In the way of a good tale

Must you always tell the truth? A question that I suspect plagues most writers. Especially young writers. Whose work they believe reflects on them as a person. I am not talking about writers whose tales involve vampires. But those who tell yarns. Tales about ordinary life. And poetry. Which in many eyes is supposed to be confessional. Did you really sleep with that woman? Were you so desperate that you had to steal from your sister? You actually threatened the Prime Minister? My answer to all of this will be written in code.

Writers lie. Don’t trust them. (Okay, it isn’t much of a code.) Maybe it was Mark Twain who said ‘don’t let the truth get in the way of a good tale’.