ATWELL ANDREWS: CONCEPT AND MESSAGE
Part of our Interview with an Author series with Atwell Andrews.
When I think about plot, I start with two things: the concept of my story and the message I want to deliver through my story. Either of these aspects can come first, but they build on and intertwine with each other.
By concept I mean, on a very surface level, what is the story about? If there is no concept, there is no book. It can start with a germ of an idea, but the concept must be imaginative and interesting for the book to engage the reader.
Take The Midnight Library, for example. The concept is that when we die, we go to a place where we consider all the different lives we could have lived. The concept is interesting and thus draws people into what the author (Matt Haig) is saying through the story (his message). Through the interesting concept the reader gets to explore the value of life and what actually makes it worth living.
Another example of a great concept is the movie Inception. The film explores what might happen if we could enter into and influence others through their dreams. Using concept, the director (Chris Nolan) explores a worthwhile and relatable message about how our subconscious wounds send ripples all the way up through our psyche, ultimately influencing our beliefs and lives. Like Inception, a good concept serves the message helping the audience to grasp what the author is really trying to communicate through the story.
Once I know my concept and message, I can start outlining my plot in more detail.
