How much of real life is important in fiction novel writing?

Danalynn · May 5, 2008

How much of how things would happen in real life is important when you're writing a fiction novel????
If you portray a situation a certain way, but it's probably not the way it would really be dealt with in real life, is that a bad thing?

I ask this, because in the second chapter of my MG/YA novel, my 12 yr. old MC looses her family in a car accident while they are driving to her school to attend her awards ceremony (actually, she's 11 at the time that it happens, so 6th grade). She got a ride to the school with a friend, and her parents never showed up. She has no other family that lives close by, so she's there by herself.

It's a long story, but the basics are that after the ceremony, she tells her teacher her concerns, when the principal approaches them and wisks her away to her office. Her principal then proceeds to state that the sherif phoned her to say there's been an accident, and her parents are dead. Then they wait for an hour for a police officer to come to the school to take her home. Her grandparents make the 3 hour drive over from another state to be with her after that.

I know this probably isn't the way it would actually be handled in real life. In real life, a police officer and probably a social worker or clergyman or someone would be there to tell my MC the news, and not have an untrained principal do it.

BUT since this IS fiction, just fictional characters doing fictional things, does it have to be the way it would really happen in real life? Or would my target audience (12 yr olds) just take it for what it is, and not be concerned that that's not how it would really be dealt with in real life?

You can read my second chapter HERE in SYW if it would help you with your advice.

alleycat · May 5, 2008

Well, things are often done differently by different people at different times; so who's to say that what you write isn't realistic as long as it's plausible.

For example, in your example . . . I doubt a sheriff would call the principal beforehand, more likely the deputies would just come to the school (if they found out she was there). Or they'd tell another family member who would then go get the girl. Or the girl's teacher might be given the task of telling her. Or . . . a dozen other possible ways.

In most places I don't think a social worker would be called in; so I would find a detail like that odd.

Zoombie · May 5, 2008

In my story, the main character falls out of bed and finds him self in another world, with lizard-men, Immortals, dragons and three suns.

Doesn't mean that real life isn't in it. Magic doesn't work sometimes, torches smoke the place up, and there are no easy "cut past the travel with a scene break" things.

If reality can intrude on such a fantastic setting, then for god's sake, YES! HAVE IT IN YOUR STORY!

Your story is far more grounded in reality, so it should be about as real as mine. In fact, it should be more so.

If that made any sense, please say so.

Danalynn · May 5, 2008

LOL! Thanks, Zoombie. I think it does make sense.

That's kind of along the lines of what I was thinking. . . .

Saying that something isn't realistic for FICTION is like telling a sci-fi writer: "There's no such THING as a flux capacitor in real life." To which he'd reply: "But there IS in MY world."

Zoombie · May 6, 2008

Well, as long as it feels real.

Like a time machine as described by the master himself, Herbert Wells, doesn't work. You can't move along the "time" dimension even if you can move on the X, Y and Z dimension.

But the explanation *feels* right, doesn't it?

Just as a principle breaking the news to a poor kid...might not be technically true, but it feels right.

jclarkdawe · May 6, 2008

It depends on your presentation.

For example, the school and the police have a close relationship, working well together. The police call to verify that she's there, and discuss the situation. During the conversation, the principal discusses having a close relationship with your MC. Further discussion determines that probably the principal might be the best person to tell your MC. And by the way, the police officer really hates telling people this sort of stuff and isn't too ambitious and will palm off the duty any chance he gets.

Personally I find this could be presented very believably.

Best of luck,

Jim Clark-Dawe

James81 · May 6, 2008

After about 260 pages of making sure everything that has happened in my current story CAN happen in real life and IS possible, I am about to make reindeer fly.

So my answer to this question is "God, I hope not, cause what fun is a book without a little flying reindeer action?"

lol

In all seriousness, I don't think it matters unless you suddenly jump out of the genre you are writing in. Or it happens out of nowhere, for no reason whatsoever. If there is a purpose to your madness, then perhaps the reader will buy into what you did. The key, I think, is selling the idea to people. If you can convince them that at this point in the story you NEED a frikin flying reindeer, then they will love the story, despite the unrealistic-ness of what happens.

EriRae · May 6, 2008

Hi Dana-Lynn,

Having read the 2nd chapter, my only concern was with the little brother's death. If the little brother is still alive when the grandparents arrive, shouldn't someone be at the hospital to hold his little hand? He shouldn't die alone. Unless he died at the scene or he died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital or something like that. I'm a sucker for a good hospital scene.

IceCreamEmpress · May 6, 2008

Actually, your scenario is accurate. Social workers and clergy aren't usually "on call" for things like this, and it would make perfect sense for police officers to let a trusted school administrator break the news of a family death to a child. However, one of the officers would almost certainly be there to answer any questions--unless your setting is extremely rural (like, rural Wyoming), they'd come in person, not call.

JamieFord · May 6, 2008

It sounds plausible. Though they might wait for the grandparents to arrive.

When a friend of mind died in a car accident, while driving to work. His company called his wife at her job at told her the news. She then went to the school where her daughter was pulled out of class. The mother, the principal and the school counselor was there as well as the family's pastor.

Makes me sad just thinking about it.

mscelina · May 6, 2008

As long as you make the decision and commit to it, it can work. Your job is to write it in such a way that the reader willingly suspends their disbelief--in other words, they don't stop reading and think, "Hey! A principal would NEVER do that."

I think your scenario is plausible. You just have to ask yourself WHY the principal tells the child? Was the principal caught off-guard and just blurts it out? Was the principal confronted with one of those kids who just 'knows?' What's the principal's motivation for doing this? Perhaps the principal has a special bond with this child, or training in psychology and/or counseling.

You can make anything work as long as you commit to it. Good luck!

Twizzle · May 6, 2008

If the grandparents are on the way, common sense says it would be left to the family to explain. (yep. just checked with family member who is cop.) He says with minors, yes. They'd wait. Unless it's a direct emergency for this child, and it sounds like it isn't, everyone's dead, they would wait. They would offer her a generic something happened and wait as there was family. And can I just say, if I were family, esp the one now responsible for this child, I'd be LIVID someone told a child that news for me.

WittyandorIronic · May 6, 2008

jclarkdawe said:
It depends on your presentation.

For example, the school and the police have a close relationship, working well together. The police call to verify that she's there, and discuss the situation. During the conversation, the principal discusses having a close relationship with your MC. Further discussion determines that probably the principal might be the best person to tell your MC. And by the way, the police officer really hates telling people this sort of stuff and isn't too ambitious and will palm off the duty any chance he gets.

Personally I find this could be presented very believably.

Best of luck,

Jim Clark-Dawe

I had this same thought (almost verbatim...creepy) so I thought I would just echo Jim's scenario. The Principal doesn't have to be just an average any ol' person, they could be very involved with the students and know a lot about their lives. If they felt comfortable and close, she might even ask to be the one instead of a deputy who is a stranger. You want to ramp up the drama, you could have the principal know and not say, then the girl keeps asking about the family, and finally the principal breaks down and tells her.

And really, who is going to do something to the Principal if she 'steps out of line' and tells the child instead of waiting? The surviving family members might be mad, but there isn't some higher "grief handling" authority that would slap her hand. Grief sucks, people react to it differently. Cops resist having to break the news, Principals who mean well want to soften the blow, and grandparents who are numb with pain might actually welcome the deed being done. It IS your story after all.

Phaeal · May 6, 2008

Couldn't hurt to ask the principal of a school what he or she would do in the situation.

The central paradox of all fiction is that it must be believable. A corollary of the paradox is that it's the niggling little details you have to get right, whereas you're allowed the one big lie, whether that big lie is "These everyday, perfectly normal people (whom I made up) exist" or "Flying purple space turtles touch down in Central Park."

In the latter case, you'd better know WHERE in Central Park there's room for the turtles' ship to touch down.

Charlie Horse · May 6, 2008

I tried to stick to reality when I started writing. I've now given up on that notion completely.

a_sharp · May 6, 2008

I think your scenario is credible, which means it fits the way real people might behave in the realistc situation and circumstances you describe.

What constitutes "real life" gets changed every day by some wacko news story about people conducting themselves in what we might call "incredible" ways. Your scene of pathos and caring authorities is real enough to convince, and having read it, I must say you've pursuaded me that's the way it could happen.

A more difficult decision comes when character behavior borders on the supernatural, or an otherwise real-life plot strays into fantasy. The gray lines there are dangerous to cross without the right reader setup. Since yours doesn't seem to be that kind of story, from what I can tell in your SYW excerpt anyway, I'd say don't worry.

maestrowork · May 6, 2008

There is no ONE way how things are handled or how they happen. Sometimes situations may vary. As long as you present the plot as logical and reasonable as possible, I don't think you'll have a problem making your readers believe. Stranger things have happened in real life. I don't think your situation is all that incredulous or implausible. But you do have to go over it and see if there are inconsistency, especially when it comes to procedures. For example, like alleycat said, most likely the police would call the principle only to make sure she's there, then they will come to get her -- I doubt they would actually tell the principle what happens... they usually have to notify immediate kins first (such as her or her grandparents).

Danalynn · May 6, 2008

For example, the school and the police have a close relationship, working well together. The police call to verify that she's there, and discuss the situation. During the conversation, the principal discusses having a close relationship with your MC. Further discussion determines that probably the principal might be the best person to tell your MC. And by the way, the police officer really hates telling people this sort of stuff and isn't too ambitious and will palm off the duty any chance he gets.

Personally I find this could be presented very believably.

THANK YOU, everyone for your wonderful comments about this.

I think Jim pretty much had the most accurate description of how it is. The principal was friends with the parents, has known Jamie since she was a baby, and it was decided between her and the sheriff that she was the best person suited to break the news to Jamie. They didn't want to make Jamie sit and wait for three hours before telling her.

And in MY world (that I've created), no family members got upset that the principal was the one that told her.

Erinmiller77 said:
Hi Dana-Lynn,

Having read the 2nd chapter, my only concern was with the little brother's death. If the little brother is still alive when the grandparents arrive, shouldn't someone be at the hospital to hold his little hand? He shouldn't die alone. Unless he died at the scene or he died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital or something like that. I'm a sucker for a good hospital scene.

Hi, Erin.

I understand what you're saying. In my mind, everyone knew that Jamie's little brother, Joey, was in surgery -- and would be all night -- so the grandparents knew there would be nothing they could do but sit in the waiting room until the next day anyway.
They wanted to make Jamie as comfortable as possible that first night, so they didn't go to the hospital until the next morning, when Uncle Thomas (the dad's brother and grandparents son) flew in from Florida to be with them.
This is all revealed toward the end of my novel, when Jamie states that it took Joey three days to pass away. . . .

I did have a great hospital scene written, but it never made it into the book -- in the interest of keeping the story moving forward.

This story isn't really about the particulars of how the family died, it's about a little girl being uprooted from a life she loved due to a terrible tragedy, and having to move across country to live with an uncle she hardly knows, and dealing (or in her case doing anything she can not to deal) with the guilt of feeling like everything was all her fault. If she hadn't been so smart, she wouldn't have been at that awards ceremony, and her parents wouldn't have died. (That's the way she sees it, anyway.)

But THAT cripling guilt isn't revealed to the people around her until near the end of the book, either.

:Sun:

slcboston · May 6, 2008

Dana-Lynn said:
Saying that something isn't realistic for FICTION is like telling a sci-fi writer: "There's no such THING as a flux capicitor in real life." To which he'd reply: "But there IS in MY world."

Everyone else has already chimed in with sound advice to which I really have nothing to add, so I'll just comment on this:

There's no such thing as a flux capacitor YET.

(And definitely, when I do time-travel, the Delorean's the way to go.

)

To the heart of the matter though, look at CSI (which I know you watch). They get results there in minutes that, in "real life" would take days or even weeks. There are people who care, and complain about that, but they miss the point, I think. Having something be "realistic" is much different than having it be "real."

Let's face it, "real" is a 9-5 job that we may or may not like, followed by the life and death struggle of "what's for dinner" or "how long should I exercise today" or "what's on tv."

Danalynn · May 6, 2008

Dang! I had it spelled capacitor the first time, and changed it 'cause I didn't think I spelled it right. LOL!
:roll:

To the heart of the matter though, look at CSI (which I know you watch).

HOW could you TELL?!

:snoopy:

jclarkdawe · May 6, 2008

slcboston said:
To the heart of the matter though, look at CSI (which I know you watch). They get results there in minutes that, in "real life" would take days or even weeks. There are people who care, and complain about that, but they miss the point, I think. Having something be "realistic" is much different than having it be "real."

CSI has their timelines so out of whack it isn't even funny. My favorite real-world case involves a car thief. He gets arrested, goes to court. I get appointed to represent him, request discovery, do all the pretrial stuff. Among other things I request is the results from any fingerprint tests. There's considerable evidence my client did the crime, so he takes the deal he's offered. Client is halfway through his sentence when the lab results come back that my client's fingerprints were on the rear view mirror.

Provided the officer who investigated the case and me a good laugh. Crime labs are so backed up and overloaded that you always have to wait, usually quite a long time.

Best of luck,

Jim Clark-Dawe

maestrowork · May 6, 2008

It's amazing how fast they can get their cases in court, with a full jury, isn't it? That's why all the legal shows are kind of incredulous. Wow, if our legal system really works that fast. Then again, if everything has to be realistic, we'll be watching the same episode for six months.

And don't get me started on shows like ER...

Feathers · May 6, 2008

jclarkdawe said:
CSI has their timelines so out of whack it isn't even funny.

I read this article in "The Writer" magazine from a real-life CSI. He said that crime labs are so backed up that most evidence doesn't get processed for months. Some never gets processed. That's a scary thought.

-Feathers

Ravenlocks · May 6, 2008

In terms of believability, I have more of a problem with the cops dropping the girl off at home before the grandparents get there. I would expect them to keep her in the company of adults until the grandparents arrive.

nybx4life · May 6, 2008

Dana-Lynn said:
How much of how things would happen in real life is important when you're writing a fiction novel????
If you portray a situation a certain way, but it's probably not the way it would really be dealt with in real life, is that a bad thing?

I ask this, because in the second chapter of my MG/YA novel, my 12 yr. old MC looses her family in a car accident while they are driving to her school to attend her awards ceremony (actually, she's 11 at the time that it happens, so 6th grade). She got a ride to the school with a friend, and her parents never showed up. She has no other family that lives close by, so she's there by herself.

After the ceremony, she tells her teacher her concerns, when the principal approaches them and wisks her away to her office. Her principal then proceeds to state that the sherif phoned her to say there's been an accident, and her parents are dead. Then they wait for an hour for a police officer to come to the school to take her home. Her grandparents make the 2 hour drive over from another state to be with her after that.

I know this probably isn't the way it would actually be handled in real life. In real life, a police officer and probably a social worker or clergyman or someone would be there to tell my MC the news, and not have an untrained principal do it.

BUT since this IS fiction, just fictional characters doing fictional things, does it have to be the way it would really happen in real life? Or would my target audience (9 - 12 yr olds) just take it for what it is, and not be concerned that that's not how it would really be dealt with in real life?

You can read my second chapter HERE in SYW if it would help you with your advice.

Okay, in my eyes, I do think it's at least the school's guidance councelor or the principal who tells the child, so I don't think that's fake.

But, the reaction of the child might determine the fakeness. I mean, the kid is just told that her parents died. I know she's not gonna take that with a straight face and just say, "okay. Let my call my grandma to pick me up."

Oh, and I guess I should mention this: no social worker can pick up the child unless the child has no living relatives able to pick her up

How much of real life is important in fiction novel writing?

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