Sometimes it’s difficult to tell the truth. There is fact, and then there is a perception of that fact. How do you separate the two?
The writer rarely recounts events without embellishing them on paper or electronically. After all, a writer’s job is to make facts interesting — their goal to draw readers into their world and leave them wanting more.
When we write fiction, we aren’t expecting to tell the truth, are we? Not in a made-up story? Surely, the truth has no place there, and yet, that is often the place it hides. It is the theme of the story.
It might not be present in every story. So, how can you tell if there is hidden truth in your fiction? I’m suspicious when the same idea occurs again and again. It could be the truth leaking out into our writing. It is a clue that there’s an issue that we subconsciously need to explore.
As I write this blog, I’m conscious of the need to tell the truth, but perhaps not the whole truth. There might be parts that I will keep hidden for fear of judgement, but most of the time, it’s because I don’t recognise the truth.
In my fiction, I often explore the relationship between parents and their children. My fictional parents frequently control and abuse their children until those children achieve great things despite where they were born. Childhood adversity makes them stronger. Is this true, or do I only wish it was true? Does it matter? Tell us what you think.
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