The Chicken-Egg Paradox of Storytelling

One day a chicken was standing on the side of the road.

Actually, he was staring at the road, a little lost, when someone stopped and asked him this question:

Speaking as a chicken, which came first… you, or the egg?”

To which the chicken, after pondering for a moment, replied, “Who cares. I’m just trying to figure out why I’d want to cross this thing in the first place.”

Which is a different question, equally cliché. Consider yourself foreshadowed here, because the punchline is your fate as a writer.

Ever had a great omelet made from bad eggs? Or a bad omelet made from perfectly good eggs? Ever smelled a bad egg? Ever had an egg that started out fine, but you played around with it for so long that it went bad?

Have you ever not been completely sure what to do with an egg? Hard boiled, scrambled, diced into a salad? Deep fried?

What then? Do you keep cooking? Or do you begin anew with a fresh egg, one you haven’t mucked up, perhaps leading to a different dish altogether?

And if you, the cook, don’t know what to do with the egg, especially a bad egg, where does that leave your hungry guest?

Of course I’m talking about storytelling here.

Our initial story ideas are very much like eggs. Precious, yet completely worthless until you do something with them. Not healthy or delicious until they’re cooked, seasoned and, if you consider yourself a chef, added to other ingredients and all gussied up, because presentation is everything.

How can something be precious and worthless at the same time?

Because it’s a paradox.

As is storytelling.

We evolve our eggs – the initial spark of inspiration – into something wonderful, called stories. When we do it right, our little cell of a story grows into something akin to a fully glorified banquet of dramatic possibilities… one that we, as the cooks in this literary kitchen, are obliged to bring forth. That is, if they are ever to be fit to consume. Otherwise the egg just sits there, getting old, until it smells up the joint.

Which brings us full circle. Because if the egg isn’t good, the meal will suffer for it. Which means, whether we begin with the egg (an idea), or we begin with the recipe (characters, setting and theme) and start mixing with the hope than an egg will soon appear… either way, which came first – chicken or egg – is no longer the point.

That’s why the chicken was staring at that road. He was squaring off with a different question altogether, caught in the paradox.

The paradox is why manuscripts go unpublished and dreams die. Because writers sometimes try to cook up bland ideas, stories with no compelling conceptual centerpiece. Bad eggs. Even when presented on fine china, the meal will be less than satisfying if the egg has gone bad.

Equally fatal is when the writer has a killer initial idea but doesn’t execute it well. Up to professional expectations and standards. Bad cooking.  Or at least not enough cheese and oregano to go with that egg.A great idea does not a great story make.

Which comes first doesn’t matter.

It’s the wrong question.

We need both the chicken (all the moving parts) and the egg (a killer idea), and we are allowed to get to them in no particular order. As long as we get to both.

The good news is that this is only truly a paradox when the writer doesn’t completely understand the relationship between the egg and the chicken of your story. Or – analogy free for a moment – doesn’t juxtapose the weight of an idea in context to the balance and flavor and nourishment of the surrounding story elements.

Ever heard the term “all style, no substance” applied to a story? That’s a story without an egg somewhere in the mix. Vice versa, too: that’s a story that doesn’t live up to its inherent potential.The truth is that a successful story must have both an egg, and a recipe that stirs in all sorts of other goodness.

And therein resides the pothole in the road you, the chicken-wrangler in this analogy, need to cross. If you don’t recognize the duality of the necessity for both a strong conceptual egg and a delicious storytelling recipe, you’ll tumble keyboard-first into it.

And you likely won’t make it to the other side.

What kind of cook are you?

You can hatch an idea and begin to develop it into a story using a plan. Or, you can create a shell for an idea and go looking for it by drafting. Or a little of both.

Either way, it’s all the search for story. A base you must cover in writing any successful story.

As writers, we live and die by our ability to circle back and make sure our stories aren’t all broth and spice with no evidence of an egg anywhere in the mix. Our goal is to stir all the ingredients – egg and other goodies – into something that becomes a feast in excess of its independent parts.

Why did the chicken cross the road?

To get to the other side, of course. Duh. That cliché answer remains a paradox.

Writers, however, need a better answer. We need to get beyond the paradox of storytelling. For us, here’s the real answer: on the other side, where the readers are, awaits the full meal deal.

That’s where the egg was all along. Waiting to be found. Waiting to be given wings so it can turn into… a chicken.

The other side of the road is where the story is. Just watch out for those potholes.
Because however you get there, nobody gets to eat until you do.

Larry Brooks is the author of “Story Engineering: Mastering the Six Core Competencies of Successful Storytelling.” His website, Storyfix.com, is a leading resource for novelists and screenwriters at all levels. His latest book is “Warm Hugs for Writers,” with a free ebook offer available through his website.
_

RECENT POSTS

Vision Boards For Writers: 3 Ways To Achieve Your Dreams

Vision boards are more than just a fun activity to engage in at the start of a new year or season. While vision boards are often designed to be aesthetically pleasing and can be a relaxing activity, they actually can be more helpful to your writing dreams than you...

The 7 Best Pens For Writing

Did you know that you can purchase some of the best pens for writing without breaking the bank? Yes, pens can definitely be a costly purchase, but if you’re looking for both a comfortable and affordable writing tool, we have you covered.  In addition to the...

How to Find Freelance Writing Work (2023 Guide)

Freelance writing is a great way to earn some extra money on the side. But as you may discover once you get a foothold in the industry, it’s more than possible to turn it into a full-time job and lifelong career. There are some hurdles that you have to overcome,...

Hero’s Journey In Nonfiction: 4 Steps To Spectacular Writing

The hero’s journey is a classic story structure that has been used for centuries. This timeless storytelling technique encompasses the three core aspects of a protagonist’s journey. Using it in fiction often seems like common sense, but the secret is to use it in...

How To Find A Good Reading Chair + 7 Of Our Favorites

When you first become a passionate reader, you might not understand the importance of a good reading chair. It will only take a few weeks or months of reading for your body to figure out that sitting in something comfortable that supports your posture is essential to...

JOIN OVER 2 MILLION READERS

WANT YOUR NEXT BOOK TO BE A BESTSELLER?

Then you need KDP Rocket – the killer advantage of pro authors.

Related Posts

25 Writing Prompts For St. Patrick’s Day

25 Writing Prompts For St. Patrick’s Day

Prompts are a great way to get your creative juices flowing, and what better option than to take advantage of writing prompts for St. Patrick’s Day? Whether you celebrate the man after whom this holiday is named, or celebrate the pride of the Irish, below are...

About The Author

Larry Brooks

Larry Brooks’ runs the popular writing craft blog, Storyfix.com. He is the author of novels and writing craft books, including the bestselling Story Engineering, and his newest book, Story Fix: Transform Your Novel from Broken to Brilliant. You can find a series of videos that he calls “hardcore craft training for serious authors,” available at his new training website.

Latest Posts

How to Find Freelance Writing Work (2023 Guide)

How to Find Freelance Writing Work (2023 Guide)

Freelance writing is a great way to earn some extra money on the side. But as you may discover once you get a foothold in the industry, it’s more than possible to turn it into a full-time job and lifelong career. There are some hurdles that you have to overcome,...

31 Ways to Find Inspiration for Your Writing

31 Ways to Find Inspiration for Your Writing

You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club. - Jack London No matter how much you love writing, there will always be days when you need inspiration from one muse or another. In fact, I would argue that inspiration is not just a desirable...

>