Photo by LSE Library on Unsplash
Maps are tools we use to show relationships between things in our world. A map represents certain aspects of the physical world with a goal in mind.
Different maps allow us to see the same territory in different ways. For example, a map of the London Underground shows train lines and stops, but it is not ideal if we want to see the city on foot. A political map will show us nations, states or provinces, and their boundaries. But these maps typically omit the specific details of the terrain a topographic map would include. Each map, if well conceived and constructed, enables us to avoid what’s nonessential for our purposes and focus on what we need to know.
Just as maps help us navigate in the external environment, stories help us navigate our lives. A story represents certain aspects of life and allows us to observe a representative human try different approaches to solving it. Stories contain a lot of external action, and this is vital to keep an audience engaged, but what’s operating beneath that is an individual or group trying to wrap their head around what’s changed so they can solve their problems and meet their needs.
Different stories enable us to test various approaches in different scenarios that cause change. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens shows one way rethink our life choices. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson shows how to survive a brush with with danger. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen shows us different approaches to finding a romantic partner. These statements oversimplify these complex stories, but stick with me here. Because of the aspect of life the writers chose to explore, some details of the world, characters, and actions are not essential to telling these stories. The reader doesn’t need to see them, though they should be able to sense that these other details exist without their presence.
As Alfred Korzybski wrote, a map is not the territory, and it is also true that stories are not real life. Even nonfiction stories don’t show us life unfiltered. One task for us as writers is to figure out our goal for the story and identify the details required to fulfill it.
The first step is identifying the story’s essence.
This post is part of a 75-day writing challenge and experiment. From September 9 through November 22, I'll be posting daily thoughts on writing, storytelling, and creativity based on recent readings or reflections. While my intention was to keep them very short—250 to 400 words—I've found that this range doesn't give me enough space to cover these topics adequately. I aim to keep them brief enough to be read quickly, but they will sometimes be longer than 400 words.