We all think we’re the heroes of our own stories. Some of us even think we’re the heroes of everyone else’s too. Regardless, we inherently see things from our own perspective. It’s like the age old joke about the actor who is cast as the gravedigger in Hamlet. He tells his wife that he got the role and she asks “What’s it about?”. He replies, “It’s about a gravedigger who meets a prince.”
It’s human nature to focus on oneself, there’s no denying that. But what if we aren’t the hero of our own story at all? What if we’re the villain? What if the reader sees us, not as the plucky, though morally loose heroine, but instead as the scheming slut who seduces men, uses, then discards them? What if instead of the still hopelessly, sweetly lovelorn ex-fiancé, we’re the psychotic stalker, set on ruining life for the poor new lover? What if we aren’t the bold, brave hero striking off into the wilderness, hoping to “connect” with nature, but the dummy who gets lost in the woods and needs a rescue team to get him out?
You shouldn’t ever worry about how others may see you or your actions, and that’s certainly not the point I’m trying to make with the post. With that being said, however, perhaps if we do or say something that gives us pause and makes us wonder what others might think, there might be a reason for that momentary hesitation. While the opinions of others shouldn’t consume us, when it comes to decision making, the reactions we expect from others can often be a good gauge of whether we ourselves are making a decision that may or may not come back to bite us! Hopefully this quick skip in our confidence can make us stop, even just for a second, and reevaluate what exactly we’re doing, and either reconsider our course of action or forge boldly ahead!
Warning: the next paragraph is somewhat of a rant about fiction writing and should be taken with a grain of salt and a sense of humor, or otherwise ignored.
On another totally related note, this consideration should also be used in creative writing. I’ve read far too many amateur pieces where you are expected to feel camaraderie or sympathy with a main character who is utterly unlovable. Just because the experiences and reactions may have been true to life does not mean they need to be recreated verbatim in your creative fiction. Those hookups that may have seemed so cool when you were in them? Well, they really make your leading lady look a *ahem* eager to please. Keep them in if that’s what your going for, but if not, use that handy pause that our consideration of the opinions of society gives us, and maybe consider a rewrite.
