: Re: How to know if the events in my novel are 'realistic enough'? Sometimes I find my self wondering if the events in my novels are 'realistic enough.' I aware that they don't need to happen

@Martha805

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For writing fiction, realism is really much less important than believability. Things happen in the real world that are much more improbable than many readers would be willing to accept. Truth is stranger than fiction.

To me, there are four primary elements of believability:

Does the story contradict anything that we know about the universe? This could be scientific, historical, geographical, etc. If you put a lit match in a puddle of gasoline, it will burn. It takes a certain amount of time to drive from point A to point B.
Do the characters behave consistently? This is tougher, because real people don't necessarily appear to behave consistently - but this is often because we don't see what's motivating them. As a writer, it's up to you to understand what's motivating your characters to behave in a particular fashion. If they're doing something that would generally be considered out of character, you may have to give the reader a look at the motivation behind the action.
Dialog. If the characters were real people, is that what they would really say in that situation?
Description - written correctly, it can make people, places and objects feel real to the reader.

Ultimately, believability is the author selling his vision of the story to the reader. It isn't four disjointed elements thrown haphazardly into a pot but the careful blending of those elements into a recipe that tastes good.

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