Families Are Forever - Annoying
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Send to a friend by YMAuthor: Nola Redd
Sometimes our families can stop us from writing... sometimes they can help us.
Frequently, we can hit a brick wall in our writing journey. At times, the well of inspiration runs dry. When desperately searching for the short story muse, we often overlook what is right in front of us. I'd like to delve into what is certainly the best source of that drama – your family.
We love them, but they can drive us insane. Whether they are acting with misguided intentions or really are out to get us, or just being themselves, families can introduce us to some great stories. In fact, a large number of my stories have characters that are in some way (usually distantly) related to my family. I have mother-in-law stories that build off things my in-laws (and grandmother-in-law) have said to me. I have stories containing single working mothers suspiciously like my own. I have menfolk in the stories who resemble my husband, whether in his younger days or at present.
What type of incidents can spark stories? Anything from words or actions. Think about how something they said or did made you feel, then expand on that. Or reverse the situtation and put yourself in their shoes. Then overreact. Blow it out of proportion. Personally, I tend to keep everything inside, but in my stories, I make it a thousand times worse than it really is and then let myself react. Fiction gives me the chance to vent without hurting anyone's feelings – a great gift when you have a mother-in-law who really does cry at the drop of a hat (not exaggerating here).
The downside, I must confess, is when other family members believe your fiction is fact. A case in point is my father. He simply refuses to believe that I have used my imagination to expand on little escapades, and insists that my mother-in-law is truly horrific. Of course, he was also worried about my caveman cop story; perhaps he thought I'd witnessed a crime? You never know with fathers…
The point is, when you are looking for bits of drama in your life to expand into a story, often the best place to start is, literally, in your own backyard.
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