Does a story have to be 'believable' to be a good story?

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   Eugene Hardyposted 12 years ago

   Does a story have to be 'believable' to be a good story?
   
   Even in science fiction, should it not be believable?

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   Elly`Snowposted 12 years ago

   No because that's the fun of sci-fi is making things up that aren't believable, there's a lot of freedom in that!

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   mejohnsonposted 12 years ago

   Yes I think a good story has to be believable, in that it has to maintain its logic whether it's science fiction or a different genre. Believability  in my opinion comes from creating a genuine world in which your characters can act and react according to their personality.

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   dashingscorpioposted 12 years ago

   I don't think it has to be "believeable" as in what takes place in our world today. However it has to be "plausible" within the world the writer creates. The events that take place for example in movies such as "Star Wars", "Batman", or "Inception" are not (realistic) by any means when we look around us. This is why it's important for a writer to be able "set up" their story very well from the start showing what is "possible" within the world they have created.
   What turns people off is when a character is suddenly able to do something or has a power which was not alluded to earlier in the story. If someone is drawn into a story they will overlook a lot of things. (ie) You ever notice Superman is able to change into his costume at a moment's notice. Now we buy into the fact he may be wearing the outfit under his reporter suit (cape and all)....But what about the (RED) boots!? Are there a pair in every phone booth in Metropolis? LOL!
   A large part of reading fantasy or going to the movies is to escape "reality". We just want the characters to be "realistic" within the confines of (their world).

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   HLKeeleyposted 12 years ago

   I believe that a good story has to connect with the reader. If they cannot connect to the character, then cannot read it or at least enjoy in.

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   amb1jerposted 12 years ago

   I think its more important to be well written. A story is a story after all and if its written well it will be believable.

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      Eugene Hardyposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      That is actually a good answer, thank you.

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   sweetsakshi30posted 12 years ago

   I do not think that a story needs to be believable to be a good story. There are many good stories which are totally imaginative and are wonderful. In fact I think imaginative stories are more interesting, entertaining and attracting.

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