breaking suspension of disbelief

Sooooo. I was just reading something on another forum where someone referred to the goblins in their game "mining steel" and I immediately saw red. Steel is an alloy. You can't mine it.

Now, I don't mind when people don't know stuff, but I do tend to get kinda... annoyed when someone breaks my suspension of disbelief. It annoys me so much I'll research stuff I already know about just to ensure I get it right because I don't want to make other people suffer like I have to.

How do you react when your suspension of disbelief is broken? Am I the only insane one here?

I think the thing that reminds me that this is a user-controlled story with user error is when world building falls apart. For example, unless your character is a first year muggleborn, they probably know the Potters, the Weasleys, the Malfoys, etc. Especially if they are same house or close to the same year. So I'm immediately taken out when a canon isn't recognized. That, or if a character is in the same year and House and they find themselves introducing....

Now, I know I've done stuff like that before on accident, so it's totally not unforgivable. It gets difficult with grads, especially if you are in a rush and don't sift through apps to double check. I usually try, within the context of my reply, to find ways to gently remind. Something like mining steel, I'm not sure, because I'm sure it would just come off as passive aggressive, as there is no way for your character to play along with something that... can't happen. PMs that come off as sincere in trying to communicate the gap in information, I'm sure can help. The other method I employ regularly... "I know what they were getting at... Let it go." That one's hard. But it's probably the most effective at keeping myself from going insane or getting into drama.

I wasn't a member of that forum, I just happened to be reading their post, so I didn't really care what their goblins were mining. It's just jarring.

I agree with the year and house thing. In fact, I think Hogwarts is small enough that you'd probably know most of the students if you went there. I knew everyone at my high school and it was bigger than Hogwarts is supposed to be.

But I think it would depend who your character is as to whether they'd recognise the canon characters. It's been 30 years since the war in our timeline.

Ahh I see.

I agree. It also makes it more interesting if everyone is at least acquainted. In improv, we always try to form relationships that are at least 3 weeks old, because by then, you are a little comfortable being yourself, and it's much more interesting than watching an introduction scene.

I think they might be okay not recognizing based on face, but the names are probably mentioned in history classes, and many of the canons went on to do big things, so there should at least be some name recognition.

I kinda think it depends on context as well. I write very little description but I expect people to use what they know. We know Death Eaters use concealment charms and wear hoods and masks, so I tend to assume unless I write that my character isn't doing those things, people will know it. But I've had people assume the other way, and "recognise" my character while they were on a mission or whatever. So everyone's disbelief horizon is different as well, which just complicates it even more.

It kind of brings up how much description is necessary. I think less is more, other people think more is more. I think I've probably got to the point now where I err too far on the side of less and have to go back and train myself to write description again.