Shoot for the Moon: Writing Big, Brave Stories That Matter

 

A Quick Note on Fiction Writing for the Novice Writer

Shoot for the Moon: Writing Big, Brave Stories That Matter

By Ryker J. Phoenix

Somewhere in the quiet hours of the night, with a blinking cursor and a coffee mug gone cold, a writer wonders: What if I aim too high? What if this story is too big for me? But here’s the thing about aiming high—you might not hit the moon, but even missing can send you soaring through dazzling constellations of discovery.

Let’s talk about how to write big, brave stories that leave a mark, even when they don’t turn out exactly as planned.

1. Start with a Wild Idea

Every great story starts with a spark, the kind that makes you sit back and think, That’s crazy. Can I pull this off? The answer: Maybe not, but you should try anyway.

Imagine J.R.R. Tolkien sketching Middle-earth on the back of a student paper or Octavia Butler scribbling a vision of telepathic communities into her notebook. They didn’t know their worlds would become legendary—they just let their imaginations run wild. What’s your moon? A love story set in a crumbling post-apocalyptic carnival? A reimagined folktale about a trickster learning humility? Let yourself dream without limits.

2. Let Your Characters Reach for Their Own Moons

Big stories don’t just come from big plots; they’re powered by characters with impossible dreams. Think of Walter White in Breaking Bad, a mild-mannered teacher who becomes a drug lord, or Celie in The Color Purple, who writes letters to God as she struggles to reclaim her voice.

Your characters don’t need to succeed; they need to try. Let them long for something that feels out of reach. Maybe your shy protagonist dreams of performing on Broadway but stumbles over their lines during auditions. Maybe a hardened detective wants redemption but can’t forgive themselves. Write their hunger, their heartbreak, their hope.

3. Break the Rules (and Make New Ones)

Genres come with expectations, but the best stories break them wide open. Take Jordan Peele’s Get Out, where horror bends into biting social commentary, or N.K. Jemisin’s The Broken Earth series, which weaves fantasy, science fiction, and race together seamlessly.

Think of your story as a blank canvas. What happens if you splash colors outside the lines? If you’re writing romance, let it hurt. If you’re writing horror, give it heart. Aiming high means rejecting the idea that stories need to fit neatly into boxes.

4. Explore Themes That Scare You

The best stories are the ones you’re afraid to tell. Toni Morrison once said, “If there’s a book you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” That’s the moon.

What themes make you uneasy? Write about them. Maybe it’s the grief of losing a parent, the isolation of being the only Black student in a predominantly white school, or the guilt of betraying a loved one. Don’t worry about getting it perfect—let it be messy and real.

5. Fall Short, and Keep Writing

Here’s the truth: not every story will land. Sometimes you’ll write a scene that feels flat or a plot twist that falls apart. But in every failure, there’s something beautiful—a line of dialogue that crackles, a side character who steals the show, a kernel of truth you didn’t see before.

Remember, the stars are full of second chances. When Harper Lee wrote Go Set a Watchman, it wasn’t the book she hoped for, but it led her to To Kill a Mockingbird. Missing the moon is never the end of the journey; it’s just the beginning of something new.

6. Share the Weight of Your Words

Writing isn’t just about your imagination—it’s about connecting with others. Picture a reader sitting on the edge of their bed, turning the last page of your story with a lump in their throat. That’s what you’re writing for.

Don’t write to impress. Write to matter. Write to make someone feel less alone. If your story reaches even one heart, you’ve already landed among the stars.

7. The Journey is the Destination

Writing isn’t about perfection. It’s about trying, failing, learning, and trying again. It’s about reaching for something bigger than yourself. When you look up at the night sky, it’s not just the moon or stars that captivate you—it’s the vastness, the possibility, the infinite unknown.

Your writing is the same. So aim high. Write that wild, impossible story. Miss the moon, if you must, but don’t stop reaching.

Closing Challenge

Tonight, take 15 minutes. Write the opening scene of a story you’ve always been too scared to start. Let it be big. Let it be messy. Let it be yours.

Because the stars are waiting, and they’re closer than you think.