The Big Four
Every story has three major aspects that most fiction-writing classes build off of: worldbuilding, characters, and plot. These three aspects are kind of like the primary colors of paint an artist can use to create a masterpiece. The colors can be mixed, used in different quantities, and layered in all kinds of ways that allow the artist to convey the imagery and message they want. The same is true with the worldbuilding, characters, and plot of a fictional story; each of these elements of storytelling can be fleshed out, turned on their head, and layered in however the storyteller wants to build the story they are looking for.
All stories have these three elements in some capacity, even if some are emphasized over others. The worldbuilding may be as complex as four kingdoms spanning six inhabited planets and five massive fleets of starships, or it may be as simple as a character’s favorite coffee shop or the poster on their wall. The characters may be richly developed, with detailed backstories that have shaped them into the person they are today, or they may be archetypes, mostly flat and boring, save for their role in the plot. The plot itself may be a twisting, turning political thriller with no defined heroes or villains, or it could be completely straightforward and tropey.
Ultimately there is no right or wrong answer as to the how and why each of these elements present themselves in the story. Some writing coaches will tell you that the plot is king (which is typically true for American media) while others insist that, without good characters, a story isn’t worth your time (which is a bunch of lies). How the three fuse together in a single story depends entirely on the storyteller’s personal creative style and the kind of story they want to create. Some genres lend themselves to specific combinations of the three — scifi and fantasy tend to be more worldbuilding-heavy, while political thrillers are all about the plot — but there is no hard and fast rule for which combination is the “absolute best”.
Sidenote: I want to take a moment and emphasize the fact that all stories have the Big Three in varying percentages to the story’s whole. Few pieces of media — if any — are able to perfectly balance all three in perfect harmony. Typically, one or two of the Three take a backseat to the other(s). For most stories, having two of the three really well-developed and structured is key to a well-told piece of fiction, but I have enjoyed stories with nothing to offer in terms of characters or plot, but the worldbuilding was amazing.
Now that the basics of the Big Three are out of the way, we can circle directly to the important question: why is the article named “The Big Four”?
As Christian creators, we need to be aware of the fourth major aspect of writing fiction, which should be easy to guess given the entire premise of this entire blog series: theology. The theology of a story is, of course, the overarching message a piece of fiction wants to convey (the two primary options for this are glorify sin or glorify God). It is woven throughout every single element of the story, tying them together, creating tension, setting up contrast, pouring out in symbolism, or standing blatantly at the forefront of the story (all of which we will get into in later articles!).
When starting a story, when in the middle of the story, when the story is in its final edits or reworks, you need to be periodically asking yourself “what is the message of this story?” It may require a deep dive into your own psyche and sin, looking at pieces of the story objectively and asking if they are in the story to glorify a loving and righteous God, or if there are there to glorify sin. This does not mean sanitize your story of all sin — presenting the struggle against sin and the fallen world is a major element of Christian storytelling — but it does mean take a look at your own heart and make sure that it is not in the story because you are secretly seeking validation or encouraging others to stumble. The heart position of the storyteller does matter and will be conveyed to the audience whether or not you intend for it to.
