How to write fiction

How to write fiction (12th January, 2012)

To write fiction, there has to be a catalyst:
a reaction to an incident, a clenched fist.
You see, it doesn’t just occur naturally -
it’s no chemical equation - it won’t come free;
it’s a dropped stitch in life’s not-so-rich tapestry.
I suppose it might be something you learn to be.

Telling stories is like lying, bending the truth,
using words as tools to create a kind of proof.
It is a habit developed through circumstance;
growing up and keeping secrets goes hand in hand.
It’s addictive: once you start, there’s no end to it;
each day, you’ll want to strangle who invented it.

Thing is, you cannot write until you’ve lived and breathed,
loved, lost, hurt and grieved. But first, you must learn to read.