Is there a contrast between the truth of our lives and the story that we tell of our existence?
I suppose we ought to start at the beginning. As writers, every story we tell has 'us' at its centre. It has come from us, our thoughts and feelings, and therefore, it is inherently linked to us and our life experience. Right? So does this mean that our life experiences seep into our writings, albeit subconsciously or deliberately? Our life experience must have some effect on our writings; they are undeniably linked to us. But how blurry is the line between life experience and the stories we create?
To use myself as an example, the line between my life and the stories I tell is decidedly blurry. I spent the early years of my childhood surrounded by females, with no father figure to speak of - perhaps this serves as an explanation for the underlying feminist stance of some of my writings.
But ...the truth of my life vs. the story I tell of my existence ... these are two very different concepts. The truth of my life is relatively straightforward and simple. Some might say my life is one great big fat cliché. And really, as both a writer and a reader, who would want to read about that? As a writer, it is far more interesting to break down the truth of my life, shape it and contort it, and create a work of fiction based upon the truth of my life - the story I tell of my existence.
So for me, the void between the truth of my life and the story I tell is huge.
But what I would really like to know is, does that matter?
'But what I would really like to know is, does that matter?'
ReplyDeleteDoes it matter indeed? What do you, or any of your co-bloggers, think?
I think that the truth of our lives does have an impact on the stories that we tell. We are products of a society so the art that we produce, in whatever form will be influenced by our experiences and views that we have lived through. However, I agree with you that the truth of our lives can be contorted and played with as writers. When people write biographies or base stories around real life, they don't tend to record every mundane detail in linear fashion if they want to make it into something successful. I guess instead they would try to weave elements of humour and embellishment into the story to make it seem that much more exciting. I don't necessarily think that this sacrifices the truth of life stories, yet rather it acts as a kind of platform for writers to make successful pieces of fiction.
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