In a post on CrimeReads, Victor Acquista offers advice on blending fact and fiction in thrillers. “If readers are presented with some information they know to be true, along with fictional information, they will tend to also believe the fictional elements,” he says.
Acquista suggests a three-to-one ratio of fact to fiction. While you don’t need to embed the fiction in the same paragraph or even the same chapter as the facts, starting with factual elements can create a plausible story world for your reader. “In this manner, when a fictional element is slipped in, readers are less likely to question the veracity,” he explains. “The author has already established believability in the story because of previous truths sprinkled throughout. The converse is also true. An author can compromise credibility by incorporating too many nonfactual elements.”
This is true for plot elements, as well as character and setting details. For a thriller, “authors may want to incorporate many character attributes that provide unique skills in fighting, sleuthing, or excelling in some incredible way,” Acquista writes. While James Bond is unbelievably skilled, his talents match his stories. Whatever you do, be consistent.
Setting provides another avenue for incorporating factual elements. “When a fictional setting is embedded among these factually accurate details, it is more believable,” Acquista says. “When settings such as government agencies (think CIA, NSA, DOD, etc.), or places such as a police department, emergency room, or morgue are represented with factual accuracy, the story credibility is enhanced.” Readers will allow you some leeway, but be careful not to betray their trust.
“Verisimilitude–-the appearance of being true or real–-is the bar the author must achieve,” Acquista adds. “Extrapolating this, authors can play loose with the facts and not strain readers’ credulity as long as plot, characters, and setting are plausible.” For many novels, this requires research. “As an author, I cannot connect dots and pull threads if I don’t know about them,” he says.
