Over the last 33 months especially, we readers of the alternative news media have been bombarded with all sorts of fiction. Not from the publishers, but from many of those reported on.

The most well-known one is, of course, that story about a fictional Arab sweating and exhaling money, having baked 681 “American pies” and dishing out his culinary concoction to the Chosen One. And that is to say, one chosen to dish out pork pies!

To the best of my memory, none of those works of fiction was up to snuff. Well, at least those of us who have functioning grey matter between our ears.

So, this basic lesson is designed to help you concoct fiction that will sell. So as to not go into an information overload, let us concentrate on only three most critical requirements for fiction that works.

A consistent story line

You must have one and only one story line. In “The Day of The Jackal,” to quote one well-known example, the protagonist set out to assassinate President Charles de Gaulle. He worked at it from start to finish. He did not abort his assignment midway to go after, say, Patrice Émery Lumumba instead.

In your story about transporting chieftains on the flying cattle lorry, you have provided more than one reason for sending them off to “eat wind.” That was your fatal flaw, sending your work of fiction to the publishers’ pile of rejects.

Having credibility

Practically all works of fiction contain fictional characters and events. Or, at least the major characters and events are fictional.

However, what fictional characters are like, what they do or can do must be believable. In science fiction, some of the technologies mentioned may not yet be existing, but they are within the realm of possibility. Your readers can accept it. These are necessary in order to make your story believable.

In your case, your characters and event are real. We, of course, assume that those chaps are indeed your chieftains. The event was definitely real — those chieftains did cross the South China Sea on the flying cattle lorry. So, where was your fatal flaw? Your fatal flaw lay in the ages of the chieftains. Or, at least the ages of those visible in the published images.

You said they were flown to meet your prime minister as a reward for having fought the communists.

The fight with the Clandestine Communist Organisation (CCO) in Sarawak, ended in the late 1960s, and began long before that.

Of course, in the early stages, the fight was more psychological than physical. Assuming CCO only took up arms during infamous Konfrontasi, let us be generous and say the armed conflict began in 1967.

That was when Sukarno had given up his intention to “crush Malaysia,” and British forces had left Sarawak. That was still 50 years ago.

If those chieftains had really fought the CCO, they would have begun when they were at least around 20. They would first have had to go through some kind of training to handle firearms, explosive devices and communication equipment, and to learn jungle warfare.

What all that means is that those chieftains should now be in their seventies.

But as we see in the picture, the chieftains are much younger. That makes for illogicality. Your story has again lost credibility. That is another fatal flaw in your fiction.

Respect your reader

All competent teachers of writing strongly advise their students to always respect their  readers.

You must never take your readers for simpletons. Some may in fact be very bright, highly observant, well-informed, and very quick to spot even the most inconspicuous anomalies. The published comments from the readers of this portal have testified to that.

It is hoped that you will take serious note of the above three requirements. If you are going to concoct more fiction, at least let your concoction entertain, instead of irritate.