History of My Own Fictions

“It is not my purpose, in this record, though in all other essentials it is my written memory, to pursue the history of my own fictions. They express themselves, and I leave them to themselves. When I refer to them, incidentally, it is only as a part of my progress.“ David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

David Copperfield tells his story in the book by the same name. Through the walking, dialogues, and character development, Copperfield tells his life story as he remembers it in the early 1800's. As I listen to the audio story, I feel like I am walking with little David as he grows into a man. As I was listening, I was struck by the phrase, “…the history of my own fictions.” Granted the story is a fictitious account of Copperfield’s life, but as I read it, I thought about how my memory of my life story includes reality and fiction. Some of my memories are clear and others are shrouded in mystery.

Memories are clouded by intervening events, emotions, and a deluge of sensory data. Writing fiction sometimes taps into more reality than remembering actual events. Writing fiction, poetry, and journaling taps into the reality of emotions, senses, and the subconscious. Try writing the history of your own fictions and see where it takes you.

30 minutes walking

107 days