Fact or Fiction?

There was a charismatic one-eyed book dealer who used to hang around Chelsea. Once in a while if he had something he thought my American boss would be interested in, he'd call into the gallery for a coffee and a chat. Once he had an illuminated copy of the Song of Solomon - never have I wanted a book so much. I used a quote from it at the start of my book: 'Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples, for I am sick of love.' Reassuring to know people reached for a glass of wine and comfort food to mend a broken heart even in Biblical times.

Cy's stories were literally incredible. He talked about the jazz clubs of New York, hanging out at the Chelsea Hotel, selling the Herald Trib in Paris just as they were filming A Bout de Souffle (he claimed the famous t-shirt was his, borrowed on impulse by the gamine star. I love this movie, but prefer Breathless - the Richard Gere and Valerie Kaprisky 80's classic because it is one of 'our' movies. Jerry Lee Lewis, obsessive love, the Silver Surfer - what's not to like?

I don't know how many of Cy's tales were complete fabrications, but he was a great storyteller, and each one had a flavour of the truth. Where do you stand on this - do you write from what you know, or are your worlds completely imaginary? Science fiction, horror (hopefully) are genres that draw heavily on the imagination. Adaptations like Breathless take something like the French original and make something completely new. The same story told by two different people, interpreted by two casts of actors comes out differently. My writing area - which was described as 'middle of the road - in the nicest possible way' by agent one (ie, not chick lit and not literary but leaning towards the latter), creates worlds that could very possibly exist. I think writing fiction with a flavour of fact is a very compelling thing to aim for - who isn't drawn in by 'this is based on a true story ...'

TODAY'S PROMPT: I enjoyed 'A Bout de Souffle', but I adore 'Breathless' because it reminds me of being young, and free and crazily in love. Take a favourite book or film and think how you would adapt the storyline - what would you do differently to make it even better? Take ten minutes or so and draft out a summary of the plot - think where you would set the new version - if you're thinking of a film, who would you cast? Winkle out the things you love about the original - it's a good indicator of where you'd like your work to go. Have fun with it - there's no limit! If the story is archetypal (like a fairytale), you may just come up with a new idea for a short story or book. Take something you love and make it your own.