S18:E02: Why Writers Need a Sense of Wonder in Fiction More Than Ever
About this episode
K.M. Weiland discusses the importance of a sense of wonder in fiction amidst a fascination with darkness in storytelling.
We're living in a storytelling moment deeply fascinated by darkness—and for good reason. Stories have always helped us metabolize fear, trauma, and moral failure. But darkness is not meant to be the destination. In this episode, I explore why writers need a sense of wonder in fiction, not as escapism or denial, but as a way of completing the story arc. Wonder is what allows stories to move through the descent rather than getting stuck there and to imagine a future still worth moving toward. This is a reflection on how stories work psychologically and culturally, why so many books already carry hope with quiet integrity, and how writers (often without realizing it) contribute to building meaning, courage, and care through the stories they tell. In This Episode, We Explore: Why dark stories play an essential role in storytelling The danger of getting stuck in the descent Why stories must complete the arc The sense of wonder in fiction as moral imagination How stories help us imagine a future worth moving toward Links & Resources 📚 Writing craft & story theory: https://helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/ ✍️ Join my mailing list (weekly insights for writers)…
More episodes of Helping Writers Become Authors
- The Emotional Toll on Writers in the Modern Landscape (And Why So Many Are Burning Out)
- S18:E07: Internal Conflict vs. External Conflict: The Shift From Projection to Agency in Character Arc
- S18:E6: 9 Tips for How to Write Dark Stories Responsibly (And Make Hope Feel Earned)
- S18:E05: Embodied Writing: How to Get Out of Your Head and Into Your Story
- S18:E04: The Four-Act Structure and the Circular Shape of Story
- S18:E3: Story as Cosmology: A Framework for Meaning
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