"“Fiction is the lie that tells the truth.” Neil Gaiman said that. Sometimes I write short stories (instead of essays). It’s nice to forget the facts once in a while, you know?" No pun intended, but I've found a 'home' in writing fiction. I enjoy writing about the world as I see it instead of the way it really is. My characters are generally a lot more colorful than those around me. Often, my grown daughters will call asking, "Daddy, what are you doing?" My answer is always the same, 'sitting in my office making stuff up!' After a full career of building homes which had to be pure perfection for my clients, it's awfully nice to finally be 'making stuff up' for a change!
Sure is nice to be able to invent things as you see fit. Although, I find it really interesting that these fictional characters soon take on a life of their own and you can't force them to do things that aren't "true" to themselves.
Consistency is the key. Do you outline before you write? Some time ago I read James Patterson's book on writing - two big take-aways: outline, outline, outline (which works for me only to a certain degree); and "who cares?" It's that second one that's helped me the most. Who am I writing to, does what I'm writing help the story and aid the reader, and most of all why or why not does something need to be in the story. I've found that some things I really enjoy telling don't need to be in the book/story - they don't help anybody but me.
I'd say things look a lot different depending on the phase. First draft . . . perhaps a vague outline that I don't necessarily adhere to and almost exclusively writing to please myself. And then after that's all out there, it's way easier to craft an outline and take the pieces that fit and excise the rest; and a lot of what fits serves the story / reader and not just myself. I guess that's my general method. But to impose a strict outline before getting any writing done seems like an inhibitor more than anything.
That’s a beauty of a short tale.
Thank you!
💛✍️💛
"“Fiction is the lie that tells the truth.” Neil Gaiman said that. Sometimes I write short stories (instead of essays). It’s nice to forget the facts once in a while, you know?" No pun intended, but I've found a 'home' in writing fiction. I enjoy writing about the world as I see it instead of the way it really is. My characters are generally a lot more colorful than those around me. Often, my grown daughters will call asking, "Daddy, what are you doing?" My answer is always the same, 'sitting in my office making stuff up!' After a full career of building homes which had to be pure perfection for my clients, it's awfully nice to finally be 'making stuff up' for a change!
Sure is nice to be able to invent things as you see fit. Although, I find it really interesting that these fictional characters soon take on a life of their own and you can't force them to do things that aren't "true" to themselves.
Consistency is the key. Do you outline before you write? Some time ago I read James Patterson's book on writing - two big take-aways: outline, outline, outline (which works for me only to a certain degree); and "who cares?" It's that second one that's helped me the most. Who am I writing to, does what I'm writing help the story and aid the reader, and most of all why or why not does something need to be in the story. I've found that some things I really enjoy telling don't need to be in the book/story - they don't help anybody but me.
I'd say things look a lot different depending on the phase. First draft . . . perhaps a vague outline that I don't necessarily adhere to and almost exclusively writing to please myself. And then after that's all out there, it's way easier to craft an outline and take the pieces that fit and excise the rest; and a lot of what fits serves the story / reader and not just myself. I guess that's my general method. But to impose a strict outline before getting any writing done seems like an inhibitor more than anything.