Today I’m going to talk about something that every writer faces at some point or another – getting the reader to buy into your story. You know, that magical moment when they forget it’s just words on a page and become fully immersed in your world? That’s what we call “suspended disbelief.”
First things first: What is suspension of disbelief?
You know when you watch a film or read a book and just go with it even if something seems far-fetched, illogical, or downright ridiculous? That’s suspension of disbelief in action. It’s the ability to temporarily set aside our scepticism and immerse ourselves in a fictional world.
“The reader’s willing suspension of disbelief is that glorious state in which a reader reads whatever you write, and then discovers it is all true within the novel’s context.” – Stephen King
Now, I don’t need to tell you how important this is because if the reader doesn’t suspend their disbelief, well… you might as well be writing for yourself. So let’s dive into some ways to make that happen!
- Start with a bang: You know those movies where they show you a tiny bit of the action before the title comes up? That’s called an “action prologue” and it gets your audience excited right from the start. In writing, we can do something similar by starting our story in media res – or in the middle of things. This immediately throws the reader into the thick of it, making them want to know more about this world you’ve created.
- Set the scene: Just like in any good conversation, setting the scene is crucial. You need to give your readers enough information so they know where they are and what’s happening around them. This will help ground them in the story and make it easier for them to suspend their disbelief.
- Establish your rules: Clear rules establish a sense of order within a fictional world, no matter how bizarre that world might be. When readers understand what’s possible and impossible within your narrative, they can more easily accept the story without questioning its logic too much.
- Make them care about the characters: We tend to suspend our disbelief for people we care about. So make sure you create characters that are relatable or intriguing enough for readers to want to follow their journey, no matter how fantastical it gets. Think about your favourite book or movie. Chances are, one of the reasons why you loved it was because of its characters. They were relatable, complex, and had depth. Make sure your characters have flaws, goals, dreams, fears – just like real people do. This will make them more believable and engaging to the reader.
- Establish consistency: This is where we get into the nitty-gritty of world building. If you’ve created a magical system or a futuristic technology, make sure its rules are consistent throughout the narrative. There’s nothing more jarring than when something doesn’t add up in a fantasy or sci-fi story. And don’t forget about internal consistency! Your characters should act and speak true to their personalities. Consistency is key in making your audience believe the impossible. If something supernatural happens once, and then never again, it will seem like a one-off event rather than part of an established world.
- Use foreshadowing and subtlety: Don’t hit readers over the head with unbelievable events. Instead, use foreshadowing to hint at what’s coming and make it feel natural within your story. This will help them gradually accept the fantastical elements as part of the narrative.
- Build tension: Keep your readers on edge by building tension throughout the narrative. This could be through plot twists, cliffhangers at the end of chapters, or even just a sense of foreboding hanging over everything. The more tense things get, the harder it becomes for the reader to think critically about whether this is all plausible or not.
- Use descriptive language: Paint a picture with your words! Describe settings in such detail that the reader can see it clearly in their mind’s eye. Make sure they feel the emotions of your characters, smell the scents wafting through the air, hear the sounds echoing around them. The more vividly you describe things, the easier it will be for readers to lose themselves in your story.
- Use emotion: Appeal to your reader’s emotions. If they are emotionally invested in a scene or character, they’re more likely to suspend their disbelief because they want things to work out for that character or situation.
- Embrace the unbelievable: Sometimes, you’re dealing with a story that involves aliens, time travel, or other fantastical elements. In these cases, don’t shy away from explaining how things work in your world. Give your readers enough information so they can understand and accept what’s happening. And remember, it’s okay to push boundaries! Some of the most beloved stories involve impossible situations that we willingly suspend our disbelief for.
- Be confident: Believe in your own story. If you don’t believe it yourself, how can you expect others to? Or if you don’t think your own tale is worth believing in, why should anyone else? Write with confidence and conviction, and chances are, your readers will follow suit.
- Respect your reader: Remember that your reader isn’t stupid or gullible. They are intelligent beings who have chosen to read your work because they find it interesting. Treat them as partners in this imaginative journey, not as people you need to trick into believing something.
- Break the fourth wall: Sometimes, acknowledging the unbelievable nature of a situation can actually help convince readers that what’s happening is real within the context of your story. It shows self-awareness and can create an in-joke between you and your reader.
- End on a satisfying note: Finally, wrap up your tale with a satisfying conclusion. If your audience feels satisfied by the end, they’re more likely to look back on their suspension of disbelief as a worthwhile experience rather than something they regret giving in to.
So there you have it! Fourteen ways to persuade your reader to suspend their disbelief. Remember, the key here is immersion – make them feel like they’re really part of this world you’ve created. And hey, if all else fails, just write a story so compelling that readers forget about questioning its plausibility and simply enjoy the ride!
A framework to guide you
Imagine you’re having a chat with a friend about a book or story you both love. You might say something like this:
“You know how sometimes when we read a book and it feels so real, even though there are parts that seem far-fetched? That’s because the author has done an amazing job at making us believe in their world. Here’s how they do it:
First off, setting is everything. Just like you can tell if I’m in my cozy living room or a bustling coffee shop just by listening to our conversation, readers need to feel grounded in the story’s environment. Give them enough details so they know where they are and what’s happening around them.
Next up is consistency. Think about how we have rules that govern our everyday lives – same goes for a fictional world. When an author establishes clear rules, it makes their fantastical elements feel more believable because readers understand the logic behind them.
Then there’s characterisation. We trust and believe in people we know or can relate to, right? Same thing with characters in books. Make your characters relatable or intriguing enough so that readers want to follow their journey, no matter how fantastical it gets.
Respect your reader too! Remember they’re not stupid or gullible. They chose to read your work because they find it interesting. Treat them as partners in this imaginative journey rather than trying to trick them into believing something.
Lastly, end on a satisfying note. If readers feel satisfied by the end of a story, even if it’s filled with unbelievable events, they’re more likely to look back on their suspension of disbelief as a worthwhile experience rather than something they regret giving in to.”
So basically, just like in any good conversation, you need to set the scene, establish rules, create believable characters, respect your reader, and wrap up the story well. This way, readers will happily suspend their disbelief and enjoy the journey!
5 Key takeaways
- Set the scene and establish rules: Just like you’d do when hosting a dinner party or planning an adventure, make sure your readers know where they are and what the rules of this new world are. This helps them feel comfortable and ready to explore.
- Create believable characters: Your characters don’t have to be just like people we meet in real life, but their actions should seem plausible within the context of your story. If they sound or act unrealistically, readers might struggle to suspend disbelief.
- Respect your reader: Treat them as intelligent partners on this journey rather than trying to trick them into believing something. Remember, they chose to read your work because it interests them!
- Use dialogue wisely: Make sure the dialogue in your story sounds like something your characters would actually say. Nothing turns off a reader faster than stilted or unrealistic conversations.
- Tease and engage: Don’t give everything away at once. Leave some details out, make readers wonder about what you’ve left unsaid to keep them engaged in the story. This way they’ll stick around for the whole adventure!
Remember, it’s like having a conversation with your reader. If you set up the scene well, establish rules that make sense, create characters they can relate to or find intriguing, respect their intelligence, and keep them engaged through dialogue and storytelling techniques, they will happily suspend their disbelief!
5 Common mistakes you need to avoid
- Don’t force feed them fantasy: While you want readers to believe the unrealistic elements of your story, don’t shove them down their throats! Make sure they can relate to or understand why these fantastical elements exist within your world.
- Be consistent with your rules: If you create a rule in your story, stick with it! Readers will catch inconsistencies and that can break the spell of suspension of disbelief.
- Don’t talk down to them: Treat your readers as intelligent partners on this journey rather than trying to trick them into believing something. Remember, they chose to read your work because it interests them!
- Use dialogue wisely: Make sure the dialogue in your story sounds like something your characters would actually say. Nothing turns off a reader faster than stilted or unrealistic conversations.
- Don’t leave them hanging: Tease and engage, but don’t leave readers hanging with too many questions or plot holes. They might lose interest if they feel you’re leading them on without providing answers or closure.
Remember, it’s like having a conversation with your reader. If you set up the scene well, establish rules that make sense, create characters they can relate to or find intriguing, respect their intelligence, and keep them engaged through dialogue and storytelling techniques, they will happily suspend their disbelief and read your book to the end!
And there you have it! A guide on how to persuade readers to suspend their disbelief. Remember, writing is all about creating connections and shared experiences between the author and reader. So keep this conversation going by respecting your audience’s intelligence and taking them on a journey they won’t forget.
Now go forth and create some magic!