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Putting yourself in stories
May. 17th, 2008 02:29 amFor anyone who writes fiction, it's nigh impossible not to put yourself or people you know - or personality traits of yours or theirs - into a story. Whether you intend to or not, it probably happens subconsciously, either directly or in direct opposition to such traits (as in, writing someone who hates jazz music just to prove you're NOT writing your own jazz-loving self).
I'm wondering how much successful writers consciously decide to put into a fictional story, of themselves or close others. (By successful, let's say "published" off the Internet, since there are many definitions of success and it's easier to just pick a broad, yet categorical, one.) You'd think it'd be easy - you have an interesting story to tell about something that happened to you. Just change the names, maybe an appearance or two, and voila! But I have found over the years it doesn't quite work that way, at least for me - it's uncomfortable, and while I understand art isn't about comfort all the time, I'm not sure it necessarily has to lay someone completely bare for the rest of the world (most of whom don't admit THEIR problems to everyone else). Whereas, I know plenty of people who use writing fiction as therapy for their own problems - I just can't seem to do it. Even when I want to sit down and write something purely selfish to make myself feel better ... I can't, not if that's its only purpose.
So how much of your own reality DO you write into your stories, and is it a good idea to include too much? What is too much? Is there such a thing as too much?
I'm wondering how much successful writers consciously decide to put into a fictional story, of themselves or close others. (By successful, let's say "published" off the Internet, since there are many definitions of success and it's easier to just pick a broad, yet categorical, one.) You'd think it'd be easy - you have an interesting story to tell about something that happened to you. Just change the names, maybe an appearance or two, and voila! But I have found over the years it doesn't quite work that way, at least for me - it's uncomfortable, and while I understand art isn't about comfort all the time, I'm not sure it necessarily has to lay someone completely bare for the rest of the world (most of whom don't admit THEIR problems to everyone else). Whereas, I know plenty of people who use writing fiction as therapy for their own problems - I just can't seem to do it. Even when I want to sit down and write something purely selfish to make myself feel better ... I can't, not if that's its only purpose.
So how much of your own reality DO you write into your stories, and is it a good idea to include too much? What is too much? Is there such a thing as too much?
