I enjoyed the privilege of listening to Julie Cohen at the enlightening Cornerstones' course I was in September. As she taught us countless writing essentials, the recurring motto was "Fiction is Better than Life".
This is the plain truth. As a writer you shape fiction into your dreams. You mould the hero to your tastes, portray unimaginable (or imaginable) landscapes to your needs and you think up the most awkward and unexpected events possible (or impossible).
One of the best things about fiction is that, if things don't work, you simply rewind and change them until they do. If you don't like a character you just get rid of them and make them suffer until you feel satisfied (that sounded quite psychotic, but remember this is fiction).
In my case, as a romantic writer, men are romantic and actually do romantic things that make your insides go up and down like a yo-yo. They don't give you vacuum cleaners for birthday presents or make you walk home under the rain on your own because they're taking the car for a wash, or prefer to spend your anniversary evening killing zombies on the PlayStation. No, my fictional characters will walk through the desert for the heroine or face a blizzard to get to her.
So yes, Fiction is Much Much Better than Live and I am so happy I have the honour to read and write it. It is my exhaust valve.
What is so good about your fiction?
Oh dear, does this mean that you've received the 'vacuum cleaner pressie' experience? Don't feel alone. We've all had the 'vacuum cleaner pressie' experience at some time in our lives... haven't we? Or maybe it's just you and me!
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about the power of being a writer. Sometimes you've got to feel sorry for those poor characters who we force through every torment imaginable. I can't help wondering what real life would be like if we could rewind and change things though.