Writing Realistic Fiction: start with AI if you must, but finish with human experiences

Sushma Henna Artist

Realistic fiction has to be believable. That’s why I spend months, sometimes years, developing a story. It’s how I wrote Still (a story I lived for twelve years) and Mouth Shut Head Down (a story I researched for six years).

As I work on the sequel to Mouth Shut Head Down, I dive deep into vast information on the internet, but I follow up with real people. Conversations with professionals in the field clear up confusion, challenge assumptions, and sharpen the truth. That’s what keeps a story clean, compelling, and honest.

Writing realistic fiction with AI has made possibilities abundant. But it shouldn’t be where a writer's work ends. We respect our readers by giving them more than surface-level accuracy.

For me, that means emails, phone calls, and sometimes in-person visits. More often than not, the professionals I reach out to are generous with their time. They care about how their work is represented and want to correct misinformation.

And that process? It enriches storytelling. Because what readers connect to isn’t just plot, it’s the humanness behind it. The details that feel real because they are real.

Here’s what I recently learned while researching henna:

1. Are henna tattoos offered in traditional tattoo parlors?No.Which means I have to go back to the drawing board on that plot point.

2. Are there dangers to henna application?Yes. “Black henna” in particular, can be harmful due to added chemicals.This may become a great plot point in my story!

3. Can my protagonist make her own henna paste?Yes.Now the question becomes: what makes Allée’s blend unique?

4. Are there regulations for henna artists in Pennsylvania?No.So how do artists handle taxes and run their businesses?

5. Is it easy to book an appointment? Is it expensive?Yes, it’s accessible—and no, it’s not overly expensive.

My follow up was with Sushma. I recommend her for your henna experience. She’ll even travel to your home if you want henna for a wedding party, bachelorette party, or girls' weekend. Sushma answered my call, welcomed me into her studio, and patiently walked me through every question. She told me where AI answered my questions incorrectly, or only partially.

The intricate design she created across my forearm (pictured above) cost only $30. The experience gave me far more insight than any article could. The chapter when Allée meets a henna mentor is how I envision it would be if I were 18 and meeting Sushma for the first time.

In the end, it’s a writer’s critical thinking, their willingness to ask layered questions, their ability to create real voices, and to weave sensory detail with emotional truth that grounds their story in something readers will recognize—reality.

I can’t wait for you to read the sequel. Thank you for all your support!