Not on Your Nelly

Not on Your Nelly

Would They Really?

Well, would they? The question is more like would they REALLY? and it's one all authors of fiction end up asking themselves. Planning, plotting, character bios... these are all very well, but for a story to work, for readers to suspend disbelief and get carried along with the characters, it has to make logical sense.

So, would this character, in this situation, in this place and time, with this personality and this background REALLY do whatever you have planned? All too often, the answer is Not on your nelly. 
Therefore, the writer has three viable choices. 
1. Change the plot so the character doesn't need to commit that not on your nelly action.
2. Change the character so that character would indeed commit that action.
3. Leave the plot and character alone and stack the odds so the character must commit that action because the alternative is worse.
There. Easy Peasy.
The fourth choice, the one you cannot make, is to go forging ahead with that not on your nelly action still screaming not on your nelly.