The Fire Is Back On The Fingertips

I've been writing short stories for quite a long time, usually not much more than a few pages, if that, but I've honed the craft pretty well in that time frame. Sure, my grammar may be off and my punctuation at times can be horrendous, but I can hammer out a story in minutes if someone were to give me a few random objects (people, places, things) to begin the process. Many times at work I find myself creating stories on the fly for people, it seems to make their day better and I'm always willing to help do that.

I realized something though about fiction, about short stories and especially about telling stories off the cuff.

It is all just like lying, like one big con.

You see, I used to lie and manipulate people all the time when I was younger, often times for personal gain but sometimes to help. I know that sounds bad, lying and manipulating to "help" but often times it was a good solution and even when it wasn't the intention still remained good. I stopped doing that though, years and years ago. I mean sure, every now and then I'll find myself trying to steer certain situations in my direction, but I think we are all guilty of that in some manner or another. None of this matters though, it was in my past and although it shaped the person I am today, it is not who I am at all. What I'm saying is that I stopped and when I stopped was right around the time I seriously got into writing.

It's a much better and far less harmful outlet for my creativity. Rather than lie about something petty, I can mastermind an elaborate story that is completely fictional. Instead of manipulating people, I can shape the lives of any character I create in their entirety.

It works the same as lying too, people want to believe and you have to keep your audience engaged. You have to relate and they have to feel as if they understand where the characters are coming from or at the very least they have to be entertained by the lie.

In elementary school I used to play a game with my two friends Zack and Nate, it was strictly based in our imaginations and we called ourselves Adventure Guys. We played that game for years before we "got too old" but what really happened was the same thing that happens to most kids, your imagination seems to weaken. It didn't for me though and I'll admit that even to this day I find myself pretending to be my Adventure Guy every now and then.

In middle school I met another friend who shared the same strength of imagination that so few others seemed to retain. We used to pretend and quite vividly I assure, it was almost as if it was real when he and I got together, that we were fighting some strange evil in the world and he and I had special abilities. We were some of the few that could see this "evil" so we naturally had to stop it. As with all things imaginary however, that too faded, especially with the onset of girls and girlfriends.

So, in high school, with no time for imagination and the ever present public school system squelching my creativity, I started lying and fabricating stories. I manipulated teachers and students, I essentially cheated my way through two years of high school. All the while I was still learning mind you, but learning has never been difficult for me, I absorb information like a sponge.

In high school, it is all fun and games and popularity contests and silly social structures that don't exist outside the real world. I began to realize that outside of a school setting, the things I was doing would really only hurt people or make them furious with me, neither of which were things I wanted. Above all else, I have always prided myself on being helpful and caring, so I never intend to hurt anyone.

I had to find another outlet for my crazy brain, for my creativity and my imagination, so I started writing. I had always enjoyed writing but it never crossed my mind that it could be exactly the kind of thing I needed.

It was.

Now, years and years later, I lie all of the time, but not out loud and not to people. I lie in fiction because fiction really is nothing more than a story that does not have to be constrained by truth. It can be whatever I want it to be, I get to make my own truth.

Best of all though, if done right, I can still influence the real world with all of this. If I tell a story well enough and make you feel something for the characters, I then have influenced your life even if it is in only the slightest way. If done well, I can make countless people happy or sad or joyous! That is amazing and that is why I love fiction. It is nothing more than great stories (lies) but they help people! Make people feel something.

That's the dream right there.