Fiction Writing and the "What If" factor

I decided when I was about 12 or so that I wanted to be a writer. I arrived at this conclusion because I understood that while I could watch things on TV, and read other people's stories about events everywhere, I could not always have the experience directly.

I began writing in earnest when I watched Winning Colors, a filly, win the Kentucky Derby. And I asked myself, "What if a filly won the Triple Crown? What if I was the jockey?"

And those questions lead to other questions, and I found the answers at the tip of my pencil, writing into the late hours of the night. I must have re-written that story time and time again, trying to figure it all out, and as an adult, I am still working on the story. Unfortunately, since my perspective has changed, it has become much more difficult and I am hindered by the fact that I still have not had the opportunity to see the world from the back of a racehorse at a dead run, although I have watched a camera fly out of my shirt pocket while at a full gallop.

So I guess I have the elements, the necessary disconnectedness needed so as to surprise the reader from time to time with seemingly inconsequential moments, and enough experience to extend the imagination.

But I don't have enough facts.

That brings me to my next point. The cool thing about writing fiction is that the process answers the question, "What if?" However, we have to consider the ethics and the morality of our answers.

Given the subject of my particular story, I need more facts. The story is fiction, but the likely audience of such a book would be offended if I got everything wrong. They would want to know why they weren't consulted. People love to talk, to share their stories, and have a personal interest in not seeing their lives, their culture, etc., misrepresented by shoddy work. That's ethics. Don't insult your readers.

Of course, it's impossible to avoid offending everyone, if a story is truthfully told; unless it is fantasy, and even sometimes when it is, people will find something offensive to their delicate sensibilities. I do not suggest that we as writers (or aspiring writers such as myself) go out of our way to offend, but we cannot be afraid of conflict. Without conflict, there is no story, and once the story is out, there may be additional real-world conflict.

I love fiction, I love reading fiction, and long ago, even while recognizing fiction, I wanted truthfulness in the stories I read. I wanted the storyline to be feasable, to make sense, and when it didn't I found myself disappointed.

I think it would be difficult to find someone not in agreement with this. One example I can give is cop shows on TV. They always get stuff wrong, and it drives me crazy. They'd have a better story if they stuck to the truth.

On the other hand, fiction opens doors to suspend reality...back to the "what if" factor. Consider "Demolition Man". One element of that movie addressed the enforcement of law without the use of weapons or force. The movie did not ask us to judge the movie by current police standards, as by their context they defined the parameters of their story to exclude what we understand to be true.

As Christian writers we need to be aware of even a higher standard, namely, as that set down by our faith. We have to be true to Jesus Christ in the words we set down on the page. Debates rage around this topic...use of profanity, use of sexual intimacy, etc. How much is too much? Is it even appropriate to bring it up?

It's difficult to avoid these issues if one is writing truthfully, but it is possible. I offer as an example Bill Kassel, who wrote a couple of great books dealing with the issue of abortion and homosexuality. If you haven't read his work, look him up.

In sum, contiue to ask the question "What if", open your imagination to endless possibilities, and let the Holy Spirit and a well formed conscience be your guide as you discern the limits available to you.

Hmmmm...define "irony"...what if this gets published somewhere like a magazine for Catholic writers? (does any such thing exist?)