Knowledge of story-writing principles is essential for a story writer

Jamshid Khanian, a writer for children and young adults, stating that awareness of story-writing principles is essential for a story writer, told IBNA: “By studying and knowing the principles of story-writing, a writer steps into this field with a more open and informed perspective.”

This storyteller, who recently won the “Mehr” award for his short story collection “Under the Wishful Afternoon Sun,” responded to the question of whether one can become a writer without knowledge of story-writing principles: “It is possible, just as in the past there were storytellers and narrators who would tell stories without being literate. This still exists in some places, but that is different from story-writing. Writing is a profession and craft, and a writer must be aware of its tools and principles to create a lasting work.”

He added: “The more a writer is aware of story-writing principles, the better they can create their work. Of course, this does not mean that every work created based on these principles will be a great one, but in any case, it is necessary to be aware of them. I might use my awareness of these principles to break them, in which case I have acted consciously.”

He also mentioned that he is currently writing a novel for young adults and said: “I also have a book titled ‘Haft Gonbad’ (Seven Domes) being published by the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults, which is a re-creation of Nezami’s ‘Haft Peykar’.”

Jamshid Khanian, a playwright and story writer, was born in 1961 in Abadan. His works include ‘Childhoods of the Earth’, ‘Turtles Also Grow Old’, ‘A Get-together on the Topic of Tea and Fruit Leather’, and ‘Does It Always Stay This Way?’.