I’ve been listening to a lot of podcasts lately, mainly on writing and science, and came across an interesting insight on the autobiographical elements of writing. In the 12/20/18 episode of Writers on Writing, author Janet Fitch says the following:
Every novel, every piece of fiction is actually in some way deeply autobiographical but not the in the way the reader thinks, which is usually…they think that the surface events are the autobiographical elements. Whereas in fact, it’s the obsession, it’s the concern, the worry; the thematic element is what’s autobiographical. And usually, the events are not.
I think the way Janet Fitch frames the autobiographical nature of fiction writing is spot-on. As a writer, I’m aware of my own obsessions and how they reoccur throughout my writing, but I’ve never quite put it into words. When I think of specific authors and their collective works, I can most certainly see their obsessions coursing through their words. In that sense, it makes sense why sharing your work is such a vulnerable experience.