The Heart of the Story

To write a gripping, moving story, you need to articulate ONE universal principle that is explored within the story. This is the element that causes the reader to return again and again to the story; the element that resonates deep within the reader. Yes, you can write a story without a universal principle, but if you do the story will disappear as soon as the reader puts it down. A clever Agatha Christie mystery is fun to read, but it doesn't resonate.

What is the message you want to get across that will resonate with the reader?

First, name the primary emotion or driving force of your story. Some examples are love, hate, forgiveness, anger, generosity, greed, humility, arrogance, friendship, misanthropy, courage, fear, truth, doubt, etc.

For example, let's say your story is about love. What sort of love? Love of a parent or child? Love for animals? Love that fails, or love that stands through everything?

Let's say your story is about GREAT love between lovers. How will you demonstrate this great love in your story? What is the most potent obstacle to lovers, or indeed to anyone? How about DEATH. In your story love will win because it is GREAT love, so the heart of your story becomes:

GREAT LOVE DEFIES EVEN DEATH

You've just described Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

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Let's try another one. Suppose your story is about longing. What is the protagonist longing for? How about something outside him- or herself. Now, how can this longing be shown? Let's contrast it with something within the protagonist. Maybe the protagonist has the longed-for object all along. The heart of your story then becomes:

LONGING FOR SOMETHING OUTSIDE THE SELF LEADS TO THE REALIZATION THAT THE ANSWER HAS BEEN WITHIN THE SELF ALL ALONG

Frank Baum's The Wizard of Oz

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How about courage? First, we need to make it specific. Courage to do what? How about to fight against opression. Now, the opposite of oppression is freedom, so the heart of your story becomes:

THE COURAGE TO BATTLE OPPRESSION LEADS TO FREEDOM

Tom Clancy's The Hunt for Red October

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One more because this is so fun. Let's take attainment of power. First, define what kind of power. How about ABSOLUTE power? What does this lead to?

A great deal of human wisdom has already been expended to affirm that grasping for absolute power corrupts and destroys. However, we don't want a downer story, so let's think how this truth can be incorporated. If attempting to grasp power leads to destruction, then being able to relinquish the power should lead to preservation.

The heart of our story then becomes:

WILLINGNESS TO RELINQUISH ABSOLUTE POWER LEADS TO PRESERVATION

JRR Tolkien's The Fellowship of the Ring

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Now it's your turn to come up with the heart of your story. Here are the steps:

1. Identify the primary emotion or principle driving the story.

2. Refine this emotion so it's specific.

3. Determine what that emotion's opposite might be.

4. Imagine what the outcome will be when these two forces go head to head.

5. Write out the heart of your story in a single sentence.