"People often say that writing fiction is an escape from reality. I've never believed that. If anything, fiction demands an even greater honesty. It asks you to draw on everything you've lived, witnessed and felt, then shape it into something that resonates beyond your own experience.
Before becoming a photojournalist, I stumbled through more jobs than I care to remember. I operated switchboards, worked in offices, modelled for a while, drag-raced for the sheer exhilaration of it, and eventually found my place behind a camera with a notebook in my hand. Every one of those experiences—good, bad and unforgettable—has quietly found its way onto the page.
I don't believe fiction is invented from nothing. It grows from observation, memory and imagination, woven together until the story feels emotionally true. That's the kind of novel I've always wanted to write."
Some stories end with the final paragraph. Others stay with you for years.
Over the course of my career, I've written five books, each reflecting a different stage of my life as a writer.
My first was a practical guide for aspiring writers, followed by two coffee-table books that combined photography and storytelling—projects born from journeys, assignments and experiences that deserved more space than a magazine feature could offer.
After a lifetime of telling true stories, Istarted telling imagined ones too. That journey began with children's adventure stories inspired by the countryside, wildlife and the rhythms of rural life that surround my home in Italy. Writing for young readers gave me the freedom to create worlds where curiosity, friendship and courage always lead the way.
I'm now writing my first novel, set in South Africa during the height of apartheid. Although rooted in one of the country's darkest chapters, it is ultimately a story about resilience, identity and the quiet courage of ordinary people. Like all the stories that have shaped my career, it asks not only what happened—but why it mattered.
Perhaps that's what has always drawn me to writing books. Some stories simply need more room to breathe.
© 2025 Cindy-Lou Dale