The Trouble With Fiction
Jojo had read every single book in the Library and she had not fallen into a single one of them. She’d spent hours in her Grandpa’s closet and never once stumbled on a fawn, or a talking beaver or even a witch trying to corrupt her with Turkish delight. On her eleventh birthday, neither an owl nor the mail had brought an invitation to wizarding school.
Life, she decided, was rubbish. And books, well, they were the worst rubbish of all.
Pens, though, pens could take her anywhere. She need only pick one up and she could change the world.
elmowrites 
What an interesting take on reading and writing. I’m sure that voracious reading stood her in good stead as a writer
Thanks, Neil, I agree
I hope she can enjoy reading .It is so unavoidably mandatory for good writers
I think she’ll come back to books in time
Good story, Elmo. Her pen will take her and many others places.
Absolutely, and it’s mightier than the sword 😉
If she hadn’t been so swept away by all the books she read, her pen would lay dormant, I suspect! Lovely take!
Quite possibly, Dale. I think she’ll get a more balanced view in time, but as the title says, that’s the trouble with fiction. If she’s going to change the world, she might want to use that pen for real life.
Indeed. 🙂
By writing she may come to appreciate the effort that went into thise books. Sadly, real life never lives up to the world of books!
Very true, but I think she has dreams of making the real world a better place.
Good one. Wonder if she realizes that all those stories she escaped with were written with a pen?? Loved this story… now, she can write one of her own… and maybe then, she can “fall” into another reality,
Absolutely. Girl’s gonna go far!
One must have the correct wardrobe at the proper time. And not just any pen will do. One must have a magical pen.
Well contrived and told.
Thanks Bill. It’s all about the right wardrobe, isn’t it? 😉
Indeed. 🙂
The best! I see this child’s face and hear her voice. Well done!
Glad it works for you, thanks!
Sometimes one’s own imagination is of more value than that of other’s.
I agree – like when you watch the movie and it never quite fits the ideas in your head.
I really like this story, Elmo. I bet JoJo has a great time writing. Perhaps she’ll come back to reading as a teenager, and find some of the wonderful literary fiction that explores the truth of the real world.
I think you’re right – the real world has a lot to offer too, whether through fiction or otherwise!
That’s a clever and convincing twist. She’ll make a great writer.
Thanks Jilly!
Ah, so there is magic in the words after all. I am sure Jojo’s determined character will create change in the world.
I agree, James, I like to think she will use that pen as a force for the better
Dear Jen,
Perhaps Jojo expected too much from books. At any rate I enjoyed this story. It sounds like she’s write her own journey. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
Thank you, Rochelle. Yes, I think she wanted to have them all come true – I don’t know if the world would be better if those fantasies could come true, but it would be interesting to find out!
Well, okay. If you don’t like ’em, write ’em yourself 🙂
haha, something like that
I love her enthusiasm to write and change her world. I’m sure all the reading she did gave her the passion. Lovely story!
Absolutely – hard to have one without the other
We need introspective writers who create new worlds and extrovert writers too, who take on the world as it is and change it. Good luck to her!
Your comment really makes me think, MJ. I have never easily fallen into one side of the introvert / extrovert divide, so now I’m wondering what kid of writer I am. Thank you!
Just delightful. I loved this – I can feel her disappointment that she can’t truly enter her fictional worlds. So glad she discovered the way in at the end. This made me recall my Jasper Fforde craze from a few years ago – I might have to go back and re-read some of those.
Isn’t it interesting how we tend to have phases with our favourite authors? Always nice to go back to an old favourite though, enjoy revisiting Fforde!
Very thought-provoking. I never thought of writing in quite that way.