Friday, September 27, 2013

Fiction’s Ultimate Concern

“The only requirement for good fiction is that it be interesting,” Henry James said.  A fiction writer doesn’t have the restrictions of a non-fiction writer.  As a work of fiction belongs solely to the writer’s imagination, he/she is not bound by any formal rule. The only limitation comes from the imagination.

For any work of fiction to enter the realm of classic: it has to be good, interesting and relevant to all times; before and after its publishing period.

What separates a good fiction from a great one is not just the literary and technical skills of the writer, but also the universality (the universal questions the book deals with).

Paul Tillich calls it the Ultimate Concern. The contemporary fiction which falls under the best category has the quality of the ultimate concern in abundance. Ultimate Concern is something that we take with unconditional and utmost seriousness in our lives without any reservations. It’s something that we are ready to suffer or die for. Ultimate concern is the main concern in a person’s life. The ultimate concern consumes the person. It contains the answer about the meaning of that person’s life.

A person is grasped by this ultimate concern. Take the example of Harry Potter. His ultimate concern was to destroy Voldemort's Horcruxes and kill him. Harry was aware that either he would be successful in thwarting Voldemort, or he would die in the process. Though the outcome of this ultimate concern was absolutely clear to Harry, he was caught in the ultimate concern’s deadly grip. It haunted him. He had just one mission in life. Stop Voldemort.

Every work of fiction grapples with an ultimate concern which consumes the protagonist like a fire. The resolution of this ultimate concern forms the crux of the story. For me the ultimate concern transfers into the conflict in the book. Maybe the conflict in my book may not be universal, maybe this conflict is just crucial for my protagonist: but it becomes his or her ultimate concern, something he or she is dead serious about. Something they are willing to die for.

How do you decide the ultimate concern of your protagonists? Are they grasped by it like Harry? Please share. We would love to learn from everyone’s experience.

P.S.  I am reposting an old post. Next week I will have a new topic for you all.


24 comments:

  1. Holding the eyeballs of the reader is the only way to keep them hooked... by whatever means in a story, turns and twist of events or whatever :)

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  2. When I read a book, in addition to all drama/story, I expect to learn something. The author should induce some realization or message that will make me improve my life. That will make me a satisfied reader.

    Destination Infinity

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  3. I think this is more-or-less just a deeper way of stating adequate character motivation.

    I don't believe that fiction simply needs to be interesting. Fiction needs to convey some sort of emotion. That emotion can be something akin to "interesting", but getting that much wit and awesomeness into your writing without also conveying other emotions is tough.

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  4. I think in terms of goals and what a character wants but never considered it an ultimate concern. Might need to examine that idea more closely.

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  5. I love the irony of Henry James saying that, especially considering all his works bored me to tears;) But I got to give the devil his due...he's right when he says that a story's got to be interesting:)

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  6. The "ultimate concern" is what is 'the hook.' I liked the way you explained it and using the example of Harry Potter served well too as an elaboration. I found the way you shift the ultimate concern to conflict, in your book, interesting. Thanks for sharing helpful tips.

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  7. Really good post, Rachna! I would add "write what you love". If you love it, chances are there are kindred spirits out there who will want to hear your voice--it should therefore automatically be interesting...right?...should be... :)

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  8. My characters get lovingly thrown into the fire by circumstances around them. I don't let them meander too much. :)

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  9. Really great post, Rachna!
    I never thought of my character's motivation as "ultimate concern" but I will from now on.

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  10. Interesting post and certainly gives me something to think about. I think I like to connect with the motivation behind a character, flat characters for me are those who seem to act in an unnatural way.

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  11. Hi, Rachna,

    Yes, in both my novels there definitely is the ultimate concern.

    Even in an M/g series like the one I started as well as how HP started.

    My second novel is y/a edgy contemporary. Deals with the tragic abuse of a teenage boy from his alcoholic father. Aidan's struggle to STAY alive until his 18th birthday is his 'ultimate concern."

    Excellent post...

    Have a wonderful weekend.

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  12. The ultimate concern, I think in my story my protagonist is gripped by it. One single desire that eventually consumes him. I also think it's universal enough, but we'll see about that. Great post, made me think!

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  13. I hadn't considered the "universal" aspect of the character's main goal before. Since my WIP is on hold while I do other things, I'll use this time to see if I can make the novel more universal. Thanks! :-)

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  14. Working out the ultimate concern of my protagonists helps me keep focus in the story. Not always easy though, when in the early stages of plotting, I have a gazillions ideas flooding my mind ;)

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  15. Nicely done, Rachna. Thanks for the hints.

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  16. Nice post. I say if you write what you love, others will love it also. Writer’s Mark

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  17. I've never heard this term of "ultimate concern" but it makes a lot of sense. If a book doesn't pull me in I can lose interest quickly. A extraordinary writer can take ordinary things and make them interesting by infusing them with a great sense of purpose. I love it when that happens.

    Lee
    Wrote By Rote

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  18. Hey Rachna,

    I hope I suck readers into my story worlds and that they ponder being there long after they've read, THE END.

    Never heard of the expression Ultimate Concern, but I can understand it and even agree with it.

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  19. I like this concept. It is something to strive for in my writing. I think it is the same thing as premise; but this is much more compelling and profound. Excellent thoughts.

    Thanks for sharing this Rachna.

    ......dhole

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  20. Mmm... I think of the Ultimate Concern more in terms of goals. Conflicts are there to prevent someone from dealing with the UC.

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  21. This core issues should correlate directly with the book's theme. I think that's the deepest part of writing and it often takes a few drafts to figure out exactly what's at the core. The books that resonate strongest communicate that theme through the ultimate concern and every scene of the story.

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  22. I have my MC develop an obsession with defeating his enemy. But it happens over the course of the first book. It doesn't happen right away. But by the end of the first book, the obsession is there and only intensifies until the series is ended.

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  23. I love this idea. I hadn't thought of it that way, but actually, if you know your protagonist's "ultimate concern" the story does fall into place, doesn't it!
    I also love the quote that the only requirement for a story is that it be interesting. Two things I will remember on my next venture.

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  24. I was thinking along these lines this morning, actually. I'm reading a good fiction book now. It's quite a treat, really, and I am reading it in snatches between my other commitments.

    Have a great week! :)

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