1. Building a Consistent World:
* Worldbuilding: Creating a detailed and internally consistent world, with its own rules, history, and culture, allows readers to suspend their disbelief. This applies to both fantasy worlds with magic and science fiction worlds with advanced technology.
* Character Development: Believable characters with relatable motivations and flaws ground the story, making even fantastical events more acceptable.
Example: The Harry Potter series creates a richly detailed world of magic, where the impossible becomes possible within its own rules. The characters are believable and relatable, making the magic seem less outlandish.
2. Evoking Emotion:
* Emotional Connection: If a story evokes strong emotions in the reader, they are more likely to accept even improbable events.
* Empathy: Relatable characters with whom readers empathize can make even extraordinary actions seem justified.
Example: In "The Fault in Our Stars," the story's focus on the emotional journey of terminally ill teenagers makes their improbable love story feel real and impactful.
3. Utilizing Narrative Techniques:
* Show, Don't Tell: Instead of simply stating fantastical events, stories that show the events unfolding through vivid descriptions and believable actions make them more convincing.
* Suspending Disbelief: A story that establishes a clear set of rules or explanations for its impossible events, even if those rules are fictional, allows readers to accept them without question.
Example: The "Star Wars" franchise meticulously builds its world, establishing rules for the Force and lightsaber combat. This allows audiences to accept the seemingly impossible events of the story, such as the destruction of the Death Star, as believable within the established universe.
4. Blending the Impossible with the Familiar:
* Realism: Even fantastical stories can be made more believable by grounding them in elements of reality. This might involve relatable characters, familiar settings, or realistic consequences for magical actions.
* Science Fiction: Utilizing scientific concepts, even if fictionalized, can make impossible events seem plausible.
Example: "The Martian," although set on Mars, relies on real scientific principles and plausible solutions to survive the impossible circumstances, making the protagonist's survival seem possible.
5. Using The Power of Imagination:
* Imagination: Fiction allows readers to step outside their everyday reality and embrace the possibilities of the impossible.
* Metaphor: Sometimes, fantastical events serve as metaphors for real-life experiences, making them resonate on a deeper level.
Example: "The Little Prince" uses a fantastical journey to explore themes of love, loss, and the importance of imagination.
Ultimately, the power of fiction to make the impossible believable lies in its ability to create immersive and engaging worlds, characters, and narratives that resonate with readers on an emotional and intellectual level. It's a testament to the power of storytelling to transport us beyond the confines of reality and make us believe in the seemingly impossible.