story

  • What Makes a Good Story?

    Eric asked this question recently on his excellent blog, Pimp My Novel. What makes a good story? It’s a question that readers and writers have struggled with over the years. Everyone seems to have a different opinion. Yet, there often seems to be consensus when a good story does come along. It’s almost as if…


  • How Many Elements?

    How many elements are there in this world? Modern scientists would probably argue that there are hundreds. They would be able to prove and show how each of the elements differ and how they all deserve to have their own classification. I often think that science looks at too many things. I think that scientists…


  • Story is the Nature of Reality

    I have this great theory that Story is the nature of reality. I have been posting up quotations that seem to help prove this theory on my commonplace book blog, Thoughtful Cacophony. I have been writing entries on this theory here every week as well. I call this feature, Storied Thursdays. I have chapters listed…


  • Governed by Laws

    On Marshall McLuhan… “Take Today underscores his view that all life – mental, material, spiritual, physical – is governed by laws, laws that no one else has even noticed, let alone considered worthy of discussion between the covers of a book. … The laws are infallible – as precise as mathematics, as ubiquitous as weather…


  • Things Work Out

    Do you remember how we met each other? “Yeah, I do. It was at a conference. We sat beside each other and got to talking.” And why did you choose that specific seat? “I don’t know. I just did, I guess.” Do you think things happen for a reason? “I’m not sure. I think that…


  • Different Roles We Play

    I read May Not Appear Exactly as Shown by Gordon J.H. Leenders and was intrigued by this passage. “Hey, like Shakespeare said, ‘All the world’s a stage and all the people actors.’” “Life is not a play, Ryan. And Brad and Nicole are not actors.” “The play’s the thing Katelin.” “Ryan, stop it, life is…


  • Our Perception is Flawed

    “Hey I found this interview in a magazine that seems to work against your theory of reality being story.” Let me see that. Wired Magazine, eh? An Errol Morris interview. (He starts reading) Q: But don’t you think that we manage to keep up a coherent narrative of who we are and where we’ve been?…


  • What About Editing?

    Stories are edited. Things make sense in a story. Everything is there for a reason. Any writers’ course will tell you that. In a good story, there should be no extraneous details. We don’t need to hear characters having the usually pleasantries like, “Hey’ how’s it going?” or “What are you doing? – Nothing.” We…


  • The Ultimate Question

    People have struggled with the ultimate question since the beginning of time. We seem to be constantly striving for a reason or purpose to our existence. It’s a mystery and everyone loves to explore a good mystery. I think one author had a great take on this topic. Once again, I am holding up a…


  • We Can’t Be

    “We can’t be characters in a story.” Why Not? “Because it would be a really boring story.” That’s a good argument. And the only thing I have to say to that is that perhaps your story hasn’t been told yet. The exciting parts are yet to come. You see, every character in every story has…