Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Aug 30

One writer friend of mine was recently told by a person she just met that they didn't like her because she was a fiction writer and as such she was a natural born liar. This person didn't like liars. There is truth in the fact that as fiction writers we make stuff up for a living, but integrity is important in the messages of our work. If you are without integrity is shows in the writing.
Do we as fictions writers- and you don't have to be a fiction writer to do this- stretch the truth a bit? Sure. For us it's not about the accuracy of the details but the impact the story has on our lives and the lives of our audience. Does this make us liars. I don't think so. I happen to know for a fact that I'm a terrible liar. It shows on my face and in my voice-there is no hiding a lie for me. But I can spin a whopper of a tail out of the smallest detail. If you find that offensive, then I think we are better off parting ways.
So what are your thoughts on the subject? Is it absolute truth for you and your life, or do you love to spin a tale or two?
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5 comments:

  1. MartyAugust 30, 2011 at 11:16 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. MartyAugust 30, 2011 at 11:17 AM

    I think that the most important aspect of storytelling is remaining TRUE to the tale. It does not matter how "non-factual" your narrative may be but it is critical that you remain true to the voice of the story. I want to enthrall my readers with a consistently believable escape from the everyday.

    Revealing TRUTH is integral to good storytelling even if that truth is viewed as askew from another angle. In my current writing I am trying to retell the truth about mythological events of long ago. If that is bad thing than so be it... label me a liar and toss me aside.

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  3. Todd R MoodyAugust 30, 2011 at 3:59 PM

    I'm with you Nancy, integrity is a huge part of my life outside of writing. As a writing I think people can tell if you don't care about what you're writing about and that is the integrity that we bring to story telling. That person was an imbecile and your friend was much better off without that hater in her life.

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  4. Linda KageAugust 31, 2011 at 5:58 AM

    That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard--the part about disliking someone because they like to write, not what you said.

    Besides, I see it more as making up stories than lying. Hmm, I've always been an awful liar too. In high school, my volleyball coach would ask the team a question. If she thought we were lying, she look at me and say, "Linda?" If they HAD lied, everyone else would hop in and yell, "No, no. Don't ask Linda!"

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  5. Nancy J. ParraAugust 31, 2011 at 8:09 AM

    Hi Everyone, thanks for the great comments. I agree with you all~ and I told my friend that person was not worth her time.
    Cheers~

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