Writing Excuses 9.9: What to do When Truth is Stranger than Fiction

Nancy Fulda is back this week to talk with us about the truth, and what do to when it's stranger than fiction. Sometimes real people's names are just too cool, and if you were to put them in a book nobody would believe it. Sometimes actual, historical events are so ridiculous there's no way you can get away with putting them in a story that you expect people to take seriously. And sometimes real science is just not going to be believed by your readers.

So how do you get away with using these things, with writing your stories in true places? Sometimes all it takes is the hanging of the right lantern, but in many cases you must go to great lengths to re-educate the reader without breaking the fourth wall or otherwise knocking them out of the story.