Karen Foley
Lynn Raye Harris
Ellen Hartman
Diana Holquist
Samantha Hunter
Shirley Jump
Dee Tenorio
Jeannie Watt
Keeping it Real (and a giveaway!)
I've just started working on a new book, about a Marine Sniper who is amazing at what he does. In fact, his name is Matt Magnifico, and they call him Superman because he pretty much excels at everything he does. There's nothing this guy is afraid of, except perhaps losing his heart to Julia Carrington, the woman who sees beneath his easy-going, devil-may-care attitude to the conflicted man he really is.
My inspiration for this story is a real-life Marine Sniper who completely embodies the character I've created. I met him two years ago, when he came to our office to deliver the Veteran's Day address. Just 27 years old, he was tall and lean and heart-stoppingly handsome in his Marine Corps dress blues. You could hear the female bodies hitting the floor as he walked past.
He recently deployed for the third time, and I email him infrequently, whenever I need information that isn't available through Google or Military.com. His responses are always charming and polite, and as specific as possible without jeopardizing mission-sensitive information. But what he doesn't know is that his father, a former Marine, sends me some of the informal emails that he receives from his son. These are the emails that fascinate me, because they give me a true depiction of the man behind the sniper scope. The emails are stark and graphic, and his descriptions of what he encounters are compelling and sometimes disturbing. My hope is that his experiences will help me to create a story that is equally compelling.
As writers, and as readers, how important is it to have a story that seems real? Leave a comment, and you could win a $10 Barnes & Noble giftcard! Remember, you must be registered to win.
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important
especially if the the profession is what makes the person who they are. I read a book where the heroine was a glass-blower. Interesting profession but the story got caught up in that and ended up overriding the romance of the story and the whole plot.
Ugh
I hate when that happens.
Sam
Fascinating stuff
Karen, this is very cool stuff. I find it fascinating, and in general my mantra is making a book believable, though not necessarily real. I think we only need to use enough of what's real to enhance what we write, to serve our purpose of entertaining and weaving a story.
In my case, I depended quite willingly on Jeannie to help me create "real" cowboys for Pick Me Up and Hard to Resist, because I am from NY, and what do I know about cowboys? LOL Then again, I also know that the reality of cowboys is far from romantic a lot of the time. I like to use enough facts to make my stories feel real to the reader, but they don't have to be real. In fact, unless they are nonfiction, they can't be.
We "hint" at real, but we can't show all the grit. Everything that's "real" or disturbing in the "real" world is softened through a romantic lens in fiction (and TV, and movies, etc -- at least, depending on genre) and that's okay with me. There's more than enough real on the news (and even that is filtered...)
Sam
Ah...this is helpful, Sam,
Ah...this is helpful, Sam, because sometimes I find myself so caught up in keeping it real, that I take the soft focus lens off. For example, the story starts with my hero lining up a target in his sights and then sending the bullet that pretty much vaporizes the other guy. The description isn't gory, but it is graphic, and may not be what readers want when they pick up a Blaze.
I think...
You also have a risk there of him coming across as anti-heroic? That's always a risk with certain characters.
In Hard to Resist, there is a scene where my hero is telling the heroine about a time he had to kill someone -- but it was in his past, we don't see it, and he's telling her this in the context of how much emotional toll it took out of him. So, he had to do it, it was life or death, and he paid an emotional price. It's very clear in the book that he's a protector. I think you have to be careful about making sure your hero stays in the romantic hero place, you know? Not to say these guys don't do what they need to do, but you have to work those difficult scenes into overall characterization, I think.
Sam
Karen--Your sniper sounds
Karen--Your sniper sounds like a fascinating man. I need a story to feel real. I don't need tons of technical details--just enough to give me flavor and then it's all about the character. Now trying to get into a sniper's head--that's an interesting challenge. It sounds like you've chosen an excellent role model. Good luck with the writing.
Sam--Excellent point at hinting about real but not showing all the grit. We have to keep it real, but not so real that we turn off readers looking for a romance, not a tutoral on a career or lifestyle.
Very important!
I think a stroy should be very real to me. I think you get into a book more if the story is real and believable. That doesn't mean that I want read something that isn't real but I just injoy them more when they seem more real. They don't have to be perfect though.
Not graphic but believable
I read a book recently with some specific descriptions of bodily functions that made me put it down. It was a romance and the details included were not romantic. Ick. I had the same experience with a romance that include a large, drooling dog. I know dogs drool, but I don't want to read about it, especially not in any kind of proximity to kissing! ;-)
I also don't like it when the "information" overpowers the story. I'm reading novels for the story and that's really all I care about. Make me believe it but don't bore with me descriptions of process or background or facts.
Actually, feel free to bore me with those things as long as your feelings aren't hurt if I skip them. *Tom Clancy, I'm looking at you!*
What Ellen said...
I do like enough information to provide a strong set-up and I definitely appreciate accuracy, especially if I know anything about the topic. On the other hand, I don't necessarily want too much nitty-gritty--the story doesn't have to share with me every last interesting fact that came up in research: not even close! I want what's relevant to the story and the plot and character development, but I'm not looking for a textbook, that's for sure! I want the author's voice and story to really be front and center.
I agree...I like to have
I agree...I like to have just enough information to get a flavor, but not be overwhelmed with details. I tend to skip over those types of data dumps, too!
What's real to one...
I had an interesting experience researching my last book, Hungry for More. The hero was a chef, the heroine a waitress--er, server, we don't call them waitresses, I learned. So I had a few chefs and a few servers and a restaurant owner read the manuscript when it was almost done. They agreed on almost nothing. Not even what you called the soda spritzer behind the bar. It was a fascinating experience to see how different points of view and different life experiences informed all the "experts."
So my experience: you can get it as real as possible, and still, you'll have people who don't buy it. What can you do?
--d.
LOL at your "servers"
I can see how that would be a tough one because so many people actually have waitressed or bartended or whatever, that they have experience to draw on. I'm making a note to myself to stay away from restaurants in my stories ;-)
I think that whatever profession you pick, people in that profession will find things to nitpick over. It's just human nature. There are probably European princes shaking their heads in disgust at how I represented my last prince...
Jen
http://www.jenlewis.com
So true, Diana! When I was
So true, Diana! When I was writing Able-Bodied, I really wanted to know if Delta Force operators kept an arsenal of weapons in their homes in case they needed to deploy on a moment's notice. I wanted to know what the heroine would see if she opened the hero's closet; black ninja suits?? Night vision goggles and an AK-47? None of the guys I queried would tell me anything, and finally one Special Ops guy said that if I couldn't find out any information, then neither would my readers, so it was probably a safe bet to just make stuff up. Which I did. But in a way that I felt made sense and hopefully seemed real. I'm sure there are readers out there who don't buy it, and those Delta guys are probably laughing their butts off at how wrong I got it, but hey...I did my best!
I like stuff to *feel* real
But it's not important to me that it be 100% authentic. In fact I think in romance there's almost a requirement that things shouldn't be 100% like life, because if real life was all that fab we wouldn't be reading romance to vacation from it for a few hours :-D
I think it's great to do as much research as possible, then selectively decide what to put in and what to leave out. I think doing the research prevents you from making huge gaffes, and also provides inspiration--sounds like you get plenty 'o that from Mr. Magnifico!
So, yeah, I agree with everyone else :grin:
Jen
http://www.jenlewis.com
Realism
I think it is important for a story to realistic, but I also know that in a work of fiction I can expect to certain aspects might be exaggerated or diminished.
A story has to seem real to
A story has to seem real to me or I lose interest in it.
Very Important
I like my stories (romance or otherwise) to be real. If I can't believe in what is going on then the story loses my interest. That is not to say I want a lot of vivid blood and guts description, but what the hero/heroine does must be logical and have a real possibility. Otherwise I would read fantasy and I don't like fantasy.
It looks like I'm not the
It looks like I'm not the first to say it (LOL), but yet, needs to be realistic, but not overboard-ly so. Because in the end, while you don't want incorrect or too much correct information taking you out of the story, we are reading for the people involved within those pages. And of course, if it's 1000% important to the characters and their personalities or motivations, then we definitely have to know! :)
Lois
Real stuff
When a story feels real to me, that's when I am really pulled into the story. The characters and the plot has to make sense to me before I can lose myself in the story but when it all comes together it is almost impossible for me to put the book down.
I agree!
It's really the best feeling, whether a book, TV show, movie, etc sucks you in like that... but that's about creating a realistic world, even if it's not a world based on fact (ie, Buffy, etc).
I think Jen hit on that phrase "feels real" and that's the thing I was trying to get at before, that it doesn't have to be based on fact to feel real. ;) The "facts" can be completely fictitious, but the logic of the story, etc and the characters, all have to make sense, I agree. Nothing takes me out of a story faster than when the fictional logic fails or characters aren't "right" (ie, Dollhouse).
Sam
Too real
Also just have to add, this is where I personally shy away from "too real" in my reading when it comes to terminal illness, etc -- I know people love JR Ward, but when I read the first book, and ran into a character with cancer, it's all it took for me to put the book down and abandon the series. Having seen what cancer does up close, I simply cannot make that jump into reading about it for my entertainment. It always bothers me, and I have read only one book through that had a character with cancer, for a friend, and even so, it's not a book I would ever have picked up otherwise.
And yet, I love shows like Bones, which I know are based in at least some fact, and a lot of mystery and suspense, which are, too, so maybe it's just what different people have different triggers for what's too "real" in their fiction. I know folks who don't want to read books about child abuse or rape for the same reason, and can't say I blame them.
Sam
Marine Sniper
I am sure your marine will provide you with some good storylines.
He probably loves the contact with you.
hello all
I agree, you want the details to be as accurate as possible without giving a complete dialoge of their life, and ever second of history or job description. And then blend those details with your creation. You need enough to pull you into their world, and keep you there. along with making apporpriate decisions for that carachter and their world, to keep the readers from rolling their eyes or throwing the book against the wall.
Your sniper sounds prtty good. can't wait to read it.
As for the book that gave graphing descriptions of bodily functions, ewwwwwwwwwwwwwww! why would you want to read that, unless your im med school???? so gross.
later ladies.
P.S. Sam the new site looks great, thanks for posting me on your wall.
jody
I read a lot of fantasy
I read a lot of fantasy books so for me it doesn't matter if the story feels real. It matters to me that the characters feel real.
not too much for me but yea
not too much for me but yea the profession should be real and not fake.
Realism
For me, if the characters' story is good then I am not overly critical of how realistic the story is.
I love stories that are real
I love stories that are real but agree with others that if it gets too real, down to certain specifics, it gets away from a good read.
I do enjoy fantasy to some extent but prefer realism. I can put myself into the story much easier if it is close to real.
To be Real or not to be?
I don't neccesarily need the story to be real. It must be believeable. What is the literary term? Suspension of disbelief or something to that effect.
I do have a difficult time with medical shows on tv as I am part of the medical profession, but when you do something for a living you notice more. I'd have to say that unless it was medical or some subject that I had alot of knowledge then the answer is no it doesn't have to be real.