What role does having a message really play in crafting a powerful, living story?
I often see two opposing bits of advice on this, depending on the type of story you’re writing. If you’re working on genre or mainstream writing, you’re probably going to hear this: Your story should have a message, and every single scene or section of your story should reinforce that message.
On the other hand, if you’re writing in a “literary” style, you’ll hear the opposite: You must avoid any kind of overt message and think primarily about the aesthetic shape and value of the story. By defining a clear message, you’ll end up stripping all the nuance out, and that’s where the real meaning is.
But both of these approaches to message in storytelling are... sort of missing the point.
In this episode, we’ll unpack how our core superpower as writers can help us make better decisions about crafting meaningful stories—and I share the single best piece of craft advice I’ve ever received.
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Need a supportive push to actually implement that key writing tip from this month’s episode?
No shame, friend. I’ve made a simple workbook to help you discover the core craft elements at work when you have a strong reaction to a story—and to help you actually write that potent insight down.
Humble hat tip to my undergrad writing professor Andrea Barrett, who helped me (and many others) learn the real power of intentionally and mindfully reading like a writer.
Byung-Chul Han
Given how Han feels about the internet, it probably won’t surprise you that he doesn’t have a professional webpage. But his books are refreshingly digestible and readable for being academic philosophy texts, and they’re quite short—worth taking a look at if you’re intrigued. I’ve also included a couple of interviews translated into English.