In yesterday's post, I shared a story idea and how I responded to the five "why" questions to help uncover what's essential to me in that idea. Today, I want to go a little further and show how I continued to think about my answers and distill the information into a concise statement about my story's essence.
Key Themes and Considerations
Complexity and Leadership: The scale of the Wreck of the Ten Sail and Captain Lawford's position explore a leader's responsibility under extreme pressure when lives are at stake, especially when dealing with factors beyond one's control. I'm particularly interested in how people maintain a high moral code in these circumstances, regardless of others' actions. This raises questions about:
How do leaders avoid situational ethics?
What happens when they must choose between their moral standards and other important values?
Adapting to Failure: This theme speaks to resilience, adapting to conditions as they are (not as we would like them to be), and the ability to redefine success in the face of adversity. I'm reminded of Brandon Sanderson's epic fantasy stories, favorites of mine, where protagonists often inadvertently help the villain despite their best efforts and integrity. The question of how we choose to go on after such a disaster is intriguing to me.
Relevance to Current Issues: The historical context provides emotional distance from our contemporary problems, enabling us to think through challenges in a more detached way. While not a strict allegory, the story would explore problems we still encounter, offering perspectives on how to begin to solve seemingly insurmountable issues.
Universal Themes: I'm especially interested in problem-solving in uncharted territory, when the protagonist is far from home and must let go of everything they hoped and planned for due to unforeseen circumstances. How do we not just survive a disaster but make a positive impact despite setbacks?
The Story's Essence
Putting all of this together, what's essential in this story idea is human resilience and ingenuity in the face of overwhelming odds, unfolding amid a dramatic historical event. It's about duty, adaptation, and the power of human connection and understanding to overcome seemingly impossible challenges.
This essence could be distilled into:
"A young captain facing a catastrophic failure must navigate not just treacherous waters, but also human nature and his own limitations, to find a new way forward and leave a positive mark on the world."
This captures what is most important for me in this premise: the person (young captain), place (at sea, in a crisis), and problem (managing the aftermath of a disaster), while also suggesting the deeper themes and transformations I want to explore.
Moving Forward
I'll continue to consider this story essence as I work with the idea. It's not set in stone at this point. As I work through the narrative cartography process, I may make adjustments as I continue to explore. When in its final form, I'll use it as a touchstone to ensure that the story world, every character, and scene supports the message I want to convey.
By sharing this process, I hope to illuminate not just how to develop a historical fiction story, but how to uncover the deeper meanings and universal themes that can make any story resonate with readers on multiple levels.
Tomorrow, I'll pull out the lessons in this process to help you find your own story's essence.