Things that are common in real life but might be daft in a book?

[hobnail]

Originally Posted by gweeks

How many times a day do you go into a bathroom? Unless it's needed to push the plot along for some reason you aren't going to write about hundreds of mundane activities like that.

Greg

Sometimes I've read books where there was never an opportunity for them to go to a bathroom and it made me wonder. Similarly with books where they never eat.

[twowheels]

Originally Posted by Dazrin

We see stories about people seeing their future spouse in the background of a picture from when they are 5 on a trip to Disneyplace or who go overseas for the first time and run into a friend from school. If these were put in a book, they'd be seen as cheating by the author to get around whatever problem is happening.

Not exactly the same thing, but once we were walking in a touristy area a few hours from home and far away in the midst of a dense crowd my wife saw somebody walking away from us, facing away from us, and nothing particularly unique about his body shape nor gait, and suddenly she yells out his name and starts running. It was her former boss that she'd not seen in almost 15 years who lives about 3000 miles away. How she recognized him, I have no idea.

We ended up going out to dinner with him and his wife, but it was really shocking that she was able to spot him given the context.

[Dazrin]

Isn't it fun! It feels so special and unique but apparently it is more common than it feels like it should be.

[4691mls]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Detective stuff. In real life hardly anyone remembers anything. It would spoil classic detective stories.

You mean you don't remember exactly what you were doing on Tuesday at 7:49 pm ten months ago?



None of the coincidental stuff people have mentioned above ever seems to happen in my life.

[Martinoptic]

You mean you don't remember exactly what you were doing on Tuesday at 7:49 pm ten months ago?

That would be creepy. But if you live on your own you have no alibi anyway - I don’t think Mitsy (the cat) would count.
I have had coincidences - on holiday for example I’ve met people I’ve not seen for 20 years - who would have thought I’d meet a school friend in Xian?

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by twowheels

Not exactly the same thing, but once we were walking in a touristy area a few hours from home and far away in the midst of a dense crowd my wife saw somebody walking away from us, facing away from us, and nothing particularly unique about his body shape nor gait, and suddenly she yells out his name and starts running. It was her former boss that she'd not seen in almost 15 years who lives about 3000 miles away. How she recognized him, I have no idea.

We ended up going out to dinner with him and his wife, but it was really shocking that she was able to spot him given the context.

I have to admit, I ran into a guy, from a small town in New Jersey, in the Rhein-Main Airport. That was odd. Long-ass time ago, probably 40 years now.

Hitch

[Joliet Jake]

I had to work in a different city for three months some years ago. 40 km+ away. PitA but realistic, I guess.

I was wearing some fancy shoes I bought online. I got on an elevator to the office (that I hardly ever used once I found the staircase) and the guy right beside me started laughing. I guess he's more perceptive than I am. He was wearing the exact same set of shoes. Same color, and I think even the same size! The brand isn't popular. I'm not on the lookout for other people's shoes but I've never seen anybody wearing the same set of shoes again.

[Buren]

Multiple skills.
In real life, it's quite a common occurrence for someone to have multiple skills. A language teacher who knows a lot about garden propagation. An architect who knows how to race cars and build a simple miniature machine. An outdoor adventurer who has the ability to bake the cutest cupcake and speaks sign language.

However, sometimes readers question it when a characters 'conveniently' have the relevant skills or even a related skill that is clearly stated as his occupation, for example, the ability of an engineer to analyze a machine.

[Freeshadow]

Originally Posted by Buren

Multiple skills.
In real life, it's quite a common occurrence for someone to have multiple skills. A language teacher who knows a lot about garden propagation. An architect who knows how to race cars and build a simple miniature machine. An outdoor adventurer who has the ability to bake the cutest cupcake and speaks sign language.

However, sometimes readers question it when a characters 'conveniently' have the relevant skills or even a related skill that is clearly stated as his occupation, for example, the ability of an engineer to analyze a machine.

Addendum to this: Partial in-depth-knowledge due to hobbies, e. g. while not being a historian or engineer sb. has knowledge about crafting of a certain era or region (weaponry/heraldics etc. of a specific time, or how to build a steam engine, or crossbow)

[catsknit]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Detective stuff. In real life hardly anyone remembers anything. It would spoil classic detective stories.

In fiction people are often caught/convicted by testimony from eyewitnesses. In real life, police and lawyers know that eyewitness testimony is VERY unreliable. You have deliberate deception as well as just inability to recall details but a desire to help and so they make things up, though usually don't realize it.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by catsknit

In fiction people are often caught/convicted by testimony from eyewitnesses. In real life, police and lawyers know that eyewitness testimony is VERY unreliable. You have deliberate deception as well as just inability to recall details but a desire to help and so they make things up, though usually don't realize it.

Actually, what's more unnerving is the number of people who are convicted in real life through eyewitness testimony, as we know.

Hitch

[Quoth]

People have been wrongly convicted to be released years later due to eye witness testimony. It was realised in 1930s that it could be manipulated. A bit related to false memories caused by clever (or stupid) interviewing.
So in real live AND in novels (An old Perry Mason story has him planting a fake suspect that the police convince the witnesses is the person of interest so as to discredit another identification?)

[catsknit]

Originally Posted by Hitch

Actually, what's more unnerving is the number of people who are convicted in real life through eyewitness testimony, as we know.

Hitch

And that's because while the police and attorneys know it's unreliable, juries are very likely to believe an eyewitness.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by catsknit

And that's because while the police and attorneys know it's unreliable, juries are very likely to believe an eyewitness.

Yes, because they like to believe that if it were they, they would be accurate and reliable.

Hitch