human readers (or help out a supernatural one if they have questions about it themselves).
I will focus on beta readers for my next blog as they are so important and extremely helpful when it comes to the facts. They are the ones who will ask you the hard questions and find the loopholes in your story-line leading you to the work of an investigator.
Even if you are learning about your character as you're going along, it is important that you perform that outside research for them. Especially in my story's case, she is doing research to find a cure for her people. In order to detail what she finds, I have to understand it myself!
Oh, and in case you feel overwhelmed or aren't sure you can accomplish the piece you're working on-- You've got this! Don't underestimate yourself. As Tom Petty (RIP) said, "It'll all work out." Albeit, eventually.
Now, I am not saying that everything we write in the sci-fi or fantasy genre is always going to have a factual basis, but it does tend to make a story stronger. A reader doesn't like the answer "because I said so" when questioning how one man could populate an entire coven without their knowledge and no inbreeding occurring.
This has occurred in my current story, and I am basing it on facts (facts in the human world that can be manipulated by the supernatural). I believe this makes the story more interesting and takes the reader on a real journey to where they can actually visualize it and understand how it can happen.
Now, I am not saying we can't leave questions for our readers. I am all for those twists and what-ifs (hell, I've even killed off a first-person present-tense narrator before--come at me, bro!). When it comes to the risks, we can definitely make it work without owing anyone an explanation. However, when we use research and history to back up a story set in the human world, it can make more sense to our human readers (or help out a supernatural one if they have questions about it themselves).
I will focus on beta readers for my next blog as they are so important and extremely helpful when it comes to the facts. They are the ones who will ask you the hard questions and find the loopholes in your story-line leading you to the work of an investigator.
Even if you are learning about your character as you're going along, it is important that you perform that outside research for them. Especially in my story's case, she is doing research to find a cure for her people. In order to detail what she finds, I have to understand it myself!
Oh, and in case you feel overwhelmed or aren't sure you can accomplish the piece you're working on-- You've got this! Don't underestimate yourself. As Tom Petty (RIP) said, "It'll all work out." Albeit, eventually.
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