<p>It’s kind of like creative nonfiction. I’m sure you’ve heard of the whole James Frey fiasco; if you haven’t look him up. Every creative nonfiction writer fabricates some things. </p>
<p>As a writer, I try to stick with only fabricating dialogues from the pieces I remember… but memory also distorts things. I can’t remember if my mom is really wearing lime green that day, but since that helps set the scene, it’s not a horrible thing. If I don’t remember if there were palm trees by the pool, it won’t really hurt anyone by saying there were. To say that a coconut fell on my head when it didn’t would be bad.</p>
<p>As a reader, I would have to say that I’m really disappointed when I find out that something I took for real didn’t happen, especially if I know the author or have felt some sort of connection. One of my writing teachers (I do writing camps) showed us some of her writing, and after having us read it, told us which bits she changed, and I was very very disappointed about it. </p>
<p>Especially since this is a college essay, which really really should be based on truth, I would emphasize that creative liscence should only be taken on trivial things where memory doesn’t hold.</p>