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Telling a Real-Life Story

I’m no expert here. I wish I had more real-world stories; I wish more things happened to me. But I do have a few thoughts, if you’re interested in telling a story from your life.

One thing that helps me is ridiculousness. My character--the version of me I tend to write about--is a little bit effete and pretentious. So it helps to pair that character with an opposite--i.e. a baby or a dog. (Yes, I do think about this stuff.) Having the effete guy watch a Barbara Stanwyck movie while a dog gnaws on a bone, in the background....this seems inherently fun, at least to me.

A story has a setting, rising action, and a climax. Writing about Salvy, I placed events on a “cold, dark night,” because (a) that’s the truth and (b) I liked having a “fairy-tale” atmosphere.

The rising action: a stubbed toe, a tearful phone call. And I think the climax in almost any personal story comes from reflection. You’re not writing a spy story; you’re writing about your life, and so the exciting things will likely be interior. (An exception would be if you have a Jack Reacher kind of daily routine, which would make you unusual.)

So--in the Salvy story--the climax isn’t really when Salvy “returns,” but instead when the narrator makes a connection between Salvy and the musical “Falsettos.” This is silly and sentimental, but I hope it also has some weight. And, again, it reflects a truth.

Then, it seems to me, a personal story should end with a bit of advice, and mine was: “Check your fence.” That’s literal advice, but I want it to have some subtextual weight, as well, i.e. Try not to take things for granted, or try to do that just a bit less often.

 All that ran through my head as I was working. If you want to write, I hope that you’ll write!
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