A friend pointed something out to me.
They observed that I meet all kinds of people. And that those people often trust me.
They sense they can be real and authentic and honest with me in a way that they might not feel safe to with someone else.
They can tell I’ll treat their heart and feelings with care, that I’ll be respectful of their privacy and discerning with what they tell me.
It’s true. I try my best to be such a person.
My friend said that, from that place of trust, people often share stories with me about their life that they might not otherwise share. Stories that are vulnerable and private, and yet need to be witnessed and heard nonetheless.
They went on to say that those stories need to be shared and heard more widely.
That’s where fiction comes in.
Writing fiction is a bit like laundering money.
There’s all these interesting stories U’ve overheard secondhand, or observed at a distance. Or experienced yourself, in your own life—hard-earned lessons and crazy adventures.
Writing fiction lets U change the details and take liberties with the specifics while still telling a truth that needs to be heard.
No one could say for sure who did what in the real world, what’s true and what’s made up—and yet the truth gets out all the same.
The story gets told.