4. Does your story need a message?

What role does having a message really play in crafting a powerful, living story?

I often see two opposing bits of advice on this, depending on the type of story you’re writing. If you’re working on genre or mainstream writing, you’re probably going to hear this: Your story should have a message, and every single scene or section of your story should reinforce that message.

On the other hand, if you’re writing in a “literary” style, you’ll hear the opposite: You must avoid any kind of overt message and think primarily about the aesthetic shape and value of the story. By defining a clear message, you’ll end up stripping all the nuance out, and that’s where the real meaning is.

But both of these approaches to message in storytelling are... sort of missing the point.

In this episode, we’ll unpack how our core superpower as writers can help us make better decisions about crafting meaningful stories—and I share the single best piece of craft advice I’ve ever received.

Writing praxis tips

Need a supportive push to actually implement that key writing tip from this month’s episode?

No shame, friend. I’ve made a simple workbook to help you discover the core craft elements at work when you have a strong reaction to a story—and to help you actually write that potent insight down.