Wonderful short essay by Matt Gemmell, on whether fictional stories really matter:

For me, stories are empathic projections. They reflect and propagate our hopes and fears. They fuel our desires, and sometimes our ambitions. Most importantly of all, they fire our emotions - they let us feel as deeply as we can. We’re emotional creatures, whose acts are guided by passion much more than reason. It’s vital that we know how to feel.

So well said. I love fiction, and some of the most important lessons in my life I learned from the stories I read as a kid, as a teenager and yes, as an adult. These stories matter to me deeply, personally.

We absolutely need more stories, and more people like Matt, brave enough to tell them. If you want to do your part, here’s how you can help.

I can’t wait to read Matt’s upcoming novel. I don’t know the details or the story, but I know it will matter to many people, including myself.