There is a difference between fiction and nonfiction. You have heard me say before there is no distinction between the two and they are both the truth. Even the most otherworldly of fantasies are created from the heart and mind and carry worldly, human ideals and a human soul. If both fiction and nonfiction are created in you, does that not mean they are both the truth?
Deep sighs? Don’t worry, because despite what I have said above, there is a stark difference between the two. Let us dig deeper and find some qualities that distinguish fiction from nonfiction.
I will not limit our deep dive to obvious differences like setting, world, dialogue, climax, tone and style. Mind you, these qualities are crucially different between fiction and nonfiction. So too is the fact that one category is based on objective physical events, while the other is based on creations from a subjective mind.
There are many fine lines to consider in discussing the difference between fiction and nonfiction. There is the threshold we all cross as we are pulled into a powerful story. There is that illusory quality making a nonfiction book seem to read at times like fiction. There is an inner voice that compels us to tell our mom, best friend, or grocery clerk about a tale that has just gripped us to our core. There are special moments when authors recreate fantasy experiences we lived through as children, just when we thought those adventures were nothing but memories to us.
I’m talking of a bridge separating fiction from nonfiction, placing stories atop islands of our own creation. There is a magic pulling us in in those moments, removing our physical lenses and leaving us with only truths of the spirit. The truths of human existence, experience, and relationships too.
The magic of fiction is this bridge it creates, a bridge spanning the gap between teaching and knowing, and a bridge which has been created countless times before us.
The magic of nonfiction resides in its ability to ground us; to remind us we are physical beings in the here and now. However, I submit to you that the magic of fiction is supreme. It reminds us we are essentially spiritual beings and as such our existence spans all of time, not just the here and now.
Fiction authors and storytellers across time have created and recreated their magic for us, removing our physical lenses and introducing us to spiritual truths. Such authors include greats like Dostoevsky, Homer, Shakespeare, Twain, Hemingway, and contemporary greats like Doige and Hildebrand.
These authors have mastered their craft to such a degree they can literally whisk us up and set us upon journeys that take us from the physical into the spiritual realm. The brilliance of each journey depends on the reader’s willingness to open themselves to it, so they might travel with this same author again and again.
As writers and creatives, we receive unexpected and divine callings. These callings are telling us we must share with others our knowledge of the universal truths binding the physical and spiritual worlds together.
This is a crucial undertaking, a divine obligation, a gift given to the artist. Being called to share the universe’s wisdom with those in need of receiving it is a blessing. We must not selfishly withhold the ideas and messages given to us by the Muse, but rather share these insights with the world.
Is not the Muse a provider of spiritual gifts? Ideas, fleeting thoughts, and inspirations are granted to us, by it, from the spirit world, not from our conscious reality. The Muse lies at the heart of the fictional aspect of ourselves, an aspect that is as real as the nonfictional aspect.
We have abundant ideas, insights and notions available to share, as I expressed in my latest article on The Muse. Our challenge is finding the courage to capture the inspirations and clues, then invest the time and love to cultivate them. That is something we do not do enough of today.
Have the courage to harness your inspirations and step out into your greatness, regardless of whether you are ridiculed or scorned. For it is this quality which sets the great messages and messengers apart.
Have the courage to trust your gifts, both physical and spiritual. They are worth sharing with the world. Let the naysayers point and scorn if they want to. Share your beautiful message with the world regardless of them, and allow your creations to become your legacy.
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