Sunday Funday at KAZE with DJ Prymtime, Cincinnati, OH

People of a certain age may remember “dinner and dancing” differently than depicted in this video. My main point is that if you want your writing to reflect the present, you must focus on how things are now, not on how they were.

This post serves as a note to myself, as I was stunned while watching my daughter’s Instagram story on Sunday night. Then, almost immediately, I was transported back to my days of dancing into the early morning hours at the Paradise Garage in New York City. I might have snuck on the fresh fruit that lined the bar top. But a full plate and dining utensils while dancing? No Way! Although this video may resonate with Generation Z and Millennials, dinner and dancing, the last century was more of a formal affair.

Then it hit me!

When I write fiction, most of what I write comes from the memories of my distant past. That would be fine if I were writing historical fiction, but would it be cut as a contemporary writer? I have yet to consult a trade book acquisition editor lately. Still, as modern writers, I suspect we must pull our readers into a world they’re currently experiencing and craft a tale there. Successful contemporary writers already know this, but honestly, it was an aha moment for me—especially the write-what-you-know writers. However, if we choose the commercial path, writing about what we’re experiencing might be more effective, and bridging it with our memories might be even better.‘

Correct?

The last novel I read was Victor Lavalle’s award-winning horror fiction, The Changeling. I must admit that he masterfully wrote in the present, but it’s an allegory —a hardcore fairy tale with a foundation that rests comfortably in the past.

It may have clicked for me.

What do you think?