The answer is always up to the author of the story — BLOG

I don't know if I'm qualified answering any questions about writing and storytelling. Not because I'm being modest or anything, but because the answer of most asked questions about writing is always up to the author themselves. And maybe, instead of answering the questions often asked by my friends who wants to learn how to write, I will just explain why I'd say, the answer is always up to you, the author of the story.

To begin, the word author, according to Cambridge Dictionary, means the writer of a book, article, play, etc. It also means a person who begins or creates something. So, you have the authority over your work. It's not mine, it's yours. 

I don't have anything to say about it. Just because I can write, does not mean I have the authority to tell you what's wrong and what not. I could give you my opinion, feedback, or share my own process, but in the end, it is ALWAYS up to you how to interpret it and what to take in. You are the curator; you have every right to put whatever you think is necessary into your work. Stop feeding the insecurity and just write.

But perhaps, if you really need some advice on writing, this article is my feedback, my opinion. And I hope it could open your mind a little bit about the process of writing anything (basically).

This is the real content of the article.

Like I said, you are the author. Everything is up to you. Just keep one thing in mind, make it convincing for the readers. If you are going to choose and implement techniques, anything in your writing, from crafting characters, plot, storyline, make it convincing. Be critical about what you choose, how you put your pieces. Like the game of chess, every move is intentional from the opening, midgame, and endgame.

To make it convincing, you need to do some research if you don't know what you are writing. You will find yourself mingling with musician, observe them, just to write a story about a singer, for example.

Well, like I said, everything is up to you. You can also make things up too if you need. No vampires I can interview to write a story about vampire named Samantha, so I made one up, and make it convincing.

That's the beauty and the dreadful thing about writing is to make it convincing. 

Can the story, the characters, and everything in it, convince you? If your answer to yourself is, "not" then you know it's not working.

But that's not the end of everything. You are the author. Make it again, begin from the start—with choices that makes your story convincing this time.

It's okay, first draft is never perfect. Even to learn Chess you need to lose countless time before you can master it. First drafts serve a purpose, it is to introduce you to the story, where you want to go, what you want to do—your opening, midgame, and endgame. Study it, like how Chess player studies their game—winning or losing—figure out why some things convincing and what not. Make some refinement, don't fix what's not broken, fix what's broken, or if nothing works, rewrite it.

Okay, so this is the endgame of this article.

When I was in London, I asked my lecturer for feedback, how to tell the ideas I got into the thesis. 

She answered, "all you need to do, basically, is can it convince me and the readers? Your argument needs to be solid, because that's the point."

You may say, "but that's for academic thesis."

But I will argue, "well, still applies." 

You build your fantasy world, why bother if you cannot convince the people reading it if that world can exist? You make the character, but if the reader can't understand or convinced by their struggles, then why bother? Storytelling flaws rooted on this one problem: no supportive evidence to make it convincing. Mary Sue or Gary Stu, and MacGuffin, etc... you name it.

That feedback from my lecturer really opens my mind about writing anything. I've been doing it even though I didn't have a name or a term for it. Make it convincing. That means you need supportive evidence and arguments. You need supportive scenes, dialogue, why one event lead to the other, and so on and so forth, right?

People will have different arguments, but I think this advice is the most practical one. You are the author, so you can do whatever you want basically. When you write, just remember to choose anything for the purpose of making it convincing for you and your readers. Like Chess, every move should be intentional, unless.... you don't want to — nobody can stop you, anyway.

I don't like being the person who tells people what to do and what not. I don't like to force my ideals onto others. My ideals are for me alone. But I always hope people can take something useful for themselves through my experience, my gains and losses.

All I can do — and other writers on this matter — is only give you feedback, advice — if you wish — and share their experience. Take it as you will. Because no matter what we say, we have no authority over YOUR story.