All stories have three things in common: they begin with a status quo, use a conflict to disrupt the status quo, and end when the character either restores the previous status quo, or creates a new one. Depending on the scope of a story, the entire narrative may take place over a few minutes, or a character’s lifetime; generally larger spans of time lead to longer stories.
.creative writing
Setting the Stage 107-01
All stories take place in a fictional world, also known as the diegetic world. The diegetic world is every location shown in the story, and every location implied by the story. Part of good storytelling is establishing where the story takes place. The more the diegetic world resembles the world of the reader, the easier it is to establish the world for the reader.
Revealing Meaning Through Conflict 106-04
Once you know the idea behind your story, it’s time to weave that idea into the plot. And one of the more common methods is to create an outline, either before or after writing a rough draft. Outlines help us see the big picture, see how the individual scenes are themselves part of a larger pattern, and it’s often on that larger scale that the idea emerges as the meaning of the story.
Starting with an Idea 106-03
Start with a topic, something that interests you. Philosophy can be a great source.
Finding Meaning in a Story 106-02
Whether you call it the moral, message, or theme, every story has an underlying meaning or idea. Most stories engage either moral and/or philosophical questions, which the plot demonstrates through a series of relatable situations.