I go with what I know

Year Six - Week 22 - October 29, 2003

When it comes to writing, I go with what I know, but I never let the facts get in the way of the story. Sometimes this makes my life awkward because friends and family can’t separate me from my characters. When they read a story, they assume that everything in it is true. This can be embarrassing, but I can’t let it worry me, otherwise, there will be no life in the writing.

It's this week's topic because a few people read my first post-divorce story called “First Date.” All of the readers thought I was Bill, the protagonist. Of course I feel the same angst about returning to the dating game as Bill did. However, what happened to him is not what happened to me -- but try telling that to anyone.

Here’s the good news. If my readers think the story is true, then I’ve done my job as a writer. It is the honesty behind what Bill feels as a recent divorcee that comprises the guts of “First Date.” Whether Bill goes out with a super model or is afraid to call a girl does not have to happen to me for the story to work. I’ll make up whatever I need to improve it, but I’ll never tamper with the emotional truth.

A lot of beginning writers make the mistake of thinking the story must adhere to the facts. This is especially true with stories tied to family members or close friends. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, that so-called ‘true’ story gets bogged down by the facts.

Folks, it's not called fiction for nothing. And for those that simply must keep to the facts, well, God invented non-fiction for you guys.

When it comes to blogging, my position on the subject of ‘truth’ is not so cut and dry. A few folks contacted me last week, worried that I was going off the deep end. Yes, I’ve had a rough few months, but everything at Old Road is fine. They’ll be no Elliot Smith action here.

The secret is to keep busy. I made good progress on the novel, kicked around lots of new song ideas, and did a photo shoot down in NYC (see my digital shot in the “What’s New’ page of this website).

Next week will be even better…