There’s a very magical process that goes on when you read a story. It starts as an idea, an image, a feeling, a belief, or some other inciting spark inside a writer’s head. Then the writer has to figure out who is best to tell this story (and why), where it’s set, if the world is real or imaginary, and how to show that world and its characters in a real and believable way. This means looking at the society they live in, with its values, attitudes, and laws, asking who holds the power in this society or situation and why (in other words the politics of that world), and how that affects the character at the heart of the story? Then the writer downloads all these thoughts onto a page and the black marks they type or scribble build a portal into their imagination.
Now along comes you, the reader, who decodes these black marks and rebuilds the story world in your head — like a psychic exchange — and if the writer’s done it well, you’ll feel what the character feels, and you’ll see what they see! And then the magic really kicks in, as you bring your own imagination and life experiences to the story, further enriching it and giving it a more personal meaning. It’s the perfect creative collaboration!
All of these stories will excite your imagination and challenge your expectations. All these stories give you a glimpse into another life, either like yours (so you can recognise your place in it) or different (so you can put yourself in someone else’s shoes.) This is the power of the story. Enter and enjoy!