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.
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| 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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