In an article for Writer’s Digest, Daniel Aleman shares four tips for getting your readers to buy into a wild premise. “For your idea to work, you need readers to suspend disbelief enough to accept somewhat unlikely circumstances,” he says.
In Aleman’s novel I Might Be in Trouble, a writer wakes up one morning next to the corpse of his date from the night before. Hoping to spin this into a premise for his next novel, the protagonists asks his agent for help getting rid of the body. Of course, making this scenario believable was a challenge. Here’s what worked for Aleman:
- Understand your characters. Characters with strong motivation, particularly those with nothing left to lose, can sell a wild story. “Even if those motivations seem a bit outlandish, they must make full sense to your characters as they navigate the context in which you’ve placed them,” Aleman writes. “The more you help your audience empathize with your characters’ logic, the more they’ll be willing to take that leap with them.”
- Genre matters. Certain leaps of faith are built into various genre. Fantasy readers accept – if not expect – a significant amount of magic. Science fiction, thrillers, and romance novels also have their own outlandish scenarios. A comic or satirical tone can also help sell your wild premise.
- Use your setting. “Think carefully about how the world around your characters can make it easier or harder for readers to get lost in your plot,” Aleman writes.
- Watch Out for Plot Holes and Alternative Explanations. “When your plot hinges on a bold premise, it’s essential to address potential plot holes before readers have a chance to stumble upon them,” Aleman says. “In cases where the reader might think, But why wouldn’t the character have done X instead of Y? make sure your narrative has already accounted for these alternatives.” You might have your protagonist consider and reject “reasonable” courses of action, to make it clear to the reader. “When you can anticipate the alternative paths readers might see and address them convincingly, your audience will be more inclined to stay with you on your chosen, wilder path,” Aleman adds.
