Original Post Date: December 21, 2011 - Robert McKee teaches how, in spite of the world making less and less sense, writers can still create a meaningful story.
Well said Robert - and one additional, hopefully, helpful point. It's a point about perception: the associated self-discovery with a more inclusive and possible operationally useful fresh perception of the world. *Meaning* is meaning to *self.* Nodding the head is "yes I got this, I can use it in my own life - this is an improved, more comprehensive, way to evaluate this kind of event/tragedy/change that inevitably happens in everyone's life." When you, the author, get it, and you've said it in a way that others can also get it, you have done your job. If you tie that cognitive aspect with an emotional relief - relief from guilt, relief from confusion about the world, relief from a puzzlement that you will use to help others in your future - and you *feel that new self-awareness* then you are more completely on your own Path. So many of us appreciate these excellent lessons because we've never been taught this way, and we know we didn't know, and now we know ourselves much better than we did before. Yes, perhaps only in this kind of circumstance - but as we reflect further we can see the relevant applications in both future and past conundrums.
What does anything in this life "mean"? Often that's subjective. Is it a compelling story? If so, great. If you don't see a meaning in it, who cares? It's a great story, and that's good enough.
Not as simple as that. For example, are stories really as ephemeral as your assumption implies? Is all art ephemeral and useless? I'm not confronting you, just adding to the debate.
That question is exactly the type of question a writer would ask. :)
Thank you for the insightful advice, sir. I know I tend to overthink some ending plots, but I think I should try to keep them simple.
Thank you a million! One of the reasons I write is to make sense of the action pearls and the string holding them together
Great, well thought out question.
Well said Robert - and one additional, hopefully, helpful point. It's a point about perception: the associated self-discovery with a more inclusive and possible operationally useful fresh perception of the world. *Meaning* is meaning to *self.* Nodding the head is "yes I got this, I can use it in my own life - this is an improved, more comprehensive, way to evaluate this kind of event/tragedy/change that inevitably happens in everyone's life." When you, the author, get it, and you've said it in a way that others can also get it, you have done your job. If you tie that cognitive aspect with an emotional relief - relief from guilt, relief from confusion about the world, relief from a puzzlement that you will use to help others in your future - and you *feel that new self-awareness* then you are more completely on your own Path. So many of us appreciate these excellent lessons because we've never been taught this way, and we know we didn't know, and now we know ourselves much better than we did before. Yes, perhaps only in this kind of circumstance - but as we reflect further we can see the relevant applications in both future and past conundrums.
What does anything in this life "mean"? Often that's subjective. Is it a compelling story? If so, great. If you don't see a meaning in it, who cares? It's a great story, and that's good enough.
Not as simple as that. For example, are stories really as ephemeral as your assumption implies? Is all art ephemeral and useless? I'm not confronting you, just adding to the debate.