I feel you. I've had some similar challenges lately--not exactly the same, but related, I think--and I'm going to make a comic about it today if I can figure out how to sort my thoughts out visually. 😅
Somebody told me a long time ago that while fiction isn't true, it still has to be honest. The fact that you're feeling this way means you've hit on something that's capital-T True and that's no small thing. It's scary as hell, and that's how we know it's worth doing. It's a project that you know will change you, and it's hard to feel worthy of that. But you are. And I'll be here to remind you of that any time you need it! ❤️
You asked: When does fiction begin to feel true for you?
My simple response: When reality became the worst fictional story someone forced me to live in. Unreliable narrators. Unreal protagonists, blending with antagonists. A would-be Nobel Peace Prize candidate starts a war without end. The story takes place in an unbelievable world, in real time. And it can all end with a simple push of a button. That is the crappiest story I've ever heard; yet I live in it.
So I create my own world in which to live. I control who says and does what. Dragons, witches, and heroes, oh my! It's the only way I can keep my sanity, although others may say that ship has already sailed.
My stories feel true to me. And that is all that matters, not Substack subscribers, not five-dollar a gallon gas. Not putting back a food item when you don't have enough money to pay for it all. I live in my fantasy world because I want to. If wishes could only come true...
Sometimes the closer we are to the fiction, the more we need to share space with them privately. As I read your words today, that's what popped up for me. It's okay to work on it in your space and not share it here, to hold the words just for you until you are ready.
Writers call it fiction, but sometimes it is just memory learning how to breathe safely on paper.
What a beautiful view!! Thank you, Belinda!
I feel you. I've had some similar challenges lately--not exactly the same, but related, I think--and I'm going to make a comic about it today if I can figure out how to sort my thoughts out visually. 😅
Somebody told me a long time ago that while fiction isn't true, it still has to be honest. The fact that you're feeling this way means you've hit on something that's capital-T True and that's no small thing. It's scary as hell, and that's how we know it's worth doing. It's a project that you know will change you, and it's hard to feel worthy of that. But you are. And I'll be here to remind you of that any time you need it! ❤️
I don't know if I've ever felt more supported. Thank you, Josh!
I think the moment fiction starts feeling too personal is usually the moment it’s getting close to the truth.
The worlds we build can be vast, but the real gravity always seems to come from the parts of ourselves that slip into the characters.
That kind of writing can feel exposing… but it’s also the kind readers recognize as real.
Vennas, I couldn't agree more. Vulnerability and truth are intrinsically linked.
It’s almost like readers can sense when a writer has put something real on the page.
and therein lies the vulnerability ... for me. but, wow, what powerful writing that can be.
You asked: When does fiction begin to feel true for you?
My simple response: When reality became the worst fictional story someone forced me to live in. Unreliable narrators. Unreal protagonists, blending with antagonists. A would-be Nobel Peace Prize candidate starts a war without end. The story takes place in an unbelievable world, in real time. And it can all end with a simple push of a button. That is the crappiest story I've ever heard; yet I live in it.
So I create my own world in which to live. I control who says and does what. Dragons, witches, and heroes, oh my! It's the only way I can keep my sanity, although others may say that ship has already sailed.
My stories feel true to me. And that is all that matters, not Substack subscribers, not five-dollar a gallon gas. Not putting back a food item when you don't have enough money to pay for it all. I live in my fantasy world because I want to. If wishes could only come true...
You are not alone ... not by a long shot. Thank you for participating in the conversation.
Sometimes the closer we are to the fiction, the more we need to share space with them privately. As I read your words today, that's what popped up for me. It's okay to work on it in your space and not share it here, to hold the words just for you until you are ready.
Thank you, Charlene. Your words always lighten me.
Brushed the dust from it did something sneaky~
Your beautiful words always honor my journey. 🙏🏻