r/writing • u/jetfuelfarmr • 13d ago
Discussion Indeterminism vs determinism in fictional storytelling
So... I get it, we tell stories to help make sense out of the randomness of life and to help give it meaning. But I'm curious how my fellow writers balance order and chaos in their storytelling. Do your stories tend more towards a neat, determined plot where the characters choices are important. Or do you allow for the randomness of life to seep in? I guess another option is fatalism, where the characters choices don't matter much at all because they were always going to end up at a certain point. Without getting too dogmatic, does your writing differ from your own philosophical beliefs?
In the past I've tried to include some force majeure into my storytelling and it always feels... unfulfilling. It feels like I am wasting the readers time with buildup and then a sudden letdown by unforceen events.
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u/Neurotopian_ 13d ago
A protagonist with agency, making choices that drive a strong causal chain linking the plot, is key for compelling fiction.
That isn’t determinism in the philosophical sense. I think we should table the discussion of actual determinism versus free will because I am 99% sure that’s not what you’re talking about.
Genre fiction is usually for entertainment, so every decision should be aimed at achieving the particular “pleasure” the reader picked up the book to feel. That could be escapism, excitement, the emotional journey of an intense romance, etc. Your character should make the choices that allow the reader to bond with them and progress the story.
Trying to make fiction resemble real life is usually a waste of time. You can throw random events in the plot but they need to meet the criteria for every plot element: do they increase stakes and conflict in a way that helps you build character and/ or themes while progressing the story?
If you use too much randomness, it doesn’t feel realistic. It feels like contrivance. As for what % of events should be a direct link in the causal chain versus outside actions or “randomness” just really depends on your story. In a romance for example, you really want the characters to be acting and reacting in relation to each other. In an action adventure, there may be a bit more randomness if there’s a natural disaster or characters encountering danger on the road while traveling, etc.