On Writing, Truth, and Flight of the Starling

“You can’t write fiction if you’re not willing to upset people.” - Christine Merser

Most stories don’t start as fiction. They start in lived experience, in observation, in the things you notice and can’t quite let go of.

In a recent conversation with Dan Rattiner of Dan’s Papers for his podcast Dan’s Talks, Apricity founder Christine Merser talks about her novel Flight of the Starling and how much of it is pulled from the world around her. The people, the environments, the dynamics, it’s all familiar, even when the story itself is imagined.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwOOiQ4h4j4

She also shares how the book evolved into a trilogy, not as a fixed plan, but as something that took shape as the story deepened. It’s a useful reminder for writers that structure doesn’t always come first.

The conversation moves beyond the novel into her broader work. Her memoir, The Letter, reflects her belief that books don’t need to be long to matter, and that shorter, sharper work can often say more.

That same thinking carries into her nonfiction book, Circles of Collaboration, where she challenges traditional leadership models and makes the case for a more collaborative approach.

She also touches on where things are heading, from the shift of podcasting toward video to the return of more tangible, physical communication in a digital-heavy world.

We hope you’ll take a listen and find something in it that resonates, and maybe something that pushes you to think a little differently.