Happy SUNDAY Juicers,

I often envy creative non-fiction writers.

You can tap into a memory, like tapping a tree for sap, and start working with what oozes onto the page right away. The output doesn’t need too much processing before reaching its final state, much like turning sap into syrup.

Fiction, on the other hand, is like making molasses. Life experiences transform and transform again, becoming barely recognizable from their source material. I might base a character on someone I know and then change their gender, age, and appearance—shoot, I’ll even Frankenstein in some other characteristics taken from another person. Then I might stitch in anecdotes from disparate sources into one storyline.

Staying faithful to memory is not a concern for fiction writers, which can be a double-edged sword. Funnily enough, I had a CNF friend tell me they envied fiction writers for this exact reason. We get to make everything up.

Regardless of how we use memories, it fascinates me endlessly that they transform every time we access them—but that’s a letter for another time.

Happy writing,
Jamie

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