Now, this is a provocative question: Is there a situation in which I should fictionalize my life story?
I’m grappling with this question myself. I’m embarking upon the recording of my encounters with the Sioux nation of the 1990s when I lived in Winner, South Dakota as a young mother. Should I embellish the story, change the names, and add a little more drama to the story? Or does my story stand alone without embellishment?
Are there other approaches I haven’t even thought of yet? Hmm. I start thinking about this question on my daily commute when my mind is free to wander. One thing I wish I had done back in the 90s was to be more thoughtful and well-read about my Sioux neighbors. Well, nothing prevents me from doing research now. But, when we lived in South Dakota, my children were young, the library was small, and the “World Wide Web” was not a household name.
So I think I will do some research and tell my story from an older narrator’s point of view. In other words, I could tell the story at my current age covering my early life, and include details about the Sioux that I wish I had known and acted upon. In other words, I’d write from the point of view of wisdom, adding commentary along the way.
If I do this, my writing voice would have to be strong, so the story would need to be written in the “first person.” From the first page, you should recognize the folly of an ignorant woman with Sioux neighbors. However, I’m not sure I’m up for this yet. I think I need to read more examples of memoirs in which this method has been successful.
I should probably ask myself about my motivations for telling my story. Am I merely writing the story so that my children can read about their early years in South Dakota? Or is my intention to wake up the world to the issues of the Sioux tribe, to build empathy, or deepen cross-cultural understanding? Oh, no! What if I want to do all of the above?
Seems like I have more thinking to do before the pen hits the paper on this one.
In general, I learn that I might choose a fictional form if I need the freedom to develop the setting and characters while keeping the real players anonymous. Also, I learn that using fictional names and places might be wise if the events were sensitive and someone might be seen in a bad light with the truth told.
Yet, when the story is remarkable in its own right, why ruin it with fiction? Think of how most people love a good movie that can boast the phrase, Based on a true story.
True life makes the best stories. Tell them well.
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Module 1 continues: Regarding your faith story Who’s Afraid of the ‘F’ Word?
