Think of impact when you start your story or novel. While it’s enjoyable to practice self-expression or to impress readers with your daring or skill, be conscious of opportunities to steer them in the right direction. In the white heat of creativity, you legitimately feel like a master storyteller. At the same time, when the canvas is clear, you can introduce illustrations that challenge, amaze, or even titillate. But you’ll feel better about your creation if the story can prove something worthwhile.

“I hate moralistic stories,” you may retort, and that’s understandable when the morals are presented in a condescending or stale way. However, you don’t need to explore far to find highly popular stories that thrill us with moral guidelines.

For example, think of the recently released film How to Train Your Dragon 2. It’s an animated film full of violence for children and youth, but that’s only a start.

In that story, a community of peaceful characters is threatened by an ugly enemy force which dictates that oppression is inevitable. Since the small community hasn’t organized for a battle and lacks fierce weapons, it seems true. But viewers are thrilled when a brave leader dies and is replaced by his son, who carries the community to victory and freedom from oppression.

It’s a small, powerless community. The enemy is a powerful, organized force. But the community wins.
Is that a boring, moralistic story? Or, rather, isn’t it the encouraging and optimistic shot in the arm that we all need in today’s conflicted world?