Tackling philosophy and politics, without sounding too preachy?

If someone were to ask, "What's your story about?" what would you say?

 

Hmm good question. I would probably say that ...

My story is about human nature at its core, why do humans do the things they do. What defines morality, right and wrong and the different types of hypocrisy which can be found in our society. How can this sense of morality be changed, what influences it. What influences society as a whole?

Would our beliefs and way of life hold up, if they were merely obstacles to achieving our end goals? Does the end justify the means if we convince ourselves that our means are better for humanity as a whole?

Think about things which have happened in history and how they contradict our views of how society should be... ancient sacrifices done by the Aztecs, the holocaust, how a solider can be told that killing is wrong, but kill others during a war. How violence is considered immoral but manipulation and deceit can be seen as acceptable (political viewpoint).

Ultimately, its a story about people and how there isn't really a right or wrong, only accepted and unaccepted depending on the society you live in

 

You misunderstood my question. My fault for not clarifying.

What's the story about, in terms of what happens? "A secret service agent goes to Rome to stop an assassination, only to find he's being set up to take the fall." That's the kind of answer I was looking for. What happens in the story?

 

Oh my bad

The story is about a group of people who are sent back in time to alter the past, present and future, but are told they can alter it however they wish.

 

My $0.02:
I would suggest you set aside tackling philosophy, morality, etc. and write the story in a way that makes sense. Start with an event, then move on to what happens after that, and after that, and so on until the story ends. Just tell a good story, and the philosophical side will take care of itself.

If you want to challenge views on morality, you can do that, but don't prioritize that over the story. That's how you avoid being preachy, by putting the story ahead of everything else. Focus more on good prose and dialog, not on the message you want to deliver. When you get the first draft done, you'll have a better idea of how to convey a message, and can do that during rewrites.

Other than that, I'd recommend reading stories that interest you. Take note of how authors create stories, how they build worlds and populate them with characters. That has been the best education in writing I've received. As always, continue to ask questions and learn everything you can about the art of storytelling, but first and foremost, just tell a good story.

 

Thanks man!