I spoke at the ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers)/Portland meeting on Monday evening. Many of the people there were far more experienced writers than I am. I felt a bit like a poser, but I had a really good time.
I spoke on turning life into fiction--a topic I'm rather fond of. I encouraged
anyone writing fiction (or nonfiction) that might humiliate a family
member to talk with them about it before the book cmes out, even though I've read and heard you
shouldn't do this. I'm not saying you shouldn't publish a book that a family member might be offended by; I'm just saying that it's better to talk with them about it before hand, just so they're prepared.
After I spoke, one of the writers at the meeting asked how one decides how to decide whether to write a story that really happened as fiction or nonfiction. We had nice little discussion about that, covering things like marketability and story arc, etc.
When I got home that evening, I sat down at the dining room table and leafed through the Time Magazine (June 16, 2008 issue) that my friend Kate dropped by (because of the article on "The Military's Secret Weapon" which is--drum roll, please--Prosac...and Zoloft...and Ambien.)
Anyway, I wish that I'd thumbed through the magazine before I spoke at the ACFW meeting because on page 4 is a question/answer segment with David Sedaris. I've only read one of his books--Me Talk Pretty Someday. He writes essays that are brutally honest and laugh-out-loud funny--and his other books are my "to-read" list.
Two of the questions and his answers in Time would have been perfect to share at the meeting. Here they are:
Should your books be shelved in the fiction or nonfiction section of the bookstore?
Reilly Capps
Telluride, Colo.
Nonfiction. I've always been a huge exaggerator, but when I write something, I put it on a scale. And if it's 97% true, I think that's true enough. I'm not going to call it fiction because 3% of it isn't true.
How has your family reacted to having their exploits included in your work?
Beverly Fleischman
Casper, Wyo.
Whenever I write about anyone in my family, I give them the story to read first. And I ask if there's anything they want me to change or get rid of. But you can never anticipate how people are going to read what you've written. You can write something with affection, but that doesn't necessarily mean that people are going to see it.
I love that 97%-3% ratio. Hey, if I could write "97% true" in my journal--that is to myself--I'd be feeling pretty good. If I could think and feel, in general, at the 97% level I'd feel great.
It's a good thing I write fiction.
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