Thoughts on Writing.

Talking to Lee last night, here are some things that I know:

• When you sit down to write a story, you should ask yourself “Why?”
  

• If all you’re trying to do is entertain someone, that’s good but probably not honest.
  

• If you’re trying to “make people think” by telling them your opinion, that’s not a story.
  

• Everybody hates the story that’s about rape or abortion or God or whatever–about one thing in particular.
  

• Unless…it’s a good story.
  

• What makes a good story is that there’s something at risk.
  

• Including your own opinion.
  

• If it’s a story that’s just your opinion, and you never make your opinion at risk, you’re just preaching.
  

• Even if you’re preaching that preaching is bad.
  

• Nobody wants to read a story about “God is good.”
  

• But people might read a story about “God is good. God is all-powerful. Evil exists.”
  

• There’s this Esther Friesner story, whose title I can’t remember, about abortion.
  

• She’s said about it, “People tell me they’re not sure after reading the story whether I’m for or against abortion. That’s what I was trying for.”
  

• So if your story is good versus evil, you have to make both sides strong enough to win.
  

• Or whatever.
  

• Because if it was a foregone conclusion, you shouldn’t have written it in the first place.