What have we done to reality?
In a publishing market flooded with memoirs, our relationship with fiction and non-fiction is dissolving. I say open the floodgates and let our narrators be swamped with our news, ideas, and personality quirks.
If you are thinking about writing a memoir, I have three dispatches from the front lines of the Battle for Reality--thoughts to consider as you shape your own story.
1- Writing too close to reality can be dangerous. Literary Saloon reports on a French writer attacked by farmers for the way he portrayed their village in a novel. The Saloon adds this observation to the original article: "Physical attacks are, of course, beyond the pale, but obviously this continues to be an author's dream: the publicity seems to be doing wonders for Jourde's book -- get your own copy at Amazon.fr, where its ranking was 23 last we checked."
2- The bloggers, critics, and readers who demand objective truth from writers writing about real life may be hurting literature. Ed Champion explores two faux memoirs in this essay, asking why contemporary readers insist that memoirs be held to the same standard as journalism--outlining a writing debate that our kids will study in college some day.
3- No matter where you stand on the Battle for Reality, don't sign a movie contract as a fake author. GalleyCat discusses here. And, as a bonus, Danielle Trussoni has some memoir writing tips here. What do you think? How should we write about reality?
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