by Jill Amadio
The big “What if…” offers writers a limitless world of characters, plots, settings, and time frames, a chance to change history, to bend it a little. What if Henry VIII died at birth? What if General William Sherman never undertook his famous March to the Sea? Shakespeare would have been deprived of many of the plots for his plays and Scarlett O’Hara would have had no reason to be created.
The good news is, much of our past provides those who write historical fiction with stepping off points for their novels, with real characters who resound throughout the ages but can be given sham qualities they never possessed in real life.
Yet, how much twisting of the truth do these books require to suit the author’s fictional story? Is it a dilemma, a difficult choice, or a decision to blithely rewrite history? As for those writing non-fiction, do the same criteria apply?
The case of James Frey comes to mind as I mention it in my new novel that is – surprise! – based on a true story. Frey’s memoir, “a Million Little Pieces,” was revealed as fake although he was reported to have asked his publisher to release the book as a novel. However, Random House decided sales would be greater as a true story. To his credit Frey admitted he fabricated and exaggerated parts of the book.
Which brings me to a personal point regarding fiction, non-fiction, and writing the truth. A few months after September 11, 2001 I was approached by a young woman who said she had been married to one of the hijackers. She wished to tell her story. As a ghostwriter I published several memoirs, biographies, and autobiographies under my clients’ names.
Long story short, I wrote the book for her. Then I printed it out and slipped it into a drawer. I didn’t look at it either in hard copy or digital form but kept the document on my laptop and on a thumb drive during all the years since.
The pandemic, forcing writers into greater isolation than usual, and for more than a year, has changed our way of life, and in my case, shredded any writerly income I was making as a hired hand. During those 13 months I thought about books I’d written and set aside, and decided to take a second look at the 9/11 story.
For several reasons I decided to turn the true story into as a novel. Luckily, I had retained all the documents including the marriage certificate, divorce decree, photos of her with the Said Arabian she married at 17 years old, and cassette recordings of her and her family. I also had written a 40-paqge non-fiction book proposal which resulted in my being signed up by a top New York literary agent. It was 13 months after the 9/11 attacks. However, the upshot was that no publisher would touch it. The agent suggested they were afraid of reprisals because the book provides a rare, under-the-radar- glimpse into the terrorists’ personal lives in America, their loves of strip clubs and pizza, for instance, and the kinds of activities that should have served as red flags to law enforcement agencies.
Turning the non-fiction story into fiction was easy. I had all the background I needed both on tape, with photos, and in documents. With Frey’s experience in mind I was careful to stick to the truth to back everything up but as the book was fiction, who would worry about its origin? The subtitle clearly states that the book is based on a true story.
Over the past two weeks I have received glowing reviews, all 5-star to date, and my dear neighbor, a retired CEO of a large company who writes a newsletter, said he’d be happy to give it some space. He added as an afterthought that would have to write the word “true” in quotes. He did not believe any of it happened, that it was too far-fetched. At first I remonstrated, then told him I really didn’t care if he believed it or not. I knew the truth.
Which brings me back to the point of this post: authors taking actual history, or history as reported, and subverting it to their own ends to make a book more interesting as some of our greatest writers have done. Is there a lesson here? Will youngsters believe the fiction or the real truth?
First, your book sounds fascinating (as well as well-timed). The details your interviewee provided will add a sense of authenticity to you novel. I think you made a good decision turning the story into a fictional account. It eliminates any debate about “the truth”, something we seem to debate about a lot. We often learn more from fictional accounts because their threshold is credibility. To quote Mark Twain, “The difference between fiction and nonfiction is that fiction must be absolutely believable.”
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Miko, your comments ring true – (sorry”. Twain said it all. Fiction is supposed to take one into another world or at least into a believable reality.
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Wow, what a way to “research” aspects of a novel. It sounds thrilling, as it definitely must be. Thanks for letting us in on the truth!
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I think my years as a reporter and then a ghostwriter who needed to do a lot of research gave me good backgrounds.
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Wow, Jill, never thought of this aspect of fiction writing. What an interesting perspective to come to a “story”–the evolving of a real story into fictional one…got me thinking…
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Maybe it’s a cowardly way to get around the question – which I raise in the book – would the FBI or Al Qaeda come after me if it was non-fiction?
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Brave soul, Jill. Even in fiction, I’m not sure I would have had the courage to write this… although I think a lot of people will want to read it, just to “see” how it “really” happened. Best of luck on sales and good, safe publicity.
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Thanks, Jackie. She felt that she needed to warn others about red flags – explained in book – and that is her legacy. Happily, I can verify everything with documents, photos, etc. which would have gone into the non-fiction version.
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Jill, you made a wise decision to turn this account into fiction. I agree wholeheartedly with Mark Twain!
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Thanks, There are actually mysteries based on true stories like Grisham’s and others.
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I use real people in some of my stories, but try not to go too far outside what I think they would do. Use facts and make up the rest.
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Late again: sorry! But, Jill, I think this is well-timed and fascinating. I love the fact that you have all of the documentation to back you up and fictionalizing the real story is a clever idea – and protects you too! I can’t wait to read it.
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Thanks Rosemary I didn’t plan to have the book coincide with the attacks It too me longer to write than expected when I decided to make it a story within a story I feel a little guilty about the date which incidentally is my daughters birthday – 9/11
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