One of the great things about being a writer/journalist is that

In these lively and whimsical words, Caitlin Moran reflects on the wondrous gift of her craft as a writer and journalist. She speaks of the joy in stepping into lives not her own, of temporarily wearing the garments of another’s story. By donning a wedding dress and posing with a fake Prince William in a grand country estate, she does not merely play a role—she explores the boundaries of identity and imagination. This is the essence of storytelling: to walk in many shoes, to see through many eyes, and to return with truths that illuminate the human experience.

The origin of this idea stretches back to the dawn of storytelling itself. The bards of ancient Greece, the poets of India, and the chroniclers of Rome all took upon themselves the task of becoming others in spirit, weaving epics that allowed their audiences to live a thousand lives through the power of words. Moran’s humorous tale of impersonating Kate Middleton mirrors this ancient tradition in modern form. Where the Homeric poet might speak as a hero or a god, Moran steps into the role of a royal bride-to-be, showing that even in jest, the act of becoming another reveals profound truths about ourselves and the worlds we inhabit.

Her playful act also highlights the nature of illusion and reality. In history, there are many who donned disguises not for humor, but for survival or strategy. Consider Queen Esther of Persia, who concealed her identity to save her people, or the medieval spies who disguised themselves to gather intelligence in enemy courts. Moran’s experience, though lighthearted, echoes these tales, reminding us that appearances hold great symbolic power. A wedding dress, for instance, is more than cloth—it is a symbol of union, love, and royal fantasy. By wearing it in jest, she shows how stories are constructed and how easily we, too, can be swept into their enchantment.

There is also a deeper wisdom here about the freedom of art. A writer has the sacred privilege to explore worlds beyond their own, to live briefly in the skin of others without fear of being trapped. This is what allows literature and journalism to awaken empathy. Just as the philosopher Diogenes once wandered the streets of Athens, pretending to be a beggar to expose the folly of the proud, so too does Moran’s playful impersonation reveal the absurdity and fascination that surround modern royalty and celebrity culture.

Ultimately, Moran’s words remind us that storytelling is both a game and a calling. Through humor and roleplay, she demonstrates that to understand humanity, we must sometimes play at being someone else. The writer becomes a traveler of souls, collecting insights and bringing them home as gifts for the reader. Let this teaching endure: in every tale we tell, in every mask we wear, there lies a deeper truth about who we are, and about the boundless power of imagination to shape the world.