Tag Archives: accuracy in fiction

Today’s Writing Tip

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You may or may not have picked up on the fact that these daily blurbs are little rants about things I’ve encountered in reading a wide variety of books as much as what I may have learned in formal or informal training sessions.

As a trained scientist who worked at NASA for over 20 years, one of my biggest pet peeves is when a book is blatantly WRONG scientifically. This occurs on a regular basis on television and in movies, which is likewise annoying. A rant of mine that goes way back was directed at the movie “Armageddon” which was so wrong in so many ways, it was downright pathetic. If you’d like to read it, you can find it here.

Needless to say, if you write science fiction you’re going to stretch things beyond everyday Earth life. However, don’t violate the known laws of physics without providing rationale for doing so. Invent new laws if you like, but make them believable. There’s a whole lot of room for speculation in theories like quantum theory, parallel universes, and blackholes, but make it convincing.

And along those lines, be aware of the difference between science fiction and fantasy. If you don’t know the difference, you probably shouldn’t be writing in one of those genres.

Today’s Writing Tip

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One thing that’s important if a novel is going to sound convincing is for the occupations of the character(s) to sound authentic. I remember beta reading a story many years ago where the main character worked as a computer programmer, yet everything about it was inaccurate. I have done some programming before and immediately recognized that the author didn’t have a clue what she was talking about. That definitely did not make the book credible much less impress me with the author’s dedication to accuracy.

Okay, I’m a bit of a break about those things, but it makes a big difference. Assuming your reader won’t know the difference is a BIG MISTAKE. Some of us do, and it will result in a abysmal review and someone who will probably never read another thing you write.

Now that I have my rant out of the way, the point of today’s tip is that every occupation has its own jargon. Use enough in character dialog to sound authentic, but don’t boggle the reader’s mind with too many acronyms. That, of course, is going too far the other way. A few are okay, but even then the reader may appreciate it if you remind them from time to time what they stand for.

Today’s Writing Tip

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If your story has terminology that will be unfamiliar to the average reader, consider including a glossary. A few words can be covered by footnotes, though these require special handling in the ebook version. Defining them in context the first time you use them is a must.

Using accurate terminology adds to the authenticity of a story, but be aware that it may annoy some readers. It depends on whom you want to impress, those familiar with it or those who aren’t. If it’s inaccurate, you’ll lose credibility with those in the know and won’t make inform those who aren’t. Good fiction should be believable.