Is Time Re-Writing Every Line?

Are you wonderig where I went? The last time you heard from me, I was in the midst of scripting a life-chaging jucy sex scene. But, you must have assumed that, when thrown into the memory of being in the unexpected arms of a hot rock star, resurfacing would naturally take a long time. 

This is true, to a point, but what was much more time consuming and poignant about this writing experience, was being thrown into the contemplation that, as time passes, time itself has possibly been re-writing every line. Is a story really true or just a fresh altered version – a version much more complicated than the smiles and the flirting; a version where loss is dulled or exaggerated; a version where the simple outcome of a hook-up is embellished?

With regards to writing a sex scene, could any of us honestly remember all the details of making love to a particular someone for the first time, thirty-five years ago? Try searching through the files of your memories for how your lover's naked skin felt against yours; who said what and how; the mingling scents; how you moved together; the last kiss's intention – and on and on. I’d say, that as memoir writers, we should own our artistic licenses - go for it - re-write every fuckin’ line!

And that takes time.