On Writing Stories
What is the purpose of writing stories? To teach, to encourage, to inspire, to ask a question that you know must be answered even if you can't see the answer yourself -- there are many purposes. But they all fundamentally lead back to what might be called Tolkien's escapism. As @artist-issues puts it: "You've been imprisoned by bad ideas and confusion and dark perspectives, and the story shows you how to escape and get back to true and beautiful reality. It's got a point, it's not just for diversion."
Maybe the author isn't sure how to get back to true and beautiful reality either, but they know it's out there, and they're trying to get back to it too.
A storyteller can't guarantee that they can serve the audience, but they must not be selfish in the way they tell the story. Selfishness in a storyteller causes the story to be lost. And storyteller who expects payment for their services ought to act in service of those paying. Otherwise they do not deserve that payment. An audience who pays for a story is paying for the service of the storyteller. (Money can be exchanged for goods and services).
It is important, as a storyteller, to strive to tell the story in the clearest and most compelling way possible. You will fall short. That's ok. By aiming to be as clear and compelling as possible, the story will be stronger, even though it is not perfect. Nothing is perfect this side of Heaven, but we aim for Heaven-- we do not aim for Purgatory.
The story ought to have a main point, a central theme, a thesis statement. This is what keeps the story from feeling scattered, directionless, over-full. Everything about the story ought to contribute to this central theme. The specific elements will vary from medium to medium:
In a movie, this will include lighting and editing and the soundtrack.
In a comic book, this will include the composition and the colors and the dialogue.
In a novel, this will include the narration, the point of view chosen, the formatting of the paragraphs.
In a play, this will include the set pieces and the costumes and the props.
In all stories, it will include the characters and word choices
There are overlaps between different categories as well -- both plays and movies rely on lighting and soundtrack and set design.
The idea of "death of the author" is not "I know what the author meant but the story does not convey that meaning." It is also not "I know what the author meant but the story also conveys another meaning that I prefer." Death of the Author = "what the author meant does not matter and/or is unknowable." This destroys the story. It is not necessary to agree with the author's conclusions. It is necessary to know what the author meant when interpreting a story.
There are three essential elements to telling a good story: form (how it is presented -- the way it gets from your mind to the physical media to my eyes to my mind), content (the message), and structure (how it is organized). If any element is ignored, the story will fall flat.
A formless story will not stick in the mind of your audience: it will not go viral, it will not win the box office.
If the content is weak but the form is strong, the story will spread. All flash and no substance goes a long way. But it is a fad. It grows only a brief time before it dies.
Without structure, the content is incomprehensible: the message is so confused that no one can be sure what it means.
