The first time I spoke face to face with Nat Eliason, he said something that struck me: “I think many nonfiction authors secretly dream of being fiction authors, but very few fiction authors secretly dream of being nonfiction authors.” Huh. Interesting. There’s no data, of course, but my gut told me it was probably true. I knew it was for me.
After publishing his first book, a memoir, Nat is now working on a novel. He reminded me of my own ambitions in fiction. “You know, now that I think about it, almost all of my most successful articles are basically fiction,” I told him. “I retell one of my favorite movie scenes, for example, and sprinkle in some self-help. But the story is the exciting part. Hmm. Maybe I should have started with the dragons all along.”
I used to do “Fiction Friday,” where once a week, I’d work on some imaginary tale. I think it’s time to bring it back. When I shared a note of potential future writing topics with some friends, I sprinkled in “dragons” as a theme several times for fun. Bar none, it was the topic most people responded to. It’s as if everyone’s eyes lit up. “Yes, DRAGONS. More of those, please!” That, too, got me thinking.
What if we mostly write to make our inner child happy, but then sometimes, we refuse to fully reveal them to the world? Is nonfiction just an early exit on the highway to complete self-actualization? Who knows.
All writing has its benefits—but if you grew up reading fantasy and sci-fi and thrillers, when you pick up the pen as an adult, perhaps you shouldn’t begin with listicles, business musings, and productivity advice. Perhaps you should start with the dragons, and see where your younger self will lead you.