How are life and stories connected?Utsudo believes that even in fictional stories, some parts always come from the author’s reality. Stories rarely end with regrets, while real life is full of them — perhaps that’s why miracles always happen in stories. A friendship lost and regained made her realize she too is the protagonist of the work called “life.”

Translated from Utsudo’s original Chinese column.

Life and stories: feeling “drama is like life”

　　Lately I’ve been feeling the phrase “drama is like life” very deeply.

　　I don’t know when it started, but I’d often hear this phrase in all kinds of works or from my elders. Back then I just let it pass, unable to truly resonate with what they were lamenting.

　　In all kinds of stories — films, novels, manga and so on — even purely fictional ones, I believe some parts must come from the author’s “reality,” such as a character’s settings or personality, or some of the stories and philosophy within.

　　Some stories are even adapted directly from real events for the big screen, not to mention documentaries.

　　Life holds all sorts of oddities; bizarre events aren’t strange at all. It’s not unusual for us creators to collect these stories and take parts of them, or most of their outline, to compose our own.

　　It’s just that the people and things in stories, though they go through many setbacks and partings, rarely end in “regret” — even if the ending isn’t perfect. Stories emphasize the bright future ahead rather than looking back at the gloomy past.

Regrets in real life

　　But in reality, “regret” exists.

　　For example, people you said goodbye to, you truly never see again; words you couldn’t say properly, or that slipped out at the time, you still regret years later — yet you no longer have the courage to try again, or the person is already gone and the words can never reach them.

　　Perhaps to make up for these real-life “regrets,” in stories people who missed each other always miraculously meet again; words left unsaid get passed on through someone else — such “miracles” keep happening.

　　Human life is short and full of surprises. Everyone knows life can’t be redone, yet “regrets” keep arising — like a curse we can’t break free from.

A friendship lost and regained

　　I have a friend who has been through many hardships, both physical and mental.

　　We once fell out over a misunderstanding, and I thought I’d never have anything to do with her again. Later I regretted it and apologized and tried to reach out, but I could feel our old relationship couldn’t come back.

　　But amazingly, over the years we ran into each other by chance a few times, and guided by fate, we went back to how we were — no, maybe even closer than before we lost touch. It’s the only miracle I’ve encountered in my life.

　　Her health isn’t good. Recently she had major surgery and was in critical condition for a while, but luckily she was discharged safely.

　　But what about next time, or the time after that? I hardly dare imagine. When I realized I might lose this dear friend forever, my heart was very heavy. But I can’t help thinking maybe my returning to her life as a good friend has some special meaning.

I too am the protagonist of the work called life

　　“Life is like drama, drama is like life.” After writing so many people’s stories, only now have I noticed that I myself seem to be the protagonist writing the work called “life.”

　　Can I really live “without regret”?

　　Honestly, I’m not very confident. I’ve done countless things I regret — sometimes wronging myself for others, sometimes hurting others for myself — and not everyone chooses to forgive or understand.

　　Fate — maybe it really does exist.

　　It’s just that in a moment of carelessness, fate quietly slips away, and regret is born again.

　　Life is so hard QQ

FAQ

Further reading (in Chinese)

• Previous: #63 (in Chinese)
• Next: #65 (in Chinese)
• Start from the beginning: #01 — Utsudo’s debut
• Column introduction
• Utsudo’s books

About the author

Utsudo is a Taiwanese light novelist and novelist VTuber with more than ten years in the industry and 40 commercially published print books. Her novel 《遺失的情書》 received a 2022 Ministry of Culture youth creative award. The 《嘿！聽說妳在鬼島當作家》 series records her experiences as a novelist in Taiwan.

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