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phetish ([personal profile] phetish) wrote2012-04-04 03:36 am
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The Problem With Writing

As I re-transcribed “Poor White Travelers,” I discovered a key storytelling dilemma.

“Poor White Travelers” is the tale of a road trip, wherein our rental car was virtually totaled (albeit in a typically dangerous and hilarious way).

We argued, my then-husband and I, about whether to dispose of the insured vehicle (my vote), or whether to drive an extra 150 miles to return it (his vote). Ultimately, he won out – as he usually did. Hilarity continues.

…and I can publish the story, because it wasn’t incriminating. If we had disposed of the vehicle…I have no idea how, or if, I would have told the story.

All of the best stories are like that. How do you, personally, overcome that obstacle?

Originally published at The Pandemonium Project. You can comment here or there.

[identity profile] insanity-speaks.livejournal.com 2012-04-04 06:26 am (UTC)(link)
If it IS incriminating, write the story and don't publish it until after the statute of limitations is passed. Then you have no worries. Or, change the names and destination to make it seem more more like fiction.