What is the art of storytelling versus the craft of storytelling?
Let’s look at two metaphoric houses to tell the difference. Both are built from specific designs. Both are executed from blueprints. But one is a tract home in a crowded neighborhood, the other – no bigger in terms of square feet – end up on the cover of Architectural Digest. Both were built with excellent craftsmanship. But only one is considered a work of art. The art resides in the design, and the craft resides in the execution. Say what? You’re a writer, not a general contractor. So let’s break it down. At the design stage, both houses are nothing more than the sum of a bunch of concepts and ideas, just like a novel. To simply stand upright against a stiff wind – the metaphoric equivalent of getting published in the case of a novel – there must be solid ideas and concepts in play which are executed with a sufficient level of craftsmanship. But the essence of the truly artistic house is the originality, energy and beauty of the form and shape of the structure. Without something exci
