Hmm, this is really interesting to think about Rick. I too feel like I’ve reached a bit of a dead end with my non-fiction writing (though to call it “self-help” … ooh, that hurts!), but I wonder if there would be a way to explore the deep issues I’m interested in via fiction. I’m gonna go off and ponder that one.
An interesting perspective I heard recently came from Chuck Palahniuk (author of "Fight Club") who was talking about Max Brook's "World War Z" (popularized into the Brad Pitt movie, but the book is nothing like the movie).
(paraphrasing) For Max, this story about zombies was really about his mom dying from cancer. Zombies = cancer + society's failed attempts to respond = medical community's promises+failings. So he was able to tell a unique story in a familiar genre by embedding it with a deep personal pain.
I think the lesson was: pick your deepest pain/fear/doubt/etc. + pick the story metaphor that you can tell the story through. Either of which may not be obvious to readers, but will embed your story with a depth that will be unique.
I think I know what my deepest fear is: it’s that this life is utterly without meaning, that nothing we do is of any consequence at all. But how to turn that into a story of any interest at all? That’s where I run aground. But I sincerely appreciate the way you’ve put the question.
The stories I'm familiar with typically put characters in hopeless circumstances where the world seems indiscriminate to our suffering (e.g. The Road; The Plague, by Albert Camus; Never Let Me Go; The Leftovers (TV Show)). Basically they put characters inside meaninglessness, and see how they respond.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Office Space or Groundhog Day could be classified as more cheerful versions.
Another angle is having a character test your premise "nothing we do is of any consequence"... like what if they did a bunch of weird/bad/etc. stuff? Would there be no consequences?
It's wild to consider the sheer depths an author can go to when exploring their own world through the fiction they craft. Especially if authoring multiple books over a long, storied career as a creator.
Quite lovely that in some ways, it might be the single most sustainable way to do one's personal self-help work.
Though I’m building out a non-fiction book called The Meaning Map here in Substack, I’m also privately writing a Young Adult satire to help tweens process the key ideas around meaning in life.
Very cool project. In my own experience, I've realized that Doing Meaning > Talking Meaning. As in, it's helpful for me to understand Meaning, how to find it, etc.
But at the end of the day, if I'm not pursuing actual meaning-making activities (e.g. writing fiction for me), then what am I doing?
I’d love to hear your thoughts about how fiction writing is a source of meaning in your life.
Here’s my experience: I’ve written some fiction before, and it was fun. I enjoyed doing it. But those projects didn’t really boost my felt meaning, because they were written to entertain rather than enrich others. This new satire is built to enrich, to help young people grow. As such, it fits nicely as an aspect of my Transcendent Purpose, blending into the Prosocial Service expression I’ll cover later in The Meaning Map.
In terms of the story, my goal is to embed enriching ideas underneath a strong plot, i.e. "big themes/fun story."
A weird but popular example = "The Matrix". Awesome action, but deeper philosophical questions underneath, e.g. "are we living in a simulation?" or "man vs. AI" or "breaking through societal conventions."
I think a great story has both. Too much action feels empty. Too much theme feels preachy. A great story balances this, usually by hiding big themes inside a great plot.
And one of my public speaking principles has always been: "at first, entertain." Then you hit them with other stuff.
Yeah, after a certain point, “self-help” or “navel gazing” becomes boring, and cheesy, and, … pretentious. But fiction is not telling lies, it is creating, and creation is always based on some form of “truth”, I’d like to believe.
"Dear Edward" found me at the exact right moment and helped me move through grief in a way that other books, more specific and relevant to the situation, did not.
Glad it did. I haven't read it, but I can see how fiction would have that effect while processing grief. A memoir about grief certainly has its legitimacy and can make us feel less alone, or a self-help style guide could take us through steps to heal, so I'm not saying they're bad, they're just sometimes limited.
"A Monster Calls" (which I read recently as a comp for my novel) is also about grief and a another example of how fiction can leverage story elements - in this case a supernatural monster that acts like a metaphor - to better convey something human.
This year has been the first year I've appreciated fiction for what it is and dived in head first. The Great Gatsby, The Stranger, The White Castle...the list goes on. All books that teach you about life by hearing about an experience told through story. There's something so deep and human about stories and the lessons we draw from them rather than being told what to do.
Camus is one of my all-time favorites (also liked The Fall and The Plague), and he's a perfect example of choosing to share philosophy via art instead of directly through classical philosophical discourse (e.g. essays, lectures, debate). Generally believe he also preferred living life like a human (inc. creative expression) instead of getting caught up in intellectual abstractions like the other philosophers of his time.
Hmm, this is really interesting to think about Rick. I too feel like I’ve reached a bit of a dead end with my non-fiction writing (though to call it “self-help” … ooh, that hurts!), but I wonder if there would be a way to explore the deep issues I’m interested in via fiction. I’m gonna go off and ponder that one.
An interesting perspective I heard recently came from Chuck Palahniuk (author of "Fight Club") who was talking about Max Brook's "World War Z" (popularized into the Brad Pitt movie, but the book is nothing like the movie).
(paraphrasing) For Max, this story about zombies was really about his mom dying from cancer. Zombies = cancer + society's failed attempts to respond = medical community's promises+failings. So he was able to tell a unique story in a familiar genre by embedding it with a deep personal pain.
I think the lesson was: pick your deepest pain/fear/doubt/etc. + pick the story metaphor that you can tell the story through. Either of which may not be obvious to readers, but will embed your story with a depth that will be unique.
I think I know what my deepest fear is: it’s that this life is utterly without meaning, that nothing we do is of any consequence at all. But how to turn that into a story of any interest at all? That’s where I run aground. But I sincerely appreciate the way you’ve put the question.
The stories I'm familiar with typically put characters in hopeless circumstances where the world seems indiscriminate to our suffering (e.g. The Road; The Plague, by Albert Camus; Never Let Me Go; The Leftovers (TV Show)). Basically they put characters inside meaninglessness, and see how they respond.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Office Space or Groundhog Day could be classified as more cheerful versions.
Another angle is having a character test your premise "nothing we do is of any consequence"... like what if they did a bunch of weird/bad/etc. stuff? Would there be no consequences?
It's wild to consider the sheer depths an author can go to when exploring their own world through the fiction they craft. Especially if authoring multiple books over a long, storied career as a creator.
Quite lovely that in some ways, it might be the single most sustainable way to do one's personal self-help work.
It absolutely is self-help on a deeper, emotional level.
Love this.
Though I’m building out a non-fiction book called The Meaning Map here in Substack, I’m also privately writing a Young Adult satire to help tweens process the key ideas around meaning in life.
Very cool project. In my own experience, I've realized that Doing Meaning > Talking Meaning. As in, it's helpful for me to understand Meaning, how to find it, etc.
But at the end of the day, if I'm not pursuing actual meaning-making activities (e.g. writing fiction for me), then what am I doing?
I’d love to hear your thoughts about how fiction writing is a source of meaning in your life.
Here’s my experience: I’ve written some fiction before, and it was fun. I enjoyed doing it. But those projects didn’t really boost my felt meaning, because they were written to entertain rather than enrich others. This new satire is built to enrich, to help young people grow. As such, it fits nicely as an aspect of my Transcendent Purpose, blending into the Prosocial Service expression I’ll cover later in The Meaning Map.
Flow states of the writing, for one.
In terms of the story, my goal is to embed enriching ideas underneath a strong plot, i.e. "big themes/fun story."
A weird but popular example = "The Matrix". Awesome action, but deeper philosophical questions underneath, e.g. "are we living in a simulation?" or "man vs. AI" or "breaking through societal conventions."
I think a great story has both. Too much action feels empty. Too much theme feels preachy. A great story balances this, usually by hiding big themes inside a great plot.
And one of my public speaking principles has always been: "at first, entertain." Then you hit them with other stuff.
As a non-fiction writer myself, I appreciate this perspective and it's potential as an invitation to explore a new medium!
You should try it out!
Fiction is the friction of the fragments of your frustrated ego
while fixing your facts, in other words, your truth..
Yeah, after a certain point, “self-help” or “navel gazing” becomes boring, and cheesy, and, … pretentious. But fiction is not telling lies, it is creating, and creation is always based on some form of “truth”, I’d like to believe.
Well said!
"Dear Edward" found me at the exact right moment and helped me move through grief in a way that other books, more specific and relevant to the situation, did not.
Glad it did. I haven't read it, but I can see how fiction would have that effect while processing grief. A memoir about grief certainly has its legitimacy and can make us feel less alone, or a self-help style guide could take us through steps to heal, so I'm not saying they're bad, they're just sometimes limited.
"A Monster Calls" (which I read recently as a comp for my novel) is also about grief and a another example of how fiction can leverage story elements - in this case a supernatural monster that acts like a metaphor - to better convey something human.
Thanks for sharing.
This year has been the first year I've appreciated fiction for what it is and dived in head first. The Great Gatsby, The Stranger, The White Castle...the list goes on. All books that teach you about life by hearing about an experience told through story. There's something so deep and human about stories and the lessons we draw from them rather than being told what to do.
Can't wait to read yours.
Camus is one of my all-time favorites (also liked The Fall and The Plague), and he's a perfect example of choosing to share philosophy via art instead of directly through classical philosophical discourse (e.g. essays, lectures, debate). Generally believe he also preferred living life like a human (inc. creative expression) instead of getting caught up in intellectual abstractions like the other philosophers of his time.