Story v. World, I

1.9.15

STORY vs. WORLD, I

Story vs. World

I have been contemplating what stories I am interested in knowing more about. Anyone can write stories about bigger than life assholes and heroes. But what about the people who are the "ordinary" citizens making things happen, making their world a better place, getting things done? What are their stories? Would those be stories that I want to know? 

What makes people interested in a story? Characters that they understand. Characters they want to understand. Characters that make them contemplate the fact that their own lives are better/worse than the characters' lives.

The other aspect that draws people in is the setting. Does the audience know this world? What would make it intriguing? Do they already understand how it works? Does it include unknown vistas to travel to or well-worn trails that they've been down 1547 times? Places they want to revisit? Places they hope never to see again but can't help but see?

There is a rubric of a story vs. a world. It is a 2x2 grid. The columns are the STORY, one column labeled simple, the other complex. The rows are the WORLD, one row labeled simple, the other complex. So, the rubric filled in would give us the following combinations:

1. Simple Story, Simple World
2. Complex Story, Simple World
3. Complex Story, Complex World
4. Simple Story, Complex World

Simple Story, Simple World
The stories are simple--they tell a moral, they usually have just a couple characters, they are finished within a few minutes. The world is known--the rules are well understood by the reader.
An example of this would be Aesop's Fables.  These stories require a lot of reader input. For instance, in the Mouse and the Lion, the reader needs to know that a mouse is small, a lion is large, thorns in the hand really hurt, big meaty paws cannot grasp little tiny slivers, and everyone can use a helping hand at some point. 

These stories stick with people because of the simplicity and the lessons learned. They are usually neat, tidy, and easily portable. An aperitif of a larger world.

Complex Story, Simple World
The rules of the world are known. The main focus is the story that takes place, with layers of intrigue, unknown motives, and plot twists.
I cannot quite think of a story that fits this category yet.

Complex Story, Complex World
This world is relatively unknown. The setting becomes a major character in this story. The twists and turns of the unknown story arc are dictated, in part, by where and when the story takes place. The author is responsible for giving almost all of the information needed to the reader. Yes, the readers will have their knowledge base and understanding, but for the full depth of what's taking place, the author will have to make sure they have all the pieces of the puzzle.
This doesn't mean the author spoon-feeds the reader and doesn't let them make inferences. It means the author lays out the table and gives the opportunity for the reader to put together a really beautiful plate of reading food. Or maybe they are spoon-fed, but in such a manner as to where the reader thinks it's their doing. 

An example of this version is Isaac Asimov's Foundation Series. This category draws people in and makes it memorable because of its complexity. A reader can come back again and again and find something new every time. They can even re-read it at a different point in their lives and see it in an entirely different light and still be drawn in to the story. People can read it, re-read it, and re-read it again and come away satisfied with a well told story.

This is the category of story that gets savored and treasured and hardbound copies get passed down through generations. It holds up even when times, circumstances, and real world structures change.

Simple Story, Complex World
In this category, the story is known and well-understood. The setting is complex and makes for a whiz-bang experience. The world is a complex character in this, but that doesn't make the story complex. 

An example of this is Star Wars. At its boiled down bones, it is a story of Good vs. Evil. The reader understands and appreciates the plight of oppression and standing up for self and keeping the evil other from taking over. 

In a complex world, there is room for everyone. With the simple story, it is much easier to choose a place in the complex world. Even the intrigues are about the side of the story the characters are on--good or evil.

That's not to say the reader cannot get a new experience from re-reading the story again and again. But it's more along the lines of traveling a well-known trail.

So, that brings me back to the beginning. What stories do I want to know more about? What type of stories do I want to tell? What do I need to do to fit into the rubric?