The Stories We Tell

The other day I wrote [a fiction piece](https://peakd.com/hive-126152/@tarazkp/was-it-worth-it-t586aq) for the first time in I don't know how long. It is harder for me to write fiction now, as my brain just doesn't work in the same way and is somehow more literal. I reckon it is because the automatic functions for imagination are largely missing, meaning ideas don't come as easily, the range of collateral the ideas are narrowed to conscious thought only, and the ability to flesh out the ideas is restricted. > But I tried. ---  --- > And I will try again. For me though, a story has to be similar to the rest of my content, where there is some kind of reality to it in terms of the conditions we have and the way we behave. There has to be a lesson of some sort, a take-away that could be used to inform the reader and make them think on how it relates to themselves, and their possible next move. >Not a guide, but a stimulus for thought. Fiction is an incredibly powerful tool for our development, as we are bound by the retold stories passed down of the experiences of others, and the *stories we tell ourselves* about what our experience is to us. We are constantly telling fictional stories about our experience, even though most barely register in our own consciousness, let alone get written down for others to read. Every interaction we have, every relationship, every feeling, generates some kind of internal narrative that tries to make sense of what happened. Someone says something to us, and we *read into it* a tone, a way, a meaning and assume that we have interpreted it correctly, even without verification. Rain ruins our picnic plans, and we read into it something about how our day is ruined, and our mood changes, our outlook shifts. > The stories we tell ourselves, shape our behaviour. This isn't just about reframing our experience though, because these stories are deeply personal to the point that they are the thread that we cling to to hold our identity. We tell ourselves stories about *who we are,* even if our own behaviours do not align with that kind of person. And often too, we tell stories of our failures, when if we were to be objective or tell the same story about another, we might frame them a success for trying. > There is truth in all stories. I remember watching an interview in the nineties with Quentin Tarantino and Katie Couric (I think it was) asked him what he would have done if he hadn't been a writer and director, to which he answered with a completely serious face, *A serial killer.* Perhaps being able to process his thoughts through artforms, means having an outlet that might have otherwise been expressed through physical reality. > A thought is not a crime. It is only when it is *acted* upon that it becomes real. Fiction has truth in it, because it is born from the thoughts of an individual, their internal mental experience, which is influenced by their external experiences also. And when it comes to expressing internal thoughts, even if just for artistic impact, it can make people feel uncomfortable. Like a horror movie full of gore might be somewhat comical, but the ones that *could happen,* can terrify. When people are forced to consider their own reality and find that they might themselves be different to the story they have told themselves and others, the4y discover that who they thought they are is a fictional character, and they might be something else entirely. Or is that, someone other? > We are never who we think we are. While we can predict and theorise, we never really know how we are going to react in a situation, until we are in that situation. Most people believe one thing, but if ever in what they imagined, discover they behaved entirely differently. Some thought they'd be strong under pressure and adversity, but collapse. Some thought they'd collapse, but stood firm and became a leader when others needed it. These stories we tell ourselves shape our experience, and also become somewhat of a self-fulfilling prophecy. That voice that is constantly chattering away in the background, left unchecked, will become our guiding force, our north star, even if it is telling us lies. When I tell a story, I want to capture a piece of life in a moment, like a photograph that comes with narration. A photograph doesn't tell the whole story, just a perspective, but it hints at what else may be there, what lays behind what is seen. Every image we see, comes with a set of assumptions that tells us what we cannot possibly know - what lays behind the image? And we use that stimulus to build another story. >An image doesn't tell a thousand words, if no thought is put into building the story from it. And the same image could tell a million words for someone inspired to think into it, build onto it, and create a world from it. A simple line from a story could be the inspiration to change the world at a fundamental level. And along that path, there would be millions upon millions of new stories generated, and from those, more again. Humanity is created through a fractalling and expansion of stories of our experience, that shift the way we act in the world. And through our actions and interactions, we spawn new stories for ourselves and in others. In my opinion, the stories we tell ourselves matter, as do the stories we tell each other. Truth in story telling isn't always literal, but the truth can be concrete nonetheless. Like the works of Shakespeare, which give incredible insight into human nature, all through the lens of fiction. > I am not Shakespeare. Or any of the other great literary minds and creators. But, should this stop me from telling stories? Taraz [ Gen1: Hive ] --- **Be part of the Hive discussion.** - Comment on the topics of the article, and add your perspectives and experiences. - Read and discuss with others who comment and build your personal network - Engage well with me and others and put in effort **And you may be rewarded.** ---