Exercise: Writing Realism
Writing realistically can either be a proverbial walk in the park or a surprising intellectual challenge depending on a storyteller’s background. The goal of this exercise is to break down the task of writing realistically for any writer, no matter where they are coming from. For those that typically write Realistic Fiction, this can serve as more of a recalibration point; a small challenge to look at a setting, character type, or plot with fresh intentionality. For those that typically work in the Speculative realm, it’s a chance to slow down and draw inspiration from the world around them. Regardless of which kingdom of fiction the writer is coming from, taking a moment to stop and observe reality is an important skill for any author or writer of any genre.
As with all Brainy Blog exercises, this is supposed to be both educational and low-pressure. The guidelines are presented below, but each and every one of them can be thrown out or modified depending on the short tale you want to tell. For the best experience in exploring this genre, we recommend following the guide below throughout the exercise, but the world is, entirely, your oyster. Enjoy this challenge as you see fit!
The Basics
Protagonist: Someone of your age and demographic OR someone of the age and demographic of a person you know very well (such as a family member or close friend).
Location: A town, building, or home that you are very familiar with (i.e. not a place you have just visited briefly; one that you have been to several times).
Story Message: Include a core message of forgiveness (or the consequences of a lack of forgiveness), using either overt or covert Christian themes.
Additional Notes: Feel free to add characters — human or animal — as you wish. The plot, as well, can be whatever you think or feel would be most realistic for the setting.
Length: For novelists and short story writers, aim for 250-500 words. For scriptwriters of all kinds, aim for 3-5 pages of script. (Note: this length is merely a guide to give the exercise a little more structure. Feel free to write more or less as the story takes you!)
Encouragement & Suggestions
The primary focus of this exercise is learning to work within the confines of the real world while exploring how to add a fictional twist to things. It is trying to understand where the give-and-take is when it comes to writing realistically; what elements need to be true to life and which can be adapted and molded by the author’s imagination. Realistic Fiction does have quite a bit of room for imaginative details, although it may be a little tricky to find where that line is.
As a general rule, the major differences between Realistic and Speculative fiction is worldbuilding. This is, in essence, the structure of the world around the characters. What they smell, what they see, what they taste, how their culture is shaped, what type of clothes they wear, what level of technology they understand, what major world events are going on at the time of their story, and the very foundational aspects of the laws of nature and physics. These are the things that need to be grounded in some kind of reality for Realistic Fiction and these are the things that you should focus on during this exercise.
However, there is plenty of room to add fictional details that follow the “physics” of the real world in your exercise. For example, if the setting you use is a favorite coffee shop, feel free to add items on the menu or posters on the wall that don’t exist in real life. If you are using your hometown as a backdrop, include a few stores that have never actually opened there. Characters and plot events can both be entirely fictional — if inspired by real-life people or events — so long as they stay inside the confines of the real world.
In Real World Fiction: An extreme example of fictional elements in a Contemporary story is The Princess Diaries, which includes an entire, made-up country (Genovia), while still maintaining its “realistic” nature. The plot itself, as well, is incredibly unrealistic and fictitious, but it still sits well within the confines of reality.
When it comes to actually developing the world for this story, the most important thing you can do as either a Realistic or Speculative Fiction writer is practical research. This means spending time in either the place you are directly featuring in your story or a place that is similar. If you are writing a story that takes place in a city park, the best research is going to be visiting that park or on that is similar and observing the world and people around. Make note of specific details — from sights to smells to sounds — and use them with minimal modifications in the story.
For Speculative Fiction writers, resist the urge to add anything you can’t or couldn’t see, smell, touch, or taste in the real world. This will mean no dragons, no antigravity cars, and no horrible monsters crawling out of the sewers (unless you are being really colorful about the scent of raw sewage). It may make the writing process feel incredibly boring, but take heart! Both the mental tools you develop through practicing pulling details out from the world around you and the details themselves will give even the most unrealistic universe you could possibly invent a familiar foundation for your audience. For example, the smells of a modern bakery can be adapted and modified to match a bakery on a space station. Or the sound of the leaves rustling in the wind can be used to describe the softness of a ethereal dragon’s scales as they move. Being able to pull details out of the real world and adjust them to fit a fantastical setting will instantly add a layer of depth to any speculative story.
Above all, don’t beat yourself up if the story you write isn’t perfect or perfectly fits the definition of Realistic Fiction. This is an exercise, a practice session, and a basic sketch. It’s purpose is to strengthen storytelling muscles — either ones you already have or ones that you rarely use — without the pressure of perfection or “it must be the best possible”. Enjoy the brain teaser that is stepping outside your comfort zone. Enjoy building upon skills you already have in abundance. Thank God for not only giving you your unique brand of creativity, but also the wonderful bounty of resources and sources of inspiration.