Real Life Turns Into Fiction
I've said this before: If you don't want to be villain in fiction then don't be one in real life. The beautiful thing about graduating from two different writing programs are the connections made between creative writers and journalists. We tend to be tasked with a similar challenge. How to captivate an audience.Twitter can be a great place for inspiration. I haven't posted on my blog in a while. I apologize. Since signing with my literary agent, I've been busy meeting deadlines and tightening up my novel-in-collection, Unsettled Between. A great opportunity has landed in my lap so I've thrown myself into the writing. I expect to achieve a great work of fiction and I'm excited for audiences to engage in the material.I was on Twitter last night and there was a small exchange. It was about personal histories laced into the writing of fiction. I draw from real life. It's been odd how very clear storylines play out in my personal life. Maybe it's my lens. I'm a writer. I see story everywhere I look. But when a clearly defined villain oppresses people in a certain environment, it's hard to ignore, and then the little minions enslaved by these oppressors add interesting subplots. Soon I have an entire novel's worth of fiction to write.I could go on my social media and blast people (we see that often), but I find it more beneficial to mold those personal experiences into a storyline and package it in a way that is entertaining, and available for audiences to reflect.You must realize something about artists: our only loyalty is to the well being of the community. We are guided by tribal justice. The main component for tribal justice? To put everything out in front of the public, make everyone aware of the problem, let the community's judgement become the justice. Similarly, this is the task of journalists as well.
Zitkala Sa wrote a story, The Trial Path, where a young man had to face the judgement of his community, and every time I think of my obligation as a writer I think of this story.We have several platforms, but the one most powerful is the one that becomes a part of a continuing literature situated in a historical dialogue. Those who are interested in a legacy should be especially aware that intelligent people can discern the fleeting methods from the ones that stick around for a generation.
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(The image was borrowed from wikimedia commons)