Sept. 20, 2022

Why I'm writing fake solar stories

Why I'm writing fake solar stories

Once upon a time there was a solar PR and communications pro who had an odd idea for a strange and wonderful solar podcast. If you're reading this on Probably True Solar Stories, then you know the idea has come to life with a real podcast and real short solar fiction stories.

How did I come up with this idea and why write solar fiction? Well, as I mentioned in the trailer episode, why not? Why write Game of Thrones? Because the muse says so.

But I think your real question is, "Why should people care about fiction solar stories?" And that's the problem. There are over three million solar installations in the U.S. now, and yet, solar is pretty much in the background of our culture and society, and it shouldn't be. Solar power is changing people's lives. It's replacing a city's black-spewing coal plant with a clean solar plant, it's reducing a family's $300 electric bill to zero, and it's inspiring people change careers. While those stories are all true, they're kind of boring.

What I want to do is to tell the fun stories, the exciting stories, the urban legend stories. It's rare that you can do that with true stories, so instead, we're going to make shit up. My goal is for people to start thinking about solar as being part of our lives and culture. The more they think about one of my crazy solar stories, the more they make think about going solar and creating their own true solar stories.

Do you have an exciting true solar story? Don't keep it to yourself. Share it by tweeting to ProbTrueSolar or @SolarFed on Twitter. Or feel free to tag me and Probably True Solar Stories on LinkedIn. 

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