Mixing Fact and Fiction: Using Real Experiences as Writing Prompts

Drawing from your memories and experiences can add a personal touch to your writing, but you can take it a step further by rewriting historical events to add new twists and turns to your plot. Young writer program participant Allison is here today to tell us all about her method of mixing fact and fiction!

There’s something about a good story from long ago that fills me with smiles. A book about family, joy, lessons learned—and of course, real people and events don’t hurt. Some of my favorite books are based on the author’s actual life and experiences growing up. 

Take “Betsy-Tacy” (which I am currently reading for the 4th time). Maud Hart Lovelace based the stories off of her own childhood in Mankato, Minnesota. In her beautiful stories, Maud becomes Betsy and Mankato becomes Deep Valley, Minnesota. (Speaking of Mankato, Laura Ingalls resides there for a while as well—both in her books and in reality. Mankato seems to be the spot for authors!) But back to my point: places and experiences drawn from our own experiences or from history can impact our writing so deeply. 

What kind of experience, you ask, is good enough for my beautiful baby story? The answer is almost any experience. A memory of jumping on the trampoline in the backyard with your best friend with the sky blue and the grass freshly cut; the smell of the neighbors’ barbecue and the taste of summer nights in the air—what could you turn that into? How could you incorporate it into your messy, rough-draft story? Will it make it through to the final copy? (Come to think of it, will you make it through to the final copy?) 

The questions an author asks themself are crucial to the book. Memories and events don’t mean anything to your reader if they make no sense. You have to be ready to give a little if you want to get a lot. Know that you might need to tweak your memory or thought (NO! Anything but that, please!) to fit it in with your story. 

Another great way to enthrall your reader and add to your story is by using history. I love history. It also has some very exciting things that are ideal inspiration for a failing plot line. March on Versailles? The Bonus Army? The Roaring Twenties? How about the Ides of March? What can you add to your story that will spice it up? History is full of astounding plot twists (maybe the American Revolution) and secret villains (think Benedict Arnold) as well as great and inspiring leaders (George Washington, perhaps!). These people and events are so much fun to write about, from being subjects of a character’s social studies essay to being the time period of your entire book. 

History, experiences, and memories can all play a huge part in a successful novel. What inspires you? What fascinates you? How will you make your story stand out? 

Allison is from New York where she spends a lot of time reading, writing, drawing, wandering through a forest, and thinking deep thoughts. Having won a scholastic poetry contest last year, she is determined to cultivate her skills further through the NaNoWriMo YWP website. This is her first time doing Camp NaNoWriMo and her third year using NaNoWriMo. 

Top photo by Nova Vang on Unsplash.