The conventions of writing—voice, structure, drama, plot, all of it—are the handmaiden of story, not the other way around. It’s the story that gives those beautiful words, those interesting characters and all that drama, their power. It’s the story that instantly sparks the reader’s curiosity, triggering that irresistible sense of urgency that compels us to read on. Once we’re securely hooked, it’s the story that has the power to change how we view the world, and therefore what we go out and do in the world.
