Yesterday, I was going on about how people see things differently, even if they’re standing side-by-side watching the same event.
The flip side is, there are wonderful opportunities for story creation in almost any situation. For someone who deals in stories, that can be a very good thing.
An example: I see a couple drive up, chatting and laughing. A woman with a package and a sour expression comes down the walk as the car stops, and interacts with the couple. Or maybe she only speaks to one of them. Maybe her frown increases when she sees them laughing together. Or maybe she begins laughing with them. What’s in the package? Does it have any bearing? Is this a planned rendezvous or just a chance meeting?
There are many potential plot lines that can be advanced, and from the perspective of the storyteller, it is freeing to have not seen the actual meeting of this trio of characters. My mind can play with scenarios as it will, unencumbered by the realities of the situation.
The beauty of writing fiction is that the deeper emotional truth of a situation can be explored. The observable facts are not as relevant as the meaning, and the communication of a concept is more fulfilling than a mere statement of “fact.”