Milton Erickson, Abused Children, and the "Always-a-Robin" Syndrome (Part Two)

Another reason to pay attention to details in our fiction...

2 The "real world" is made of details.

We live in a world of concrete details--not abstraction.

For instance, I don't own a car.

I own a tan Bonneville with an overachieving check engine light, oil smoke emitting from the tail pipe when it shouldn't be, and a weird wobble in the front when I brake. As I write, the center cubby holds a black ink pen, a yellow packet of sweetener, and a discarded tissue.

Our brains are constantly recording sights, smells, tastes, touch sensations, and sounds--each of which comes to us in High Definition.

So, whether we are conscious of it or not, a work of fiction with the appropriate amount of concrete detail strikes us as more believable.

You see this in the world of Law: "Where were you on the night of August 14th, 2007?"

"Uh...I was...shopping. Yeah. Shopping."

"Can you tell the court where, specifically?"

"Uh...I...bookstore. I was at a bookstore."

"Which bookstore, please?"

"Uh..."

Do you believe this guy?

Parents: You've experienced this too, right? Your kids tell you a story, but it sounds a little vague, and the Parental Suspicion Meter pegs out. Crafty little sprogs learn to invent concrete details to bolster credibility.

Well chosen, vivid details help create the illusion of reality.

That's why a really good liar can fool us.

You've heard news stories about those master imposters, right? People who fake their way through a series of jobs, like airline pilot, lawyer, and even brain surgeon...and they accomplish this deception because they sound like they know what they're doing...By sprinkling their conversation with specific detail, they convince everyone around them.

Since the "real world" flows by us in High Definition detail, then a word, a sentence, a paragraph that lacks specificity may, by comparison, seem contrived. Flat or lifeless. Phony.

Obviously, balance is critical...I'm not suggesting you slap a Brand Name on every product a character touches...nor am I suggesting you take three paragraphs to describe the envelope your character receives. Rip it open and get on with your plot.

But look for small ways to convince your reader: This is a real world. This actually happened.

Next time, thoughts on how to apply this...