Comments on: How to Make Readers Forget Your Story Isn’t Real

By: Janice Hardy

Janice Hardy — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 16:10:36 +0000

In reply to Patti J Hultstrand. Oh I LOVE this story!!! This is the gold standard for what we want, lol. Make Marines cry!

By: Janice Hardy

Janice Hardy — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 14:48:47 +0000

In reply to denise. Now that you're thinking about it, you might find one in a book or movie you see :)

By: Janice Hardy

Janice Hardy — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 14:47:48 +0000

In reply to Ann Henry. LOL I'm glad it wasn't just me :) But it cool when that happens. Even if it is a bit embarrassing.

By: Janice Hardy

Janice Hardy — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 14:46:48 +0000

In reply to Diana Stout. I see we have the same taste in movies! Those are all on my frequently watched list. I just watched 2012 a few days ago as well.

By: Patti J Hultstrand

Patti J Hultstrand — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 05:23:21 +0000

Janice, I remember when this big bear of a former Marine had come up to me at a convention and said, "I read book 2 and while I liked it, I hated that Tamea lost her baby." I said, "Craig, such things happen in life." He was truly upset with me and said, "I know! But, I just didn't like that it happened to Tamea." I could not contain my absolute glee from his emotions here. He asked me why such a thing made me so happy that I laughed and hugged him. I said, "If I caused such emotions in you that you're upset with me for causing a fictional character turmoil, then I have done my job as the author." We, fiction authors, truly do the most awful things to our characters! However, it's the journey back from such catastrophic life events that make the story rich and the characters relatable.

By: denise

denise — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 05:08:11 +0000

I can't think of literary or movie example at the moment.

By: Ann Henry

Ann Henry — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 23:23:36 +0000

What you say is so true, Janice. I remember finishing the book Bridges of Madison County while lying in bed next to my husband, and since hubby was a photographer and we had lived in Seattle at the appropriate time, I turned to ask him if he had known of the photographer [name of book's love interest] while we were there. Fortunately, just before I opened my mouth to ask this question, I remembered that the answer would, of course, be "no" since the photographer I was inquiring about was a fictional character. DUH!

By: Diana Stout

Diana Stout — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 21:11:39 +0000

I've been watching The Martian about 2-3 times a week all summer. I've watched World War Z half a dozen times this year, already. I rewatch Day After Tomorrow many, many times every year, too. Such memorable characters and the events all feel so real...that they COULD happen. And then, there are Jane Austen's characters. Their events are real even today. Fantastic post!

By: Janice Hardy

Janice Hardy — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 10:35:33 +0000

In reply to Alicia Butcher Ehrhardt. I've heard that advice as well, and it's good advice. Do the unexpected! Pick what most folks won't immediately think about. I'm a huge POV fan, so I love that approach :) You get way better stories that way. And as you've found, it's worth the extra searching, too!

By: Alicia Butcher Ehrhardt

Alicia Butcher Ehrhardt — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 17:46:10 +0000

"The devil is in the details." You're exactly right.

I remember advice to discard the first and the second level of details that come to mind - those are going to be obvious and generic - and keep digging for a while to fiddle something only my pov character would notice.

Since I try to CHANNEL each pov character in my Pride's Children mainstream trilogy AS I write their scenes (I alternate roughly between the three main characters), it helps to stay longer in THEIR pov and experience the scene the way I want a reader to be experiencing it: right behind the eyeballs and peculiarly from THAT character.

Keeps me searching longer for the special things each would notice.