Perfect Story

What does it take to create a perfect story? Is it something that dances upon the emotions of the reader, or something more visceral? I think some would point to the great works of literature by Dostoevsky, Hugo, Shakespeare, Chaucer. But those aren't stories, those are works of literature. A story can encompass so much more; we find them in pictures, conversations etc. Still none of this answers what it is in a story that makes it good, let alone finding something of a story that happens to be perfect. Some would scoff at the idea of a story being perfect, but I find no reason to say that it doesn't or can't exist. What if it is out there somewhere, just waiting for some innocent to scribble it into existence, utter it into existence, draw it into existence, or even act it into existence. I think it starts with our definition of what a story is. From Marriam Webster's dictionary: "an account of incidents or events." There are two things that are especially poignant I just noticed applied to this rambling. The first is the word that begins the title of this blog: submerged. I think that we pull incidents or events up and display them for others to see. The second, is the next word in the title: truth. It doesn't tell us what kind of truth it is or even who's truth it is. All we get is some sort of truth that needs to be pulled from the dregs. Perhaps one of us will find such a perfect story in our pulling up. But the most important question that needs to be asked is what do we mean by the perfect story? Is it the same for all, or do each of have a different understanding. I think if we work out what it really means to be perfect (not just what we have been told it means by dictionary or other authority) we may find the story waiting to be told.

Dustin