Sometimes life imitates fiction and sometimes it is the other way around. I discussed in a podcast titled, How to Write, of the benefits of the adage, ‘write what you know’. One of the easiest and best sources of content for our writing comes from our memories. Each of us has a lifetime of events to recall and incorporate into our writing. In this blog, I’ll delve into why that is important.
When we write what we know, and by that I mean what comes from our heart, that information comes across with a sense of verisimilitude. When it’s made-up fiction it’s just words on a page, but when the writer crafts skillful sentences into polished paragraphs by dipping into the well of their memories and experiences then it comes across to the reader with a sense of truth. Writing becomes more personal when you’re recalling pieces from your own past.
As I’ve put pencil to paper and crafted my own stories, much of my writing has come from personal experience. Whether it is something that I’ve recalled from long ago as a small child or something that I may have experienced last week, having the firsthand experience enables me to better relay that information to the reader in a way that is exciting and I can paint a detailed picture in their mind.
I often use memories of events as launching pads for tangent stories, a slight veering off of the path of the plot to give the reader a richer experience. I find that it breaks up the linear fashion of a story, which otherwise may go straight from point A to point Z. By adding rich content from my past, that otherwise straight line now is more like a frayed rope. Each frayed fiber is a possible tangent, making the story feel richer and fuller.
Embellishing is part and parcel to our craft. I could say that as a small child, I ran out into the street to get the mail and almost got run over by a neighbor‘s car. That might sound interesting in and of itself. But I could transform that incident into a much different scenario— a more compelling scenario —for a scene in a book. What if I told you, I lived in rural Wyoming. And what if I was to say that I wasn’t simply just getting the mail, but crossing nothing more than a dirt path cut away from the underbrush— no, sprinting across the dirt path— to escape a coyote on my tail. And that neighbor I spoke of, what if he weren’t driving just a car but tooling down the rutted dirt road on an ATV? The teenager riding that four wheeler swerved around and missed me by mere inches. I could feel the wind of his passing brush against my bare legs. The teen saved my life, but trampled over the coyote. Being a good wordsmith and crafting stories is what we do as writers. The truth of this example is, I did almost die as a small child by almost getting run over in the road. The truth of the story is in the details where the devil likes to hide.
Don’t be afraid to use moments in your past to enrich your stories. No one knows better than you what you experienced. No one can craft a story about that situation better than you can. You were there. You felt it—lived it. You just need to find a way to get it on the page. Your readers will thank you for it.
Thank you for joining me as I explored my writing journey. Continue reviewing my blogs and don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter where I share writing topics, behind-the-scene details, and members-only content. Remember to go over to my media page to watch my podcasts and learn additional content or view them on YouTube, Instagram, or TikTok. Like and subscribe for more content.