Hiding

Good writers write what they know. Or at least do a damn good job pretending they do. You can associate related memories, feelings you've had to enhance the truthfulness of the scene. Personal experience.

Lately, people who have been reading my novels and short stories have been asking the same question afterward: Is this based on personal experience? And I think to myself, why are they asking? Am I putting too much of myself into my characters? And if so, is that harming my writing? Or making it better?

I will say that all my leading characters have somethings in common with one another and with me:

1- We want love but we're terrified of it.
2- We're geeks. We love comic books, video games, and superheroes.
3- We're daydreamers.
4- We often feel lonely, even when we're around other people, but excel at hiding our loneliness.
5- At the end of the day, we pray things will get better. And we feel less insignificant knowing that others are in the same boat as we are.

I'm in an over-analyzing mood. And it's been a tough week. I'm worried I'm slipping away from reality by putting all my personal problems into these fictional characters. I know to be a good writer, you gotta basically shed your skin and expose yourself truthfully just like an actor. But when you step away from the computer, away from the fictional world, what's left? And when you are truly all alone, without the comfort of your leading guy to save the day, do you feel good? Or do you feel sort of fake? Hiding behind a mask. Not wanting to face the truth that you've chosen to express yourself to a fictional character rather than a real person.

Honestly, I would like to talk more to people. Not just about my feelings, but about people, about the world. But everyone is so wrapped up in their own lives, hiding behind their own masks (cell phones, facebook, twitter...) that they are doing the same thing that I'm doing. Hiding. Faking the smile. Not interacting with one another. Friendships dying because people don't call each other anymore. They just text and text and text. And it never feels as good as a phone call or hell, seeing the person face to face. It doesn't. Just like when you read a good book. That great feeling you get afterward doesn't last forever. You need to experience good things for yourself. True love. Great friendship. Exciting adventures.

So with this somewhat long entry, I encourage everyone to write their own story and live it fully. Don't worry about how it's going to end. If you start with a bang, and keep it going, the ending will come out just the way it's supposed to. Or maybe it'll be something else. A whole new genre just waiting to unravel like a rolling red carpet.