If you want to write meaningful fiction,

You’ll need a setting that forces your characters to grow.

Shall it be modern, Edwardian, or antebellum?

Which conflict will nurture the plot elements you sow?

You need a hero to carry your readers’ hopes,

Trusted friends on whom he or she can rely,

And a villain or rival to bar the path of ease,

Leaving a trial by fire your protag can’t deny.

And don’t neglect to add a twist at the end,

An improbable fruit of an earlier seed,

Or perhaps an unlooked-for result,

A reflection of your character’s most deep-seated need.

Stir that melody of elements together inside you,

Water it with tears, give it all that you are–

Write and rewrite until only the story remains,

And publish with the hope that your tale will go far.