Wannabe writer wants wisdom

[legerdemer]

She wasn't, either. Gertrude Stein wrote AN's 'autobiography'? But AN wrote a fair cookbook.

You can *make* them interesting. Make them obsessed, damaged, amoral, victims or victimizers, sinners or crazy saints, fetishists, artists, collectors, liars, chefs, pickpockets, wanderers -- irredeemable, even deplorable. Like the rest of us.

@Hypoxia - GS wrote Alice B. Toklas's "autobiography," not AN's. ABT was GS's companion, maid, cook, and lover for many many years.

I agree with all that follows.

@OP: I've written stories that stayed pretty close to RL incidents but then veered off into fantasy-land, and others that had only the slightest whiff of RL in them. Some are only set in places that have marked me in some way. They've gotten ok to quite good scores, but most of all, they entertained me as I was writing them. In a number of ways, some carnal, others not at all.

As others have said, don't overthink it and don't censor yourself. Have fun at it. Post, and see what happens. Editors are nice but for someone already used to writing for a readership, they probably aren't strictly necessary. Beta readers are also nice, if you can ensnare one or two.

Who was it that said, "jump in - the water's fine". (Possibly TxRad.)

Best luck to you!

 

[yukonnights]

It can work. A truth can be so powerful, and come so obviously from the heart, that even if people don't like it, they'll respect it... .....Just write. I find that a fantasy teased through with even a tiny bit of truth ends up having a stronger core. Sometimes it might only be a single sentence, but your writing can turn on it.

And not to forget; Sometimes a particular 'truth' is found only in one's own desire, imagination or fantasy...or as was said above; "from the heart". These can be equally as powerful as real-life truths. So, I like to try and define a story's "truth" in the planning stage. Once the "truth" is set, then the characters convey this forward by means of details, actions, emotions, etc. But there really does need to be a 'truth' in a story for my tastes.

I realize 'electricblue' and I are using the word 'truth' in different ways...but I liked what was written and thought it made a nice into to my own thoughts. Two kinds of truth maybe?

 

[TxRad]

You're partially right. What I said was, "Jump in - the water's fine - it's the stumps that make it a bitch."

 

[ElectricBlue]

I realize 'electricblue' and I are using the word 'truth' in different ways...but I liked what was written and thought it made a nice into to my own thoughts. Two kinds of truth maybe?

My "truth" encompasses yours, i think. If there is something that is an absolute core for your fantasy, some thing or emotion that is intimate and essential to you, then it's a "truth" in my definition too.

Truth can be solipsistic, I find

 

[NOIRTRASH]

The purpose of writing is to make a point in an entertaining way. Most writers are clueless for both.

 

[TxRad]

Oh look at that, there's a stump now.

People who make all encompassing statements that are opinion and not fact.

 

[Hypoxia]

@Hypoxia - GS wrote Alice B. Toklas's "autobiography," not AN's. ABT was GS's companion, maid, cook, and lover for many many years.

Duh. Brain fart. My bad. Time for re-education.