A sanctuary for weary writers, inky wretches, and aspiring professional novelists. |
Writing is a form of communication. Always has been, always will be. It is impossible for a writer to create anything without including some tiny evidence of what they believe and why they believe it. Even something as simple as a shopping list can and will reflect the priorities of the person who creates it. Realizing this, most serious authors (especially those who view storytelling as a kind of teaching tool) will make an extra effort to clearly communicate what they believe and why they believe it. On one level or another, every story is a parable. On the other hand, I do not enjoy reading stories where the writer has gone to extreme lengths to communicate a precise philosophical, religious, political, or personal belief. If I want to learn how and why a person believes in their particular "higher truth", I will read an essay rather than a story. The first and foremost mission of the storyteller is to tell a good tale. If someone can work their personal beliefs into the story without breaking the flow and feel of the story, then they have risen beyond mere storytelling and touched on true literature, regardless of what medium they have used to tell that story. |