Musings on Writing
As a result of the writing exercise and the discussions of last Friday, I've been trying to crystallize my opinions on the craft of storytelling (in various media).

Somewhere in my subconsicious, I've subdivided stories into three types: stories that make you feel, stories that make you think, and stories that do both. Within each type, there are gradations, naturally.

Stories that Make You Feel:
These range from stories that rely on cheap melodrama and scare tactics to elicit a response... to subtly crafted storylines that reduce you to tears or elevate you to profound outrage.
Stories that Make You Think:
These range from clumsily argued philosophical diatribes to intricately plotted and characterized explorations of the impact of a new technology, a new philosophy, an old and horrible habit...
Stories that Do Both:
My Holy Grail... stories that inspire and instruct. Stories that not only educate you on the nature of the world and the inner workings of the people that live on it, but also draw strong and profound emotional reactions from those that experience the story.

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