A painter paints what he sees. More often than not, a writer writes what he feels, real life experiences being the source for most of those feelings. What happens when he wants to write about things that have happened in his life that have influenced him greatly?

On the one hand, here is something about which he can write well and powerfully, as the experience is first-hand and the impact on him is marked. On the other hand, he risks alienating people close to him by writing about them or their part in the experiences he has had. A dilemma as real as anything else to a writer. However much he tries to disguise the event in fiction, when the people portrayed read it, they are going to know it's them. And then of course, there is always the question of ethics - is it right on the writer's part to write about things that are the intense personal experiences of people other than himself?

These are questions almost every writer faces at some point or the other. How this is handled is left to individual sensibilities. Ultimately, the decision depends on the writer's priorities - whether he puts his art before all else or whether he values other things more.

But then, if one has this dilemma at all, is one a creative artist at all? And if one doesn't, can it be said that one lacks the sensitivity that often forms the core of artistic genius?

Cheers.