Tag Archives: Speculative fiction
Writing: Use Realistic Numbers, Sizes, and Time Limits
Both mainstream and speculative writers need to make sure they do their research on numbers, spaces, sizes, and time limits. If your readers don’t trust your numbers, they won’t trust you, nor will they suspend their disbelief for you again. … Continue reading
Writing: How to Govern Your Make-Believe Elements
Even if you are writing speculative fiction that defies the laws of physics, you must give yourself boundaries. Otherwise, you will destroy your story. When I was growing up, I had a few favorite movies that I watched over and … Continue reading
Writing Technique: Prep the Reader for Your Plot Twist and/or Make-Believe Element
Using a few techniques to prepare your reader for you plot twist or your make-believe element can draw your reader into your story, increase suspense, and create a huge emotional reaction in your reader. I was probably three or four … Continue reading
Suspending Disbelief: Understanding the Reader’s Reality Filters
Making Make-Believe Believable: Before you can get your reader to suspend his or her disbelief, you must have a good understanding of your target audience’s reality filters. A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, most of us … Continue reading
Understanding the Suspension of Disbelief
Making Make-Believe Believable: Getting your reader to suspend his or her disbelief is key to writing make-believe. First you have to understand the reader’s expectations. One of my favorite scenes in Peter Pan is the scene where Tinkerbell almost dies … Continue reading
The Magic of a Good Story
Making Make-Believe Believable: A story’s true magic has nothing to do with fantasy elements. Don’t neglect the essence of storytelling simply because you write speculative fiction. First and foremost, it’s important to understand why people read fiction. Readers want to … Continue reading
New Writing Series: Making Make-Believe Believable
How to write fantasy, science-fiction, steampunk, comic book heroes, paranormal, and horror in such a way that even “muggles” will want to read it. I’m going to begin an extensive writing series called Making Make-Believe Believable. My goal is to … Continue reading
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