: Re: How to write a story that argues an idea I apologize for the wording of my question; it's probably not very clear. I've got this idea for a book that explores a sort of philosophical theory.

You are right: people want to be entertained, not preached to. That doesn't mean they don't want to be challenged.

Consider the nature of the idea you want to explore.
Is the idea central to the plot? Are your conflicts and characters designed around the idea? Perhaps you already have a story, and the idea is more of a prism through which you want the readers to see and understand the story. Here are some devices to consider:

--voice and overall mood: think about how you are telling this story. Who is telling this story? Who is the narrator? How authoritative is the narrator? Is it metafiction? Should the reader trust the narrator? How much does the narrator know? Is the mood hopeful? regretful? satirical? ironic? comic? cynical? serious?
--''a Greek chorus'': certain characters who introduce the ideas through dialogue or through creative endeavors such as art or performance.
--memorable quotes: this is a good way to introduce some of the most important slogans or tenets of your philosophy. Maybe fake song lyrics (remember including actual song lyrics in fiction will require you pay royalties), movie posters, a radio announcement, graffiti, poems, a story someone tells, an SMS, anything! Be creative.
--extended metaphor or parallelism: All sorts of symbols can be used to echo major themes. Maybe it's the relationship between two characters, the state of someone's home, a garden that thrives or wilts, a holiday party over the years with fewer and fewer guests.... The thing with symbols, is to be sparse. Choose no more than you can count on your finger and make them strong ones.
--stream of consciousness: you can really go philosophical with the way characters think, how they perceive things around them, how they form decisions. Thought processes can be very interesting.

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: Re: How to write a story that argues an idea I apologize for the wording of my question; it's probably not very clear. I've got this idea for a book that explores a sort of philosophical theory.

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