tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-339010711047634783.post3968806791899135091..comments2024-03-14T00:19:45.060-07:00Comments on One Potato...Ten!: Papas calientes: 2009 Resolutions from Whidbey IslandStephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05385380660178435154noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-339010711047634783.post-26574372356805968082009-01-13T09:59:00.000-08:002009-01-13T09:59:00.000-08:00Carmen,Your presentation at the Whidbey Writers Wo...Carmen,<BR/><BR/>Your presentation at the Whidbey Writers Workshop (Write What You Know? How Boring!") raised an interesting point: writing fiction requires research. As disappointing as it is to know I can't just pull stories out of my you-know-what, I find that truth is a hard sell when it comes to critique groups. Cries of "That can't happen!"--even though it can and has--forces the fiction writer to falsify reality in order to make it believable. In a way, truth can rob fiction of its credibility. So, basically, we can research the facts, but they darn well better jive with the reader's perception of truth. <BR/><BR/>Non-fiction, on the other hand, seems to make room for unbelievability in order to capture the interest of readers. We saw this in James Frey's "memoir." He said no one would publish "A Million Little Pieces" as fiction. But as non-fiction, people ate it up.<BR/><BR/>I'm not sure what any of this has to do with your 2009 Resolutions, except to maybe go easy on your students when the facts of their stories don't ring true enough for fiction.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-339010711047634783.post-53662987888548620052009-01-10T17:34:00.000-08:002009-01-10T17:34:00.000-08:00And I, for one, believe you will accomplish all th...And I, for one, believe you will accomplish all these!Stephaniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05385380660178435154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-339010711047634783.post-24974462387662186872009-01-09T08:07:00.000-08:002009-01-09T08:07:00.000-08:00Carmen,This is a very comprehensive list of resolu...Carmen,<BR/>This is a very comprehensive list of resolutions! I especially like #6: I will help my students as much as my mentors helped me. I'm sure your students will greatly appreciate that.Edie Hemingwayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17496477219035860857noreply@blogger.com