A Conversation for Writing Right with Dmitri: Sorting Out This 'Research' Business

'Don't lie, fiction writers. Make up stories, instead.'

Post 1

SashaQ - happysad

Well said smiley - ok

"Just know enough not to try to tell someone else's story if you're not interested enough in their world to find out about it."

Yes indeed... I started reading an unpublished book recently by someone who mentioned in the introduction that they met someone once, quite enjoyed talking to them, and decided to write a book inspired by the encounter. The very first paragraph of the main text made it clear that the writer was writing *about* the person from the outside of their world, and projecting assumptions all over the place, so it was very uncomfortable for me to read given that I have some personal experience of the world the writer was attempting to describe... For the sake of my mental health, I did not continue reading, and did find out that attempts to publish have so far been unsuccessful...

It did fascinate me why the writer chose to write on that topic, given that they didn't seem to be interested enough in it to actually listen to the person, and maybe even include their actual voice in the book, but there we go! I strive to do better...


'Don't lie, fiction writers. Make up stories, instead.'

Post 2

Dmitri Gheorgheni, Post Editor

I think you were wise to leave that book alone. smiley - laugh Yeah, that's just what I meant, too. smiley - sadface


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'Don't lie, fiction writers. Make up stories, instead.'

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