Essential truth is the apprehending of the immediate reality of the moment. It’s not an insight about something but the recognition of the quality of being.
Most people at some point in their lives recognize “essential” truth. That’s especially true of writers. We write true fiction, nonfiction, poetry, prose, want ads, fairy tales, Christmas cards, outrages, likes, dislikes, social and unsocial media takes, and paper ballots. None of that is essential or essentially true. Many people take what politicians say with a grain of salt—Epson salts.
Essential truth has one overriding component; the reality of presence—the presence of stillness. When we write about peace, we should be aware of our connection with others—our readers. We should be silent observers of how and when our readers digest what we write.
The Collins Dictionary defines essential truth; “At its heart lies an essential truth about humanity, which our troubled world urgently needs to be reminded of.” They cite three or four media headlines as illustrations of essential truth. “He cut through all the detail of debt, default, and deficits to extract its essential truth.” “Something follows from the essential truth of the gospel.” And, “I’m impressed that the shahs gleaned this essential truth when she sees me apparently intent on proving the exact opposite.”[1]
While it has little to do with the mechanics of writing, TheSmallSuccess.com notes ten essential truths of life to be successful. All of them should apply to the writing craft.[2]
- Success often comes after failure.
- Who you surround yourself with defines who you are.
- A busy life does not mean a productive life.
- You define your own life.
- Forgiveness doesn’t always have to come after the apology.
- Don’t let fear make you live a life of regret.
- Live in the present.
- Life is short.
- Your self-respect must come from within.
- Change is permanent, so you have to accept it.
If every writer kept in mind only half of these “essential” truths, the likelihood of reaching the goal every writer seeks is close at hand. Here’s how that might work. Your book might please everyone you know. It might sell. It might be long-listed for an award. It might change someone’s mind. It might mean money in the bank. It might surprise your in-laws. It might get you noticed. It might get you a pass when you need it most. It might be essentially fun. It might save you from the yelpers in our profession. And it might sell. No harm in saying essential truths twice.
Psychology Today says there’s no such thing as a happy ending. Stress happens. The cover-up is worse than the crime. There’s no magic bullet. There’s no elevator; you have to take the stairs.[3]
Arguably, the most frequent essential truths writers encounter every time they put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboards are: (1) Accepting the reality that nothing is always true. (2) Every writer struggles to get down right. (3) Parents and upbringing make all of us what we are. (4) We all want acceptance. (5) All first drafts stink. (6) Happy endings are fleeting. (7) The first page is vastly more important than page thirteen. (8) We are what we write. (9) Writing is best done alone, in private, inside a door, and carefully. (10) Toxic, nasty writing proves our inner misery.
Many readers will judge our writing by applying their own essentially true tests to our premises, prologues, epilogues, and all log rolling done inside the text. As Forest Gump always said, “Stupid is as Stupid Does.”
We can’t fool our writers, they are essential.
[1] https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/essential-truthhttps://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/essential-truth
[2] https://thesmallsuccess.com/truths-of-life/
[3] https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-mindful-self-express/201803/5-essential-life-truths-that-sound-depressing-but-arent?msockid=079856387d7666e51599437b7c836728
I am an author and a part-time lawyer with a focus on ethics and professional discipline. I teach creative writing and ethics to law students at Arizona State University. Read my bio.
If you have an important story you want told, you can commission me to write it for you. Learn how.
I am an author and a part-time lawyer with a focus on ethics and professional discipline. I teach creative writing and ethics to law students at Arizona State University. 
My latest novel is Hide & Be. 
If you have an important story you want told, you can commission me to write it for you. 