Twisted Thinking: Logical Fallacies in Storytelling
Focus: Argument, rhetoric, character voice, flawed reasoning
Skills: Critical thinking, persuasion, satire, dialogue writing
Opening Question (5 minutes)
Have you ever been in an argument where someone sounded completely confident… but their reasoning didn’t actually make sense?
What did they say?
Why didn’t it actually prove anything?
Mini-Lesson: What Is a Logical Fallacy? (10 minutes)
A logical fallacy is an error in reasoning — an argument that sounds convincing but isn’t actually logically valid.
Writers use fallacies to:
Reveal character flaws
Show manipulation
Create humor or satire
Build tension in dialogue
Explore propaganda or power
Core Fallacies for Writers
1. Straw Man
Definition: Misrepresenting someone’s argument to make it easier to attack.
Example:
Person A: “I think we should have less homework.”
Person B: “Oh, so you want students to learn nothing at all?”
2. Ad Hominem
Definition: Attacking the person instead of addressing their argument.
Example:
“You can’t have an opinion about school policy — you failed algebra.”
3. Bandwagon
Definition: Saying something must be true because many people believe it.
Example:
“Everyone watches that show, so it must be the best one.”
4. False Dilemma
Definition: Presenting only two choices when more options actually exist.
Example:
“You’re either with us or against us.”
5. Slippery Slope
Definition: Claiming that one small action will lead to extreme consequences without proof.
Example:
“If we allow phones in class, soon no one will pay attention and education will collapse.”
6. Circular Reasoning
Definition: The argument repeats itself instead of proving anything. The conclusion is used as its own evidence.
Example:
“This rule is important because it’s essential.”
“He’s trustworthy because he’s reliable.”
7. Appeal to Authority
Definition: Claiming something is true simply because an authority figure said it — even if that authority isn’t qualified.
Example:
“A famous actor said this diet works, so it must be healthy.”
“My uncle is rich, so his political opinions must be correct.”
8. Red Herring
Definition: Distracting from the real issue by bringing up something unrelated.
Example:
“We’re talking about improving school lunches.”
“Well, what about how bad the parking lot is?”
Modeling: Logical Fallacies in Dialogue (10 minutes)
Read aloud:
“If you really cared about this town, you’d support the new mall,” Mayor Dawson said.
“I just don’t think it’s good for small businesses,” Elena replied.
“So you hate economic growth?”
“That’s not what I said.”
“Funny how the only people against this plan are the ones who’ve never run a business.”
Discuss:
Straw Man: “So you hate economic growth?”
Ad Hominem: “You’ve never run a business.”
Bandwagon possibility if added: “Everyone supports it.”
Ask:
How does this flawed reasoning shape our opinion of the mayor?
Guided Practice: Spot the Fallacy (15 minutes)
Students identify:
Which fallacy is being used
Why the reasoning is flawed
Examples
“You can’t trust her opinion about books — she doesn’t even like fantasy.”
“If we let students redo one test, soon grades won’t matter at all.”
“Everyone in our school wears this brand, so it must be the best.”
“Either we cancel the dance or the entire school will fall into chaos.”
“This is the best plan because it’s clearly the greatest option.”
“We shouldn’t listen to him about climate change — he drives a truck.”
“A famous athlete drinks this energy drink, so it must improve performance.”
“Why are we arguing about the budget when the cafeteria food tastes terrible?”
“So you think we should have shorter practices? I guess you want us to lose every game.”
“If we allow one fantasy book in the curriculum, next we’ll replace all literature with dragons.”
“Only an idiot would disagree with this idea.”
“Our school has always done it this way, so it must be right.”
(Optional discussion: This borders on Appeal to Tradition — related to authority.)
Creative Writing Exercise
Option A: The Debate Scene
Write a scene between two characters arguing about something dramatic or ridiculous:
Should dragons be allowed inside the city?
Should magic be banned?
Should homework exist?
Should the town cut down the ancient tree?
Should robots replace teachers?
Requirements:
Each character must use at least two different logical fallacies
The fallacies must feel natural
The reader should be able to detect flawed reasoning
Encourage layered characterization:
Is one character manipulative? Emotional? Insecure? Power-hungry?
Option B: The Villain Speech
Write a speech from a villain persuading a crowd to support a dangerous plan.
Must include:
Bandwagon
Slippery slope
False dilemma
One additional fallacy of choice
The speech should sound persuasive — but logically unstable.
Reflection
Discuss:
Why do logical fallacies work so well?
Is confidence more persuasive than logic?
Do good people sometimes use fallacies accidentally?
Are fallacies always malicious — or sometimes emotional?
Close with:
Writers who understand broken logic understand human nature.
Guided Practice Answer Key
1. “You can’t trust her opinion about books — she doesn’t even like fantasy.”
Fallacy: Ad Hominem
Why: It attacks her personal taste instead of addressing her actual argument about books.
2. “If we let students redo one test, soon grades won’t matter at all.”
Fallacy: Slippery Slope
Why: It assumes one small action will automatically lead to an extreme outcome without evidence.
3. “Everyone in our school wears this brand, so it must be the best.”
Fallacy: Bandwagon
Why: Popularity is being used as proof of quality.
4. “Either we cancel the dance or the entire school will fall into chaos.”
Fallacy: False Dilemma
Why: It presents only two extreme choices when other options likely exist.
5. “This is the best plan because it’s clearly the greatest option.”
Fallacy: Circular Reasoning
Why: The claim repeats itself without providing actual evidence.
6. “We shouldn’t listen to him about climate change — he drives a truck.”
Fallacy: Ad Hominem
Why: It attacks the person’s lifestyle instead of addressing the argument.
7. “A famous athlete drinks this energy drink, so it must improve performance.”
Fallacy: Appeal to Authority
Why: The athlete’s fame is used as proof, even though they are not necessarily a scientific expert.
8. “Why are we arguing about the budget when the cafeteria food tastes terrible?”
Fallacy: Red Herring
Why: It distracts from the original issue (budget) by introducing an unrelated complaint.
9. “So you think we should have shorter practices? I guess you want us to lose every game.”
Fallacy: Straw Man
Why: It exaggerates the original argument into something extreme that wasn’t said.
10. “If we allow one fantasy book in the curriculum, next we’ll replace all literature with dragons.”
Fallacy: Slippery Slope
Why: It assumes an unreasonable chain reaction from a small change.
11. “Only an idiot would disagree with this idea.”
Fallacy: Ad Hominem
Why: It attacks anyone who disagrees instead of supporting the argument itself.
12. “Our school has always done it this way, so it must be right.”
Fallacy: Appeal to Tradition
(Closely related to Appeal to Authority.)
Why: It assumes something is correct simply because it has been done in the past.
Optional Discussion Prompts
Which fallacy appeared most often? (Ad Hominem and Slippery Slope usually dominate.)
Which one feels hardest to spot?
Which one do you see most frequently in advertising or online arguments?