When novelist Bernard Malamud (The Natural) was asked what advice he could give to young writers, this was his reply:

Write your heart out.

Solid advice. Giving less than all you have is rarely going to end up well for you or the reader.

Asked if he had anything else to add, Malamud said:

Watch out for self-deceit in fiction. Write truthfully but with cunning.

Readers can spot something that is not true to the story or character. Generally. So give them the truth. But not all of it. Be smart.