Maestro in Training

I longed to make beautiful music. I got a piano, took lessons, and practiced. My fingers never found the freedom to dance across the ivories, though, because nothing in me ever clicked to connect my digits to the notes on the page. As I was reading Story by Robert McKee, I grasped that writing -- which, unlike piano playing, I have an enduring passion for -- is an art form that can be learned, like the playing of a musical instrument. What McKee’s book also ingrained in me is that the principal thing for a writer to learn is how to tell a story well.

The full name of this inspiring book is Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting. Although its focus is screenwriting, the book is a useful guide for any form of storytelling. McKee goes into detail about each component of a well-told story. He says, “…the writer must study the elements of story as if they were instruments of an orchestra -- first separately, then in concert.”

An understanding of how to approach fiction writing clicked in me, although I don’t believe it’s solely because of what I read in Story but rather as a culmination of my efforts to learn. It’s a milestone in my quest as a writer. I’d been groping for concrete direction, though I managed to follow through on some of my story ideas. Now I see a practical way to get any story on paper; I’ll approach it as if composing a symphony of words.

There are many sections of the word orchestra that need to be included in each story -- conflict, character, controlling idea, to name a few. When all of the elements of a good story are properly placed, it is appealing to audiences of editors, publishers, and readers in general.

With continued study and practice in storytelling, I know that one day -- fingers dancing across the keyboard -- I’ll be an accomplished artist. Even now, I find that every time I write a story, it’s like realizing my dream of making beautiful music.

(published April 2006)