In an article on Writer’s Digest, Holly James says letting your characters tell the truth can increase both tension and humor in your story. “The truth is shocking and unexpected,” James says. “It goes against custom. It can sometimes be confrontational. It can sometimes, truly, set you free.”
In her novel, Nothing but the Truth, a Hollywood publicist finds that she is unable to tell a lie. As James developed her story, she considered several factors for using humor.
- Context. In an industry built on fiction and image, a publicist unable to lie about photo shoots, film reviews, and arrests provides ample opportunity for humor. The premise also allowed James to examine Hollywood’s reputation for misogyny and mistreatment of women. “All of this was made possible by setting the story in a context where telling the truth would really matter,” James explains. “It created stakes, it allowed for laughs, and it set up an opportunity for the social commentary at the core of the book.”
- Honest Emotion. Telling the truth can create conflict and consequences. James’ protagonist experience moments of sincere embarrassment, trepidation, and fear when she is forced to tell the truth. “This lent a sense of reality to the story and will hopefully invite readers to relate to Lucy as she sometimes stumbles through her day of honesty but comes out stronger for it on the other end,” James says.
- Reality. Humans tell a lot of white lies when the truth would be hurtful, so we’re shocked when someone blurts out an honest answer. “Nothing But The Truth contains plenty of moments where both Lucy and the person on the receiving end of her honesty are momentarily speechless,” James writes. “This felt very genuine to me given that no one really expects women to speak up the way Lucy does.”
- Lessons. James’ protagonist isn’t an habitual liar, but a woman in a profession where image and fabrication are important. “She learns through the course of her day that she lies about things she didn’t even realize she lies about: her appearance, her diet, her exercise routine, her relationship satisfaction,” James says. “In fact, many of the lies she tells are lies to herself, not to other people.”
