Fable has strong shoulders that can carry far more truth than fact can.
Some of what I write has no more connection to my experiences than the fact that I'm writing it. The story I'm working on now is more or less a transcription of events, couched in enough imaginary stuff that I'm able to get it out cleanly. That's a lot of why I write: to get it out.
I've been putting it off, but I'm approaching the point where I'll have to decide how it ends. I know how it actually ended, of course, or at least I know where events began to separate enough that they can't really be wound into a single narrative. But that's not how it should have ended. I'm not sure which is more honest--to relate the way things really turned out, or to face what ought to have been. There's as much cowardice in wallowing in failure as there is in trying to pretend you didn't fail. Neither is a path forward. And it's even harder when there's others involved. Do you show them at their lowest moment? Or do you show them to be who you knew them to be? Who they proved themselves to be in hard times--just not this hard time?
Some of what I write has no more connection to my experiences than the fact that I'm writing it. The story I'm working on now is more or less a transcription of events, couched in enough imaginary stuff that I'm able to get it out cleanly. That's a lot of why I write: to get it out.
I've been putting it off, but I'm approaching the point where I'll have to decide how it ends. I know how it actually ended, of course, or at least I know where events began to separate enough that they can't really be wound into a single narrative. But that's not how it should have ended. I'm not sure which is more honest--to relate the way things really turned out, or to face what ought to have been. There's as much cowardice in wallowing in failure as there is in trying to pretend you didn't fail. Neither is a path forward. And it's even harder when there's others involved. Do you show them at their lowest moment? Or do you show them to be who you knew them to be? Who they proved themselves to be in hard times--just not this hard time?
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Here's an answer to the question then that you probably don't care about anymore: I say, tell it how it really happened. Expose the failure, but don't relate all the shame you felt because all those feelings don't represent an objective reality anyway. Let the imaginary reader interpret the scenario. As for the others, show their lowest moments, but in light of the people they have previously shown themselves to be.
Well that's what I reckon. And yes, I'll be quiet now if you want.