The Undiscovered Country

Be Honest

Like many other writers, my bookshelves are full of books on writing. And like most other writers I have my favorites that I try to read more than once so I don't forget the authors' advice.

One such book is "On Writing" by Stephen King.

If you haven't read it yet, I suggest you do. It's equally about his own journey as much as advice to others. One of my favorite sentences is, "Never lie to your readers. They can always tell."

This is true in fiction as well as in non-fiction. It seems counter-intuitive to think lying in fiction is even possible, because isn't the entire story made up? Yet it can happen, especially when trying to twist a plot in a direction that doesn't seem plausible, or making a character do something that's beyond the character's capabilities or against his/her nature.

I know many can point out stories where something in a story seems off, implausible, etc. That is a form of an author lying to the reader.

Don't do it. Lies in writing not only insults the reader's intelligence, but is the height of disrespect.

Lying to a reader is even more glaring in non-fiction. As a fellow human being, I can relate to wanting to lie. We do it every day when, for example, we tell our friends that everything is okay at home when the truth is quite the opposite.

We lie because we don't want to burden our friends with our problems, or it's a matter of pride.

Years ago I refused to tell anyone I was in an abusive relationship. The main reason was pride, because I didn't want to admit I had made a serious mistake in choosing that person as a boyfriend. I was supposed to be much smarter than that. I left him eventually, but that's a story for another time.

The desire to lie in my own blog pulls at me every time I write about myself, the things I've done, or the things I failed to do. Part of it again is pride. I'm supposed to be smart, put together, and have at least a little wisdom -- especially at my age.

I think my readers sense, however subconsciously, when I'm not being entirely truthful, and when I am. Their comments or lack thereof prove how much they saw past my deceptions, even if they don't outright call me a liar. I can read between the lines.

Recently I went back through previous blog entries, some going back years. The entries where I held back my honest self resulted in few likes and comments.

The ones where I decided to let it all hang out, so to speak, I received a lot more responses. Most of the time those who responded shared with me their similar struggles.

I discover time and again how comforting it is to know I'm not alone in my struggles, and by knowing I'm not alone, I can exercise more bravery and continue to be honest in everything I write.