Crossing the Streams: Writing Real Life
jenny | Jun 09, 2010 | Comments 8
I am working on a short story right now that is closely related to people and events that occurred in real life. I know, you say, much of what inspires us is real life anyway… art imitating life, and all that, but this story is so close to real life in a number of places, I find myself wondering if I should tone it down, or just keep going.
My mind started processing this in Ghostbusters fashion, with Egon standing behind me warning, “Don’t cross the streams!” Crossing the streams is bad, dangerous things might happen, and we don’t know what they are. In the end, however, it became necessary to cross the streams in order to make things right in the world.
Real life and fiction are like two different streams. They work well together when harmoniously side by side, but sometimes when we cross them, bad things can happen… Like people getting hurt emotionally, reputations taking a big hit, law suits ensuing and all that happy jazz.
On the other hand, sometimes it is absolutely necessary to cross those streams in order to make things right in your writerly world. Sometimes you have to get close to reality, putting up nothing more than a screen or slapping a fake mustache on the truth to disguise and protect the innocent.
I knew a guy once, little writer guy from a town in PA, who wrote an entire book about his town and all the people in it. He changed the names, fiddled a bit with the facts, and put the book out as fiction. To this day, everyone in the town wants to see his head on a platter because he made them look like fools.
So how far is too far when you’re crossing the streams? Is it safe to insert elements from life, as long as you don’t hurt anyone in the real world?
I have no plans to tone the story I am working on down before it’s finished. I need to get the idea itself out in full flesh before I can see where it can be manipulated to disguise and protect the people who inspired it. Once it’s done, I think I will go back and see just how close it really is to the facts. Maybe it’s not as close as I think it is. Maybe I could have someone who also remembers the reality based origins read over it and tell me if they see the connections.
What would you do? What have you done? Do you think it’s wrong to cross the streams, or is there merit in it if the outcome is exactly what you need as a writer to get the story out of your creative place and into the world.
Well, you know my viewpoint on this. We discussed this earlier. I know you’ll find the right balance without compromising your creativity or hurting people. You’re a smart cookie.
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I have not used much of my real life in any recognizable fashion in most if my writing. The geography of lost gods is based on where I lived for awhile, but people are usually off limits. Usually.
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Go ahead and write about me; I won’t sue!
vange recently posted..Wordless Wednesday
Elements of people sneak into characters, kinda hard for them not to have an influence. How far and how much is a difficult thing to juggle. But it can be done, and I have no doubt you will.
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I hear the doors swing both ways, so if you cross the streams at the right moment there’s a slim chance you might survive.
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I cross the streams. Gently. A recent piece I’ve written has a lot of reality worked in to it. Memories, events, people. I don’t know if any of them would remember it, or if my mind is just stuck on replay of events past. I think that if you use common sense and honestly try not to insult/belittle people, crossing the streams can be useful in filling out the details of a story and a character. What better way to breathe life in to something than by filling it with a piece of your own.
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