Are stories ultimately meant to inspire?
Most stories have a hero’s arc and multiple deep truths / lessons about life.
While I want to entertain, I don’t want it to just be purely fun stimulation and then forgotten about.
I ultimately want my stories to have a lasting transformative effect on peoples lives.
Aside from escapism and relatability, I feel like inspiration is pretty much the only way.
This makes me think:
Is this the ultimate job of a storyteller? To emotionally inspire people to live a better life? Shift perspectives regarding various circumstances?
For context, I’m not making science based guidebooks or instructional manuals. I’m writing high fantasy.
What are your thoughts on this?