Credibility in Writing Fiction

Credibility in your writing is crucial if you want readers to suspend disbelief and immerse themselves in your story.

For example, I’ve watched a television show that’s set in a city in California with which I’m very familiar. I know the city streets, beaches, and landscape of the city. I know the nuances and architecture. Though Psych does sprinkle the show with authentic street names, one of the characters last week pronounced the street name incorrectly. People who live in that city know how to pronounce the name of that street. It made me laugh because the pronunciation was so wrong.

Scenes on the city streets or at the beach are not shots of the city where it is supposed to be set. Not even close.

When a character was dumped in a lake, I knew immediately it wasn’t the lake they stated it was because I attended summer camp at that lake many times. It looked nothing like the lake they claimed it was.

The most obvious discrepancy is the police station. While I never actually spent time in the real police station, I’ve often driven past it and know it well enough to recognize that Psych doesn’t use the real one.

It turns out the show isn’t even filmed in the US.

The discrepancies are obvious to me because I’m so familiar with the city. Most people would never catch these details, but for me, they bother me enough that I’m not interested in watching the show anymore. See how that works? They should’ve set the show in a fictitious city if they couldn’t film it in the real city.

When it comes to writing fiction, you need to be aware that while not all readers may notice discrepancies in your story, those that do will probably never trust you again. You’re asking readers to suspend disbelief and to trust you. You blow that trust and lose credibility when you include false details.

If you want to include something real, like a city or piece of equipment or computer software, do your homework. Research what you want to include so that the story rings true with everyone, especially those who know better. You’ll not only keep your credibility, but more importantly, you’ll keep readers.