Life Is Stranger Than Fiction-Writers
(I’m at a retreat, in the cafeteria, eating lunch at a table with a dozen people I’ve only met today. Eventually, our conversation comes around to me, and they ask me where I’m from and what I do for a living. I explain I’m in college, majoring in creative writing with a fiction concentration, and that I’m from [City #1] but living in [City #2] for school. A few people at the table want to know what living in either place is like, so a lot of their questions revolve around that. When it’s time to go to our afternoon lecture, our group breaks up. I’m on the way out the door when I pass someone who was at my table.)
Group Member: “Where are you from, exactly?”
Me: *surprised to be asked, especially after talking to him about it for at least five minutes* “[City #1], although I’m living in [City #2] for school.”
Group Member: “Wait… You weren’t just saying that? I thought you made that up.”
Me: “What? No. Why would you think that?”
Group Member: “Well, you’re a fiction writer.”
Me: “…”
This story is part of our Writers roundup!
Read the next story in this roundup!
Read the Writers roundup!
Question of the Week
Have you ever served a bad customer who got what they deserved?
