"The job of fiction is to find the truth inside the story’s web of lies.” Stephen KingAs I close the door to my writing room and sit at the desk in the corner, I have an idea brewing in my head about a story I can tell. The idea solidifies following a conversation with a former colleague about a bizarre situation in a company where we both once worked.
I reread a section of Stephen King’s book where he talks about what to write when you sit down and close the door:
“Write what you like, then imbue it with life and make it unique by blending in your own personal knowledge of life, friendship, relationships, sex and work. Especially work. People love to read about work. God knows why, but they do.”
In my case, work has involved writing for and about technology companies, their products and marketing them to prospective customers. What I have enjoyed reading is mysteries and biographies. Sometimes the two intersect.
My idea is to combine personalities I have met in the workplace with a story that reflects events and activities that I have observed -- some disturbing, several unethical and a few illegal. So taking Mr. King’s advice quite literally, I’ve decided to pursue a story that plays off some of these workplace incidents. Adding a healthy dose of imagination, I will take them to new heights, discourse and possibilities. As Mark Twain said, “Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn’t.”
While most of the story will be fictitious, it will be an honest depiction of actual events.
The working title for my book is CEO.
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