Talking with Cynthia MacGregor

TRUTH IS STRONGER THAN FICTION by Cynthia MacGregor

The old adage would have it that “truth is stranger than fiction.” I say change one letter of that saying and you have an even truer and more relevant quote: Truth is stronger than fiction.

Taking nothing away from the talents of fictioneers, true stories, when they are emotional or heart-tugging, can have an even more powerful impact on us simply by dint of the fact that these are real life, not made up. The real-life Cinderella story is always more powerful than the original fiction that gave the genre its name,  simply because we know that somewhere out there is a person just like us to whom this really happened. It’s not merely fiction; somebody actually lived it.

 

This was brought home to me with a couple of books I worked on in the last year or so. One, which hasn’t been published yet (but is slated to be), dealt with the stories of lovers who were separated but later reunited. It’s not a carefully crafted fictional romance; it’s a painstakingly transcribed and edited compilation of real people’s stories, collected over a period of months from people who answered various ads I placed.

The other — and it releases today, July 5th, as an e-book from XoXo Publishing — is called Mom—Is That You? and is another compilation, garnered from the responses to certain other ads I placed.

It’s about adoption and reunion.

Some of the stories are told from the adoptee’s point of view, while others are told from the mom’s viewpoint. They all are stories of adoptees and birth parents searching for each other…some with the knowledge and help of the adoptive parents, others against the adoptive parents’ wishes. Most of the stories end happily; some end otherwise. Not all real-life stories have happy endings, and my book is true to real life. Fortunately, the majority do end very satisfyingly.

When I wrote the book, I thought of it as not only advocating for open adoption but also delivering a message for adoptees and birth parents out there everywhere: Don’t give up if you want to find each other. Persevere. 

I realized later, though, that the book carries a broader message, one that applies to all of us: Whatever your quest is, don’t give up. Persevere.

Whether you are considering going back to college at age 42 to get that degree you missed out on when you dropped out at 19, or trying to find an old, dear friend, who disappeared from your life 15 years ago, or trying to get your first book published in the face of all the competition that’s out there, or trying to start a business although you have limited funds to invest and no prior experience running a business…whatever your impossible dream is, go for it. 

And when, against all odds, you eventually succeed, share your story. Even if you’re not a writer, or if the story is not one that would be saleable, and you don’t see yourself turning it into a book, share it aloud with your friends and neighbors. Share it with anyone who’s interested. Share it because it’s inspiring.

One of the main reasons it’s inspiring is that it’s not the creation of a talented fictioneer. It’s true. It really happened. And if it happened to you, someone else might be able to see their way to a similar success, as well.

Truth is stronger than fiction.

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Mom—Is That You? true and heartwarming stories of adoptees and birth parents searching for each other, is available from XoXoPublishing on their New Releases page as of July 5. Go to www.XoXoPublishing.com/our-books/latest-releases.html and click on the cover of Mom—Is That You? to read more about it and order a copy for yourself.

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Cynthia MacGregor is the author of 54 conventionally published books and over 50 published e-books, many of which you can read about at www.cynthiamacgregor.com. She also is the host and producer of Solo Parenting, a TV show seen every Saturday morning in South Florida over WHDT. You can get in touch with Cynthia at Cynthia@cynthiamacgregor.com