Do our values matter when we write?

Today I’m thinking about values—those core beliefs that guide us as we go through life.  

Some people think a lot about their values; some people don’t give them much thought at all. When life goes according to plan, our values can run largely on instinct. Our sense of the right way to proceed seems instinctive. 

It’s when things don't go according to plan—when we have really tough decisions to make, or are confronted with a situation for which we have no real preparation—that’s when our values come into the spotlight. How do we behave when there’s no clear script to follow?

And now you see why the idea of values matters so much when we write. 

Hard choices and high-stakes, unprecedented situations are the stuff great stories are made of. 

Writing good fiction requires us to grapple with the toughest kinds of values-based decisions, scene after scene after scene. How does our hero decide what to do next? How far are they willing to go to get what they want?  

In this livestream I explore this idea of values in our writing. Do the heroes of our stories share the same values we do? Do their values change over the course of the plot? 

And, practically speaking: How can we become better storytellers by skillfully exploring the values at stake in each scene? 

Lots to ponder in this talk! If it gets you thinking, please share with your favorite fellow writers and keep the conversation going.