Lists & hierarchies

One thing that affects believability is detail.

Without much detail we can't judge believability one way or the other. For example, here's a single-word version of the make-believe list I wrote earlier:

That's not especially believable or unbelievable. 'Hairdresser' is a bit weird, but otherwise 🤷‍♀️ .

But when you add more detail, things can become dramatically more or less believable.

For example, do you think any of these specific masks are in front of me right now?

This list is compelling because the details make the items seem real.

Imagining details from scratch is hard, so when someone provides details we tend to think of the description as true.

However, if the details don't make sense, then we are more likely to believe the description is a lie. 

So detail is a double-edged sword!

• No detail = we have no real opinion.
• More detail = we either believe or disbelieve more strongly.

Note: Tellingly, I didn't invent any of those items and details above, I simply remembered things I'd seen elsewhere and described them with a few tiny changes. That way I knew my details would be realistic, even if the item wasn't in front of me right now.

We could keep talking about compelling detail—it's a critical theme in writing—but it's a topic for a whole other lesson.

Let's look at another element that affects believability: relationships.