For me, one of the hardest parts of writing fiction is describing how a character feels in a situation that isn’t similar to anything I’ve experienced. Sure, I can read the accounts of soldiers who have experienced combat and use that to imagine how a soldier in my story would feel, but I’m never sure if I have truly portrayed it right.
On the other hand, if I have experienced a situation similar to the one my character is in, I find it much easier to imagine their feelings. Since I have lost people I love, I know how to describe someone who is grieving, even if their situation is different from mine. Many aspects of grief are universal, so knowing how I felt helps me figure out how my character feels.
Occasionally, I write stories that are heavily based on my own experiences. The exact events and characters are fictional, but the feelings are true to how I felt in my situation. This type of fiction is the easiest to write because I don’t have to figure out the character’s feelings and can focus solely on the plot of the story.
Recently, I had a story published that fits into this third category. My story, “Lost in Translation,” has been included in the 2019 Workers Write! anthology entitled Workers Write! More Tales from the Classroom. The story’s main character, Mindy, is a sign language interpreter at a middle school. If you are interested in purchasing the anthology in print or digital format, click here.
I have been employed as a sign language interpreter in the public school system for six years, and four of those years were at a middle school. The characters in “Lost in Translation” are all fictional, and the specific events described never happened. They are, however, very similar to my own experiences, and Mindy’s feelings in the story mirror mine.
Writing stories that are that heavily based on your own experiences can be therapeutic. It gives you the opportunity to write down your feelings in a way that is not quite as personal as a non-fiction piece. Using fictional characters and events puts a bit of emotional distance between yourself and the story while still allowing you to express how you felt in a creative way.
As a writer, I wouldn’t want to write these kinds of stories all the time. Part of the fun of writing is getting to write about characters who are different from yourself. I would never want to limit myself to describing only situations I have experienced. On occasion, though, it can be a good way to share your feelings and write a realistic, heartfelt story.
Have you ever written a short story based on your experiences? Let me know in the comments.
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