My Plausibility Essay

A lot of people have written some very thoughtful comments on this, but it occurs to me that the nature of the comment function does not provide for much of a general discussion because it is so one-on-one. I had intended two things--first, more of a general discussion of this issue and two, I should have made it more clear that I was not meaning to promulgate "rules" for writing so much as suggestions for those who might be wondering about how to deal with this issue. Some, I know, just ignore the issue, and maybe that's because they are writing pure fantasy and they like it that way. They certainly are not alone on this board. But if narrative reality is a concern let me know how you feel about what I've said.

BTW, I'm trying to practice what I preach and as illustration there is The Island Pt 2 released today which is a sequel to the boat picture contest story of the same name.

I never consider your writing as "rules', if they were rules I would have not thought as positively about the article as I did. Also if you had presented them as "rules" then my "crazy as a loon" statement would have applied...LOL I will comment more later, but it is about time this appeared on the forum, I think the discussion will be great. CS

Even when you're writing fantasy you need the story to be internally consist (which maintains plausibility) - that is, once you establish a rule that's in play in the world you shouldn't break it - not without giving the readers a reason why the rule is being broken.

For example, if there's a huge amount of drama in chapter 2 focused around an elf trying to get a fire lit during a blizzard, centered on his use of a flint fire starter that doesn't want to work (and the knowledge that the heroes will freeze to death if the fire isn't lit) then in chapter 9 you can't have the same elf casting fire spells. A different elf, sure - different training, different talents, what have you. Maybe the same elf if he's been studying magic since chapter 2. That works:

"Zap!" Glowmoon said, producing a spark of flame. The small mound of kindling caught instantly. Looking around he told the stunned onlookers, he said: "Ever since that night on the snow fells of Husja I've made it a point to focus on my fire magic. I'm never to going to get caught that way again."

Or maybe if you explain that the circumstances are different. That works:
"Zap!" Glowmoon said, producing a spark of flame. The small mound of kindling caught instantly. Looking around he told the stunned onlookers, he said: "Here, surround by the trees, my magic is strong enough to do that - barely. Alas, there were no tress on the snow fells of Husja the night we almost died."

But just
"Zap!" Glowmoon said, producing a spark of flame. The small mound of kindling caught instantly. With camp set up, the conversation turned to coming battle with the Witch.

That leaves the reader with a "huh? What about the flint? What about all the drama in chapter 2? Why is no one screaming BULLSHIT or demanding to know why he didn't do that in chapter 2? Where's the explanation?" feeling and nothing destroys suspension of disbelief faster.

Going back on topic, if you've set up a world where Good Girls don't get spanked but Bad Girls (if caught doing something bad) are put on trial and face a long, formal hearing where everything they've done since grade 1 is trotted out (i.e. that "permanent record") and (if the judge convicts them - which is a big "if" and one the heroine is counting on) they get publicly spanked - then you can't have a girl grabbed at random and added to the mass spanking. Not without explaining it someway, not after telling us that there needs to be that trial. While including another girl could be fun it breaks the web of plausibility that you've built up.

If, in your world, babysitters can legally spank only after they turn 18, and you've spun a tale about a girl counting the days until her birthday (with her young charges asking "Um, you won't start spanking me after your birthday, will you?") then you've established how things work. Bringing in her younger sister, cousin, friend, whatever - who is 16 and a spanking babysitter - that destroys the foundation of the story.

If someone is a life long "non-spanker" then he/she generally needs a reason to shift sides. Establish that the character is whimsical, or the family has recently moved and wants to fit the new norms, or there's a new parent or in-law who convinces the character, or reference long talks with a friend or childcare professional, or maybe drugs or a health problem(head injury, Alzheimer, or depression) is involve, or the spankee has done something so far beyond the pale that extreme measures get experimented with - give them a reason beyond "I woke up and decided that this would a good day to start spanking the kids".

Keeping things plausible and internally consistent - that's a big part of successful storytelling.

Goodgulf

Or if it's a Thursday.

While I generally like stories to make some concession to plausibility; there is an inherent dilemma as I don't much like those that are genuinely plausible-ie dominant husband who considers he has a right to chastise his wife; I positively dislike Parent guardian /child spankings and these are probably the two most plausible scenarios today.
For my enjoyment there has usually has to be some consensuality in most stories and this is where the challenge lies in my opinion ie in making a wholly improbable event in present times be vaguely plausible. I usually spend a great deal of time and effort in trying to think of a scenario that has some vague possibility of credibility in the right circumstances.

Having said that I loved the Womspank series by Nancy-as far as I remember she never attempted to justify the existence of the existence of Womspank and I enjoyed it hugely -as much for the sheer joy and implausibility of the concept as for the spankings. The scenario seemed to liberate her to imagine as she wished.

If there is a conclusion to my rambling it probably that we must remember it is fantasy and fiction, and based on our personal predilections.

I just hope that my stories are enjoyed by those who read them. I know that I can't appeal to all tastes and don't bother to try.

I should have prefaced my piece by saying that where I find the biggest plot holes in terms of plausible scenes is in the "spanking romance novel" genre and a lot of what I said applies there. Here at LSF we have mainly short stories, many of which are scenes a faire and some of which are whimsical flights of fantasy. In my view there should be less concern about these especially if labeled as such. Parody is also excluded. By its nature parody is over-the-top and unrealistic. That's part of the joke. (See e.g. Aunt Letitia's Fruitcake).

I agree with the author's general thesis, although I would substitute "emotional investment" for "plausibility." I would argue nearly any story where an adult in a Western country gets a n/c spanking is this day and age is inherently implausible, as the modern legal system effectively protects us from this sort of violence.

What the author argues, correctly I think, is against the porn-movie version of the world, where the bored housewife goes to bed with the pizza delivery man 10 seconds after they meet. You have to concentrate on the characters thoughts, feelings, and emotions to give the story a feeling of reality...and to make it a turn on.

Little details can greatly enhance a story, and the sense of reality. Goodgulf and Rollin are masters at emotional investment and detail, which is why there stories are some of the best on the board...

Yeah, it's those things that make you roll your eyes and think "Right...sure"

That is well put Imreadonly2. It is difficult to make an interesting story without some depth of character but of course everyone has their own way of doing things which is the way it should be.

Guy, in commenting on your essay, Rollin, said beware of rules. That is best rule of all, so anything any of us say about writing stories might be the truth for us but for someone else it might not be true at all. We are all different after all and we should be careful not write in a proscriptive way. That is what they too often do in art college. They teach you how to look, then how to paint, and about perspective, composition, the golden section and before you know it they have taken what was original and completely destroyed it. That is why I personally find idiosyncratic artists so interesting because they still view things in an original way. I think it's the same for people who write. Its why I would never pick up a book entitled How to write a short story. Its best to be instinctive about such things.

That should probably be a rule--- LOL

Seriously, I'm just trying to point out that the issue is there for some of our writers who are just getting started. I look for this when I read stories here. Perhaps others don't. Plausibility of the scene and the suspension of disbelief by the reader happen to be important to me and I take pains to do this in my stories. But then again my stories appeal only to a niche here, not everyone. Some readers are looking for something else entirely. But if you as a reader have experienced those eye-rolling moments of "right...sure" then as a writer you may wish to avoid creating them.