The Importance of The Semblance of Truth in Storytelling #4: More Logic
Very rarely do we enter a story world grudgingly. We approach stories with high hopes and, on our best days, a sense of childlike glee and anticipation.
“I can’t wait to see this!”
“This is going to be amazing!”
I still start every new story that way—mostly. But there’s another part of me that’s cautious, the part that’s been let down, disappointed, and even felt betrayed by stories that failed in their promise to be something wonderful.
In my last post, I showed how to lose your audience instantly by violating the very rules of the story world you’ve created. Remember my invented Top Gun: Maverick scene, where legendary Navy pilot Pete Mitchell is suddenly terrified to fly a combat mission?
It was funny, right?
The scene was laughable because it violated story logic so radically that it flipped our understanding of the protagonist completely upside down.
But here’s the thing: you don’t need such an extreme failure in story logic to alienate your audience. Maybe it’s your panhandler’s spotless jacket, missing the mark with a regional accent, the wrong choice of firearms, bad lighting, phony dialogue.
These are all choices the author made. They may not stand out like Maverick’s fear of flying but they add up, chipping away at your audience’s sense of authenticity and weakening the foundation of your story.
Whether the missteps stem from the pressure of a deadline, a brutal production schedule, inexperience, or laziness doesn’t matter.
We come to stories with open arms, trusting the storyteller to take care of us. When that trust is broken—when storytellers neglect to honor the bond Coleridge called poetic faith—audiences don’t just disconnect from the story. They’re offended.
Below are viewer comments from Google reviews of a recent modern Western with a
known star (lightly edited for clarity):
“Texas Rangers don’t have 6-point stars for badges, their badges are 5-point
stars in a circle. Silver for sergeants and lieutenants, gold for captains. I don’t
understand this. if you’re going to make a movie, do some damn research! Don’t
just fake it!” (anonymous)
“That’s not an Armored Car, it’s a U-Haul you painted!”
“If your actors aren’t professionally trained in improv, do not let them improv!”
“You know when you shoot something, and then there’s a hole? Not in this movie.” (Chris “Burr” Martin)
“Why didn’t the producers spend a few thousand more to make sure the guns don’t sound like toy guns?” (gregles)
“Did no one bother to check that a US Marshal has a different job than local law enforcement?” (anonymous)
“There’s an hour & a half I’ll never get back.” (Alana)
And these were not the angry ones.
This audience noticed everything: set design, sound effects, casting, plot, dialogue, wardrobe, music, character decisions & more.
My tip: Do good work. And pay attention to details.
More to come…