Hey Nita,

Thanks for your perspective. Maybe you’re right and a lot more readers than I assume have suffered through violent assault, homelessness, police interrogation, and near-death experiences…

As to only presenting the best side of oneself, I agree that that’s what most people do. But as a writer, that’s not in your interest. As I’ve written elsewhere, audiences don’t root for perfect people. Audiences root for underdogs. They root for imperfect protagonists. There’s a reason why the imperfect Batman is way more popular than the perfect Superman. So I agree with you: as a writer you shouldn’t attempt to present only the best side of yourself.

PS: Sorry to hear you’ve had a rough life :(