Why rules are good

When an audience sits down to watch a film, or when someone starts to read your script, you are asking them to suspend their disbelief. This is obvious in fantasy genres, including horror films, science fiction, and stories set in imaginary times and places. But the same goes for the most grittily realistic current drama. No matter the genre, audiences must suspend their disbelief in order to enjoy the film. In realistic genres, this involves them getting so wrapped up in the story that they forget they are sitting in a dark room watching a projected image of actors saying lines written by someone, with lighting, background music, and artificial situations all added to enhance their experience. When you are writing a fantasy, they must do this as well as believe, temporarily, in the world you are creating.

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