My Name is Taryn Raye and I'm a Professional Liar...

{Join me in a sing-song taunt} Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire!

Even the title of this blog is, in and of itself, a lie. Taryn isn't even my real name. LOL

I've been contemplating what a writer's life is all about and I've come to the conclusion we're all really big liars. And most are REALLY good at it.

But see, the thing is- I never aspired to be a professional liar.

But in some ways, I have, now haven't I?

Storytelling comes natural for me- I've been told I have a gift for writing- and I've always felt that I was born to be a writer. It eats away at me when I'm NOT writing because I have so many stories I feel "need" to be told.

But does that doom me to being a natural born liar, as well?

It hadn't really crossed my mind much before, but what do we do? We fabricate the biggest, most extravagant lies going. Each story is word upon sentence upon paragraph upon chapter of an elaborate massive web of deceit.

We're all taught not to lie, but statistics say we lie from early on in childhood and it's almost natural to development. Indeed, I can see that now that I have children of my own. LOL

Sometimes it's just them telling big windy stories, but other times it's to cover for a mistake they know they've made and other times its to get out of things they don't want to do. Most often, they lie for no good reason that I can comprehend, but in the end, it all comes down to fibbing, regardless of the reason.

It's really no different than parents telling their children stories of Santa, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy.

Or purposely avoiding telling them the entire truth in regard to a sticky divorce. Or what happened when Spot got out on the road. Or where babies come from.

We tell the first to encourage the use of the imagination and to suspend disbelief. It's part of the magic of childhood. It's something they can only experience once in their lifetime from that point of view- and I want to share in those joyful, innocent moments where reality and fantasy merge for a time- Where its still "okay" to indulge in pretend and the abstract and the ability to see beyond what's really there.

We leave out details in regard to the other things in order to help keep them innocent, as well. It's part of protecting our children from the harsh realities in life, to preserve the magic of their childhood- at least for a little while. It's instinct to protect them from being hurt or sad or heartbroken or much too grown up at such a young age.

So what's the difference when it comes to other things- like books? Works of fiction? We willingly pay for lies each time we buy a novel and we do so happily. But why?

Perhaps it's because- mixed in with all the lies there are smidges of truth.

Sometimes it's obvious and in your face. Sometimes its buried, hidden from the world because it's easier to hide the truth than speak it aloud. We find pieces of our truths inside the pages of books. We discover that sometimes others know the things we hide from ourselves and in that- we find a kinship with them, those who, whether they know it or not, help us see ourselves. Help us UNDERSTAND ourselves.

As for these lies I tell?

They are merely white lies. Really...honestly....

They aren't malicious or meant to cause harm. They are likeable lies. They inspire and reinforce the idea that love is out there. That real love is a bright shiny possibility. That it can happen for the first time when we least expect it or we can get a second chance at it when it didn't go quite right the first time around. My lies open the doors to fairytale worlds that are set in realistic scenarios. The stories and settings are falsehoods, yes.

But....

They can bring the reader REAL tears and laughter- because there's nothing false about raw emotions. When felt deeply, those feelings are just as real as the nose on your face (so long as you still have your real nose, of course LOL). It's raw truth- it brings the sting of tears to our eyes, the rush of excitement to our pulse and the joy to our hearts when we journey to find a happily-ever-after between those pages. That's real and true, even in the midst of lies.

The best part- these little white lies grant us the ability to hope, believe, have faith and find a little bit of happiness for a short time.

If I have to lie and deceive to accomplish that, then so be it.

I'm not saying lying is a good thing, but I'm not saying it's all bad either...

I'm just saying...

Mwahahaha.....