Excerpt from Meeting in the Middle of Nowhere by K L Wicks

It was through fiction though this all came about. I write horror fiction novels and short stories as well as nonfiction, I have always wanted to and have been writing and reading since I was a small child. I don’t mind that other people may not like the same genres or even reading fiction at all. Each to their own I would like to say. But my husband didn’t just not like fiction, he saw it as pointless and felt the need to tell me this.

I was dumbfounded at first, how could someone not see the benefits of fiction? Of being able to escape into a world of make believe and have a break from reality. Even if it is not your thing, why be dismissive of others getting enjoyment from it? I thought this was quite mean.

I tried to explain the merits of having an escape if you have a shitty life or reality might be a bit hard to process. He didn’t understand the concept of being able to escape reality.

It took many hours over a number of days for me to finally ask the right questions (trying not to make him feel like a test subject), coming to the conclusion of what was going on. I put forward the concept he had not considered or realised. I explained that when I read a book, my brain makes pictures up to accompany the words. Or that I can replay movies or television I have seen.

“You see pictures in your head! That sounds like witchcraft to me. I can’t think of anything more alien than that”.

We had it. We had found the difference that explained why he thought fiction was pointless. But that was the tip of iceberg of what was meant to be a simple explanation of why he didn’t see or like things the way I did. With a little bit of internet research I found the name. Aphantasia.

(c) K Wicks

Meeting in the Middle of Nowhere –