If you tell stories from your past, are they true?

1. 82

   pstraubie48posted 12 years ago

   If you tell stories from your past, are they true?
   
   When you tell a story from your past, do you spice it up a little to make it sound better actually twisitng the truth to some degree? If so, is there still value in the story especially if you are trying to make a point?
   
   

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2. 59

   rabasureposted 12 years ago

   If I write a story based on my past experiences from my life,especially if it is from my childhood, it will be exactly what I experienced, may be a single episode or may be based on series of facts.But it will be nothing but a true story.But if I write a short story from a series of facts that I got from others, the story would be a mixture of facts and my own imaginations.But before writing such a story, I will think over it perhaps a week or a month and try to have a complete idea of the beginning, then filling it with details and then finish it quite interestingly or rather I can say quite dramatically that may be more appealing to the readers and have the same feel when I wrote it.Thus writing a short story on my past experiences is really just equivalent to giving birth to a child.Of course, the new born baby may be sometimes so beautiful sometimes it may even be premature.But it is a most gratifying experience.

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3. 65

   A K Turnerposted 12 years ago

   I think if we are creative we spice up stories to make them more appealing to our audiences. And yes we all twist the truth a little when we tell stories, make thing sound more interesting than they are, that sort of thing. There are some cases where it isn't need but we forget details sometimes, or forget exactly how something happened.

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4. 80

   Mr Archerposted 12 years ago

   For the most part, I find that Life gives you enough stories to tell without embellishment. Happy or sad, tragic or funny, the story can have a meaning to others.

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5. 77

   brittvan22posted 12 years ago

   The truth all alone in itself for me leads me to write all kinds of hubs. I think to each their own, some may see it necessary. In my life experiences, the truth would sale all on its own, I had quite an interesting childhood as well as adulthood as I am a Mom of  a four year.

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6. 0

   KDuBarry03posted 12 years ago

   Our memories of the past are simply our interpretation of the set situation that occurred; so, yes, they are naturally spiced up with our interpretations of it. If i recall a memory of my dog befriending a cat, I would interpret that as cute (thought it may not be cute in the overall truth); however, if someone else recalls seeing my dog with the cat, they may see it as my dog taking an offense to the cat. Our past memories are naturally spiced up with our interpretation, but can be purposely spiced up and twisted if one tells the story for an autobiographical purpose to gain more readers. It truly does depend on how you are portraying your past...

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7. 72

   juneaukidposted 12 years ago

   I suppose some of my childhood stories over 70 years ago were twisted such as making the snake I stepped on and killed a copperhead when it may have been a garden snake. But I'm not sure about "twisting" out- of -body experiences.

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8. 97

   sgbrownposted 12 years ago

   Any "true stories" from  my past have not been spiced up. If I was going to "spice them up", I would create an article that was fictional but based on a true story.

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9. 83

   sholland10posted 12 years ago

   For the most part.  LOL  My mother used to tell stories from the past that sounded so glorious.  Knowing what a mean alcoholic my father was and how poor we were, I know she romanticized the past.  She actually made my older brothers and sisters angry with her stories because they remember the horrible times.  I was too young, so they were just great stories to me.

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10. 0

    Ruth Pieterseposted 12 years ago

    Yes, I'm afraid so.  Cannot bring myself to tell untruths but sometimes feel that they would be improved with embellishment.

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11. 73

    miss_jkimposted 12 years ago

    I have taken moments and situations from my past and added humor and a bit of drama by playing on words, but I try to keep it as close to factual as I can. There are some of my fictional stories that I take bits and pieces of people, places, and events and draw a completely new and different story. I always differentiate if a story is fiction or non-fiction.
    
    I just enjoy playing with words and writing in general.

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12. 68

    gail641posted 12 years ago

    I like to tell a story from the past as accurate as I can remember it. I wouldn't want to embellish a story to make it sound better, because then, it wouldn't be truthful. If you want to spice up a story you could make it a fictional account--that might be kind of a fun thing to do and you could be more creative.

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13. 83

    PDXKaraokeGuyposted 12 years ago

    I've written a hub (What is Creative Non Fiction) on that very issue... when does truth become fiction. What is more important... the factual events or the emotional truth? I tend to believe there is no truly, 100% true story, but, if the author is doing their best to convey the truths learned from the story, then it can still be considered true.

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14. 73

    paul pruelposted 12 years ago

    Every time I tell a story about my past, I always inject it with some spices. I can still feel and see the real value. Now fiction writers write stories not just created from their imaginations - but also from true-to-life experiences.

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15. 0

    Ghost32posted 12 years ago

    I'm very careful not to embellish.  Nothing wrong with it for those who make it work, but it's not my thing.

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16. 86

    Faith Reaperposted 12 years ago

    Well, if it is a story from my past, then it would be true.  I just tell it like it happened.

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17. 78

    Diana Leeposted 12 years ago

    If I'm telling a story from my past and I am writing it into a fiction story I may change some of it, but if I'm stating it to be a true story of what happened I write it as I remember the facts.

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