In a recent post, Mary Carroll Moore says that our writing often mirrors what’s happening in our real lives, whether or not we intend or realize it.
Sometimes, we writers get woken up to the meaning of our stories via savvy readers—friends, an agent, an editor, an interviewer,” she writes. “Why don’t we writers know this from the get-go?” Possibly, we are too close to the story to truly understand its meaning, Moore suggests, while our writing peers may focus on structure, pacing, and word choice.
However you come by it, discovering your book’s underlying message is valuable. Moore suggests listing the topics your story covers and considering how they intersect with your own life and beliefs. “It can put you on the edge but also teach you an awful lot about yourself and why you’ve spent this precious time writing this particular story,” she says.
