I’ll Bet You Think This Story’s about You: When People Keep Finding Themselves in Your Fiction

My own experience is that once a story has been written, one has to cross out the beginning and the end. It is there that we authors do most of our lying. —Anton Chekhov

1. A Phone Call from Mom

“Do you know what your brother did when he finished reading your novel?” my mother asks.

“He WhatsApped me,” I answer. “‘Just finished your book. Great read’.”

I reread my brother’s exact words from my phone. There is a cheery note in my voice because I’ve already won this conversation. With this book publication there will be no family drama. We can skip the, “s/he’s going to kill you when he reads that” back and forth.

“That’s not how it went over here,” my mother says.

“Oh no.”

“I had to throw him out.”

“What?”

“I couldn’t take it anymore.”