How to Use Verisimilitude
In order to use verisimilitude,
- Pay attention to the world around you: nature, people and behaviors, and how they affect each other.
- Pick a scene in your story and apply what you’ve observed.
- Use sensory details to describe the setting or people in it, paying close attention to the things the are important to the story.
For example, consider a story with poor verisimilitude.
Story Lacking Verisimilitude:
The four year old asked her mom for a popsicle: “Mother, could I please have a popsicle in a few minutes, after I have finished eating my dinner of delicious vegetables and pot roast?”
In this example, the dialogue is not believable. What four year old speaks so eloquently and politely, especially when asking for dessert?
Story with Verisimilitude:
The four year old asked her mom for a popsicle: “Mommy, can I please, please have a popsicle? I don’t want nasty veggies right now!”
This example has stronger verisimilitude: the child calls her mom “Mommy,” not “Mother” and calls vegetables “nasty” instead of “delicious.”
For a second example, consider a more fantastical story.
Story Lacking Verisimilitude:
The elves of the Forbidden Forest spoke in fluent Portuguese.
This story lacks verisimilitude because in a fantastic world, elves would not speak a language of our world like Portuguese. Interestingly, in fantasy, a story’s verisimilitude is based on how well it represents the fantasy world, rather than the real world.
Story with Verisimilitude:
The elves of the Forbidden Forest spoke in fluent Morsovian, an ancient language passed down over hundreds of years.
This example has more verisimilitude since Morsovian is not a language spoken in our world, it could be a language in another world.
When to Use Verisimilitude
Verisimilitude can be a quality of anything that represents events happening in a world, fiction or nonfiction. Verisimilitude should be used whenever believability is important. Unless a story is purposely absurd or unbelievable (such as in some comedy or other genres), a writer should practice verisimilitude.