Stranger Than Fiction

Good morning and welcome to Monday Blogs. Today, we’ll be looking at real life. Is it really stranger than fiction?
Authors often use real life situations in their books, but they tone them down. Most of the time, if asked, they’ll tell the person that no one will think it’s believable fiction. And they’re right. Real life can and is stranger than fiction.
Real life has its own travesties. Humans share posts on social media, highlighting the awfulness that occurs, the happy occasions, and the terror riddled moments. Authors stare at this and wonder why we’re writing a book when what we’re experiencing daily is so much more intense. Yet, if we insert that same intenseness into our books, we’re accused of going overboard.
Seriously.
This is a real problem.
I’m not laughing off the problem. Quite the contrary, I’m simply stating a fact of life. In order for an author to sell a book based on a real event, we need to dilute the intensity. We can’t devote five to ten chapters to the characters’ lives prior to the problem occurring. The reader would soon become bored, wondering why they’re getting this information when the cover art and blurb promised an action packed thriller. Nor can we dissect the tragedy second by second. No, that has to be saved for a pivotal moment, when the reader is caught up in the activity and is reading each word slowly, their breath picking up, their mind warning them – it’s coming.
And while real life is sometimes too intense to be a novel, many authors have successfully created tales based on tragedies seen around the world all the time. We’ve learned how to dilute the powerful impact of the story and focus on a single moment in time, where one person or a group makes a difference.
All in all, fiction is an escape from life’s realities. It can also be a safe way to relive a bad time and see it a bit differently.


About K.C. Sprayberry
Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books. K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities.
A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.

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