I was talking to a friend the other day about writing
fiction vs. writing non-fiction. I'd asked if a piece she's currently working
on is a story or an essay. She said, "Oh, it’s non-fiction. I don't do fiction." We went on to discuss the motivations for different kinds of writing and it
struck me that while I've written plenty of non-fiction, including newsletter
articles for my last job and pieces for Yuba-Sutter Community Magazine, fiction is my comfort zone. It's an escape mechanism
for me, as I like what happens in the worlds I create much more than what goes
on in this one, especially lately. (What the hell, 2016??)
But setting aside the insanity that is the current political
climate and the horrendous hits the music world has taken this year, I have to
admit that I've always used fiction as an escape, from the stories I made up as
a child, to the painfully awkward pieces I wrote as a teen, to my first novel.
And I'm reasonably sure that if you were to ask ten different writers what
fiction is to them, you're likely to get ten different answers. Carrying on
with that train of thought, ask ten different readers what fiction is to them and
get as many different answers.
Fiction might be dismissed by some as lightweight, or less
important than non-fiction, especially if it isn't "literature," but I contend that a piece that's meant to entertain
and offer a temporary respite from the woes of the world can also educate,
enlighten and offer insight into the human condition.
