Friday, September 13, 2013

The Most Important Thing


Story is the most important thing.
It is so much more important than plot, than characterization, than setting. Story is king.
It's to the writer's credit to focus on story, the expression of story, and the exploration and discipline of story. To coin a phrase.
English: penulis = writer
English: penulis = writer (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Every other writing technique comes after not before and ought to be tested under the lens of this solitary literary  code.

The writer steps way out of line when he turns the strobe light on other people's weak points to downtalk these individuals with his art. And his craft won't thank him for it.

There's nothing remotely off tangent when a story tackles moral issues or attempts to set certain societal values knocked off the pedestal back on its feet. I know you agree with me thus far. You'll also agree that story is not a whip for lashing out at people.

When you craft story, your duty is to get the reader swooped off his/her feet and shoved into your fictional world; help them get lost and forget everything about this terrestrial plane at least, for the length of the story. It's a confrontation as you try to make them reckon with your characters and their peculiar dilemma. This is pure art. It's beautiful when you invoke the muses for a worthy cause.

Things get pretty ugly if a writer collects words in a sling and flings, the full weight of bitterness propelling the projectile.

It's always best to focus on story. Delete every scene forged by malicious intent; get rid of characters that are apparently, twisted repros of real life persons and just tell the damn story.

Keep your pen bleeding.


Akpan



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